By: Lathan Gil

Yes! You heard that correct! The 2025 IBS Media Award WINNER for Best College Morning Show is getting three new cast members: Shir Hami ‘27, Branden Muñoz ‘29, and MYSELF, Lathan “Laytin” Gil ‘28!

All of us are quite new to Rider University as a whole. I am a sophomore, Branden is a freshman, and Shir is a junior who transferred here at the start of the 25-26 academic year. 

Everyone Had a Unique Way of Joining!

Shir Hami ‘27, started her career at 107.7 The Bronc in September, with her friend Jorge Cevallos ‘27, and a show called, “True Crime Weekly” where they discuss famous historical crimes. While Shir was being trained to be on-air, she was inspired by a current executive staff member to get more involved. “RJ Seib [‘27] trained us and told us how Wake Up Rider was looking for new hosts. At the moment I brushed it to the side, but after a day I said to myself, ‘Maybe I want to do it’, so I emailed John Mozes, the general manager, and asked him if I could join. He had a meeting with me, then immediately put me on two days to get a feel for it, like an audition, then suddenly I’m on Wake Up Rider.”

With myself, I actually had a completely different experience. I was sitting in John’s [Mozes] office eating with my coworkers, when suddenly John told me he wanted to talk to me. I asked him, “Am I in trouble?”and he said, “Maybe.” It was at that moment where I tried to recall EVERYTHING I could’ve done. Now see … I could barely think of one or two things so I genuinely didn’t know what was going to happen. John took me into one of our production studios and began the conversation with, “So I think you have the personality for Wake Up Rider!” Before he could finish his sentence I said “Yes I will do it!” John responded with a “Oh you would?! Okay! I’ll talk to the cast and get you on for a try out.” I auditioned on a Tuesday and Wednesday, and then the week after that I was on Wake Up Rider every Monday and Friday!

Branden Muñoz had a similar experience with how he joined. “John [Mozes] had told me ‘’You have a great personality, you are here all the time, you are always doing something here, you should try joining Wake Up Rider, I said sure, and then he had me try out on two [different] days. It was kinda weird because I didn’t know the people and I had to settle in a bit, but over the course of the show I got comfortable, and now I’m on Wake Up Rider!”

The Stupendous Shir!

Having Shir on the show actually is quite a big deal! For a while Sophia Guiro ‘28 was the only female on the show. So I feel it is quite a milestone to have a second girl co-hosting Wake Up Rider. I asked Shir what she thought about being the second of (what I hope will be) many female cast members (yes plural!) on the show. “You know, I actually really find that so important. Because at first I was so scared because of how many men there were. I was scared they weren’t going to click with me. But overtime I got insanely comfortable. I feel like it is kinda crazy me and Sophia are the only girls, and we both graduate in the same year. However, I do feel like we are starting something where more women will try out and will be able to all be on Wake Up Rider at once. I really hope that is how it goes.”

Going into a new space would be an experience for anyone! I have been working at The Bronc since the first day of my freshman year, however, with Shir and Branden, they JUST got here. And Shir spoke about the pressure of that. “The only one I really spoke to before was RJ. Before I met everyone else, I really was concerned about if I was going to be funny enough. If I needed a push to really come out of a shell. But then I met people like you and Sophia, and you both really gave me that push to just do it! And you know what, I was like ‘I can! I can vibe with these two!”

Being in college is already enough, having to wake up is another chore on top of all of the classes and clubs we are all in. Wake Up Rider means everyone needs to wake up very early in the morning to make it on the show by 8 a.m. Although not a morning person, Shir is  dedicated to doing the show no matter what, “I am not a morning person at all. I used to work jobs where I had to be up at 6:30 am and that was rough! When I started Wake Up Rider my mom would spam call me at 7  am to make sure I was up. There were even times where I woke up ten minutes before showtime, and I still brushed my hair, brushed my teeth, and made it on time!” 

She wanted to make a point to make it known that she is working on her sleeping schedule!

Shir’s Segment!

Shir’s new segment on Wake Up Rider is called Hear Me Out! Which will be air on Thursdays. “It is a game where I bring up a hot topic, a controversial topic. Somebody is assigned to debate for it, and another is assigned to debate against it, they argue their claims,and I give points to who had the better argument!” 

The inspiration behind this came from someone else! “When John [Mozes] asked me to come up with a segment, I did NOT know what to do. Me and my roommate, we follow this guy on Snapchat named Antonio, and every Wednesday he posts something called Antonio’s Hot Takes where he posts a hot take and yaps about it [and] found it quite funny! We would laugh and genuinely debate every Wednesday! So I thought if this was funny for me, it would be funny for others. So I took the premise of the show – debates, and made it into a game!”

The Luxurious Laytin!

Now, let it be known, I did not interview myself. The Glorious Guy Varela ‘27 offered to interview me for this, so that was something quite new for me (and very exciting)! 

I was asked “What do you feel you bring to the cast?” And of course, with someone like me, it is quite obvious! I bring the personality! “A lot of people in the world lack what I have. With me, I bring a lot in terms of personality. This cast is very diverse and we bring a lot of different things to the table. In this world we are directors, tap dancers, actors, singers/performers, business majors, exercise enthusiasts, and more, however I feel like I bring the outgoing-ness. I bring a lot of energy. I’m always at 100 and I always just go for it, and on top of that I am professionally trained when it comes to performance, and I feel like that’s what makes me unique amongst the cast. There’s no one like me, and that’s what makes me valuable.” 

If I had to compare the cast to something I would say “The Wake Up Rider cast is just like the cast of a CW show, there is someone for everyone on the cast! We are all different but together.”

Laytin’s Segment

My segment is called the 3 Word Freestyle! Which will air every Wednesday. “I pull up a three random word generator, when it gives you the three words you have to write a rap verse with those words in it within two minutes. When that time is up, I play a random rap beat, of my choice, that the person doesn’t know beforehand, and they gotta just start rapping.”

The idea was actually something I came up before joining Wake Up Rider! “The inspiration behind the game actually came from myself! This was a game that I would play on my own show OMG! What’s The Tea every Monday from 5 to 6 p.m. When John [Mozes] asked me to come up with a game for Wake Up Rider, I said to myself ‘the game on my show is working, let me just do it on the morning show!’ I knew it was a good idea because when I first brought it to John he jokingly told me, “Ugh! It really sucks when you have a good idea!” 

I also felt like this game is a great way to bring a little bit of me into the way the show works! “ I am a singer,songwriter, dancer, performer, and entertainer. I make music, singles, and albums, so I knew the game I wanted to do had to include something music related. Because that is me. We are synonymous. So luckily I had this game and I am able to do it.”

The Bold Branden!

The youngest member of Wake Up Rider is Branden Muñoz. Branden is fresh out of high school. For some, that transition from high school to college is very hard to handle, but Branden didn’t feel any pressure, “I was very excited. I came here to be involved. I knew I would want to do the radio [station] and have my own show, the morning show wasn’t something I expected, but when I had the chance I just said, ‘why not?’ And if John [Mozes] thinks I am good enough to do it, then I’ll do it!”

As a freshman, Branden feels like he brings something different to the cast, “Because I am the youngest, I feel like I bring a new perspective on life. On top of that, I’m the only one on the cast from New York. So we all grew up differently on the cast, and come from different backgrounds, so I feel like I can give a fresh voice and fresh perspective.” 

Like Shir, Branden did not know anyone before coming here. So when he met everyone for the first time, he definitely had his first impressions. In fact, he has one word to describe each of us.

Brian – Jolly

RJ – Film

Ellis – Energy

Laytin – Glorious

Shir – Funny

Sophia – Spanish!

Branden’s Segment

Branden’s on-air feature is called Be Descriptive! Which will air on Mondays, “It is a game where we split into teams, you write down character names, either fictional or real, you give it to the opposing team, and one person on the opposing team has to try to describe their person to their partner!”

Branden says he actually got the inspiration from his family! “We used to play a game similar to this with my family, I really loved it because we really had to be descriptive! Pun intended. It was a lot of fun playing it with family members because it got very wacky and goofy. So I thought that would translate great to Wake Up Rider.”

We Return Monday January 26, 8 to 10 a.m.!

We have a lot of high hopes for Season 9 of Wake Up Rider. Even though we do not do this for acknowledgements or awards, we are going to bring it tenfold and we are going to be brighter than ever. “Would it be nice to be acknowledged? Sure. But we already upgraded. We got new people, new brains, new senses of humor, new ideas…we already got better and we don’t need awards to be aware of that. Season 9 is going to be something to remember!” That’s one thing I made sure to tell Guy Varela when he was interviewing me for this blog. So make sure you tune your radio to 107.7 The Bronc and listen on Monday, January 26, 2026 beginning at 8 a.m. because like I said, “this season will be one for the books!”

By: Lathan Gil

On top of winning multiple IBS Media Awards , receiving five NAB Marconi Radio Award nominations, and consistently breaking records at Rider University, 107.7 The Bronc has a new achievement to celebrate, specifically our news team!

The Bronc Buzz, our daily entertainment news reports were recently nationally recognized and ranked as the #2 Best Gossip Podcast (behind TMZ), the #9 Best Rumor Podcast, and the #17 for Best Celebrity Podcast, IN THE COUNTRY!

The Work Itself!

News Director, Aidan Magee ‘26 says the work is hard, but the main thing is just being consistent. “The work that goes into being recognized at such a large scale is just being consistent everyday. Making sure we are constantly doing things and producing the most up-to-date stories. We don’t stop. It is a 24/7 and 365 day thing, we do it so someone can enjoy it and learn about the world around them in terms of entertainment.”

Some days have more hot news stories, while some feature less. That can present quite a challenge when you are expected to write three stories a day. According to Aidan, a lot of care and thought goes into selecting stories for The Bronc Buzz, “We really think a lot about what we want to tell the listener about what is happening with the world. It really depends on the day [as well as] who is doing the report and what they like as well.”

That is one of the things that make The Bronc Buzz so special. It is unique and different everyday. It really features a variety of stories and interests for every person.

What Do We Mean By Rumor & Gossip?

In the entertainment world, rumors and gossip spread like wildfire. A celebrity could say a quote meaning one thing, and a tabloid will spin it to mean something else and suddenly the person is getting cancelled. Look at artists like Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, and Madonna, just to name a few victims of the tabloid. 

But what separates The Bronc Buzz from other entertainment news outlets is that our stories are meticulously fact-checked. We use actualities (audio from the newsmaker) to prove that what we are reporting is factual and true. “There is definitely a distinction between invading the privacy of a celebrity and reporting on something that is out in the open”, says Magee. “In the event someone is taking an interview on a red carpet, and they mention something, that is more fair than taking a quote from something in their private life and interpreting it in a certain way. We report on what the person puts out themselves, not assumptions that someone has made on them.”

Our team puts in a lot of work and, if anything, we are consistent. We do not take breaks. That really makes us special amongst other entertainment news podcasts.

We Are So Proud!

To be nationally ranked is truly an honor, but to be ranked so high in comparison to other commercials entertainment podcasts is simply a blessing. “Everybody should be proud. It is an amazing accomplishment. We just want to keep it up and keep up the work. I feel we can only get better.”

I  asked Aidan Magee if he would like to be ranked higher in the future. And he calmly replied, “Numbers don’t matter. It isn’t about getting higher, it’s about being consistent and staying where we are. If we stay consistent, and work on [the] little things, like [our] energy behind the mic, working on finding stories, and editing more precisely, that will help us remain where we are. And, if it is people’s “cup of tea” maybe we will be ranked higher!”
Make sure to listen to The Bronc Buzz at the top of the hour, daily on 107.7 The Bronc Retro, or anytime you want on your favorite social media platform, including Spotify!

By: Lathan Gil

With the Holidays coming to a close, and the New Year is swiftly upon us, I had the opportunity to ask  some of our team  at 107.7 The Bronc about their New Year’s Resolutions.

The Staff & Their Regal Resolutions!

Resolutions ranged from self-improvement, to making more money, to even just being happy in the new year! 

The Social Media team at The Bronc gave us a wide range of answers! Taveon Mcrae ‘29 chose “to come back to the school and to live and thrive!”as his New Year’s resolution. Personally, I love a thriving resolution, so I was very joyful to hear that. 

Allea Zikria ‘27  had something QUITE unique to say that I wasn’t expecting. Her resolution was, “to control my anger.” This resolution definitely took me aback, so I asked her to elaborate, and her explanation was nothing short of something so insanely real. “I get annoyed by people. They are ignorant, quite stupid, and I need to control myself around it better. Which I will!” 

Now Guy Varela ‘27  loves people, so he wants to look inward to see how he could even be better to them. He was quite clear, “to just be a better version of myself and to constantly improve!” 

For Teagan Rotella ‘29 her  goal is to read more books! I personally really loved this resolution  since young people today barely like to read or want to read anymore! (But thankfully, I know the person reading this loves to read and I LOVE you so much for it). 

When I asked Delaney Wiggins ‘27 about her resolution she said she wants to be better organized with school notes for classes, which I have to agree with because finals week really proved the test of time for myself and my notes I had written! 

Last, but not least, new Social Media Director , Karla Ritter ‘27 had a very glorious resolution. She is a Film/TV major, and her goal is “to fall back in love with film studies, and write more scripts!” I am so happy to hear that! As a fellow creative, I love that Karla wants to dive more into her field!

Next I moved onto both the Promotions and the Sports teams at 107.7 The Bronc. I asked Jaden Foreman ‘27 and Lindsay Scarola ‘27 about their resolutions, and unfortunately they both claimed not to have one. When questioned about it, Lindsay had a very hot take about resolutions,“Resolutions don’t make sense. Why change yourself when people should like you for who you are.” And I fear I have to agree … to an extent! People should definitely accept you for who you are, however, no one can ever stay truly the same forever. People constantly evolve and change.

When I asked Jaden why he didn’t have a resolution, as the jokester he is, he had a humorous response, “Calling it a resolution is a guaranteed failure, by February it is forgotten about. I already made ‘resolutions in November’ – goals I have until the end of time.” And then Jaden proceeded to list the “goals” he has, which got many laughs out of me. 

In 2026 Jaden wants to:

• Force HBO Max to change again
• Start another dumb meme
• Switch the labels on “Push” and “Pull” doors.

Now, I do not believe any resolution is a bad one, but this is the first time I have ever heard of these resolutions, and you know what, I wish him the best!

Next I asked the newest member of 107.7 The Bronc and the Wake Up Rider crew, Branden Muñoz ‘29. He also  said he doesn’t really have one … which was quite disappointing, but after I asked Branden why, he said  instead of a resolution, he has a goal for the next semester, which I personally count as a resolution myself, but that is neither here nor there. Branden’s planning on “being more responsible schoolwise and being more on top of my work. I was on top of it this semester, but I didn’t know how hard it would be. So after going through my first semester, seeing how finals week is, seeing how classwork is, now I can prepare myself better for next semester!” 

Lastly, I had to ask our GLORIOUS Student GM, Rosalyn Tiangco what her resolution is, and she had a really calm answer, “Invest in my hobbies more and make time to do the things I enjoy!” Which you know, I really love. You only live once in this world, you have to live life enjoying what you’re doing because otherwise, what is the point? 
Now to end this week’s blog, let me tell you my resolution. I think this resolution is simple and easy, “Grow, Get Bigger, Gain More Success, and Get Closer to my End Goal in life.” As we know, I am a singer, songwriter, dancer, and performer, and my resolution is to get bigger with my art and my craft. And I encourage anybody reading this to do the same. Believe in yourself, and love yourself, because loving yourself is truly the Greatest Love of All!

Have a Happy New Year!

I would like to finally say to everyone reading this blog and to the many listeners of 107.7 The Bronc and 107.7 The Bronc Retro, have a Happy Holiday Season! And, a Happy New Year! 2026 will be filled with love, prosperity, and more grand and glorious things!

By: Lathan Gil

If the news just so happened to slip your cellular devices, 107.7 The Bronc is nominated for eight 2026 Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Awards! We are nominated for Best Celebrity or Artist Interview (Wake Up Rider), Best On Air Pledge Drive, Best Station Contest, Best Promotional Poster (Jake Goebel ‘28), Best Giveaway, Best Use of Sound Effects (Dan Loges ‘28), Best Sports Interview, and Best College Radio Station.

Usually the station submits about 70 awards, in a variety of categories, so many of our student content creators have an opportunity to be nominated for their hard work, but according to Student General Manager Rosalyn Tiangco ‘26  this year the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System changed the criteria. “We could only submit up to 45 nominations. So Kadie [DiGuiseppe] ‘27, John [Mozes] and I sat down and really talked about what we should submit for. We made a Google drive with what we thought was the best work, then we had our staff make reels and chose the best content to submit.”

With all the content, contests, events and promotions we create at The Bronc, attempting to submit up to 45 pieces of content for awards by Sunday, October 26  was nothing short of difficult and stressful. Especially because the submission deadline was between Scream Screen X, the Marconi Radio Awards and the Scream Screen Blood Drive.

Was it Overwhelming To Promote?

107.7 The Bronc is not new to multi-tasking. When asked if she felt any pressure or stress promoting The Bronc’s eight IBS nominations after the station was contacted by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems, Rosalyn full-on denied! “It wasn’t stressful. We just had our production directors start to produce station imaging to announce it. We start to write station liners for the student shows [to announce the nominations], Social Media starts their [advertising] campaign, we send the announcement to [Rider University’s] marketing and communications department. It’s not a lot that people would see from the outside. We are a little bit busier, but it’s a good kind of busy and exciting.”

What Happens There?

The Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Conference and Awards consists of a lot of panels that have to do with multiple topics in Radio & Podcasting. Rosalyn and Jaden Foreman ‘27 actually got to podcast with Shelly Wade at the awards in 2025. It is a great way to network and get to meet and connect with people in the broadcast industry. 

The award ceremony is actually the last event to happen at the IBS conference. “The day starts at 10 a.m. for us, and ends at around 7pm. This year’s awards start getting announced at 5 p.m., and it is actually very quick.”

The First Time Nominees

It is so glorious to say that our own Dan Loges ‘28 and Jake Goebel ‘28 have been nominated for individual awards! Dan is nominated for Best Use of SFX and Jake for Best Promotional Poster!

Both of their reactions, for lack of better words, LEFT THEM SHOOK! Dan Loges didn’t know what to think when John [Mozes] gave him the word, “It was so surreal, it didn’t feel real. It was weird.” Jake had a similar feeling, “I wasn’t expecting it. I never really put my work out there, so to be recognized for it is really a big surprise.”

Dan is very creative when it comes to his production, I shall say! He uses multiple voices, effects, and has many creative ideas. Sometimes he even sings! What I really wondered was what goes through his mind when writing, recording and producing station imaging, “What I think of is ‘how do I make this entertaining … for myself! So I don’t get bored! Some more I think about it is, ‘What am I promoting?’ ‘How can I market it?’ ‘And, ‘How can I take a creative spin on it?” 

Dan claims he always has a lot of production work to get done. But, he doesn’t let it get to him, “There are times where it gets tough, but that is not the case all the time. I have originality, and I know what is important in what I create, and the people who came before me really inspired me with how I do it.”

Jake Goebel ‘28 is the graphic designer at The Bronc, and he has been creating images since High School! His main inspiration was one of his high school teachers, “He saw my work and suggested I take a sports media class. I took it, and since then I have been growing and now I am where I am. That was actually my main inspiration to join The Bronc.

Jake is nominated for his work on The Bronc’s Scream Screen X poster (which directly inspired the storyline to our Scream Screen countdown on Instagram). I asked him what inspired him to create the poster and he quite literally said “It just came to me. I wanted to incorporate the drive-in theme and I wanted to add skeletons to play into the Halloween vibe. I made it in six hours and drew what I wanted, then sent it to John.”

How Jake can just come up with ideas on the spot and draw them is glorious (and kinda makes me jealous y’all!), so I asked him what the process is to send a design to John. And, he said it actually is really simple, “John tells me an event or an idea, then I use my creative ideas and send it to him.”

Shoutout to Dan Loges, Jake Goebel, Wake Up Rider, and the crew of 107.7 The Bronc for our eight Intercollegiate Broadcasting Systems Media Award nominations! Find out if we win on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in the Big Apple at the Sheraton Times Square in New York City!

By: Lathan Gil

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s holiday time at 107.7 The Bronc! We are serving you some festive and joyful tunes until The Big Red Man’s Big Day on December 25!! Our Program Director, Cassie Vaz ‘26, is proud to unveil that both 107.7 The Bronc & 107.7 The Bronc Retro will be getting into the holiday spirit, “We will be playing the classics on the Retro station as it is 50s – 90s music that is played. You will get all your Mariah [Carey’s], Frank Sinatra’s, and Brenda Lee’s, and on the FM station, we are highlighting all of the new Christmas music that has been coming out from the 2000’s and forward. We will feature artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Norton Jones, and John Legend.”

And for those who don’t celebrate Christmas, you are in luck! As traditional holidays like Hanukkah will be getting spins on both stations as well! “Yes! Hanukkah music does exist! And let me tell you, if our music directors can find it, we will run it!”

By Holiday Music … What Does That Really Mean?

Just like the music industry categorizes different genres and styles of music, we do the same for the holidays at The Bronc! There are genres like Holiday Gospel, Holiday Pop, Holiday Country, and more! This year, Cassie has tasked her music directors and her entire programming team to find songs for those and other holiday music categories. All they have to think about is, “Is this song going to trend? Are people going to enjoy listening to this?” Programming at The Bronc and The Bronc Retro isn’t based off what our music team likes, it’s based on YOU like! So guess what? This is a 100% guarantee that you will enjoy this Holiday season listening to WRRC-FM and WRRC2, Since we are playing the music that we know YOU love! 

Music Directors, Bella Soto ‘27, created the genre of “Obscure Christmas” music. I personally have never heard of it. However, the name may sound confusing but Bella simply describes it as Christmas music you wouldn’t necessarily think of at first! To Bella, “It means Christmas songs from unusual stuff.” She proceeded to show me the songs herself and detailed where each obscure holiday tune in this category came from, “We have some Christmas songs from South Park, Bob’s Burgers, and more! We have those unusual songs that still bring the Holiday spirit.”

When Can You Start Listening?

That is probably the question you really want answered as you’re reading this blog! And guess what? We have an answer for you! Holiday music on The Bronc and The Bronc Retro starts today, November 28. It all starts with two songs an hour until December 14, that’s when we begin our 12 Days of Continuous Christmas Music marathon; when we play 24 hours of holiday hits until Christmas Day on December 25! Then, just as fast as the Holidays came, on December 26, it goes back to regular programming.

What Is Your Favorite Christmas Song and Christmas Movie?

For an impromptu moment while interviewing both Bella and Cassie, I asked them what their favorite holiday songs and movies are! For Cassie, some of her favorites are “Joy To The World”, “All I Want For Christmas Is You”, and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” by Pentatonix! And for movies we both came to the conclusion that Home Alone is forever the best Christmas movie of all time, followed by The Grinch.

Bella choices were “Rudolph The Red Nose Raindeer” by DMX, the original “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer”, “Frosty The Snowman”, “Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer”, and even “Little Gift” by me, Laytin. Bella’s favorite Christmas movie is also Home Alone, followed by a movie I have never seen, The Santa Clause. 

When it comes to holiday music, everything is looking jolly this holiday on 107.7 The Bronc and 107.7 The Bronc Retro! Whether you start being festive in January, July, October, November, or even wait until December, our 107.7 The Bronc family wishes you a very Happy Holiday Season!

By: Lathan Gil

The Rider men’s and women’s basketball teams have new broadcasters for the 2025-26 season. Broadcasting the men’s games this season on 107.7 The Bronc Retro are Kadie DiGiuseppe ‘27, Benjamin Shinault ‘26, and Josh Yuhas ‘27, and joining Owen McCarron ’26 behind the mics on the women’s side are Dante Walker ‘27 and Andrew Heckler ‘29. 

Owen is The Bronc veteran who will mentor Dante and Andrew and show them the ropes when it comes to calling college basketball on WRRC2. “This is my fourth season, and I think from the behind the mic perspective it becomes easier as it goes. You get to learn as you do it. I’ll guide them in any way I can. I will find their flow and let them shine.”

The Women’s Broadcasting Team!

Owen has been doing this for a MINUTE! His pure love for basketball and broadcasting is what keeps him coming back for more opportunities and experience, “I just love it! I can’t complain. It is so much fun being involved with Rider Athletics, plus its apart of my major for Sports Media.”

This season, Owen moved up a rung on The Bronc’s broadcast ladder. He’s the new play-by-play announcer for your Lady Broncs, while Dante and Andrew are your new color analysts. You’ll also be able to see Andrew getting everyone hyped before, during and after each game on The Bronc’s Instagram. For both of our new broadcaster’s game prep is the key to their success. According to Dante, “You have to do immense preparation. You have to know what’s going on. Who’s the leading scorer? What is their record like? What are the ups and downs? You have to understand more about the players on both ends to make broadcasting easier.”

The New Broadcasters!

Although these new recruits are learning on the job, expectations are high! For Andrew Heckler, who has been broadcasting since he was a junior in high school, there are certainly differences when it comes to broadcasting high school and collegiate sports. “I broadcasted football, basketball, soccer, hockey, and I found a real love for it! It is different here though, because in high school we had a video broadcast, so it’s a bit easier now because now it’s just audio.” 

“It is both easy and difficult. It’s difficult because you have to do research to know what you’re talking about, but it’s also easy because you are just talking. When it comes to color commentary put your own personality into it, so you can really make it your own.” Dante Walker added. 

Now Meet The Men’s Broadcasting Team!

Did you know, Ben Shinault is transitioning from broadcasting women’s to men’s basketball this season on The Bronc Retro! He believes there are differences between the two sports, especially when it comes to style, “Men’s games are more fast paced! The women’s games are a slower play style. I don’t mean timewise, I mean the way they play, the men just play faster.”

There’s a format our young student broadcasters must follow every game. It all begins with the pre-game show, which includes a one-on-one interview with coach, followed by 40-minutes of wall-to-wall action and coverage. Then our teams wrap the day or night up with a post-game show and the MVP of the Game. 

But as Kadie DiGiuseppe likes to say, it’s still all about research, research and more research, “Yeah, the research is crazy! We find out who the players are, we have storylines too. As an example, one of our sophomores was only held to two points in the Rutgers game, while in the last two games he got 17 and 20, so for storylines we figure out why that happened and things like that.”

The men’s broadcasting team has their work cut out for them on the sidelines this season, since 10 of the 14 members of this year’s version of your Rider Bronc’s are new, first-year players. “That’s very common in college sports now. Either they get NIL money, or they transfer. It is a common thing, as long as they get an offer.” 

Before Every Game …

The early bird always gets the worm and the best broadcast results. Whether the game is at home or on the road, our broadcast crew needs to be at the arena, set up and ready to broadcast 90-minutes prior to tip-off to be game ready. 

The crew said that they aren’t necessarily nervous about being a broadcaster, but Andrew Heckler said that for his first game, he was a bit anxious. “It was my first game, so I was kind of nervous about messing up, but I have been doing it since high school, so I know as time goes on it’ll be fine.”

Go Listen!

Every Rider Broncs men’s and women’s home basketball game, and select road games, can be heard all season on WRRC2, 107.7 The Bronc Retro. Go to www.1077TheBronc.com/Rider Basketball to learn more about our broadcast teams and to view a schedule of the games to we’re carrying this season on our Retro station,

By: Lathan Gil

107.7 The Bronc is now a five time in six year nominee of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Radio Award for College Radio Station of the Year!

Although we were nominated four times in the past, this was the first time going to the ceremony for most of our student executive staff at The Bronc. Copy Director, Grace Juarez ‘27 shared the feeling she got when she found out we were going to the Marconi Radio Awards. “I didn’t know what to expect. It’s new to me. I don’t know what’s there! I really wanna look good! Seeing our school and the people we are going against, the anticipation is really what’s getting me.”

I asked one of our Music Directors, Bella Soto ‘27,  if she felt nervous about going, and she full-on rejected the idea of feeling nervous in the first place! “I was NOT nervous, I am actually really excited! I haven’t been to New York in a while! I am so excited to experience this. It’s a new experience and a big deal!

Stress on Stress on Stress!

After the nomination came out, it was quite literally the only thing on our staff’s mind besides Scream Screen. We were thinking about pictures, outfits, branding, we wanted to keep up the high quality content while having the pressure of the award on us. 

But we knew we would make it through and persevere because that’s just what we do. We achieved milestones like 107.7 The Bronc’s first-ever Radiothon, where we raised $55,000 in 74 hours. We just had the most attended event in Rider history with 2400 people at Scream Screen X. We broke and are continuing to break records, so we knew with whatever stress came, we would push through. Even the news director, Aidan Magee had a shooting comment on our work ethic “We know how much everyone works at the station. And we work hard! So if we win, we are winning with a BANG because we have done so much.”

One of The Bronc’s three Production Directors, Dan Loges ‘28 says he felt some pressure after finding out we were nominated. “Yeah, we work so hard, putting time into what we do. We have to craft it, and now there are a bunch of eyes on us, we want to make sure things stay up to par and up to standard. But obviously we got nominated because of our standard and work ethic, so we just made sure to stay there.”

On The Way to NYC!

The bus ride to the award ceremony was a very memorable moment! We sang karaoke, played games, and bonded as an executive staff. For a look at that you can follow us on Tiktok and Instagram to view those posts, reels and stories.. 

Arriving there was a grand entrance in itself. Leaving the bus to walk in the Edison Ballroom in Time Square, Aidan Magee was simply starstruck! “It was amazing. I knew how big of a deal it was, but seeing it all in person felt so fancy, even more than what I was anticipating.”

It was VERY fancy. They served Filet Mignon, salmon, and more! For Dan Loges, the food added to the moment, “Eating a Filet Mignon that I didn’t have to pay for…I knew it was going to be a great time.”

Leaving The Awards

For some of our seniors, it was their first and/or last time attending the Marconi’s. “I am graduating. I’m happy we got to bond and be with each other. In meetings and in the station we mostly only discuss work stuff, so just having fun, forming further bonds really made it bittersweet.” is how Aidan Magee described his NAB Marconi Award night.

Leaving the show was a bittersweet experience. We got to be around some of our peers and even had the opportunity to  learn a few things. I asked Dan on the bus ride back if he felt like we should go harder now, after the awards. “I think there is always a reason to push harder and push yourself farther. We want to be the best. So yes, seeing we were recognized five times in the past six years, what we do works. So we will keep on going.”

Thank You!

When interviewing Grace, Bella, Aidan, and Dan, I asked them who they would like to thank. They all said their parents, friends, and partners that helped them start in radio. However, I just want to give thanks to everyone on the executive staff for making the station what it is and has become. 

Thank you to Alli Burton, Kadie DiGiuseppe, Ellis Foreman, Jaden Foreman, Lathan “Laytin” Gil (myself), Grace Juarez, Juliet Inforzato, Dan Loges, Aidan Magee, Owen McCarron, Emily O’Conner, Lindsay Scarola, Richard “RJ” Seib, Bella Soto, Rosalyn Tiangco, Guy Varela, Cassie Vaz, and of course the man who pushes us to always be better, our general manager, John Mozes!

We could not be where we are without any of you, keep going and getting bigger.

By: Lathan Gil

On October 17, 107.7 The Bronc’s 10th annual Scream Screen will be scaring Rider Bronc’s in the BLC parking lot. This is one of the BIGGEST fall events on campus, and as an employee at 107.7 The Bronc, I can say, no matter what job you have, this event is one of the only things you are thinking about. Especially the week of the event. I asked General Manager John Mozes what goes through his mind the week before Scream Screen. And he described it with one simple word, “Panic. Anytime you put on a live event, you get nervous. Is the screen going to show up on time? Are the Trunk or Treat and Food Trucks gonna be there? So naturally you worry. However, our team is always well prepared. There’s just one thing we can’t control, the weather.”

The Pros at Adaptability

107.7 The Bronc is well-trained in the art of adaptability. I asked John if there was ever a time, on the day of Scream Screen, if something ever went terribly wrong and we had to change something on the fly; something we couldn’t control and it happened to be at the first-ever Scream Screen. “The original Scream Screen was supposed to be on the Campus Mall, and the Screen on the berm, and the cars were going to park on the grass. However, it POURED the night before. The grass did not hold the rain, so for safety, we pivoted on a dime and moved to the BLC staff parking lot. Then it happened AGAIN in 2023 and we had to move Scream Screen once again, because of Homecoming Weekend. Now Scream Screen is in it’s resting place, no pun intended, the Visitors lot.”

The First Scream Screen – and How It Came to Be

The crazy thing about Scream Screen I learned while interviewing John was that he came up with the idea himself! “The thought just came to me and the students loved it!”

Now, Rider University has always shown outdoor movies. However, John wanted this to be different from the rest. “I wanted it to be on the biggest screen imaginable, I wanted everything to be bigger. It started out very rustic – and now like most events we do, it grew into something great and that everyone looks forward to.”

The Staff and The Workload

On the day of Scream Screen, the 107.7 The Bronc staff is busy all day. Set-up starts at 10 am, then from about 2 to 4pm we have a bit of downtime to film promotional content like TikTok videos and Instagram reels, then at 4 pm (to quote John Mozes) “all hell breaks loose.” That’s when every vendor shows up, the screen arrives, everything is set in motion. And then at 6 pm, it’s go time!

The Films …

Every year the move The Bronc shows at Scream Screen is  voted on by the Rider student population! The top five movies this year are: Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Substance, Final Destination: Bloodlines, IT, and Sinners. Me personally, I want Five Nights at Freddy’s to win. I love that film. But something unbeknownst to me was that the movie is played from a DVD! And there is a technical reason behind not streaming the film. “You don’t really want to rely on WiFi. Just in case the Internet goes down, it is best to play the movie from a DVD. The first film to be shown, Scared Shrekless, has already been purchased, and the movie that won this year’s campus wide vote is locked away in our 107.7 The Bronc movie vault; hidden where no one can get to it.” 

The audio from the film will be broadcasted from 88.9 (so make sure you tune your cars to it so you can hear the audio crisp and clear). Some may wonder, “Why not broadcast it from 107.7? And the answer to that question is simply: we have other broadcast obligations the same day as Scream Screen. “We have Lawrence High School Football, and we are already committed to that. One thing I try to teach our students is that you can still have events and run regular programming, all at the same time, so we do that. Also, imagine tuning into 107.7 The Bronc to hear the biggest hits and best variety and hearing Final Destination: Bloodline, Five Nights at Freddie’s, IT, Sinners or The Substance instead. You’d be so confused.”

When Is The Job Done?

At the end of the day, the staff’s job isn’t done until the movie starts. By that point the trunk-or-treat is over and the candy is gone, the food is gone, and everyone’s in their cars. During the movie, we clean up and get ready to go home, while a few staff members stay behind to move cars out.
On average, somewhere between 1500 to 1700 students, faculty, staff, family and friends show up to Scream Screen. DeLorzeno’s The Burg serves about 800 – 1,000 slices of pizza, Yoo Cuz hands out about 500 cheesesteaks and fries, and TCC Hibachi goes through HUNDREDS of bowls. Do you want to be a part of one of the biggest events on campus? Then come to Scream Screen X on Friday, October 17, 2025, in the BLC Parking Lot. It’s free and SPOOKTACULAR!

Don’t Scream at the Screen When I Say This, But There is a Blood Drive On Campus!

The Scream Screen Blooddrive is Wednesday October 29 and Thursday October 30 from 10am to 5pm in the BLC Cavalla Room. Giving a pint saves a life! Iso Rampulla ‘26 has donated every year since coming to Rider and I asked her to debunk some of the myths associated with donating blood.

Debunking The Myths

First, donating doesn’t actually “hurt.” In Iso’s words “In a weird way, they prick your finger to check your iron levels. And THAT hurts more than actually getting your blood drawn. If you don’t look at the needle you will be fine.”

What to Know Before You Donate

Second, if you have low iron, there are ways to bump it up before you give blood in order to donate. “Hearty meats, poultry, fish, and cereals have high iron. It’s all about hydrating and taking care of yourself before donating. Donating right after lunch and eating a hearty meal is the best. Just make sure to eat beforehand.”

Now, as someone who personally does not know what their blood type is, I asked Iso, if you can find out your blood type when you donate, and the answer is, “YES!”

Before you donate, you must fill out a questionnaire. The team at Miller-Keystone will ask you if you are on medication, if you have received a tattoo recently, if you have travelled out of the country in the last six months, and if you’ve been sick recently.

Donating doesn’t actually take that long! And after you donate they give you snacks and water, so you can replenish energy before going back home. Iso stressed the importance of eating and drinking after you donate blood, after an experience she had in high school . “I donated to skip my math class, and I was new to donating at the time, so I didn’t eat anything. After I donated I had to go to my acting class, and I remember sitting in the theatre and practically just falling asleep. They let me out of school that day because of it. I drove right to McDonald’s, ate something and instantly felt better. So eating before and after you donate blood is VERY important.”

Iso’s Inspiration

Iso got her inspiration to donate from her family! “Our family has a great relationship with donating blood. We have been donating for a long time. For a long time I was not good though. I would have to get blood drawn a lot due to health issues and I was so scared of these needles. But when I was able to donate, I changed my perspective, and now I love it.”

“But What’s In It For Me ???”

If you attempt to donate this semester at 107.7 The Bronc’s Scream Screen Blood Drive you’ll receive a free jump pass for Sky Zone in Hamilton! And everyone who attempts to donate blood could win a $250 Visa gift card! Make sure to schedule your appointment for either October 29 or 30 in the BLC Cavalla Room!

By: Lathan Gil

Emily O’Conner ‘26 is an Arts & Entertainment Industries Management major at Rider University. And as a senior, she gets to do an Independent Study which earns her credit. This replaces a class she is unable to take this spring, because she’ll be participating in Rider’s Semester in LA program. So, I sat down with Emily and asked her about her independent study with the CURE Insurance Arena and alternative rock band – Toad The Wet Sprocket, assisted by General Manager 107.7 The Bronc, John Mozes.

For Those Who Don’t Know … Who Are They???

Before writing this blog, I had absolutely no idea who the band was. Most current college students would probably say the same thing. For this independent study, Emily had to do immense research. She was surprised to find Toad The Wet Sprocket sold four million albums worldwide, has two RIAA certified platinum albums, and two top 20 Billboard Hot 100 Hits. “Toad The Wet Sprocket is a band of originally four members from Santa Barbara, California, they started when they were 15 years old, and in the interview they did with Wake Up Rider they detailed they used to play at bars and they would strictly do original music because the places they performed at weren’t paying based on ASCAP or BMI [music licensing fees]. So they had to come up with original material on the spot.”

How Did This Unexpected But Iconic Collaboration Come About?

107.7 The Bronc and the CURE Insurance Arena have crossed paths before for different events, and luckily because of the high professionalism the radio station gloriously possesses, they inherently wanted us back. “We were building a great relationship with Cure Insurance Arena as 107.7 The Bronc. We were doing [live remote] broadcasts there with the Punk Rock Flea Market and Red, White and Brew. And they saw how professional of students we were, that they wanted to expand our partnership. And they decided Toad The Wet Sprocket would be great to come in on and help with marketing and to get it out there. So when John [Mozes] told me about the idea, and how we could do an in-person giveaway, which we have never done before. John and I came up with the idea and how to do the giveaway and it definitely turned into something bigger than I thought it would be.”

The Interview With Wake Up Rider

Emily had so many ideas for this project, and she was actually able to use most of them. One idea was to have lead singer, Glen Phillips be interviewed by our  IBS Award winning morning show, Wake Up Rider. This is huge for 107.7 The Bronc, as this is the biggest artist they have ever had on their show, so far. This will give The Bronc an even higher national profile (since the industry is all about who knows who). The WUR gang interviewed Glen Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket. According to Emily, “There is a lot to learn from them [The band] as creative artists and what they went through.” Emily also had the idea to post teasers and different parts of the interview which are available to view on Wake Up Rider’s Instagram.  Click here to watch part one. Parts two and three will be out next week!

Win Your Tickets Now!

Another idea that Emily [and John Mozes] had was to do an in-person ticket giveaway. The first of its kind at 107.7 The Bronc. The ticket giveaway for their showdate on October 11, 2025, at the CURE Insurance Arena will be taking place at special locations, including two of our sponsors: DeLorenzo’s The Burg Pizza in Levittown Friday, October 3 at 5:30 p.m., and the Trenton Farmers Market in Lawrence Saturday, October 4 at 11:30 a.m. Two lucky contestants will have fun challenges to compete in and complete to win the tickets. Make sure to be on the lookout!

The Takeaway

As a senior at Rider University, Emily is really thinking about the future and her long-term career. This opportunity has given her the chance to work with industry professionals in a professional venue. The experience was definitely not easy. “I had to come up with all the ideas myself and apply them. There was no playbook or rules. We just had our first giveaway on October 1, and we really had to learn how to adapt. If people weren’t winning tickets we had to change questions. We had to think outside the box to gain more traction, so they could see Toad The Wet Sprocket, but also know who we are as 107.7  The Bronc.” 

According to Emily, she’s definitely going to use this experience to her advantage and will make sure the hard work she put into this pays off. “It is definitely on my resume that I have been doing this marketing campaign and I have scheduled this around what we are doing at the station, like Scream Screen X on October 17. This has definitely helped me prepare for the future.”

Make sure to follow 107.7 The Bronc on all platforms to get updates on all of our giveaways and events! And make sure to be on the lookout for Wake Up Rider! Remember, if you see us at Delorenzo’s The Burg, or the Trenton Farmers Market, you may win tickets to see Toad The Wet Sprocket!

By: Lathan Gil

The start of the 2025 – 2026 academic year is finally here! And 107.7 The Bronc has some fangtastic events coming up! One of them is Scream Screen X, our annual drive-in movie and trunk-or-treat experience. Starting on September 15, Rider students get to vote from 13 movies to watch on Friday, October 17, on one of the biggest inflatable screens on the East Coast.

Nothing ever stays the same at 107.7 The Bronc, and Scream Screen will have some small but great changes this year. “A lot of sponsors, student orgs and more will be at Scream Screen, but some new stuff is the Haunted Hula Toss!  It’s a giant ring toss. You throw hula hoops on Halloween characters. We also have an obstacle course, that’s new this year!” Rosalyn Tiangco ‘26, the Student General Manager at 107.7 The Bronc revealed to Beyond The Mic.

For the food lovers, of course we’re coming prepared for y’all. We are going to have food trucks and food vendors like Yooo Cuz, Bronc Bites, DeLorenzo’s The Burg Pizza On The Go, Monster Energy, TCC Hibachi, B2 Bistro + Bar, and Ice Cream Emergency.

This year’s sponsor of Scream Screen is Advance Auto Parts in Lawrenceville.
With fan favorite films Five Nights at Freddy’s, Sinners, Nosferatu and more in the mix, vote here to make your voice heard with what film you want!

107.7 The Bronc Is Going to The Marconi Radio Awards!

I don’t know if you know this secret, but 107.7 The Bronc is nominated for College Radio Station of the Year! The reel created by Wake Up Rider host, Owen Nelson ’27 helped the radio station get nominated by the National Association of Broadcasters! 

Then on a sunny August day, the video nominations came out, and based on our reactions which you can watch here, we were quite surprised and delighted at the thought of being nominated. And with our fifth nomination in six years comes some pleasure and pressure to the staff! 

Rosalyn Tiangco was one of the first to know, “All of the staff found out practically at the same time. Emily [O’Connor ‘26] and I were at the radio station about to go to the sponsor when John called to tell us, then the rest of the staff found out around 15 minutes later. But then we had to start thinking about costs of transportation and the content we will have to push out afterwards in the event we win. We certainly do not get a break, but we aren’t complaining. We got nominated!” 

And certainly, the hard work is paying off since 107.7 The Bronc raised $3265 to fund our transportation to and from the event. Find out if we win the most prestigious award in college radio on the radio industry’s biggest night Tuesday, October 21!

Give a Pint to Save a Life

Almost two weeks after Scream Screen is our annual Scream Screen Blood Drive! Everyone who donates (or attempts to donate) blood on Wednesday October 29, and Thursday October 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the BLC Cavalla Room will receive two Sky Zone jump passes! This event is a real generous thing for our Broncs and the entire Rider community to participate in. It’s all about community for our student GM, “I love this event because it is so accessible to the campus, and we can help each other out and feel like a community.” To schedule an appointment to donate, go here.

The Soda is Going to Pop at This Top Chef!

Rider Student Top Chef is coming back Tuesday, December 2! And with it is a new theme! In honor of Rider’s partnership with Liberty Coke and Coca Cola, the theme of this year’s Top Chef competition is using Coca-Cola products as one of the ingredients.

Yup! The theme is to infuse one of Coke’s many products into your recipe and the food you create. Rosalyn has some tasty tips for students who want to enter this year’s contest, “You could put Fanta Orange in chicken and make Fanta Orange Chicken! Thats the whole idea of it, just incorporate a Coke product in the food.” 

The Bronc always chooses the theme, Rosalyn revealed. “The inspiration behind it was an idea to expand our brand and promote someone else. So having the theme be soda helps [Coke] and helps [The Bronc]. It is also interesting to see how students incorporate it in their dishes.”

Make Sure to Show Up & Show Out

The Fall semester is filled with some soda poppin’ events. Make sure to listen to The Bronc and The Bronc Retro, watch out for our email blasts and check out 1077TheBronc.com to see updates on these and more events! Make plans now to attend Scream Screen X October 17 in the BLC visitor’s lot. Drive in, go trunk-or-treating, paint pumpkins, play games, vote now and watch the movie you voted from your car at Rider’s biggest Fall event.