WSOU Sets Clothing Drive Record
WSOU 89.5 FM, the hard-rockin’ student-run radio station at Seton Hall University in scenic South Orange, NJ just set a new record for donations to its annual clothing drive for the Our Lady of the Sioux Church on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The clothing will benefit members of the Oglala Lakota community, as well as others on the reservation.
The station collected enough items to fill 25 large boxes with clothes, footwear, and accessories for all ages and seasons. The donations, which were brought to the station by current as well as past students, were folded and packed at the radio station, while strictly following station-implemented safety measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WSOU’s relationship with the Our Lady of the Sioux Catholic Church dates back to 2014, after a station staffer participated in a university-organized mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. WSOU’s annual clothing drive for the Our Lady of the Sioux Church is normally held in the spring, but with the closure of campus in mid-March and state COVID-19 restrictions in place, this year’s drive was delayed until this month. “I am beyond proud of the way that our staff members, alumni, and university community came together for this effort,” said WSOU Staff Representative Dalton Allison, who helped spearhead the effort and is pictured here with some of the collected clothing. “With all of the negative things happening in the world this year, it just goes to show that human compassion triumphs over everything else.”
WSOU GM Mark Maben said, “The success of this year’s clothing drive in the midst of a pandemic speaks to the dedication of WSOU’s students to community service. Our students know that helping others is at the core of radio’s decades-long tradition of giving back to the community and they work hard to meet the obligations that come with being a licensed broadcaster. To set a new record in times like these demonstrates that Seton Hall is not only developing terrific broadcasters, we are also developing servant leaders and engaged, compassionate citizens.” [Photo credit: Val Petrarca]
