College Alternative Radio, 1986
A Back-to-School Playlist
Inspired by Buddy Gott’s Plethora of Pop Back-To-School Playlist prompt, here’s what is playing on WMHW as I move into my dorm room on my first day back to college my senior year. Maybe it should be called a throwback-to-school playlist.
Let’s set the scene
Late August of 1986, I return to the campus of Central Michigan University, where I major in Journalism. Don’t laugh! In 1986, that’s actually a viable career path.
I cart my stuff up to my third-floor room in Tate Hall and my big silver JVC boom box is the first thing I set up. I turn the dial to the only station worth listening to, WMHW/Rock 91 FM. The student-run radio station leans hard into alternative pop and rock, broadcasting one terrific song after another.
The music plays as I arrange my dorm desk with my state-of-the-art Brother portable electric typewriter, two large cases of cassette tapes, and a lamp shaped like a pencil. I start unpacking my clothes, folding my Guess jeans (with ankle zippers) and my wildly floral denim into the plain school-issue dresser, along with my Gumby sweatshirt. I find homes for my Obsession perfume, curling iron, and metallic hair gel.
With that sorted, I take the stairs down three flights to the Tate Hall commons…
