On March 25, 1968, Larry Griggers, IM 71, made Georgia Tech history as he announced, "Ramblin' Wreck Radio is on the air!"

WREK, Tech's student-operated radio station, 91.1 FM, has been broadcasting ever since, offering a diverse, sometimes bewildering array of campus sports and music ranging from free-form jazz to thrash metal to "Kosher Noise," a Jewish music program.

The station operates out of a subbasement of the Human Resources Building, WREK's home since 1978, where yellowing paint peeks through from wall space not covered by concert fliers and other music memorabilia.

This spring, the station leaves its cramped confines and moves to new facilities in the Student Center Commons, formerly the campus bookstore. The Institute has allocated 1,330 square feet of the $6.1 million renovation to bring WREK to the center of campus.

"The big change will be visibility," general manager John Lyon said. "A lot of students still don't know that WREK exists. The studios will have a glass wall facing the commons area so they can see us broadcasting."

When WREK radio makes its move, it hopes to have new equipment as well as new quarters.

Lyon, a third-year computer science major, said moving its antiquated equipment across campus may knock the station off the air for weeks, even months.

"We need to be able to make a seamless move and that means replacing equipment," he said.

The station also needs to make the conversion from analog to digital format.

"The conversion will be expensive," said chief engineer Thomas Hildebrandt, "but while we are moving is the best time to do it."

Glenn Sirkis, Mgt 74, WREK's second general manager, is leading a campaign to involve alumni support for the station.

"WREK needs help and we're asking WREK alumni to step in and help," Sirkis said. "There is an embarrassing amount of equipment in the studio that I recognize from 1971. They get the same amount of student activity fees, $40,000 a year, as we got when I worked there and that's just not enough. Some commercial stations spend that much on copy paper."

Sirkis said that $26,000 has been raised toward a $150,000 goal — enough to provide equipment to accommodate the move and format change and provide an emergency buffer fund.

Alumni wishing to contribute should visit www.wrek.org/momentum.

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