THE QUARTERBACK
Executive Producer of Lovercall
THE MUSICIAN
Lovercall Producer
RADIO REBEL
Lovercall Producer
Hello!
We are The Quarterback, The Musician and Radio Rebel: producers and hosts of the radio show Lovercall, right here at Fredonia. Lovercall is an anonymous late-night talk show about love, relationships and more. Students who are guests on the show use codenames to protect their identities when discussing potentially personal topics, hence the codenames of the writers of this column. This is your reminder that none of the hosts or guests are professionals, and everything stated is based on personal experiences.
“The Quarterback” is a 20-year-old cisgender man who uses he/him pronouns and is a junior at Fredonia.
“The Musician” is a 22-year-old gender-fluid person who uses they/she pronouns and is a senior at Fredonia.
“Radio Rebel” is a 21-year-old transgender man who uses he/him pronouns and is a senior at Fredonia.
On each episode, the hosts and guests of Lovercall participate in a variety of segments. The cast discusses a relevant news story, a date idea, a wacky game and a main topic for the episode.
Listeners can submit their questions or seek advice either via Fredonia Radio’s Instagram, @fredonia_radio, on YikYak, or through the QR code provided in this column.
We answer your questions live on the radio, then add them to this column in case you missed the episode.
The show will broadcast weekly throughout the semester on Wednesday nights from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. on WDVL 89.5 on www.fredoniaradio.com.
This column runs in conjunction with Lovercall and can be found in print and online at fredonialeader.org.
Date idea of the week
We hope to provide fellow students with fun and unique date ideas in every episode. These date ideas aren’t just for romantic partners — you could go with your friends, classmates or even go solo for a fun activity in Fredonia.
For this week’s date idea, it’s time to be fancy, because you’re getting all dressed up!
Break out your best outfits, whether that’s a suit and tie, a beautiful ball gown or anything in-between.
You can add any elements you choose, but the overall idea is just to look your best and enjoy the company of those closest to you!
You might choose to get dressed up for a night in and cook yourselves a nice, fancy dinner.
After dinner, feel free to turn the lights down and put on some music to slow dance to, enjoying each other’s embrace in one of the sweetest possible ways.
Or, if you’re with friends, make your own dance floor! Put on some music and jam out with all your besties!
In a way, this could be similar to what you’ve always wanted from one of the most pivotal moments of your younger life — the prom!
For some, prom doesn’t quite live up to the lofty expectations seen in movies or TV.
Some people didn’t even get to go to their prom because of COVID-19.
So, this is your chance to enjoy it the way you want! It can be as romantic or fun as you choose.
If you are looking to go out, feel free to enjoy the fine dining of your favorite restaurant or maybe see a show or movie!
But going out to a fancy dinner isn’t for everyone. You could choose to keep it simple and roll up to McDonald’s in your finest attire, ignoring (or embracing) the irony of it.
No matter what you choose to do, the important part is to look classy and have a great time!
The Reality of Love
What is love?
And no, the answer isn’t, “Baby, don’t hurt me.”
Well, maybe that’s part of it.
On the show, we asked each of our guests to come up with what they believe is the definition of love.
Interestingly enough, no two people came up with the exact same answer.
For some, love was a feeling. One of our guests described it as looking towards your future and not being able to picture it without seeing the person you love.
That one does not just apply to romantic relationships, it can apply to friendships, familial love and any other type of relationship.
For others, love was a memory. Love was looking to the past and remembering the times they felt a certain feeling. Whether it was dancing in the rain or watching a movie, these memories made them feel the love.
Music was also a big part of our guests’ view on love.
In the context of a romantic relationship, our guests talked about how they had chosen specific songs that reminded them of their partner or that held some other significance.
We also talked about what happens to a person’s relationship to those songs when the romantic relationship ends.
It can take a while for someone to be able to listen to a song that they used to listen to with their ex, and that is okay.
Music can also be a great way to love yourself in a few different ways.
For example, you might listen to upbeat music if you’re in a good mood or beach-themed music if it’s nice outside and you’re longing for summer.
It can also be a grounding technique for someone who struggles with their mental health, as some people will often put on soft, lofi music to calm themselves down from anything they might be dealing with.
Loving yourself is the most important way you can show love. To quote RuPaul, “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else?”
The Quarterback explained that his idea of love combines two things: safety and happiness.
Your partner(s) should always be a safe space where you can go to truly be yourself, whether you’re having a great day or your world is falling apart.
In a healthy relationship, they should be someone you can seek for comfort, and you should be someone they can seek for comfort.
It’s also about happiness. Sure, the honeymoon phase doesn’t last forever, but if your partner brings you joy and fulfillment just by being themselves and existing around you, that’s something that’s built to last.
Overall, love isn’t perfect. It can be messy and complicated; it can be frustrating and heartbreaking.
But at the end of the day, it’s worth it. Love is one of the strongest, most powerful forces in the world and it’s one of the most positive emotions a person can feel.
If you are someone who wants to love but is afraid of getting hurt, remind yourself of this: If you don’t take the chance, you’re never going to find the love that can make you truly happy.
It’s a scary thing, but for love, you’ve got to take the leap.
Reach out! Do you want to ask the authors of Lovercolumn a question? Do you need advice? Fill out the form by using this QR code.
Interested in being a guest on Lovercall? Email mvolz@fredonia.edu or visit Fredonia Radio Systems, located in McEwen Hall 115 and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“The Quarterback,” “The Musician” and “Radio Rebel” are members of Fredonia Radio Systems and are involved in the production of Lovercall.