THE QUARTERBACK
Executive Producer of Lovercall
THE MUSICIAN
Lovercall Producer
BUMBLEBEE
Lovercall Producer
Hello!
We are The Quarterback, The Musician and Bumblebee: producers and hosts of the radio show Lovercall, right here in 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 21-year-old cisgender man who uses he/him pronouns and is a senior at Fredonia.
“The Musician” is a 23-year-old gender-fluid person who uses they/she pronouns and is a senior at Fredonia.
“Bumblebee” is a 19-year-old questioning person who uses he/she/they pronouns and is a sophomore 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 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 is broadcast weekly throughout the semester on Wednesday nights from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. on WDVL 89.5 on fredoniaradio.com.
This column runs in conjunction with Lovercall and can be found in print or 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.
This week, in honor of Earth Day, you’re going to take a nature walk!
As the weather (finally) gets warmer in Western New York, why not take advantage of it and enjoy the sunshine?
There are plenty of beautiful trails in the area, including one through the woods right here on campus.
You can also take a walk around Ring Road or anywhere else across campus.
These places can provide a calming escape from the stresses that college often brings.
Some of our guests talked about the release of anxiety and worries that comes from simply spending a few minutes outside.
The Quarterback recalled simple advice for various feelings of anxiety and stress:
If you feel like you hate everyone, grab something to eat.
If you feel like everyone hates you, go to sleep.
If you feel like you hate yourself, take a shower.
If you feel like everyone hates each other, go outside.
These are simple actions that can greatly relieve or reduce any negative emotions you may experience.
Another great thing about this idea is that you can go solo, bring a friend or make it a date!
Overall, have fun!
Dos and Don’ts of Dating
When it comes to the dos and don’ts of dating, everyone has different advice.
Things like buying them their favorite drink from Starbucks, holding their hand in public, and don’t mess up their outfit when they are getting all fancy for something go around, but at its core, a lot of it just revolves around basic respect and care for one another.
Think of the golden rule, for example, treat others how you want to be treated.
If you don’t want your partner to cheat on you, then don’t do that when you’re dating.
If you want to feel heard and special in a relationship, try to make your partner feel that way.
By doing this, you have a solid foundation to build upon what your partner may or may not like in a relationship.
Going off of basic respect, though, some things you do or do not do in a relationship are based on the person you are with.
What one person may want you to do for them may be different from another, that’s why you use communication.
Communication is a mandatory glue for each relationship that helps you understand what your partner is uncomfortable with and what they absolutely adore.
Sitting down and asking your partner what they are feeling can almost never backfire. If you understand each other’s boundaries, you can understand how to uplift not only them but you as well.
Even a quick check-up in the moment can never hurt.
Making sure you understand their hobbies or maybe something they need helps too.
In fact, one of our guests even did this, buying their partner a new phone case because they listened.
Even if you aren’t planning to do anything for your partner, it always makes someone feel more comfortable when you listen to them and make them feel heard, regardless of whether it’s hobbies or even struggles.
It’s important to only do something if you’re comfortable doing it in a relationship though.
Just because your partner wants something, it does not mean you need to do it.
On the show, one of our guests mentioned being on a video call as they slept with a partner that was on the other side of the call and not really wanting to be on it but almost felt forced because that’s what their partner really wanted.
To my surprise, at least, other guests agreed and were in similar situations of wanting to make their partner happy, but they ended up doing something they don’t entirely like.
In this case, our solution is communication.
I’ve been on both sides of this coin where, for example, I would always want to go on walks with my partner and wasn’t aware my partner at the time didn’t want to.
After a while they told me and I felt awful for not knowing but we found another way to have fun that was similar to what we both enjoyed.
On the other hand, with the video call, I’ve been there wanting to make my partner happy but not liking it too much.
That’s why we stress communication; no partner should want to make you uncomfortable just for the sake of their happiness, and there are other ways you both can have fun doing something else that makes you both happy and comfortable.
Goodbye
This is the final Lovercolumn of the year, and it also marks the final Lovercolumn for The Quarterback and The Musician.
The Quarterback has been a host of Lovercall for the past three years, and the executive producer for the past two.
The Musician has been a host for two years, working alongside The Quarterback to produce roughly 60 episodes.
Lovercall has been a national finalist twice during the past few years, and it won a national award for the most creative and innovative show in 2024.
It has truly been the honor of a lifetime for both of us to host this show, and we now pass the torch to Bumblebee and our future team to continue a legacy that has lasted for 20 years.
Thank you all for listening to the show and reading this column. None of this would be possible without you.
So, as The Quarterback and The Musician sign off and head out into the world, we hope you’ve enjoyed these past few years as much as we have.
From the bottom of our hearts, we love you all.
Reach out! Do you want to ask the creators of Lovercolumn a question? Do you want advice? Fill out our form 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 “Bumblebee” are members of Fredonia Radio Systems and are involved in the production of Lovercall.