To Whom it May Concern: I was a student at EWU from September 1989 to December 1994, receiving BAs in English and Radio-Television. In Spring of 1990 I got the chance to work at a "cable radio station" known as Radio Free Cheney. At the time, I was incredibly shy and had difficulty speaking publicly. Being at Radio Free Cheney helped give me more confidence in that regard, and while I am still uneasy, it put me on the road to becoming better at it. When Radio Free Cheney ended in November 1990 because of a change in the agreement with the local cable company, I threw my support behind its successor, KOOP-AM. The May 19, 1994 EASTERNER (the student newspaper at Eastern Washington University) includes a Letter to the Editor in which I spoke about the station. Though I was specifically addressing the paper's coverage of the station, it did include this paragraph: "This [support of KOOP] is important to me because in January 1991, I conducted a survey of the dorm residents to find out what the interest was in such a station. I helped present those results to the Associated Student Council, which resulted in the approval of what has evolved into KOOP-AM. While I know KOOP is far from perfect, it does provide one of the most creative outlets for students to make a contribution to the student atmosphere of this campus. I believed in such a need for a station then, and I still believe in it now..." Creativity is not the only thing KOOP offered students. Another advantage being behind the microphone provides is an introduction to public speaking without the pressure, since many people are potentially being addressed without actually SEEING them. It also had the potential to serve as a source of campus information, particularly information affecting residence hall occupants. But first, KOOP-AM had to find its footing, build a listenership, and find administrative processes that worked -- and I think after three school years, it was on the verge of making the next major step toward these goals. One might ask who exactly benefited from KOOP-AM at Eastern Washington University. The answer is anyone who took advantage of the opportunity, either to listen or to be behind the microphone. KOOP-AM brought together students from diverse academic disciplines and backgrounds to share their insights with other students. Though transmissions only reached the residence halls, DJs were not required to be dorm residents and in fact many of them were not. The shows over those years featured a couple talk shows (one on general issues and another on International Affairs) and cultural programming (including the Asian show "Sound Air Mail," featuring music and news from Japan). I feel that's only a small sampling of what KOOP-AM could have provided Eastern Washington University given the funding and support.