98.5 Hours of Christmas: a time when radio students play Christmas-themed music and take part in wacky challenges to raise money for Feed My Starving Children. The live event will start this Thursday, December 2, and continue throughout the weekend and ending mid-day on Monday, December 6.
The show will run for 24 hours straight over four days, and students take certain time slots throughout the 98.5 hours. Participants can also bring friends to help entertain listeners.
Podcasting and Programing Director, Keegan Goldfarb, commented that despite the grueling event prep, each year includes so many fun elements that keep them awake and engaged.
Film major Quade Spennewyn describes his experience participating in the event over the past three years hosting a live Christmas show for 98.5 hours. According to Spennewyn, the show is pretty spontaneous.
During the initial livestream, we would go live for 98.5 hours, and really nothing is off limits.”
Spennewyn commented on past pranks played during their time on air, including ticketing public safety vehicles. They also spend their time on air playing Minecraft, racing office chairs down the commons area, and spending countless hours fulfilling challenges.
This year challenges include listing all of the books of the Bible by memory, saying “The MEL” 100 times in a row, reading the University declaration of Christian Community and countless other creative ideas to get radio students through their time in the studio.
To get in on the fun, listen to the MEL by tuning in to 98.5HD4 or listen in online at themel.media!
