Every campus has a group of things to compliment the campus, whether they be fraternities, sororities, sports teams or academic programs.

But what NIU does not have is its own radio station. Being new to NIU this year, it was somewhat difficult for me to find out about events that were going on around campus.

I later found out that organizations put up flyers on campus, post events in the Northern Star and provide a calendar of events on the website.

But what if students want a way to be connected to the campus community without constantly having to check these sources?

Campus Live Radio is a way for students to get this and more.

Campus Live is a podcast run by NIU students Chris Pitts, Odarian Jordan, Rickey Layfield (DJ Aris), Tequeilla Faulkner (DJ TQ) and Jathia Macklin.

“We knew it would be difficult to get on the radio,” Pitts, junior political science major, said. “So the next best thing was to do a podcast.”

The podcast could be a great addition to NIU’s campus life and a valuable resource for students. The show consists of weekly quotes, interviews, events taking place on campus, tips on study methods and new music.

According to Pitts, the last radio show that NIU had was canceled back in 2002. But the Campus Live podcast can serve as NIU’s outlet to show off the school and make its current students proud. It already has more than 350 listeners that tune in every Sunday throughout Illinois.

“We wanted to come up with something that all students at NIU, as well as students on other campuses, can listen to,” Pitts said.

The music mainly consists of R&B, House music and Hip-Hop.As a marketing strategy, Campus Live uses Facebook, Twitter and passes out flyers at the beginning of the year to spread the word about the station.

“Campus Live Radio is the heard voice of the students, but the unheard voice of NIU,” said Jordan, junior media studies major. Students know about the station but it is not officially acknowledged as a part of the university.

If the station was to become an NIU organization, more methods would be provided to promote the station through the university, rather than relying solely on word of mouth.

In the future, it could give jobs to those seeking employment. It gives students a chance to showcase their talents to potential employers.

It also serves as a resource for students who want to know what is going on around campus, hear new music and take part in weekly giveaways of prizes like tickets to local events.

For those who want to tune into Campus Live Radio, it airs every Sunday 9 to 10:30 p.m. The URL is CLRadio.tumblr.com.