Kiss 108's marketing director Dennis O'Heron. (Credit: Alex Erdekian/WSPN)

When you’re driving home from school listening to Kiss 108 on the radio with a Lady Gaga song blaring, do you ever wonder why that track was chosen to be a Top 40 hit?

Marketing director and online programming director for Kiss 108 FM and Jam’n 94.5 FM, Dennis O’Heron, revealed to WHS the method behind the madness of the radio stations’ song selection.

As marketing director, O’Heron organizes on-air contests and live events. He also works in the music selection process.

O’Heron began his career by getting an internship for a rock radio station in college.

Both Kiss 108 and Jam’n 94.5 are owned by the global corporation Clear Channel Communications, a company that specializes in advertising, media and entertainment. Clear Channel Communications also owns the I Heart Radio app for smart phones.

The main source of profit for radio stations is through advertising. O’Heron explained that the goal for these radio stations is getting the best ratings possible, so that companies will purchase ads from them.

Kiss 108 and Jam’n 94.5 are rated by Arbitron, a media and marketing research company that rates media such as radio stations, and sells it’s results to advertisers. Arbitron rates radio stations based on the number of listeners.

Kiss 108 and Jam’n 94.5 are very successful in this field. Kiss 108 has approx. 1.4 million listeners, and Jam’n has 1.3 million.

“[Kiss 108 and Jam’n 94.5] are very mass appeal stations,” said O’Heron.

Because of these ratings, the primary motivation of song selection is to gain listeners. The radio stations determine how well-liked a song is by using “call out research” and demographics.

“We’ll call up different households and ask people what they think about our music,” said O’Heron. “Like if they’ve heard it before or if they like it.”

Other factors also affect the song selection process, such as music that other stations similar to them are playing, or how many ringtones a song has sold. Record labels and artists also have power in deciding which tracks on an album get air time.

“Record companies come to us with certain records they want to push,” O’Heron said.

Each radio station is designed to appeal to a different audience. Kiss 108 is a Top 40 Hits station aiming at women ages 12-44, and Jam’n 94.5 is a mix station that plays hip hop and hits that also focuses on women, about 12-24.

Research has shown the older demographic (typically 20-40 years old) responds best to familiar music; stations comply to this demand because this demographic is most targeted by advertisers.

“Songs need to be good and familiar,” said O’Heron.

After deciding the songs that will play, they are entered into a music selector, along with the number of times they’ll be played in a day. The selector then generates a schedule for the songs played that day. Then, the schedule is edited by a music manager to ensure there is variety in the order of the songs. The most played songs are played up to 12 times per day.

O’Heron is one of the people behind live events such as Kiss Concert, Jam’n 94.5’s Summer Jam, the I Heart Radio Music Festival, Jam’n 94.5’s Monster Jam and Kiss 108’s Jingle Ball.

One of the goals of these shows is to sell out as fast as possible so they can give away tickets on air to help promote the radio stations.

O’Heron has met many celebrities such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent and Beyonce through these events. He explained that at first working with celebrities may seem demanding, but once you understand their schedules, one can see why their requests are necessary.

“It’s their job to be entertainers,” said marketing manager and colleague of O’Heron, Shaileen Santoro. “It’s our job to entertain you.”

Planning concerts and live events is one of O’Heron’s favorite parts of his job.

“I love doing our events, and walking out and seeing 20,000 people having a great time,” O’Heron said.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Sophomore Rachel Moser-Hardy performed an Irish step dance alongside a fellow Inishfree School of Irish Dance student. After their performance, they led a dancing workshop open to students and teachers.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Destruction of the old Wayland High School began as soon as students and teachers moved into the new buildings but is not expected to be fully completed until fall 2012. On Friday, February 3, 2012, the old Commons came down.

The For The Children club led a Birthday-In-A-Box workshop where students assembled and decorated shoexboxes containing all the necessities for a birthday party. The boxes will be sent to children in local shelters.

Photos were taken by For The Children club leader and WSPN reporter Caitlyn Pineault.

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(Credit: Elizabeth Karpacz/WSPN)

Besides taking care of her children, McKenna, Maddie, Emma and Rosie, Karen Kiefer is the co-founder of Spread the Bread and is the author of the book, The Misfit Sock.

When Kiefer was young, her mother would have Irish bread on the table every day when she came home from school. When Kiefer’s daughters asked if they could bake something, she knew exactly what to make.

The Kiefer children enjoyed making Irish bread, and soon they wanted to make Irish bread every single day. Kiefer knew that if they made bread every day, there would be too much of it for them to eat. From there, the idea for Spread the Bread was formed.

Kiefer decided that they would “spread” the extra bread by leaving it on the doorsteps of their neighbors.

“We never spread a naked bread,” Kiefer said.

Kiefer and her kids decorated their bread with flowers and letters of hope for the person who received the bread.

Soon, Spread the Bread extended past Kiefer’s neighborhood. Kiefer’s husband brought three hundred loaves of bread to the New England Veterans Shelter in Boston.

One day Kiefer’s daughter, McKenna, told Kiefer that she wished she saw the people recieving the bread.

“You don’t always have to see what people do, you have to do it and feel it in your heart.” Kiefer said.

Spread the Bread started to grow. People would drop of their own breads at Kiefer’s house and she would distribute them.

“I feel everyone is somehow attached to a bread,” Kiefer said. “The bread will call people back into the warmth’s of their kitchens.”

The Girl Scouts made a badge associated with Spread the Bread. Spread the Bread is now in 9 countries around the world. In 2006, Spread the Bread won the National Make a Difference Day Award. Spread the Bread received $10,000, all of which went towards making more bread.

“This bread project is so much bigger than our town.” said Kiefer.

Kiefer talked about how Spread the Bread has made a difference in her life. One Memorial day, Kiefer’s daughter, Emma, gave bread to a Veteran and thanked him for his service. Later on, the Veteran came up and thanked Kiefer. He said it was the first time he had been thanked for his service.

“It just shows you how one kind act is contagious,” said Kiefer.

The Misfit Sock

Kiefer wrote a book called the Misfit Socks. Kiefer got the idea for this book from the pile of unmatched socks that her family had. Kiefer wanted to do something with the socks so with the help of her daughters, she filled and decorated the socks. Then, she hung the socks on her neighbors door.

“You can always make something beautiful out of something that’s disregarded,” Kiefer said.

The book was published last year during Christmas season and the book was even featured in the Boston Globe on December 24, 2011. Besides the book, Kiefer is launching Misfit University, which teaches people about the lessons from the book.

Kiefer encouraged students to come up with their own ideas.

“There are ideas that live inside of each one of us,” said Kiefer. “Saying yes to good things can really open your life up and move you forward.”

“Everyone has a story about socks, everyone has a story about bread. Whats your story?” said Kiefer.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Actors and actresses took to the stage to perform a condensed version of the original fall play Alison Grimm.

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Joyce Kulhawik speaks to students on Thursday (Credit: Jackson Hubbell/WSPN)

Joyce Kulhawik, mother of senior Annelise Cohen, and former arts and entertainment anchor for WBZ-TV came to talk to WHS students on Thursday.

Kulhawik was exposed to arts at a very young age. As a child, Kulhawik played piano, sang, and played organ in her parish church.

However, Kulhawik was unsure what career she would pursue in school.

“I didn’t know what to do with all my interests so I majored in English because I liked story telling, drama and theatre,” said Kulhawik.

Kulhawik received her bachelor of arts degree in English and Secondary Education from Simmons College, and a masters degree in English and Education from the University of Vermont.

Kulhawik’s first job was teaching at Brookline High School. However, she found that she lacked the passion she observed in her colleagues.

After two years of teaching, Kulhawik quit. “I taught with people who did love [teaching], I could see a difference between me and them.”

After she stopped teaching, her mother told her “if you don’t like that job, just go out and find anything else that you want to do.” This lead Kulhawik to television.

In 1978, Kulhawik joined WBZ-TV as an associate producer and tipster for Evening Magazine, a weeknight magazine series.

Later that year, Kulhawik was offered a position as a consumer reporter. She shocked those around her when she turned down the offer. She knew what she was holding out for. Kulhawik wanted to report on the arts.

In 1981, she became the station’s arts and entertainment anchor. This was the first time any news station covered Arts and Entertainment on a full time basis.

“It is always traditionally, News, Sports, and Weather. But in Boston for at least 30 years, it was News, Sports, Weather, and Arts and Entertainment,” said Kulhawik.

During her 30-year career at WBZ-TV, Kulhawik covered local and national events such as the Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, and has met and interviewed many famous people, including George Clooney, Ben Afflack, Steven Tyler, Ryan Gosling, and Julia Roberts. She even knew Matt Damon as a fourteen year old when his movie career was “just an idea.”

Kulhawik was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2007 because of her various works at WBZ.

Kulhawik is a three-time cancer survivor and spoke in front of Congress on the twentieth anniversary of The National Cancer Act in 1991. Kulhawik has also served as a honorary chairperson for the American Cancer Society.

Although Kulhawik is no longer an anchor for WBZ-TV, she is a judge and co-host on WBZ-TV’s “Community Auditions,” an Emmy-winning music talent showcase. Kulhawik also performs as a guest narrator, and has performed with the Boston Pops, the New England Philharmonic, Boston Musica Viva, the Boston Civic Symphony, and the Concord Orchestra.

Kulhawik is also currently a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics, and serves on the committee for the Boston Theater Awards.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

Miss an event from Winter Week 2012? WSPN’s got it covered.

2.3 million girls are currently a part of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America. (Credit: Grace Perkins/WSPN)

They’re smart, sweet and make millions of dollars off of little cookies. What’s more, there are 2.3 million of them. And some of them are here.  The Girl Scouts of the United States of America continues to be a presence for Wayland kids, even in high school.

Many elementary school girls join the Girl Scouts to spend time with their friends but quit by the time they get to high school. However, a small number of girls at Wayland High School are still a part of the Girl Scout community.

The class of 2012 has a troop of three hard working girls. The class of 2015 has a small troop of nine girls, most of whom have participated in Girl Scouts since kindergarten. The troops now meet about once or twice every two months.

“I’ve been in Girl Scouts since kindergarten,” said senior Christine Cocce, who recently earned her Gold Award by starting the organization Letters for Liberty.

As the Scouts get older, they participate in more community service driven activities.

“My troop did a lot of work at the local food pantry in Wayland,” Cocce said. “I’ve always enjoyed doing community service, and over the years we’ve just gotten more and more into it. I really like that aspect.”

The community service work the girls engage in is rewarding for them, as are the badges they receive.

“I like the volunteer work of being a Girl Scout. It makes me feel like I am making a difference,” said freshman Daly Place. “I have three sashes worth of badges; they are only half covered though.”

Place recently earned her Silver Award by working for the Salvation Army and running three successful food drives.

Not only does being a Girl Scout help you be a better person, but it also gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart when it comes to college applications.

“It helped me for the community service hours and put activities on my resume,” said senior Katerina Perez. “Not a lot of girls in our grade do Girl Scouts, so it sets us apart.”

Although there are many positives about being a high school Girl Scout, there are also some negatives.

“Scouting in high school is a lot different because there is less time to do things, so I feel like it’s less proactive,” Place said.

Many of the Scouts at WHS participate in after school activities. Add to that the average one to two hours of homework per night that most students receive, and it’s difficult for the girls to find time to participate in Girl Scouts.

Not only that, but some hear criticism for engaging in an activity so uncommon among teenagers.

“People do make fun of me for being a Girl Scout, and I wanted to quit so many times,” said Place. “But I am glad I stuck with it; it’s a lot of fun.”

Some of the girls had already quit earlier, like Perez.

“I started in elementary school, but I stopped, and then I started again in eighth grade,” she said. “It opened my eyes to helping others more.”

All in all, the girls have found that being a part of the organization is a positive experience. They enjoy bonding with girls who they would not otherwise get to know, and they encourage other girls to join the troop.

“I think girls should [be Girl Scouts in high school],” said Perez. “It’s not only good for community service, but you really get in touch with the girls, and it’s a lot of fun.”

State Representative Tom Conroy visited Wayland High School during Winter Week to discuss issues relevant to the student body. (Credit: Ben Rabin/WSPN)

This Winter Week, Tom Conroy, the State Representative for Wayland, Lincoln and Sudbury, came to Wayland High School to discuss issues relevant to students.

Students engaged in an open forum with Conroy, similar to what he said goes on in the Massachusetts State House. Conroy encouraged students to speak, asking questions, rather than giving his own opinions.

“I wanted to talk about what you are interested in today,” Conroy said. “The fun part for me is when this is interactive.”

Conroy introduced topics that the state legislature has recently debated, hoping to receive a response from students. Among these were the Massachusetts driving age, the age when kids can drop out of school, online shopping and Facebook privacy issues.

After briefly providing background information, Conroy opened the floor to students.

“There is a movement [in the State House] to increase the driving age from 16 to 17,” Conroy said. “The percentage of auto accidents that occur by 16, 17 and 18-year-olds compared to when people who are 35, 50 or 60…is higher in [teenagers].”

“I think new drivers, no matter what age they’re at, are going to get into more accidents,” said senior Elena Drews.

Conroy asked students whether they believed the state should require kids to remain in school until the age of 18.

“Do we want to allow kids, through law, to just walk away from their education and the hopes of a better future and better opportunities, or do we want to mandate and enforce that by keeping them in high school until they get a diploma or at least they turn 18?” Conroy said.

Conroy served more as a debate moderator than a politician during the discussion. He offered both sides of an issue, allowing students to form opinions on their own. Students of varying ages responded to the issues, making for a lively discussion.

Conroy has served as State Representative since 2006. He entered the United States Senate Race, hoping to defeat incumbent Republican Scott Brown in 2012. However, he withdrew from the race in December of 2011.

Conroy told students he enjoys working on the state level of government because of the myriad of topics he gets to work with.

“I actually enjoy [working in state government] because you have to work on local issues and understand what’s going on in the community like in Wayland,” said Conroy. “You also get to work on federal issues, the big picture stuff, not just Wayland, not just Massachusetts, sometimes not just the United States, but the whole world.”

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Although the warning was considered “not credible,” Wayland Police and Fire Departments responded immediately as a precaution. WMS students were dismissed from school at the regular time of 1:10 P.M. Shortly after, the building was evacuated of all remaining students and faculty.

“We were asked to search our rooms for any irregular things,” said Diane Muffitt, the WMS Band Director. “We didn’t find anything.”

State police arrived with bomb tracking dogs who scoured the school and found no traces of any bomb materials.

“What the teachers did was go around and check their classrooms,” said Wayland Police Officer Tyler Castagno. “They came back and reported there was nothing out of the ordinary, which made us feel safer and then the dogs went inside to fully check the building and didn’t find anything either.”

“I always believe that you have to be open and let people know what’s happening right away,” said Superintendent Paul Stein who sent an email to parents shortly following the clearance of the building. “It is what it is, it’s unfortunate, but it’s not anything we haven’t dealt with before.”

Wayland Middle School was deemed bomb-free by local and state police at 2:40 P.M. It will be open for normal activities tomorrow morning.