WSOU CELEBRATES ITS ANNIVERSARY BY INDUCTING NEW MEMBERS INTO ITS HALL OF FAME 

To celebrate the arrival of spring and another milestone in its storied history, Seton Hall University’s WSOU 89.5 FM will celebrate its 73^rd birthday by inducting three new alumni into its legendary Hall of Fame on April 14, 2021. Starting at 7 p.m., Dave Packer ’88 and Cristina Del Giorno ’88 will be Hall of Fame honorees in this long-awaited virtual celebration. In addition, Victoria Haffner will also be presented with the WSOU Distinguished Young Alumna Award.

The WSOU Hall of Fame and Young Alum Award honors notable alumni who have made significant contributions to their professions and recognizes their involvement with Seton Hall University’s radio station. Inductees are chosen based on their professional accomplishments, WSOU student career activities, service to WSOU and Seton Hall University after graduation, support of current students, personal examples of servant leadership and involvement with alumni activities.

“Cristina, Dave, and Victoria are each well deserving of the honor WSOU is bestowing upon them,” said Mark Maben, the station’s general manager. “They have not only enjoyed successful professional careers but have also supported their peers and mentored younger individuals to help them find a path to success as well.  WSOU is legendary for giving its students a foundation to be industry-ready when they start their careers, yet it is an ethos of giving back that makes our alumni community extraordinary.” 

This year’s inductees are reflective of WSOU’s ambitious program, which provides students with a comprehensive hands-on learning experience. All three honorees credit WSOU with helping launch their careers.

From transforming WSOU in the 1980s to being a valuable member of the iHeartMedia’s Total Traffic and Weather Network today, Cristina Del Giorno ’88 (right) has been on the radio dial for more than 30 years. After Dave Packer ’88 (below, left) transferred to Seton Hall, his involvement with WSOU quickly grew. Dave is currently a reporter and anchor with ABC Audio and an established voice-over professional whose voice is heard from radio stations to cinematic productions. Since her graduation in 2013, Victoria Haffner’s (above, left) career at CNN and ABC News had her working on stories ranging from elections, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters to New Year’s Eve celebrations and women’s entrepreneurship.

“As the station turns 73 years old on April 14, it will be a privilege for me to induct Cristina and Dave into WSOU’s Hall of Fame and give Victoria our Distinguished Young Alumna Award,” Maben said.

In addition, on April 17 at 8 a.m., WSOU’s weekly Thank God For Monday with Brother Greg Cellini will present a special one-hour program with alumnus Jack Kelly for a discussion about his research into WSOU’s history. On Sunday, April 18 at 6 p.m., WSOU will also air a new production of The Thought, a drama from the popular 1940s old time radio show The Haunting Hour. With a cast of Seton Hall students directed by Professor Gretchen Hall with assistance from alumna Samantha Dyar, the show is a whodunit audio drama that will keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

About WSOU

WSOU 89.5 FM, which began broadcasting on April 14, 1948, is the student-run radio station of Seton Hall University.  Celebrated for its loud rock format and coverage of Seton Hall athletics, WSOU’s signal reaches all five boroughs of New York City and much of northern and central New Jersey and is available on iHeartRadio. WSOU was the 2016 winner of the National Broadcasters Association’s Marconi Award for Noncommercial Station of the Year and a 2019 nominee for the Marconi Award for Best College Radio Station.  More information about the station can be found online at www.wsou.net and www.facebook.com/WSOUFM.