Today’s Senior Staff Spotlight goes to Jack Hart, otherwise known as president pro tempore! Jack is a soon-to-be graduate studying industrial and systems engineering with a minor in business. He’s been a WEGL member for five years and is currently holding the position as production director. Jack’s show, Compact Discourse, is a morning drive time show that covers topics ranging from current events, sports, and even the weather.
Without further ado, meet Jack!
Compact Discourse: Every MTWR, 8-9AM
Why did you decided to join WEGL? How long have you been a member?
“I’ve been a WEGL member since fall 2017. I decided to join because my roommate at the time and I – we had a lot of interesting discussions, and both very interested in podcasts – saw WEGL as an opportunity to give students a platform to make podcasts. We thought making and having our own podcast would be something really fun to do.”
What led you to apply for your position? Has it taught you anything new?
“I was actually asked to take the position because we had a vacancy during a staff turnover, so that’s what initially made me do it. But what I’ve learned…is just innumerable. I’ve learned things like audio and video production, how to communicate and market with people, and how to set up meetings and appointments. It’s really helped me lean into my creative side and has given me a vehicle to be able to make interesting things with the tools I’ve been given. I’ve been really fortunate to have people teach me stuff and really blessed to be able to teach others.”
What all did you do in WEGL?
“I first had a podcast, which was just the original Compact Discourse podcast. Then, I was a co-host for another show called The Xtra Point, which got me comfortable talking on the air. I’ve also been a guest speaker on a lot of different shows like on my friend’s music show called Cheeta Print, and also The Scoreboard [Thursdays, 4-5PM]. I’m also part of the sports team for WEGL. I’ve written articles for the website about hockey and baseball, reporting on games for the baseball team, and live commentary for Auburn hockey. We have a powerful partnership with the club hockey team, which allows us to reach out to other sports. We’re able to reach out to local high schools and clubs and offer to broadcast their games – that was something we didn’t do before I was on WEGL, so that’s been a lot of fun to see grow and change. I also help out with live WEGL events, like DJing and running Open Mic Nights.”
What’s your favorite part of being in WEGL?
“I think it’s being able to meet super cool people. We do a lot at WEGL, so as a result we attract a lot of different types of people. We have tech-smart people that are computer science majors and know how to make their own computers, cables and speakers, like Grayson and Luke. But we also have people that just love music and can listen to it all day and make their own music – like JP. We also have people super into sports that get together and just talk about sports statistics and watch highlights. I don’t think you get that diversity of opinion and skill in any other organization on campus because we’re all about broadcast and communication. It’s such a universal skill and hobby for a lot of us that you can basically be interested in anything to be a part of WEGL. We’re a small organization that does such a wide breath of things which attracts so many unique personalities in a way that we all have a common bond. It’s not that we’re all one-dimensional, we’re just a bunch of three-dimensional people interacting with one another. So, I think the ability to meet cool people like that has been my favorite thing I’ve gotten out of WEGL.”
What’s your favorite WEGL memory? What’s your funniest memory?
Favorite memory: “My favorite memory would have to be the basketball game we just did at the Intramural Sports Championships – the WEGL vs. Eagle Eye game. It was a chance for some old friends to come back and it was the first time seeing all those people in the same room. We had everybody there: the sports team was playing, Jacob was coaching, Grayson was running production, people were in the stands cheering, and we had Jared [WEGL alumnus] come back for the game. It was like WEGL, doing so many different things, all centered around one event. As I’m about to graduate, that’s probably going to be one of the lasting memories of WEGL with all those cool people coming together to do a really cool thing.”
Funniest memory: “The funniest memory I have is when Eagle Eye had to do a show called ‘Auburn Feud,’ which is like Family Feud but Auburn themed. It’s competing organizations instead of families, so it was The Circle vs. WEGL. The level of incompetence displayed by some of our members that night when answering questions, and subsequently referencing that for years afterwards, has been a very lasting and funny memory for me.”
What do you envision yourself doing after you graduate?
“I’m going to be working for a construction company after I graduate, but I’ll always have WEGL as my number one preset when I drive back into Auburn. I envision keeping in touch for a long time and I look forward to listening to my friends’ shows long after I’ve departed. We [Auburn] have such a strong alumni community, so I’m looking forward to being a part of that. I think it’s a great brotherhood to be a part of in the future.”
What’s your favorite restaurant in Auburn and your go-to order?
“My favorite, for sure, is Tekila Mexican Grill…and my go-to meal would definitely be the street tacos.”
FUN FACT: Jack, president pro tempore, is both left-handed and colorblind and can say the alphabet backwards.
“Shoutout to Mr. Jared Dillard for helping when WEGL went off the air for three months in 2019. If it weren’t for his leadership, hard work and charisma, I think WEGL would be in a very different place today. I just want to let people know that WEGL came a long way because of him.”
