Zoë Finkelstein

Tell us about KWUR. How it got started and how it’s used by Washington University.

KWUR started in the mid 1970’s and has been the heart of music on WashU’s campus ever since. We have over 200 DJs, though the mainstream of WashU sometimes isn’t aware we exist. We put on house shows monthly and have a lot of artists come to play in the station. KWUR is definitely a haven for all us weirdos 🙂 It’s a pretty great time.

How long have you been at KWUR? How did you first hear about it & what is your history there?

I’ve been at KWUR since the very beginning of my freshman year. My dad, uncle, and cousin all went to WashU and were in KWUR, so I’ve been hearing awesome KWUR stories before I really knew what it was. KWUR does a pre-orientation for 20 first-year students in the few days leading up to the beginning of college, so naturally that felt like something I wanted to do. KWUR has definitely been the most influential and important aspect of my college experience and I have no idea who I’d be or what I’d be doing without it. Second semester freshman year I became one of the two training directors and held that role until this summer when I started working as Music Director!

How do you get your DJs to discover/listen to/play the new music that comes in that they aren’t familiar with?

To get DJs to discover & play new music we have a sheet of new releases that our genre directors add to on a weekly basis. DJs have to play 3 songs off that sheet every hour, so that definitely introduces new music that they might not otherwise be familiar with.

What is your favorite album of 2018 so far?

Sooooo many good albums this year!!! No idea how to pick ahhhh but I think either How to Socialise & Make Friends by Camp Cope or Puppy Love by Mom Jeans. As for singles, I listened to “Milk” by Samia on repeat for a week straight after it came out

Do you have a favorite artist or album you never get tired of listening to?

I will never ever be tired of listening to Camp Cope, Mom Jeans, or Lucy Dacus.

What is the best live show you have ever attended?

That is also such a hard question wow. I think I’d say my fave bigger live show was Death Cab during my Freshman spring break, but another really special live music moment was when Diners played a set in the KWUR station.

Who is an artist or band outside the realm of college radio that people might be surprised to know you love?

Is Death Cab for Cutie in the realm of college radio? Plans will always be one of my favorite albums ever. Ed Sheeran is also a guilty pleasure of mine — his + album is what inspired me to teach myself guitar and to write music. I don’t listen to him much anymore but his music will always have a special place in my heart. Also Amy Winehouse…I watched the documentary Amy this summer which launched an Amy Winehouse phase.

What was your favorite toy growing up?

Favorite toy growing up was Polly Pockets and American Girl Dolls. I had such elaborate life stories imagined for each doll and each time I played with them their stories picked up right where they left off.

What event in your life would you say shaped you the most as a person?

The most influential moment in my life happened my junior year of high school. It was just a quick conversation with my art teacher, but that was when I began to think of art as a viable future/career for myself and now I’m an art major!

If you could choose, what time period in the past would you most want to travel back to and visit and why?

I would want to go back to Paris in the 20s. I think that’s just because I watched Midnight in Paris this summer while I was in Paris for my internship. There were just so many influential artists living there at the time!

Do you have a favorite restaurant in St. Louis you always make sure to take guests/visitors to?

Any BBQ place is a must if yer ever in St. Louis. I really like Pappy’s but really any BBQ place that you have to wait in a big line to get in is super great.

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Surround yourself with people who make you happy, who respect you, and with whom you feel like the best version of yourself.

Lightning round!

Dog or Cat?  Cat! I have a tattoo of my cat on my arm 🙂 a “cattoo” if you will
Cold drinks or hot ones?  Cold drinks
Morning Person or Night Owl?  If I can wake up I like mornings, but I’m so bad at waking up
City or Country?  City
Watch TV or Read a Book?  Read a book (though I don’t do that as much as I’d like)
Winter or Summer?  Summer
Dine or delivery?  Dine
Fly or drive?  Drive
Pants or shorts?  Shorts

Do you have any current favorite TV show obsessions? What is the best movie you’ve seen so far in 2018?

Currently into Law and Order: SVU but this summer I started rewatching How I Met Your Mother with my brother (it was his first time watching it) and I forgot how stupidly funny that show is 🙂 Best movie I’ve seen in 2018 was I, Tonya or Ladybird. I just rewatched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind though (it’s back on Netflix!!) and that’s my all time fave movie.

Finally, and most importantly: It’s recently been state fair time across the Midwest. What is your favorite state fair food?

Funnel cake or some fried mac and cheese are always good 🙂