Music, contests and trivia will fill the airwaves as WHRW 90.5 FM, Binghamton University’s student-run radio station, hosts its annual 24-hour marathon to honor an alumnus who died during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
The ninth annual Paul J. Battaglia Marathon, which will run from 2 p.m. on Friday to 2 p.m. on Saturday, will be held in honor of Battaglia, a BU class of ‘00 alumnus and a previous WHRW general manager.
The marathon will feature singing contests, prize giveaways, live music from student groups and artists, dance music, music trivia and original programming throughout the day. Students can tune into 90.5 FM, whrwfm.org or channel 42 on campus television to listen and participate.
“This marathon is not just for students at the University, but for the community at large,” Joe Monte, WHRW’s public relations coordinator, said. “It’s going to be mayhem on the air.”
Battaglia served as a general manager of WHRW from 1998 to 2000 during his undergraduate studies in BU’s School of Management. After graduation, he was hired at Marsh Risk Consulting, which was located on the 100th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Battaglia was counted among the thousands of missing persons after the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
Daniel Jan Walikis, class of ‘77 and a WHRW radio host since 1988, remembered Battaglia as someone who went above and beyond.
“[Battaglia] left a legacy of his dedication to whatever he set his mind to do — whether it was his University course work, WHRW or his first job — he always went the extra mile, and did 110 percent of what was necessary,” Walikis said. “That was Paul.”
WHRW DJs Sam Riedel, a sophomore majoring in English, and Caroline Perny, a junior majoring in comparative literature, both expressed how the marathon catches the spirit of the radio station, while holding a deeper meaning.
“When we have a moment of silence, it’s really sad to know so many people died,” Perny said. “It’s easy to write off such events, but it sort of changes when you have some stake in it.”
Since September 2001, several measures have been taken to remember Battaglia’s life — the dedication of the New University Union’s WHRW radio station in his honor, the renaming of the EXCELsior award for student leadership to the Paul J. Battaglia Student Leadership award and the establishment of the Paul J. Battaglia scholarship, which Friday’s marathon will raise money for.
Those interested in donating to the scholarship fund can contact Monte at pr@whrw.org.
“Paul would approve of what we’re doing,” Walikis said with a smile. “He loved a good party.”