Students and Faculty gathered at the Woodbury Campus Center on Monday night to mourn the passing of Phil Hersey, technical director of WMPG for over ten years. The event was also meant as a celebration of his life and included a slide show, an open mike for thoughts and memories about Hersey, and performances by bands that had worked with Hersey at WMPG in the past.
The mike was available to members of the audience in between performances and emotions were mixed during this time, as speakers shared various stories of Hersey’s quirks and good deeds as technical director. Jim Ward, a WMPG DJ and one of Hersey’s closest friends, sang a few verses from “Circle” by Harry Chapin. John Joyce read a humorous fictional letter from Hersey to Panasonic describing his disdain for digital equipment. Other speakers included station manager Jim Rand, Jan Wilkenson, and Mainely Dead host Pat Babcock, who told of his first few odd but endearing encounters with Hersey. Though often funny, these stories and memories were also a sad reminder of the great loss to Hersey’s friends and family and the WMPG community. “He made the entire mix of our lives sound better,” said Mindy.