This is the kind of show that piques college students’ interests: Wednesday nights, from 8 to 10 p.m., Sacramento State’s KSSU 1580 AM broadcasts “In the Sac,” a revealing show about sex, dating, and relationships.

“I like to get together with my friends and talk about sex, so I decided to do it on the radio,” says DJ Vanessa Rentschler, an Audiology graduate student.

“I want to reach the people who are just leaving their homes and starting college for the first time and they have all this freedom and they want to learn from people who’ve been there,” said Malone Duncan, a Speech Pathology graduate student who co-hosts “In the Sac” with Rentschler.

This is their first semester spreading their unique brand of girl talk over the airwaves to the hungry ears of their fellow students. With unflappable courage, Duncan and Rentschler say the things many people wouldn’t on their local radio stations. Rounding out the “In the Sac” crew is fellow student Aisha Money, though she’s sometimes unable to make it to the studio in time.

Occasionally, government major Ryan Gaunt supplies a male point of view.

“I was asked to bring the guys’ perspective and opinion,” says Gaunt, who also hosts “The R & R Show” on KSSU Monday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m. “I try to be as honest as I can and not hold back any punches. I bring a little commentary and a little comic relief sometimes. My co-host in the morning is more relaxed than these girls.”

That’s easy to imagine. Together, his cohorts are the epitome of exuberant charm. They use their wits and excitement to fuel their energetic nighttime program.

With excitement, Rentschler asks, “Who wouldn’t want to host a show where you talk about sex?”

Well, certainly not her. But for the bubbly DJ, the experience is sometimes sobering. Due to low wattage, “In the Sac” barely reaches listeners slightly beyond the Sac State parking lot. The KSSU antenna is locked in a basement in Lassen Hall, and broadcast signals are somewhat buried. Anyone listening to “In the Sac,” or other KSSU programs for that matter, tunes in from a car, on campus, near campus, or nowhere at all.

Poor broadcast conditions add up to depressingly few callers. “We don’t get that many phone calls,” says Rentschler. “No one can really hear the show. It has, like, three or four watts. People in the dorms have trouble getting it.”

Even so, some people do still call, and at times, their comments are memorable.

“One guy called in about a growth on his penis, but I think he was lying,” muses Rentschler. She and Duncan have their own way of dealing with callers who are bit too intense for their own good. “If they’re psycho or stupid, we’ll just hang up on them and then laugh about them later.”

Sparring with quirky callers is just one of the occupational perks for Duncan and Rentschler. They just enjoy talking about sex and leaving nothing to the imagination.

Rentschler adds, “People are just interested in sex. It’s kind of a taboo topic.”

But not a taboo she or her co-hosts are afraid to talk about on the air. Routine topics for the daring divas include oral sex, fetishes and misadventures in dating. But don’t think “In the Sac” is just a show about the swapping of bodily fluids. More subjects enter discussions as well, like that other thing people do at night: dream.

“I had the strangest death dream,” claims Rentschler. “I was with all these different old men, and they were dying.” She continues her story in morbid and vivid detail.

To this odd conversation starter, Duncan jokingly replies: “That dream means you have a strong void that needs to be filled.”

The sly punchline in her remark elicits a knowing smile from Rentschler, who giggles in response. With this group, even the most innocent topics lead back to sex. They do attempt, however, to adopt a more serious tone at times, encouraging safer and more responsible intercourse.

“Since it’s college and there’s lots of young people,” says Rentshcler, “I like to throw in public service announcements about condoms and STDs, and also be a little bit informative. Not just shoot the shit.”

“In the Sac” also covers dating in general, and offers loads of advice for curious college students on the prowl. The hosts think that modern mating rituals can confuse listeners, so they’re here to help.

“We are all learning how to readjust to the new levels and norms of dating because the rules have changed so much,” says Duncan. “Now we’re in a generation where it’s so abstract and so negotiated that I think this would be a great forum to discuss those issues and what works for people, what doesn’t, and why. Times are changing, and I think people need to get together and discuss it instead of just making the same quick judgments and the same assumptions (and) playing by the same rules and games that have not worked in the past. We’re in a state of reinvention.”

A deeper realization of sex involves addressing the risks and repercussions that come with being intimate. It’s tempting to focus on the pleasure sex creates instead of the consequences. Duncan adds, “(We discuss) health issues and concerns because people are so promiscuous and aren’t taking the precautions they should. We like to share preventions and what’s happening in the health center. (It’s) a talk show with broader topics. We don’t just limit it to relationships.”

They sure don’t, but the relationship part – OK, the sex part – is the most fun, and Rentschler and Duncan consider themselves qualified to spread their frank chatter over the airwaves with unabashed enthusiasm.

“It’s awesome. It’s addictive,” chimes Rentschler. “You get on a roll. We just have a blast and sometimes we’ll stay past 10 until 11:30 or 12 because we’re having so much fun.”

She was in a relationship for six years that had its good times, but eventually ended. For the past two years, she’s been actively dating. Her mom and friends are the prime sources of her dating advice, as well as her seasoned co-host.

“I’ve been in a few long-term relationships that were headed towards marriage,” insists Duncan. “I’ve learned a lot about relationships from those experiences. I consider myself well-learned.”

The DJs are proud of “In the Sac” and what it brings to the eclectic KSSU canvas.

“It’s like ‘The View,’ only less annoying,” cracks Duncan.”It’s less lame,” Rentshcler adds with smile. “We have more chutzpah.”

If you have a question about your current relationship or sex dramas, you can bring them out in the open by calling in to the show at (916) 278-3666 on Wednesday nights starting at 8 p.m.

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