When you first walk into Sacramento State’s KSSU station, you feel like you just walked into a party that you weren’t invited to.

Numerous students are strewn out across two mismatched couches; one forest green and the other has a red flannel pattern. They look like they were “borrowed” from different lounges around campus. Everyone is engaged in conversation or watching at least one person physically jerking around a Sega Genesis controller to give Sonic the Hedgehog the extra push he needs to gobble up some rings.

However, that feeling of detachment doesn’t last for long as everyone greets you by blurting out some version of “hello” or just a simple nod of recognition. Looking around at records lining the walls and memos posted in every corner, you lose the notion that you are in a living room and realize that this is what a radio station is supposed to look like.

After some moments pass, you notice that everyone is so friendly you wonder if you have met them before. Or maybe they think you are one of the 60 DJs who rotate in and out of the station.

And what is KSSU?

Well, most recently, it is Sacramento State’s nationally recognized student-run radio that has garnered some attention by some prestigious outlets. KSSU has been nominated for several of mtvU’s 2008 Woodie awards for Best College Radio Station, and yes, that is MTV as in Music Television.

Not bad for a station that broadcasts on KSSU-AM 1580 with a signal that can barely be heard outside of campus. Fortunately, a little thing called the internet helps the station reach off-campus listeners. KSSU.com has a live stream online that you can check out any time of the day or night as long as you have a computer.

“We have people listening in prisons all over the world,” station manager Rob Young said jokingly.

MTV isn’t the only recognition the station is receiving. KSSU was nominated, in eight categories, for the 2008 College Music Journal (CMJ) College Radio Awards.

With such a large number of DJs involved, it is not difficult to see the abundance of personalities that make up the radio station. There is no class requirement, but there is a training system in place in order to maintain the station’s standards at a higher level.

KSSU’s assistant manager, Liana Winternitz said that before a DJ can host his or her own show, knowledge tests have to be taken in order to make sure that a level of professionalism is met.

The Federal Communications Commission is always monitoring the airwaves, so foul or offensive language will not be tolerated and that means not offending other countries or cultures who might have a different idea to what offends. To Winternitz’s knowledge, only one DJ has been “let go” because of an offensive statement.

Aside from being the assistant manager, Liana Winternitz hosts her own show.

She turns into DJ “Li-Rex,” who plays happy, nerdy music and recounts a weekly adventure in her show “The Adventures of Li-Rex.”

Tuesdays, from 2 to 3 p.m., you will hear Evan Boylan, a.k.a. DJ “Blue,” hosting a blues and soul show called “Can You Dig?” The hour of music blends a mixture of classic blues with contemporaries such as The Black Keys and Weezer. Boylan is unassuming and polite while he lounges in the on-air studio. You half expect lit candles to be glowing in the darkened room accompanying the soulful music.

“Seeing personal growth from all the students something that makes me happy and really proud to work here.”

DJ “Blue” appears to enjoy listening to the music as much as playing it. Revealing that he a history major, with no intentions to entering the music business, prove the assumptions correct.

“Sometimes when I get on the microphone I feel a little more gutsy to kind of say something I wouldn’t normally say,” said Boylan. “Your alter ego kinda comes out.”

DJ “Chops” is a rookie disc jockey. Chops’ real name is Steven Gillis, a government journalism major who hosts “The Chop Shop” which plays alternative rock and punk based music on Mondays mornings. A recurring theme among the DJs you talk to is that they are here because they have a passion for music and KSSU provides an outlet to share that excitement.

“But I’m not doing this in preparation for a radio career, but it is fun. It could lead to that,” Gillis said.

Evan Davis is a film major and goes by DJ “Cyclops.” His show, called “This Is Kreig!” plays metal. He said KSSU’s environment is fun and everyone helps everyone else out.

“We are a legit station, we have no room for creeps,” DJ Trina Latrine said.

DJ Mickey Bubonik intercedes with a smile.

“But we have plenty of room for crepes.”

Greg Westcott can be reached at [email protected].