XN Radio Launch
On Wednesday, April 2, XN Radio launched its redesigned app. XN Radio exists to “broadcast the hope and truth of the Gospel and connect listeners with Christ's love through inspiring music, impactful teaching, and heartfelt conversations, encouraging spiritual growth and creating a positive, Christ-centered environment for every listener”. While snacking on mac ‘n’ cheese and dino nuggets, the XN team, faculty advisor Professor David Samuel, and their guests celebrated this milestone of not only an app, but also a 24-hour music stream on the app.
The evening featured the hosts of XN’s current podcasts, and junior Communications major Justine Lytle interviewed each of the hosts. The podcasts present were:
Living Transformed with Anthony Quintanilla – Quintanilla uses his podcast to encourage people to share their testimonies.
Radiant Grace with Chichi Mogbo – Radiant Grace helps collegiate women navigate busy college life and its struggles.
Cultivate with the Moody Counseling Department – Cultivate helps students navigate tough college seasons and the early career years by offering professional counseling advice.
Serving and Sharing a Veterans Call with Brian Strickland – Strickland encourages veterans and active service members by building them up in their walk with God.
Also in attendance was Mr. Drew Smith, a 2016 alumnus of the Communications department who now works for Moody Bible Institute in the Information Technology Services division, focusing on Moody Radio. Working with senior Communications major Annalise Meyers, Mr. Smith was instrumental in the creation of the XN app. During his years as a student, Smith had worked on Moody Campus Radio, the early iteration of XN Radio. Smith reflected on the role these experiences had in his own life, saying, “XN (or MCR at the time) showed me that, with only a handful of dedicated students, we could put together the infrastructure, organization, and creative content to make a 24/7 radio station and podcasts for students by students. We weren't professionals or experts, but we cared about what we were making on every level so the whole product of XN was bigger than the sum of its parts. It was my first real experience working with a driven and creative team, and it pushed me to grow in my own abilities. I wanted to see XN succeed, so I learned right alongside everyone else what I needed to do to play my part in creating and growing XN.”
The evening was a triumph. From recording podcasts to the technological ideation and creation of the app itself, from radio broadcasting to public speaking, the XN app is a beautiful representation of the breadth of the Communications department at Moody Bible Institute and the collaborative spirit that is its hallmark