VCU news

By Mike Porter

It started with an invitation to appear as a guest on WVCW's “Wellness Wednesday” radio program. Sgt. Jim Deford and Officer Matthew Ruland were asked to represent the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department in a Sept. 8 appearance on the student-run radio station, offering advice about how to respond if stopped by a police officer.

The experience gave Ruland an idea for delivering crime prevention and safety messages in a new way.

“As I thought about it, I realized that lectures and posters are not always effective ways to reach students because they can easily get distracted by their laptops and iPods. But a radio show may allow me to reach them by playing music and dropping in some subtle crime prevention and safety messages,” Ruland said. “I’ll play some Zepplin and maybe throw in ‘Route 83 – it’s fast and it’s free’,” Ruland said, referring to the new Monroe Park Campus Circulator evening bus service launched a few weeks ago.  

Ruland put together an idea for a “Classic Metal Mondays” show to run Monday evenings between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. His musical format selection wasn’t because he thought heavy metal music fans were in special need of a message from police but because he genuinely likes metal music.

“I grew up in the 80s when metal was king,” Ruland said. “Guys like Dio or Iron Maiden would talk about their past projects or influences and one just had to check that stuff out. Many kids have never heard Deep Purple outside of ‘Smoke on the Water.’ They don't know who Keith Moon was. I love this music.”

Ruland pitched the idea to Student Media Business Manager Lauren Geerdes, who serves as WVCW station adviser. She and the student volunteers supported the show from the start.

“It’s a cool idea blending Matt’s areas of expertise in metal and safety,” Geerdes said. We want to encourage the creation of original content. That’s very important to the students.    

Ruland joins a staff of more than 50 student volunteers and six executive staff members.  Together they put together 63 hours of programming each week.

Ruland said his colleagues on the police force have supported his efforts to start a radio show.

“Chief (John Venuti) gave me a fist pump,” Ruland said. “He likes to use the word ‘phat’ and he said the show was going to be ‘phat.’ He wants us to think outside the box.”

Buddies on the force also offered suggestions for names for his on-air disc jockey personality.  He ultimately settled on “DJ-Five-0.” “Five-0” is slang for police officer and is especially timely with the remaking of the popular television series “Hawaii Five-0.”

“I was a college student once,” Ruland said. “And just because I‘m a police officer now doesn’t mean I can’t have fun and rock out.”

A sign of this hard-rocking cop’s sense of humor is his show’s theme song, “Breaking the Law” by Judas Priest.

Ruland is organizing both his shows and his messages around a weekly theme. A typical show includes about 40 minutes of music and 20 minutes of talk.

The first show was a tribute to Ronnie James Dio, who died in May after a 40-year career. Ruland focused the week’s crime prevention message on larcenies. His second show on Oct. 11 had a drummer theme. Venuti, who plays the drums, was a guest.

While he loves music, Ruland had no prior disc jockey training. Staff at WVCW helped him learn the station’s equipment and gave him some practice in talking on-air.      

Ruland admitted to being a bit nervous in the minutes before his first show began.

But with a hearty “all right, we’re ready to rock and roll,” he opened the microphone and launched “Classic Metal Mondays.”    

Ruland said he won’t have any trouble balancing his responsibilities as the department’s crime prevention specialist and his radio show.

He will be monitoring the number of “hits” the station is receiving (people tuning in to listen to the program) and is establishing an e-mail account to take suggestions and  feedback.

“I think the word will spread,” Ruland said. If they like what I’m playing and they like what I’m saying, the audience will grow.”

WVCW is available over the Internet.  Click on Listen Now! to hear the station live anytime. Podcasts of “Classic Metal Mondays” and other WVCW programs are also available.