“Welcome to ‘Thanks a Lot, Eve!’ the show for women and by women, and men can listen too.”
Seniors Hannah Johnson and Tayler Owens, film and media majors, have started their show “Thanks a Lot, Eve!” this way almost every week since their freshman year.
The two girls hit it off immediately when they were paired together randomly as roommates for their freshman year at Taylor University. They heard about the radio opportunities with Taylor’s WTUR station and thought it would be fun to sign up.
These years at Taylor have brought them close to one another.
“I definitely think that she is a God-given friend for sure,” Owens said. “And I think we're gonna be together for a very long time.”
When Johnson and Owens stood in line, waiting to sign up for a show that first year, they realized they didn’t have a name. “Thanks a lot, Eve!” came from an inside joke they had, Owens said. The two rolled with the last-minute name for the next four years.
They started each show with a “woman of the week,” sometimes hosting other women on the show but often discussing women in history or in their personal lives. Following that part of the show, they delved into whatever came to mind, letting the conversation flow between serious and silly topics.
One such topic is “girls’ girls,” where they talk about girls supporting girls. Owens said she learned to truly be supportive of other women and found the show to be a great place to grow.
“I feel like women are so often raised to kind of get pinned against each other,” Owens said. “So being able to be in a space that allows the opposite of that is just so healing. And it's such a blessing. I think God put us in each other's lives so we can have that healing, and so we can be better women, and be better friends, and be better servants to the Lord.”
Over the four years they did the show together, both girls grew, learning about themselves and talking about womanhood.
Johnson said she and Owens had different experiences growing up. She found that people understood womanhood differently because of how they were raised.
“It's been interesting to get to know the differences because Taylor had a different upbringing than I did,” Johnson said. “And so it's been interesting to know that her view of herself and other women was different from mine. And I feel more comfortable and confident in my womanhood and just myself in general.”
They not only learned about themselves and grew as people, but they also learned about the radio station and how to work with the buttons, lights and recording equipment.
Four years ago, it was their first time stepping into the studio as freshmen.
“It was a little scary because there's so many cool lights and there's so many buttons and waveforms and all that,” Johnson said. “(It) just looks so technical.”
They quickly learned the ropes for all the bells and whistles. Johnson said working at the station became second nature. After developing a routine, Johnson found the show to be an almost therapeutic outlet to discuss their thoughts and continue their own conversations on the air.
Over the four years, their audience grew from just close family members to around twenty listeners every week, Johnson said. Owens said they are hoping to continue the show on Spotify after they graduate.
“I know our friendship will continue far past graduation,” Owens said. “I am very thankful for the time I've had here—not just with the radio station, but just with Taylor in general.”
Senior Naomi Yoder, a film and media major, took on the role of station manager at WTUR in 2023, and she recommended that all Taylor students get the experience of hosting a radio show.
Yoder enjoyed hosting shows for her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She continues to participate in the community at WTUR and said that her staff is willing and ready to help.
Because Taylor has such an easily accessible radio station, Yoder encourages students to take advantage of this unique opportunity.
“It’s a great platform for your voice to be heard,” she said.
Although Johnson and Owens are hoping to keep the show going after they graduate, it will be different because they won’t be at Taylor’s station. However, they are excited to be with each other in the next stages of their lives.
“We love you; God loves you more. Goodbye!”
