Wizards have been Broadcasting since 1974
While they cannot be seen due to their cloaks of invisibility on the airwaves of sound, the Wizards at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM are all around, providing innovative programming, public service, and genres of music as diverse as this great big wild and wonderful world. The 50th anniversary party was a celebration of WZRD, a freeform radio station housed at Northeastern Illinois University. This memorable event was run by volunteers as curated by Meagan Panici. WZRD is a college radio station that was founded in 1974 by a group of community minded college students with a focus on creating a collective spirit where egos are left at the door as each disc jockey drops their individual identity and becomes known only as a “wizard.”
Mark Vickery, singer/songwriter for the band Cosmic Bull. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Jim Dinou plays keyboards while Mark Vickery sings “American Disco” with Cosmic Bull as the opening act to perform at WZRD’s 50th anniversary celebration. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Ben Donoff plays drums for Cosmic Bull. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Mark Vickery is the lead singer and songwriter for the band Cosmic Bull. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Jim Dinou plays keys while singer/songwriter Mark Vickery plays guitar for the band Cosmic Bull. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Jim Dinou with his son, Miles. Jim is the keyboardist, and also plays saxophone for Cosmic Bull. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Jim Dinou on keyboard (also saxophone) Mark Vickery, singer/songwriter, and Patrick Dinnen on guitar. All are in the band Cosmic Bull.
WZRD has a broadcast range of about 10 miles in a densely populated area, and also streams live online. In the spirit of freeform, which requires each DJ play at least six genres in a three hour slot, four very different bands who had previously performed at WZRD for the regular series Thursday Night Live (run by technical engineers Alejandro Aguilar and Rick Martin, who also was the first-ever station manager of WZRD) were represented at the event: Cosmic Bull, with a genre critics have called “Disco Americana,” Silver Abuse, who were on the cutting edge of the punk movement in Chicago, Sons of Ra, with avant-jazz fusion, and Charlie Otto + His Gear with electronic progressive rock and dance music. The event was held at Martyrs, 3855 North Lincoln Avenue on Saturday, May 4th, and had free entry. The force of the power of music was with the Wizards who jammed most righteously in celebration of the 50th anniversary.
Alejandro Aguilar is the wizard behind the scenes of “Thursday Night Live.” Here he is with Kevin Coyne, another wizard. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Nick Sennett is the current Station Manager of WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM. Here he is working the WZRD booth, selling swag at the 50th anniversary celebration. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Dennis Sagel is the media coordinator at Northeastern Illinois University, and is responsible for the smooth operation of WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM. 
Hamish Boyce is a wizard enjoying the bands and beverages. 
George Arroyo is a recent graduate of NEIU, and a wizard enjoying the evening. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Wizard Dale Lehman is an activist handing out leaflets in defense of Palestine. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Amy Buscemi is a wizard who helped create the slideshow for the 50th anniversary celebration. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Eddie Pedvin, the former Program Director at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM was a delighted audience member. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Dennis Sagel, media coordinator for WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM enjoys the bands at Martyr’s on May 4, 2024. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Dennis Sagel, media coordinator for WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM works with volunteer wizard Cam Smith at Martyrs, 3855 N. Lincoln on Saturday, May 4th during WZRD’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.
Karen Wehrle, a former wizard herself, introduced the event,
Josey Posey is the co-program director (with Zachariah Simmons) of WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM, and works in the Provost’s office at NEIU where she is also a student. 
Regina Torres is a wizard who came out to support the event. 
Karen Wehrle, the wizard who introduced WZRD’s first band, Cosmic Bull, and her husband Scott Tomlin enjoy WZRD Chicago’s 50th anniversary event at Martyr’s on May 4th, 2024. 
Bill Morton and Trudy Leong are both wizards and politically active. Morton ran for Alderman of the 49th ward in 2023, and is the President of the Roger’s Park Chamber of Commerce. Leong was the Station Manager at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM from 2019-2022 and remains active as a DJ to this day.
“In the late 1970’s when I was a teenager, my friends and I would listen to WZRD especially Sunday Morning Nightmare with Terry Nelson. Teenage Party with little Dougie Brown and Tan Tea Time with Craig Schmidt were all DJs who influenced my world of music. They gave me so much knowledge of music that still stays with me now. My friends and I would record songs off the radio on our cassette tapes…”
Robert Meehan of Silver Abuse, one of Chicago’s most original punk bands. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Paul Chabala plays lead guitar for Silver Abuse. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Dave Purdie plays keyboard for Silver Abuse. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Silver Abuse featuring (left to right) Dave Purdie on Keyboards, Robert Meehan lead screamer, and Paul Chabala on lead guitar have their first gig since the original band broke up in the early 1980’s. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Robert Meehan, lead screamer and Rich Bastard on bass performing their first gig together since the early 1980’s at WZRD’s 50th anniversary event at Martyr’s, 3855 N. Lincoln in Chicago. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Robert Porche plays drums for Silver Abuse at WZRD’s 50th Anniversary celebration on May 4, 2024. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Rich Bastard is the bassist for Silver Abuse. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
The audience sings along with Silver Abuse whose disparaging original lyrics included a parody of conservative republican governor “Ron Santo.” (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
The genius behind the event is Meagan Panici, who was recently nominated for the Chicago Reader’s “Best Radio DJ” Award and was thrilled when she came in hot on the heels of WXRT’s legendary Terry Hemmert. When asked about her involvement with WZRD’s 50th anniversary bash, Panici responded,
“I booked the venue, the four bands, promoted the show, hired a designer to make the poster, put together a slideshow with the help of Terry Nelson, Amy Buscemi and Karen W (Wehrle, who was a wizard in the late 1970’s) which played between bands – I hired the food truck and helped shape their menu….”
Dale Lehman and Meagan Panici are both wizards for WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM. During the WZRD’s 50th anniversary celebration, Lehman was passing out color leaflets in support of Palestine. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Wizarding Wonder Meagan Panici poses with her siblings, Toni Panici and Katie Panici outside of Martyr’s on Saturday, May 4, 2024 during WZRD Chicago’s 50th anniversary celebration. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Meagan Panici poses with rap artist Double A (aka Aaron Schiffman), who is saying “May the Schwartz be with you!” in a reference to Mel Brooks Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. Double A, a former wizard, has a new album out titled “The Kid Who Wanted to be a Superhero” on all major streaming platforms. This photo was taken in front of Martyr’s at 3855 N. Lincoln on Saturday, May 4th. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Phil and Lisa Pancini are proud parents of Meagan Pancini, and came out to support their daughter’s work with the event at Martyr’s, 3855 N. Lincoln on May 4, 2024. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier).
“…Terry gave me a bunch of CDs with station IDs and songs from those artists and I digitized them for our house music. I got a cake and helped with acquiring the merch. Set up the live stream like 5 days before. It was quite an effort! I’ve never done all the aspects of a show before. I’m really proud of myself.”
Panici is justifiably proud to be such a hard working member of this community station, which is run entirely by volunteers under the guidance of media coordinator Dennis Sagel. Sagel, whose humble demeanor hides a very firm handshake, provides a disciplined work ethic that helps WZRD set the standard for other local university radio stations.
The audience is captivated by the music. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Robert Meehan (far right) hangs out with wizards from back in the day. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Erik Oldman plays guitar with Sons of Ra, Mike Rataj is on drums while Keith Wakefield wails on bass saxophone, guest artist Jessica Billey on violin (far right). (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Quentin Dover is a guest artist playing guitar with Sons of Ra. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Megan Carol Loftus is an NEIU student, and wizard. She hosts a show at Social Junkie on Thursday nights at 8 pm. (Fun fact: Grandmother is the founder of Loftus and O’Meara Temporary Agency). (Photo by C. Schandelmeier).
According to Cosmic Bull’s Mark Vickery, “WZRD changed the trajectory of Cosmic Bull for the better. When we had only a few gigs under our belt, Meagan brought us in for Thursday Night Live, and that performance was so good I knew I had to get this band in the studio. And here we are today with a full recorded LP!”
Sophie works for Grossett’s Irie Jerk Mobile Food Truck, at WZRD’s 50th anniversary celebration event in front of Martyr’s. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Jonathan Villacres from Yoga on the Beach sold beaded earrings made by Mayan women in Guatemala, and Round Trip Records was also selling vinyl at the event. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Members of the audience were able to purchase WZRD swag such as t-shirts and stickers from WZRD volunteers manning the WZRD booth. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Peter C. Bartels, a busker at Lincoln Park Zoo with two Master’s Degrees in music, and Pete Anderson, a long-time wizard, and former music director at WZRD enjoyed the event. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Cam Smith and Miles Sennett are wizards who took care of the WZRD booth at the event. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Lisa Phillips and Marvin Tate (Tate is the artist in residence for Theatre Y, and frontman for the band Desettlement) enjoy the evening celebrating WZRD’s 50th anniversary. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Megan Carol Loftus is an NEIU student, and wizard. She hosts a show at Social Junkie on Thursday nights at 8 pm. (Fun fact: Grandmother is the founder of Loftus and O’Meara Temporary Agency). (Photo by C. Schandelmeier). 
Criage Lynette Althege is a wizard who works in the Ronald Williams Library on the campus of Northeastern Illinois University where WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM is based. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
Amy Buscemi is a wizard who helped create the slideshow for the 50th anniversary celebration. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier)
Other features of the event were Grossett’s Irie Jerk Mobile Food Truck with Jamaican cuisine, Lindsey Michelle Taich, an artist who was painting while the concert blossomed all around her, and handmade beaded earrings made by Mayan women in Guatemala and sold by Jonathan Villacres of Yoga on the Beach. Round Trip Records was represented with real vinyl, and WZRD had a booth where commemorative t-shirts, stickers, and other swag were for sale. The real spine of the event was all the wizards – past and present – who attended with unbridled enthusiasm and support.
Another Thursday Night Live favorite, Charlie Otto + His Gear closed out the night with a dance party. According to Panici,
“Charlie used to be in a Talking Heads cover band that I was the promoter for. He started his career in the music biz at Martyr’s at a bartender and the owner Ray (behind the soundbooth) helped (him) get a custom made guitar from Adrian Belew’s people. He also met his wife working there.”
Otto fit right in with the wizard theme as he has an eye on the future while performing electronic progressive rock and dance music. Another 50th anniversary event is in the works, according to Panici, with some “big names” being interested in performing. Listen Live to what other wonders from the wizards await their listeners at https://wzrdchicago.org.
WZRD “Wizards” (DJs) pride themselves on their anonymity, but the 50th Anniversary event inspired them to discard their cloaks of invisibility. Pictured here are wizards past and present. Many wizards are absent because they have moved away from Chicago, or passed, and others because they are adults with adult responsibilities and concerns. (Photo by Matthew Krempski on Instagram @erisianimagery)
A Wizard Revealed
In the name of full disclosure, this article has been written by a wizard who has been working as a volunteer DJ at the radio station since 2011, and has had over a thousand interviews. In that time, I have had over a thousand interviews from homeless people to future judges from theatre directors to musicians, and everyone in between. I felt called to become a wizard because of my best friend, Effie Mihopolous, another wizard who was also a double alumni of NEIU. (Mihopoulos is most famous as a critic, poet and the publisher of both Salome Dance Magazine and Ommation Press, which published Cornelius Eady’s “Victims of the Latest Dance Craze” and won the Lamont Prize in 1985. This made history because it was the first time such a small, independent press had won The Lamont Prize, which is a very prestigious award in the world of poetry. It is akin to the Academy Award of the poetry world). Mihopolous passed away from breast cancer in 2010. Prior to that, I had breastfed my first son, Vincent, at the radio station as a guest for a show at WZRD with the theme of “What Matters.” I have both my Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (1989) and my Master of Arts in Teaching: Secondary Education English/Language Arts (2012) from NEIU. In graduate school at NEIU, I shot a collaborative assignment for a film titled “Lipstick on the Mirror” using the former configuration of the radio station WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM as a location. This article was written as part of my current Master’ s program in New Media Journalism with Professor Jeffrey Sharon at Full Sail University.
I am Cathleen Schandelmeier, a wizard who has worked at WZRD Chicago 88.3 FM since 2011. (Photo by C. Schandelmeier) 
I am a wizard, and my name is Cathleen Schandelmeier. This photo was taken in the DJ booth at WZRD Chicago, 88.3 FM when I was pursuing my MAT in Secondary Education – English/Language Arts – this was before the radio station’s 2013 renovation. (Photo by Joseph Benning). 
Far left is a photo of me (Cathleen Schandelmeier), with Drgnfly Laureate, (who now lives in India) and Poet Adrienne Sunshine Nadeau (who first came to Chicago with funding from The Beach Poets, which I founded and have hosted on the Beaches of Chicago since 1990) pose in front of the wall which Vincent Schandelmeier, who is now a professional artist working under the moniker of “Spaghetti” at the Ice Cream Museum- painted in 2012. (Photo by Vincent Schandelmeier).
Poetry in Chicago 