Turn your radio to KTCU 88.7 FM “The Choice” on a Monday night, and you’ll most likely hear an eclectic mix of indie, underground and local music. You’ll also hear friendly yet quirky voices talking to you throughout the mix. But have you ever wondered about the person behind the voice? Meet Rachel Gollay, a senior radio-TV-film and English major, who is co-host of a Monday night show on KTCU called “The Cassette Deck.” Gollay has co-hosted the show since 2006 with her best friend of 10 years, Leslie Ward, a senior radio-TV-film major.

“We’re pretty off-the-cuff,” Gollay said about their on-air banter.

Usually talking about popular music and current events, Gollay and Ward have a constant flow of conversation going on Monday nights.

Gollay decided to attend TCU in 2004 because of the smaller student body and quality of the RTVF department.

She said the high point of her college career has been working with KTCU.

She was starting working at KTCU after enrolling in an FM stations operations class in spring 2006. It was when Ward transferred to TCU that the duo decided to channel their mutual love of music into a specialty show at the station. They pitched the idea to their professor and KTCU Station Manager Russell Scott.

It was Ward’s and Gollay’s passion and commitment to radio, Scott said, that prompted him to approve “The Cassette Deck” for KTCU’s schedule. Now, they have a three-hour time slot once a week where they’re free to format their own show.

“We conceive the format and material without dictation from our professor,” Gollay said. “We’ve been allowed a fantastic amount of flexibility to play what we want and discuss what we want, within the realm of FCC restrictions, of course.”

Gollay, along with Ward, took this chance and ran with it.

“They have so much invested in the show,” Scott said. “They’ve really taken ownership.”

Gollay enjoys sharing new music with her listeners and hopes to expose them to their next favorite artist.

“I love it when people call in and ask the title of the song we just played because they liked it so much,” Gollay said. “That means we’ve done our job.”

One of the challenges she’s faced with her radio gig has been trying not to say “um” while speaking but, Gollay said, the show is primarily a “de-stressing” time for her.

After graduation, Gollay said she hopes to continue with “The Cassette Deck” through the summer and then plans to attend graduate school on the West coast.