THE ACRN CHARLES VOGE SCHOLARSHIP
“I’m writing today — on the 47th anniversary of the day ACRN first began — to tell you we have not only achieved that goal [of raising $25,000], but we have exceeded it — all thanks to your generosity and word of mouth.”
Our duty as Alumni
If music or journalism or sound production or building a business or even radio was your thing you didn’t necessarily have to do it at ACRN. There were other places to do those things at Ohio University. But if you chose to do those things at ACRN, it was a little different. And though it’s a cliche, it’s because of the people we surrounded ourselves with, these people who came together through music and culture and stood for the idea that you could sit behind a board, book live shows, collaborate with your friends and contribute to a legacy that was both uniquely yours and a part of something greater than you at the same time.
And all that was possible because of those who came before us. People like Art Agnos, Joe Stack, Mary Ellen Hunter, Charles Ogg and Archie Greer.
As alums, we want to make it possible for more ACRNers to come after us – to be encouraged to come to ACRN and give of their time and talent.
Moreover, ACRN needs to be able to have pull with the university to get the support it needs to thrive. This scholarship would establish ACRN as a significant force with the university as it is something few student groups have accomplished. It is up to us as alums to send a message about ACRN’s strength. We did a lot of things to make ACRN stand out while we were at OU. This is one more way to keep achieving greatness on ACRN’s behalf.
Who was Charles Voge?
When you think about the kind of person you want at ACRN, Charlie Voge comes to mind. He was with ACRN in the early-to-mid 90s. For those who knew him, he epitomized the spirit of ACRN: a fun-loving, dedicated person who did what others said could not be done. An introspective, quiet, and caring guy, always willing to fill in a shift when someone needed him and ready to participate in whatever crazy scheme the station hatched. Charlie had a strong work ethic. He helped people at the station develop their skills and make ACRN sound great. He was loved by many and an inspiration for many others.
You may not have known Charlie. But my sense is the description above sounds familiar to you. Charlie was all of us, at some point. A person who was looking for a place to land and be a part of something great.
When Charlie died in 1995 under tragic circumstances, there were discussions about starting a scholarship in this name. Recently, a group of alums got together to create a way for us to contribute to ACRN and demonstrate to the university the impact ACRN has as a student organization. This scholarship in Charlie’s name will not only accomplish all these things but also fulfill a promise we made to his memory.
History of the Scholarship
Two years ago, during the ACRN 45th anniversary banquet, we launched The Charles Voge Scholarship. Our goal was to establish the first endowed scholarship for ACRNers. We asked you and your fellow alumni to make a gift to this fund with a goal of raising $25,000.
We had five years to achieve this goal, but we gave ourselves two years so we could issue the first of many $1,000 awards in 2021 — the station's 50th anniversary. As of ACRN's 47th Anniversary (April 4, 2018), not only have we achieved that goal, but we have exceeded it — all thanks to your generosity and word of mouth.
As we've said in the past, The Charles Voge Scholarship will be an annual award to a sophomore, junior or senior with a financial need who has made a significant contribution of time and talent to ACRN. Though not a requirement, preference will be given to those in the Scripps College of Communication.
ACRN is now one of the few student organizations to have a scholarship specifically for its students. We all worked hard to make ACRN stand out while we were at OHIO, and this permanent legacy will be one more way to keep achieving greatness on ACRN’s behalf.
Between now and the 50th anniversary in 2021, the fund will be available for contributions. Our new stretch goal is to raise an additional $25,000 by the 50th anniversary, which would allow us to give two separate monetary awards each year.
Many of your fellow ACRN alumni may not yet know about the scholarship. Please consider forwarding this page to people you know (or copy and paste the text on Facebook).
To donate to the scholarship, please do the following:
Go to ohiou.edu/alumni and click: GIVE
Select “One-time Gift” or “Recurring Gift.”
Check the box that says “The fund I want to support isn't listed above.”
Insert the name “ACRN Charles Voge Scholarship" in the appropriate box.
You must write in the name of the scholarship for your pledge to be applied.
Thank you for all your support of ACRN through the years and thank you for your consideration of this important effort to establish a permanent legacy on the station's behalf.
If you have any questions, contact Scott Smith, ACRN Class of 1997 or David Johnson, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at Ohio University.