LV Life

‘Doing their own thing’ live

illustration by Christian A. Lopez
illustration by Christian A. Lopez

by Amanda Stutevoss
Editorial Director

It is 7:15 a.m. when University of La Verne seniors Michelle Powell and Vania Joseph enter the Arts and Communications Building. Powell’s eyes are shaded by the tint from her sunglasses: a strategic move to hide her weariness. Rustled papers and enormous notebooks fill her hands. Joseph saunters in with a cool relaxed confidence.

They enter the KULV studio, prepare for the task at hand, and when the mic flips on, the two transform into The Blonde Bombshell and Rocquelle: “Two girls doing their own thing.”

For two hours, three days a week, this is their routine. While most ULV students are still sleeping, these two women host the KULV morning show ­ a show that took a lot of convincing to even pull off.

Project adviser Mike Laponis, professor of communications, helped Joseph and Powell streamline their idea of the morning show into a format that would fit KULV’s.

“The process of getting approved to do the morning show is so difficult because of the strict guidelines for senior project,” Laponis said.

“It was a challenge to convince our adviser to let us do this as our senior project,” Powell said. “But once he knew how bad we wanted it, and how committed we are to it, he agreed.

Joseph and Powell dreamt up the idea during the fall semester. They worked together in many classes and learned to depend on each other for various radio projects.

“We built a trust and loyalty to each other, ” Powell said. “For a project like this, you must really have a person to work with that is as committed as you are to be a success, and we knew that we could count on each other to do that.”

“It helps that they both want to do what they are doing,” Laponis said.

illustration by Christian A. Lopez

The two spent weeks doing pre-production planning for the show. They split the responsibilities into two different areas.

Powell is in charge of the pre-production and promotions aspect of the show. She gathers news briefs and entertainment news to be read on-air and organizes remote broadcasts. She also designs flyers as well as plans promotional events and giveaways.

Joseph does all the radio production work and imaging. She produces commercials for every show and is the board operator in the studio during the broadcast.

“Michelle and I really appreciate the amount of work that the other does,” Joseph said. “We both know that we could not do the other’s job; it makes us invaluable to the other.”

Along with their responsibilities to the morning show, the pair is involved in other aspects of KULV.

Powell holds the position of promotions director, while Joseph is the assistant to the music director.

The two also have experience working for professional radio stations.

Joseph worked at Power 106 as an intern for 10 months. She was the assistant to Nautica de la Cruz, wife of ULV alumnus PJ Butta. She ran the board while de la Cruz was on the air and said that she learned an enormous amount from working and watching her.

“My internship was only six months, but I wanted to stay longer so I just hung out,” Joseph said. “It was such a great experience for me.”

Joseph said that it is her dream to be a full-time mid-day on-air personality. Powell has complete faith in her partner.

“She is going to be famous one day,” Powell said. “She has a great voice and a chill attitude on the air; she is great at what she does.”

Powell has worked for KZLA and KFRG, where she still works today. At KZLA she was an assistant on the morning show. Now she does music research for KFRG. However, she said that is not what she has in mind for the future.

“I would love to be on the air, but I also love promotions,” Powell said. “I need something that is new and always changing.”

“They are really doing a good job,” Laponis said. “It is obvious that they are getting better. It took them awhile to find that focus, but they are doing it now. I am very proud of them.”

Amanda Stutevoss
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Christian A. Lopez
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