KAMP News members have been brushing up on their interviewing skills and are now proud to present to you this year's Executive Board interviews! Keep reading to learn all about the amazing students who help keep KAMP Student Radio up and running!
General Manager: Raul Gonzalez
Interviewer: L Andrews
Lamley: Okay, So I'm just going to set this here for you. All right. So start by stating your name and what you are, what you do.
Raul: My name is Raul Gonzalez. I'm the general manager of Kamp Radio. I've been a part of Kamp since my sophomore year - I'm a senior now. My major is business management. Yeah, I'm about to graduate. That's kind of crazy, and pretty soon.
Lamley: Wow I'm very excited for you!
Raul: The class of 24.
Lamley: Do you have a show?
Raul: I do have a show called Nautical Honing Hardcore with D.J. Crosby. Tuesdays at 6 p.m.
Lamley: Slay. Okay, so what brought you to UA specifically?
Raul: So I've always been a part of the Tucson community. I grew up in Tucson. I went to high school. I went to elementary middle school, high school here. I was always a fan of the U of A - I was always fan of Arizona. Like, I'm really proud of being an Arizona citizen - I love Arizona sports. I love how the school is really good. I really like the U of A has a lot of really good programs and everything. I think going out of high school, I didn't really know where I wanted to study. I was thinking about going to California, maybe an offer on the East coast, like just stuff like that. But I like it here. It kind of worked out for a lot of reasons. Just staying close to my family, kind of just been staying here in this community that I really like. And now that I've been in college and have been here for a few years and as a like an adult instead of a like a like a teenager, I've been able to interact more with the community and like the local scene and stuff like that - and it's been it's been really enjoyable.
Lamley: No, I agree. I think Tucson is really nice. Like, like I'm from Phoenix, so coming here, first impressions, I was like, oof.
Raul: Hahaha!
Lamley: It was rough. But no, that's because, if you want something good, you got to find it here. So, it's not just handed to you on a plate like it is in Phoenix – everything is so kitschy there.
Raul: It took me a while to find.
Lamley: Yeah, Yeah. Okay. So I did a little bit of research about.
Raul: Okay? *visibly confused* So what's out there?
Lamley: Tell us, with a little more specific detail, like your history with Kamp, because like you said, you joined as a sophomore. You said that your friend introduced you to tell me what that was about?
Raul: So, my friend, uh, we, we had a, we had a class together, me and her, we, she's, she's more like my ex girlfriend at this point.
Lamley: Oop. *visibly gagged*
Raul: But yeah, so we, I met her sophomore year and she was like, “Hey, I'm doing this show and whatever and I'm really struggling to think of a name.” and I was like, you know, just trying to like, be kind of flirty, like, “I have like a of names. Here you go. Like, would any of this be cool?” and she's like, that's really cool. She didn't end up taking one of those names
Lamley: Hahaha! I don’t think that was the point of her question.
Raul: But anyways, so she introduced me to that and I was like, “Okay, well what is that? You’re telling me, you're doing internships and you're doing this show. What are you doing?” and she was like “Well, why don't you come to a meeting?” I came to a meeting. I enjoyed it. It was I thought it was really fun. So I kept coming back. She wasn't really super involved in Kamp. I started to get more involved in Kamp. I, I became a music director my sophomore year that I join the E-board, my junior year and I'm general manager my senior year.
Lamley: I love that. What was like your initial impressions of Kamp?
Raul: I thought it was really cool because, you know, I growing up, I like wanted to be a bigger part of like the alternative community in Tucson. I just kind of couldn't really, figure that out. Like, you know, I was kind of just a shy kind of kid. I didn't really know how go about expressing this stuff. And then, you know, like my freshman year was like COVID you know, you can't really do much, but then once I, I kind of let's get into it – see what’s out there, and it paid off
Lamley: Okay, so you touched on a little bit in your last answer where once again, you said that you're like head of music and then you did a music director position. What, prompted you to do General manager, though? Because that's essentially like the president of the club, right?
Raul: I was really passionate about this organization like it. It means a lot to me. It has kind of defined who I am in college at this point. Like it's helped me grow in a lot of different ways. And it's, it's helped me feel more involved on campus in a way that I just wasn't before, so I feel super strongly about it. So, you know, once our old general manager, Monica, was leaving and was graduating, there was this opening and like, okay, well, who's going to step up? And it's, it's a it's is it's been a really, like, interesting job so far. It's been really fun. I really enjoy it. But, you know, I'm very passionate about it. So I just naturally - I'm a business manager major. I'm really into like management and business and that type of stuff. So kind of being able to combine that and trying to treat this organization with the love I think it deserves as somebody in this position. But it's always been my goal. So now I actively have that position to, you know, just treat it with the respect it deserves and show some love.
Lamley: I love that. I love that. So, continuing off this, once again, the little research, you did so in an interview in 2022, you said that you felt other clubs were exclusionary, which is a little shady in my opinion - but you specifically said that Kamp was diverse in welcoming. Do you still stand by that statement? What do you think makes Kamp so special?
Raul: Yeah, no, totally. I think kind of I don't know if there's an exact number on this, but I'm so confident that, like, Kamp is one of the most diverse organizations in terms of like how many, queer folks we have and how many people are represented and comfortable to express who they are. You can't really do that in a lot of other organizations. All organizations are based off like something academic or your identity doesn’t really matter. But I, I just think this organization just dives into stuff besides that - how people are as people, you know, just having all these opportunities. We have to interact with each other. That means a lot to me. That's why I think Kamp is so different than everything else on campus. Just the people that that join and stay here kind of have this creative tick to them that they want to express themselves. I’ve found that this is group of people most similar to me like, and a lot of like a lot of people understand like my like my weird little jokes that I got from just being on the Internet as a teenager.
Lamley: We love that unsupervised access to the internet from a young age.
Raul: Exactly. A lot of people share my interests not just in music, but in other media. I'm really into video games, a lot of anime, and stuff like that. It’s really interesting to just talk to people like that. I really love that. It means a lot to me. It's somewhere where I have kind of a sense of belonging that I don't find on other organizations on campus.
Lamley: Yeah, yeah. And it feels like organic to where it's like, once again, no shade to any other clubs, but it's like a specifically LGBT club, specifically POC Club. It can get very like kind of molecular with the interest, but in the essence of music - quite literally anyone can show up.
Lamley: So Kamp is about the music. What's a genre that you really enjoy? Like if you can name like one artist, like who's your holy grail of music?
Raul: Oof my holy grail of music. Um, I mean, there's a lot of artists. The first genre I'll always spotlight as my favorite because I don't think it ever gets enough love is nu metal. I think it has a lot of jokes to it but, I love Limp Bizkit, I love Static-X and Drowning Pool, I so I love all those artists. But generally there's other artists too that really drive me. My favorite artist is a band called Metric. I really love their sound. They had a new album last year, new album coming out this year, and that's more just like kind of an alternative sound. I dig that as well. But whenever the question of genre comes up, I really have to like shout out like nu metal because that's I've always loved that since I was a little kid.
Lamley: I love that I agree with that. Like, I was listening to Deftones, while I was waiting.
Raul: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Serious Deftones fan.
Lamley: Anyways, so bouncing off of that, if you had to describe yourself as one song, what song would you be allowed to describe myself as one song?
Raul: I would describe myself as a song - it would be it would be The Final Countdown
Lamley: *visible confusion*
Raul: …because, you know, they hate that song. Really. They hate that. So they charge you an arm and a leg just to use it on TV. It's like one of the most expensive songs to license.
Lamley: Next question, what do you do outside of Kamp? What does an average day look like to you? Any hobbies, like elaborate on that.
Raul: Yeah. So I think now that I've kind of been on my own for a few years now, being in college, I've kind of been able to interact more. My hobbies, I've been going to a lot more like local concerts. I love just going to see live music. I like going to pro wrestling shows, I really love pro wrestling. That's what's one thing about me I always grew up with like lucha libre, you know, its really big in Hispanic culture and then like an American culture, of course, is so many like wrestling companies and stuff like that. I've always kind of grew up with that and I always like interacting with it every chance I got. Sometimes I stay inside, I play video games. I like to play RPG games.
Lamley: Any specifics?
Raul: My favorite series is probably the persona series. I like RPG stuff. My favorite video game of all time is Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. Anybody reading this? I love that game. Please talk to me. I also enjoy kind of mixing up like the nerdy stuff with like the jock stuff sports. I like to watch football. I'm always watching, you know, I'm always reading stuff about basketball.
Lamley: Best of both worlds.
Raul: Yeah! I like to keep it very varied, you know? I like to hang out with my friends. I like to go visit new places to eat. I'm always, like, out there. I like I'm trying to keep a list of like, you know, like a sushi joint that I haven't been to yet or like, you know, like a, like a Korean place. Just stuff like that. I like just branching out and seeing stuff that's in Tucson because it's really easy to stay in. But it's also it's really rewarding to go out and like meet new people and see new things. I think is a lot to offer in Tucson.
Lamley: I'm so glad that you actually mentioned that because this is my next question. What are some of your favorite spots in Tucson? Unless I want a gatekeeper.
Raul: No, I don't want to. I mean, I definitely can. *said with mischievous intent* But I mean, there there's a lot of really cool places that I've kind of discovered since kind of being a student here that I didn't know before because I only really knew my neighborhood kind of growing up, which was cool, but I mean, my parents were kind of strict. I didn't go out that much, you know. For instance, if you want to keep it close to campus - a lot of people that I talk to still don't know that there is that place called Oriental Express on top of me, on top of the snakes and lattes. The food's really good and the owner, they're super nice.
Lamley: It’s a really good value for what you're getting there.
Raul: For music I want to shout out groundworks. I think they're doing a really great thing with the Tucson community. Everything I see about it, it's just the way they want to like, encourage youth to express themselves artistically, whether with music or like art and their galleries and stuff. I support them 100%. So I always try to show them love every chance I get. I think they're doing such good stuff for Tucson, but yeah, that's what I want. That's why I want to shout out there.
Lamley: Okay, So final question. So you've already mentioned that your graduating senior. You're going to be out of here. Gone! What is the lasting impact that you want to have?
Raul: I just want to say like the lasting impact, I want to kind of start some stuff that maybe hopefully somebody else can build on. I think that's kind of the goal with the general manager. It’s kind of to obviously keep the foundation stable, kind of keep everything the same. I there's a lot of ideological things that I want to keep. When it comes down to it - we're talking about the open queerness and diversity of thought and group and stuff like that. Obviously, I want to keep that the same. And that's like ideally how it's going to be for a very, very long time with Kamp. I'm really excited about stuff that we're starting here that I hope can become more like, like traditional stuff. Like, we got it, we got a bunch of equipment here. If you’ve seen our in studio sessions, that's been upgraded a lot this past year. I want to see that grow more just because it's a you know, it's a way to have Kamp interact with the local scene. I think I think lasting impact. I just want to see Kamp be more involved locally. Like there's so many bands that we that we talk to. They come in, they play, and we just want to show their support and we want to we want to help them out with that. We want to be running our own shows of Kamp of Kamp artists, and we want to be doing that, you know, just to just give be giving people the platform and working with local places that give students the platform to be themselves and to be and to be great.
Head Music Director: George Romero
Interviewer: Liam Larkin-Smith
George is a senior here at the U of A, majoring in both Film and Political Science. As a result, he has a senior project to work on, a documentary on local music scenes, which has dovetailed nicely with his volunteering at local music venue Groundworks. Groundworks itself is a student’s dreamland, perfect to learn how to do live sound, run a live show, and even perform if you have a group or an instrument.
Within KAMP, George is Head Music Director, which means he oversees the work the other Music Directors do, as well as make sure that the presentations the Music Directors make don’t scare people away, which thankfully has never been an issue while I’ve been a member of KAMP. More importantly, George as Head Music Director helps KAMPers obtain press passes to concerts. These passes can go to any concert if George knows about it beforehand, as previous Head Music Directors have gotten KAMPers into concerts in Tucson, Phoenix, and LA for free.
George took over this position from Raul this semester, while Raul moved up to General Manager. When asked what, if anything, he would change from his predecessor, George said that KAMP is “fine as it is honestly,” and he’s just happy to contribute to helping others. Getting people into concerts for free and creating good memories for people is good enough, especially since Head Music Director was run very well last year, so there’s no real reason to deviate from that high bar of quality.
Speaking of concerts, George’s favorite KAMP memories are going to a bunch of different concerts. In his first couple of months, George got press for a Slowpulp show in Phoenix, which was a fantastic experience. The Black Midi show in Tucson and the Alex G show in Phoenix were similarly incredible. But even more than going to all of these concerts, George says the best part of KAMP is the community: “It’s great to have a group of people that are as excited about the music as I am to go to concerts with and develop friendships”. I would have to agree.
Marketing Director: Nora Kruja
Interviewer: L Andrews
Lamley: All right, so first question. What's your name? Who are you? What do you do in Kamp?
Nora: So my name's Nora Kruja. I'm the marketing director for a camp. So basically, everything across social media, getting new members to join, anywhere we can get Kamp is where I try and get Kamp.
Lamley: So what year are you and like, what are you studying right now?
Nora: I'm a senior. I'm studying business management with a PR minor which has nothing to do with music.
Lamley: It's actually really funny that you say that because I think you and Raul are studying the same thing.
Nora: Yes, we have the same classes and the exact same class.
Lamley: Yeah and he tied that back in to being like, “well, music, business management, someone's got to manage the money.” Like I find it funny how you think it's not related, but he thinks it is related.
Nora: Well, I did an entertainment internship over the summer and I used absolutely nothing that I learned in any of my business classes.
Lamley: Oop.*visibly stunned*
Nora: So, I was like, okay, like, all right. Except like, how to make like simple presentations in, like Google sheets or whatever. But like, it was like, that was like one day of Google sheets and I that was a form of internship.
Lamley: Okay. So what brought you to Kamp specifically, like, explain like the origin story - what brought you to camp?
Nora: So, yeah, so I am somebody who gets obsessive over stuff. Like I'm like, oh, like I'm going to be a lawyer and then take one to law classes or that like I go through like, phases, like being obsessed with stuff, and it suddenly popped in my head that I wanted to work in music after I graduated. And I was like, “Well, what can I do to be around music all the time?” so I joined Kamp student radio to basically be around music. I talked to like a bunch of alumni that are in like the music industry from U of A, and they mentioned they get involved in campus with stuff like the radio or they like a business club or anything you can. So, I was like, okay, like, let me get involved as much as I can and go, okay. That was last semester. So I was like, “I really like this.” I came to every meeting. I went to as many things as possible, like, I want to do this, I want to get involved with this.
Lamley: No, I love that. What was like your initial impressions of Kamp?
Nora: Honestly, like I'll be completely honest. It's possible. I feel like we have a very old community in Kamp and I feel like I don't really fit that description.
Lamley: I notice that a lot where it's like I feel kind of bad for like the stereotypical jock people coming in cause like I know they’re here for their little sports podcast or they're here for sports broadcasting –
Nora: Which I liked when I first joined. The sports wasn't really as prevalent as it is right now, which I love. Ria has really expanded it and like, I've been pushing that off to people as much as possible. Like, trust me, like Kamp isn't just music. It's like you can do so much across all broadcast. Like radio is really just broadcasting in so many different ways. So I'm really, really happy that we have a bigger sports like group this time because I feel like I'm like meeting people. I feel like I have a lot more in common with these people than like the initial members – like - I still have a lot in common with a lot of the people that are in Kamp, but it's just like no hate, but just more of an exterior point of view. I felt like more of like the sporty type of look. And I feel like having more people be interested in sports come in. It's nice to be like, “Oh my gosh, like, let's talk sports”.
Lamley: That’s actually very heartwarming. I like that. So, what do you think makes Kamp specifically so special?
Nora: I think it's a place where everybody can be themselves. Like when I talked to Raul, he was like, It's a place where like, we're like, we're the rejects of campus - but even still, like there's so much to do for everybody across the board. Like you're into news, you have stuff, you're into music, you have stuff. Like across any genre of music, you're into sports, you have stuff. And so it's like kind of been like really cool this year, seeing how many different personalities fit into like the different sections of Kamp. I think that's what makes it so much more different than any other clubs you can literally get hands on with anything you want around the campus and it doesn't matter because there will be somebody in Kamp that you can, you know, relate with.
Lamley: Totally! Like you said, it's about the music, what genre do you think is like criminally underrated or is just like your favorite genre?
Nora: I don't think any genre is criminally underrated because I feel like there's music for somebody. I think my favorite of all time is R&B. I feel like I'm a very extroverted person and I like music that calms me down and like, lets me like, enjoy what I'm listening to sort of on go all the time. So I think that's definitely R&B. I don't think it's underrated. I think old school R&B is very underrated. I feel like I should bring that sound back.
Lamley: Any specific names?
Nora: Oh my gosh, I love the Fugees. I mean, I guess it can kind of slip into the hip hop category with specific songs, But you have Ms. Lauryn Hill - like it's just like such a great ensemble. It's just like I feel like we need to bring more of the R&B that says something in their lyrics.
Lamley: Okay, so jumping off of that, if you had to describe yourself as one song, what song would it be?
Nora: That's a good question. I haven't really thought of this. I feel like I'm getting new music every day, so I feel like there's not one specific song. Let me look at my list.
Lamley: Sure, why not? Are you a Spotify or an Apple Music girl?
Nora: Spotify absolutely. If I ever, like, get broke one day and I can't pay for a premium music subscription, I can't access my songs, I will cry.
Lamley: So real. That student discount on Spotify.
Nora: Oh, it’s amazing, amazing. Spotify really knows how to how to use the okay, So as of right now, a song that would describe me would probably be, Oh, I have so many good songs. This is not fair. Okay, I'm just going to go with one I've been listening to consistently right now, and this is like not what I used to, so it's kind of interesting. It's Show Me Love with Chance The Rapper, Hundred Waters, Sumney - the Skrillex remix was so it's like not anything that I would ever listen to like, usually, but like if you listen, like there's like this is this is like a little bit of soul in there. There is rhythm and blues.
Lamley: No, I love just like, completely like out of left field collabs. Like, seriously, I always bring this up. Lil Uzi Vert and Baby metal. Yeah, that's so I love out of left field collabs.
Nora: So I kind of like that. Like this. Skrillex does some good remixes. I won't lie like he picks up some good, good songs and he adds a little bit to them like, okay, it's good.
Lamley: Okay. So outside of Kamp, what do you do? What is what is like an average day look like? Like hobbies? This, that and the other?
Nora: Yeah. So I'm, I did sports my entire life. It was like my personality growing up. And then, I have a torn ACL, so I didn't make it my personality as much as I would like to.
Lamley: Oh no!
Nora: So I still like, I still play like old people sports like golf and tennis.
Lamley: Not to diss on it though. Oh I’ll be dissing on golf all the time, but the more I look at it, it's like, I don't know. All you do is like, just hang out outside –
Nora: It’s a finesse sport. It's like you could be the strongest person on that field and you still won't get the ball where you want to go. It is such a technical sport. I definitely I like try to integrate sports, working out, staying active is like the biggest thing - and then I’m best friends with one of my roommates and so we just do everything together. So basically, whatever she does, I do whatever I do, she does.
Lamley: I love that. So let's move on to another question. Are there any spots in Tucson that you absolutely love that you adore? Unless you want to gatekeep?
Nora: No, I don't want to gatekeep. I feel like we should spread the love to Tumericos. Yeah, it's a vegan restaurant. It's a Mexican vegan restaurant. Probably better than any like, non-vegan restaurant.
Lamley: It's amazing, you know, because, like, if I remember correctly, I think like, the owner actually is like Colombian or something. I feel like there has to be another level of finesse to make a food taste just as good or better, vegan.
Nora: It's amazing. The one on sixth has more options and oh my gosh, it's just so good and so that you really can't go wrong with anything you order. I've never disliked anything. No, it's perfect. Is perfect.
Lamley: Okay, so final question. What is the lasting impact you want to have on Kamp?
Nora: I want to I guess like I want to create - like as inclusive as we already are - just like being open to having more people because I think that, I think that student radio gets a bad rap or like, you know, you hear like, “you have a face for radio.”
Lamley: Oh my god ouch. *visibly distraught*
Nora: You know, you get stuff like that all the time or like, you know, So I feel like making Kamp cool is like the goal.
Lamley: If I were a random normie, looking into this like, people would be like, “oh, those are like a bunch of furries” or whatever.
Nora: Because I remember my first week, I was like, I consider myself like, as normal as can be. And I walked in and I was like, This is cool. Like, I don't know if I'll make friends, but like, this is cool. And so, like, just kind of like - being that person to be like, “No, I'm chill with some people.” and even befriend people I didn't think I would be friends with. I absolutely love everybody. Kamp, it's been a nice surprise and I want other people to be pleasantly surprised as well.
Mobile DJ Director: Luke Wise
Interviewer: Carlos Montes
What’s up KAMP Student Radio! I’m Carlos Montes, I’m in News. Today I am going to be interviewing the Mobile DJ for KAMP Student Radio, Luke Wise. Yayyyy! Hey Luke.
Luke: Wow, those are quite the titles.
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Interview Carlos: What brought you to KAMP?
Luke: The community! I had known for a while that I wanted to do student radio. Originally, what got me into student radio was reading about REM getting their big breakout through college radio. I thought that was very cool and was like, “Wow, I wish UA (University of Arizona) had student radio. That’s like the only club I’d ever join.” And then I found out they did and started going around March of 2022.
Carlos: Why Mobile DJ?
Luke: Well, you’re getting full honesty. I went for other positions in KAMP first, then the mobile DJ position. Didn’t get into any of those roles, which is fine. I think everyone is doing a great job. But, I did go to a lot of the mobile DJ events last school year. I was at all sorts of gigs – more than Soo [the previous mobile DJ]. So, I ended up getting that position. It’s fun for me to play music for people. I like the lights… It’s kind of a hassle. More people should go.
Carlos: I agree. Favorite musical genre?
Luke: I love two genres. I love IDM, which is a form of electronic music. And I love punk rock. I love IDM because there’s certain rhythms and frequencies that you can’t find anywhere else. There’s also a lot of genius songwriters in that subgenre. It just goes so hard. Punk rock, along with other things, is responsible for making me a leftist. Punk rock is so cool. Political punk is just some of the best stuff. I love dance punk, I love hardcore punk. It’s just such an interesting culture. There’s so much interesting history. Just like, remarkable stuff. You know all the stuff that came out of punk rock? Heavy metal, goth, shoegaze. There’s more, I can’t remember. I hate that people are trying to depoliticize it now. It’s really annoying.
Carlos: Based. Do you play an instrument?
Luke: I used to play the piano and then, the guitar. But, then I didn’. I just stopped practicing. I wish it kept going. I wish I stuck with guitar or started earlier. I started senior year of high school. I see Benny [a local musician in Tucson] play. It’s so inspiring.
Carlos: What do you do for fun?
Luke: I’ve been getting back into reading. I’ve been writing. Writing is so hard because you have to get into the minds of your distinct characters. But, you’re just one guy. You have to imbue meaning and symbolism into your work. It’s just so hard. I’ll keep at it, though. Another thing I do for fun is watch movies. I used to be a very active person too, I love nature. I think everybody should go out and experience it as much as they can. Been trying to get back out there.
Carlos: Favorite part about going to school so far?
Luke: I’ve become disillusioned with it really. I’ve made great friends. I’ve learned a lot of interesting things about governing and social theory and filmmaking and editing, which I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. But, as an institution, I think I have a lot of issues with higher education. It’s too expensive to go to school. People should look out for each other and take care of themselves. Also KAMP, obviously. KAMP has probably been the best thing about college.
Bonus Carlos: I guess, Sasquatch. True or real?
Luke: If you had asked me during a different time in my life, I would be inclined to say yes. But, I think my faith in sasquatch has been shaken, similar to the institution that is college. There is just not enough evidence of the sasquatch, as some would like to call him. The Patterson-Gimlin Film is available to rate on rateyourmusic.com by the way.
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This has been an interview with the amazing Luke Wise! KAMP Radio’s own mobile DJ. Thank you, Luke.
My name is Carlos Montes, thanks for reading.
Sports Director: Ria Siddaiah
Interviewer: Sophia Troetel
Yesterday, I interviewed Ria Siddaiah, the Sports Director of KAMP. She and I discussed a range of topics, from her interest in sports like ice hockey, cricket, and American football to her family's origins in India and Oregon. Ria has been involved with KAMP since the Fall of last year and plans to return to KAMP for her Junior and Senior years... as soon as she returns from studying abroad in Australia! As a big fan of swimming and water, Sydney is the perfect place for this Cellular and Molecular Biology major to relax and unwind right next to the coast. Please enjoy this interview as we get to know the Sports Director of KAMP, Ria!
Click the link below to listen!