When you want to wind down, one way is to listen to KAOR’s radio show “Off the Record”. The hosts, Maddie Martinez and Calli Connors, understand how overwhelming life can be especially as journalists, so they made sure that “Off the Record” is all about giving opinions on anything happening in pop culture and the news. They use their show to showcase multiple views on certain topics. Some topics they mention include music, movies, and Disney. They really like to bring up Marvel and Barbie.
Maddie and Calli met three years ago, and since then, they have considered themselves best friends forever. They feed off each other’s positive energy, and they are trying out radio for the first time this year together.
Maddie hopes this experience will land her a radio gig after this semester as it is her last year at USD. She also plans on opening up a guitar shop with her soon-to-be husband, which she will market in the future. Her co-host, Calli, is someone she looks up to because of her willingness to be open to new experiences, although Calli says most of her experiences happened because Maddie encouraged her. Maddie says that radio excites her of what is to come unlike other student media groups. She believes to always make it the right time because no time will be the right time.
Calli considers herself from Sioux Falls although she traveled around a lot due to her father being in the navy. She never thought she would like to do radio, but through this experience, she was proven wrong. It goes to show how open she is to new experiences like Maddie says she is. Because Calli is a part of many organizations, she feels burnt out, and radio is her way of working through it. Calli is a marketing intern for SODEXO working in sustainability. She is a junior, and after graduation, she plans to move to colorado. She wants to work in social media marketing, and after five years, she hopes to move to California to work in directing. One person she looks up to is Maria Menounos because Calli wants to follow the same career path. She lives life trying to do things even if they are scary.
Maddie and Calli’s friendship is sweet and charming. To hear their friendship blossom as they talk about anything and everything, listen to KAOR 91.1 FM on Thursdays at 9pm.