Five minutes before the show, the microphones are adjusted to each host’s height and tested in front of their seats. A minute before, a pair of black recording headphones are lifted from the table. With a quick signal from the sound tech and a last second shift of the chair, College Daze begins.
“Gooooood afternoon Rhino On Air listeners! Today is Tuesday, Feb. 9, the time is 4:01 and College Daze is live in studio!” said show host Joey Catalano.
Tucked in a hole-in-the-wall studio on Central Avenue, three USF St. Petersburg students are seated around a table, cords spread across the floor and microphones dangling in front of them. Tim Brown, the sound technician, signals them to lean closer to the microphones as they talk. The three are hosting an Internet radio talk show, sponsored by Rhino On Air, a local radio company.
College Daze, hosted by Joseph “Joey” Catalano, Mark Lombardi-Nelson and Taylor Upchurch, began in the fall of 2011. Catalano was approached by a producer from Rhino On Air at his part-time job and was offered the opportunity to have a talk show.
“We sat down for lunch at Chick-Fil-A and discussed the radio show concept and potential. We had conducted idea generation groups to get a feel for what college students actually wanted to hear about, and since then it has been getting better every week,” said Lombardi-Nelson, a sophomore.
The show plays host to a variety of discussions. From friendly debates about the existence of chivalry to the appropriateness of certain slang words, the three duke out their opinions with guest panelists. Recently, College Daze has featured music performers, from Marilyn Leilani May Clark of The Daisies to rappers Alexander Hughes and Sakeer Williams.
“There’s a whole world of people out there who aren’t going out getting [messed] up every other night—the world where the student is working 40 hours a week, taking 15 credit hours and attempts to have a social life in between,” said Catalano, a sophomore. “We also enjoy discussing topics which we think can relate and get college students thinking.”
The truthful voice each host brings to the show makes it worth a listen—they’re all true to their personalities. There are no theatrics or exaggerations between them. Catalano’s amusing views, Lombardi-Nelson’s goofy yet knowledgeable attitude and Upchurch’s voice of reason are all true to their personalities outside of the studio.
Listening to College Daze is comparable to sitting down with friends in Starbucks. The banter is seamless. Listeners may find themselves wanting to join in the conversation.
“When we hang out it’s really just different than most people because there is little difference between off-air and on-air,” Lombardi-Nelson said.
College Daze has been promoted through St. Pete Sociabulls and recently participated in the Rhino On Air 2012 Kick-Off Party at Gametime in Ybor City.
Tune in to College Daze on Tuesdays at 4 p.m. by clicking “Listen Live” at rhinoonair.com.
Photos by Chris Campbell
