Staff Bios
Name: Andrew “Old Man Bartholomew” Olanoff
Position: Station Manager
Major: Photojournalism
Hometown: James Island, South Carolina
Why you love working at WIUX: “Because WIUX is the coolest of cool, this is Miles Davis saying that” – Miles Davis
Favorite WIUX memory: All the dead air on my first show in freshman year, and then the overly scripted air breaks to remedy that, and then the first moment I felt comfortable on the radio.
Show at WIUX: TBA
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I once held up Flava Flav when he fell off the stage at a Rock n Roll show. I am not very cool outside of that.
Name: Therese Kennelly
Position: Co-Music Director
Major: African Studies and History
Hometown: Lowell, IN
Why you love working at WIUX: WIUX is amazing because it allows students broaden their musical interests and get experience working at a radio station that affords them the freedom to create their own niche within the larger station.
Favorite WIUX memory: I have had so many great memories at WIUX, but my most memorable would have to be eating a burrito with Four Tet at my very first culture shock.
Show at WIUX: Obruni Radio, bringing the best of West African music to Bloomington
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I love Ghana!
Name: Sarah Van Tassel
Position: Promotions Director
Major: Anthropology
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Why you love working at WIUX: I love photoshop and I love people. My job at WIUX allows me to work directly with both of those things; what more could I want?
Favorite WIUX memory I have a lot of great WIUX memories, board related and from the many years I’ve been listening to WIUX/WIUS. My favorite board memory so far however, has got to be braving several tornadoes at the WIUX Mansion, bound and determined to carry through with Summer Callout.
Show: My show of the past 4 semesters is Sleepy Hollow: Hats for the Headless, but my favorite show is generally anything that Andrew Blank is putting on the air.
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX:I can blow air out of my eyes, touch my tongue to my nose, and I love comic books.
Name: Dylan Samson
Position: Co- Music Director
Major: Journalism
Hometown: New York City
Why you love working at WIUX: I love working at WIUX because it brings together a bunch of drastically different individuals who share a common love for independent free-form radio. Weather they are their for music, news, or sports, all our members form a tight nit community, who’s undying dedication to WIUX never ceases to amaze me.
Favorite WIUX memory: Dancing up and down the halls of my dormitory after I found out I had been elected music director.
Show at WIUX: The Music Of… with Dylan Samson
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I’m a pretty ordinary guy, but my Co-Director Therese Kennelly has babies handed to her all the time when she is in Ghana.
Name: Alex Bulli
Position: Special Events Director
Major: Ethnomusicology
Hometown: Springfield, Illinois
Why you love working at WIUX: I love working at WIUX because it’s a place where I’m encouraged to share my interests with others, and in return be exposed to amazing music and ideas I may have completely missed out on otherwise. WIUX is a place where people of different majors, friend groups, and backgrounds can come to not only be themselves, but broadcast their passions to the world.
Favorite WIUX memory: Although most moments at WIUX are memorable, from my awkward first-ever radio show to discussing flying a cruise ship to Dunn Meadow via helicopter at the most recent Special Events meeting, my favorite WIUX memory would have to be Culture Shock 2011. Every performance, from Sleeping Bag’s opening spot to Ty Segall’s explosive finale seemed to fit the mood of the day perfectly, while the festival itself illustrated exactly what student radio is all about – making the best up and coming music available to the public, for free.
Show at WIUX (if applicable): Punk/Indie
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: Although I certainly don’t have perfect pitch by any means (and anyone who has ever heard me attempt to sing can attest to that), I can tune the A string on a guitar by ear perfectly by imagining the intro to the NoFx song “The Separation of Church and Skate”, which I listened to a few thousand too many times back in middle school. Who ever thought all those years of poppunk would finally pay off!
Name: Karissa McKelvey
Position: IT Director
Major: Computer Science and Political Science
Hometown: Santa Rosa, CA
Why you love working at WIUX: Everything we do revolves around bringing music and culture to the masses, and WIUX allows me to do what I love while meeting people with the same passion and drive.
Favorite WIUX memory: Sitting in the studio, on the radio. Every time.
Show at WIUX: TBA
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I play trumpet, guitar, drums, vocals, bass, piano (in order of awesome).
Name: Alex Barrett
Position: Sales Director
Major: Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation with a Music Minor
Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky
Why you love working at WIUX: I love good radio; I think it is one of the best forms of entertainment out there and I also love independent music, and I think that WIUX is doing one of the best jobs of spreading both of those things. Plus the work environment and people are great!
Favorite WIUX memory: Probably my first show at WIUX, it was the coolest feeling, knowing that people were listening to my music and what I had to say about it, possibly all over the world. I still remember sitting in the upstairs studio playing my first song, thinking I was the coolest.
Show at WIUX: TBA
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: Let’s see, I play the guitar and I’m just starting to record my own music, and I really enjoy it! I’m also a huge Kentucky wildcat’s basketball fan, and I’m a big health nut, but I still have a sweet tooth and enjoy baking!
Name: Dan Karell
Position: Sports Director
Major: Journalism
Hometown: Mamaroneck, NY
Why you love working at WIUX: WIUX is the place where my dreams to cover sports has grown from just a dream, into a reality. It is also a home away from home, and the relationships I’ve made will last a life time. I cant imagine a life away from WIUX (and I mean it!)
Favorite WIUX memory: Broadcasting IU Men’s Basketball win in Madison Square Garden vs. Pittsburgh in the Jimmy V. Classic.
Show at WIUX: The Evening Schmooze with Dan and Kyle (Monday Nights at 6:00PM!)
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: Avid soccer player in the summer, hockey player in the winter. Also can speak Hebrew.
Name: Kyle Vail
Position: Co-Sports Director
Major: Business Economics and Public Policy
Hometown: Greenfield, IN
Why you love working at WIUX: My experience at WIUX has not only improved my broadcasting abilities, but my communication and organization skills as well. It’s great to see myself and others improve as the year of broadcasting goes on.
Favorite WIUX memory: Broadcasting 3 Little 500s. It’s always a great broadcast, and the highlight of my year on air.
Show at WIUX: The Evening Schmooze with Dan and Kyle (Mondays at 6 pm)
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I like Tennis, IU basketball (since birth), country music, and Chinese food.
Name: Ben Levin
Position: Mobile DJ Committee Director
Major: Arts Administration/Arts Management (BSAM)
Hometown: Portage, Indiana
Why you love working at WIUX: I love working at WIUX because of the energy and commitment of the people involved.
Favorite WIUX memory: That board meeting I attended.
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I am a terrible athlete.
Name: A.D. Quig
Position: News Director
Major: Journalism
Hometown: South Bend, IN
Why you love working at WIUX: It’s my home away from home, including the family part. WIUX Directors and the news team are my crazy family — for better or worse. And (almost) everyone else loves Chipotle as much as me.
Favorite WIUX memory: Every broadcast of WIUseX with a guest host. It kept all of us on our toes and certainly mixed things up. Also, Thomas Asare (former news director) jumping on top of that chem table at the fall call out meeting. Pretty epic — no one (even me) will ever beat Thomas for raw energy.
Show at WIUX (if applicable): WIUX News Hour, Fridays and Sundays at 7 pm
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I still rollerblade and ice skate whenever I get the chance. I’m really hoping for a nostalgic uptick in blading/skating when my generation hits their mid/late twenties and starts thinking about having kids.
Name: Rachel Curley
Position: Assistant News Director
Major: Political Science and Philosophy
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Why you love working at WIUX: WIUX is a very slick organization. It is amazing to me that it is completely student- run. The variety of shows, the quality of production, and all the extremely hard- working people at WIUX amaze me every day. Every single member of the organization is committed to making the station better than they found it. I feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction every time I leave the station. I’m so proud to be part of, what I think, is the most professional student organization on campus.
Favorite WIUX memory: When I ran my first whole news hour I was so excited! I was able to run the DDS, announce the pieces, and play commercials all without any dead air! It was very thrilling…
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I’m a little 5 rider for Rainbow Cycling!
Name: Joe Heath
Position: Engineering Director
Major: Recording Arts
Hometown: Lafayette, Indiana
Why you love working at WIUX: I live and die for Radio. I also really enjoy music.
Favorite WIUX memory: When I got the job to be the Engineering Director, it was a pretty awesome moment for me.
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I play a lot of music, and I’ve played guitar for 13 years.
Name: Bari Finkel
Position: Web Content Director
Major: Jewish Studies and Journalism
Hometown: Glenview, IL
Why you love working at WIUX: I love working at WIUX because the people there are some of the most unique and passionate people I know. They were unbelievably welcoming and the people I met there continue to be some of my closest friends. It also gives me the opportunity to use the journalism skills I learn in the classroom in a current and relevant way.
Favorite WIUX memory: My favorite WIUX memory is probably my last radio show of the semester last year with my two best friends when we turned up the last song, wished everyone a great summer, and then danced the entirety of the song.
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: My name rhymes with Periwinkle and I have an impeccable dinosaur (specifically velociraptor) noise & run.
Name: Katelyn Thompson
Position: PR Director
Major: Telecommunications
Hometown: Dyer, IN
Why you love working at WIUX: I love being apart of something bigger than myself. WIUX has given me the chance to impact IU in ways other student organizations would not be able to.
Favorite WIUX memory: Some of my favorite WIUX memories have been spent with one of my best friends & co-dj, Annie Trincot. Our show times have always been early in the morning. We are used to it now, but in the beginning sometimes we would say things between songs that were just ridiculous. We would blame it on the fact that our brains had not been fully awake yet. Thinking back on the different comments that came out of my mouth it makes me laugh.
Show at WIUX: The Snooze Button with Kate & Annie
Hidden Talent/Something about you that is cool outside of WIUX: I might not have any crazy talents or anything like that but I do have an abnormal love of tomato soup. I am quite the connoisseur.
