IU alumna finds joy as B97 DJ

A little girl with pigtails sat in her room interviewing her stuffed animals, neighborhood children and anyone who wandered into her path. Many of these broadcasts took place right in her home. This little girl had no idea at the time that these reports would later serve as a foundation for her future career. \nYears later, Pam Thrash has grown up, and is now a popular disc jockey on the radio station B97. \nMany IU students are familiar with the local Bloomington radio station. The popular station's playlist contributes to the soundtrack of college life.\nSome students are on a first name basis with the station's DJs, all of whom have provided them with entertainment and information throughout their college years in Bloomington. \nAlthough Thrash's voice is familiar to many, the person behind the voice is not. Currently, while working on the morning show with co-host Kevin Osborne, the IU alumna's workday starts much before most students even open their eyes. \n"The hardest part of the job is still getting up," Thrash said.\nHer first task in the morning is to research and prepare the material that helps hold the show together, including gathering news and trivia for the listeners' information and entertainment. Thrash also works on the midday show from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. including the "Retro Lunch," when songs from the 1980s and '90s are requested and played. \nThere are few breaks from the microphone in the workday, and they are usually dedicated to working on commercials and meeting with sales representatives. \nThrash, who has been in the radio industry since 1989, is now entering her 15th year. Even as a child, she was passionate about radio, and pursued that dream as early as elementary school by making imaginary broadcasts on cassette tapes. \nThrash continued pursuing her dream in high school, working at the school's radio station, but decided against majoring in radio in college. It wasn't until after graduation that she rekindled her childhood ambition and immediately began looking for opportunities in radio.\nThrash describes her entry to the business as "being at the right place at the right time" when she started her career in Bedford. Now at B97, she said one of the most significant benefits of being a DJ is being able to become more involved with the community. There are many promotional events, and several of the largest are in conjunction with IU's own array of "back-to-school" programs.\nThrash allows her true personality to shine through during her time on air. During the "Retro Lunch" hour, Thrash chooses, along with the listeners, the music she plays on the show. The music that she opts for during this time is usually a reflection of her mood on that particular day, and can range from heartfelt and emotional to peppy and happy. \n"How she is on air is how she is -- she is goofy and loves to laugh at herself," coworker Terri McAuleyit said. \nEvidently, Thrash's on-air antics have won over freshman Amber Copeland. \n"It's the only radio station I listen to in my car," she said. "They play all sorts of music, so B97 plays a pretty good mixture of what I like."\nFreshman Kaitlyn Schillizzi has a similar outlook. \n"The music seems to be an eclectic playlist of everything from pop to rap to hip hop to country," she said. "It is pretty diverse."\n-- Contact staff writer Laura Crylen at lcrylen@indiana.edu.