< 5^ £ ^ J ■= - ^-Q -c - ^ «-= w u ^ w Q - O C w U-* Q 3 3 c £ ^ c ?„-§ -D O o C 3 S SP u U-i w ‘w j5 CO .S 3 * .... & i q-5- s-s E w y C - 3 s 2 *-J 3 i J-* u Q C/5 u s S-csri;.c c=:cl=c ^=p3-Q.^ From staid student Karen Heller takes By LORA BEST Reporter Karen Heller, who sports short, brown hair, a hint of make-up and flashing brown eyes sits on the bench, animatedly talking and occasionally break ing to talk to friends who walk by. The 21-year-old wears her Aggie ring, a gold chain and a gold ear cuff. Her books are on the bench nearby, much like any other Texas A&M student's. But six days a week she dons heavy make-up and a bubbly personality to become Karen Kay, a video jockey for K05HU, better known as TV-5, a low- power music television operating in Houston. Heller commutes from Houston to A&M every Tuesday and Thursday to take her final six hours to ward her journalism degree. She got the job last summer as a result of her persistence and the keen eye of a friend. "I knew that I wanted to do something in broad cast or in law," Heller says. She had a summer inter nship set up with a lawyer in Virginia because she wanted to learn more about law and has the desire to go to law school. Then a friend of hers saw the TV- 5 advertisement for VJs in a newspaper. "The ad said to mail in a resume but I hand car ried mine," she says. She even insisted on an inter view because she said her resume wasn't capable of describing her the way an interview could. Out of the 2,000 people who sent resumes to the station, Heller and 600 other people were granted interviews. Of those, 150 got auditions and 50 got second auditions. The station hired 25 people. "I was so happy and excited to get the job that I walked around with a smile on my face for a week," she says. "I couldn't even talk, I just smiled. I knew that I could do it, but I had never done it before." She says she was very nervous at the auditions because the other applicants seemed more qual ified. Some of the people who auditioned for the sta tion were models and people with previous experi ence and backgrounds in television. But she got the job and even has her own show, called Hit City Video. It airs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. She also has a Sunday show called Sunday Brunch with Special K. But don't expect Karen Heller, the student, to ap pear on your screen. A new Karen Heller appears, Karen Kay. "Karen Kay is happy all of the time," Heller says. "She never gets angry and she is never in a bad mood." Heller explains that her first few weeks on the job were difficult because she couldn't found her niche as a VJ. She tried using props, being goofy and then she tried being herself. Karen Kay is an extension of herself for the camera. She uses some props in he technique is to use puns deali or the titles of songs. "C'mon and take a right ti with Aretha Franklin ...," Hel pie of her style. But her change to Karen Kc stantly. To prepare for her 7 p.: start getting ready at 4 p.m. r putting on makeup and fixing lots one hour for the drive to t cause of the infamous Houston One hour before she goes or materials she can use during tl "I read Rolling Stone and never read otherwise," she 1 trivia and interesting facts c slated to be seen during her sh Fifteen minutes before her was so happy a get the job that I wo with a smile on my week. I couldn't eve smiled. I knew that but I had never dom her makeup again. "I need a rr to follow me around," she k needs to wear a lot of make-i cause the lights will wash-out 1 Once on the air, Heller ha; music that plays because a ] mats the show. She does hav< during the breaks in the music last from 15 seconds to one breaks per hour. Another dut^ the request line. "Sometimes it seems like no except for children who have than call," she says. "Occasi call and say that her kids wa she likes it too." She says it is re people other than little kids wa She also has regulars that c old boy who does a Billy Crys she looks marvelous. Anothei who always asks her out.