Meet This Semester's Station Manager Duo
By Kayla Wong
Inform, uplift, entertain. That is what Point TV is all about, and fortunately, this semester's station managers are up to the task. Junior Acacia Laliotis and sophomore Ali Seaquist, both Media Communication majors with an emphasis in Production, are already keeping themselves busy with the responsibilities of being station manager.
Well, what exactly is Point TV? Laliotis explains it as PLNU's student-run TV station. "Basically, we post all of our projects, especially from our advanced television class, to YouTube, so when making our reels for when we graduate, anyone -- potential employers, friends, family members -- can see our projects and take a better look at what we do," she said.
The advanced class Laliotis talks about is COM4025, the Media Communication major's advanced television workshop. According to Dr. Alan Hueth, professor of Communication and Point TV advisor at PLNU, COM4025 was created to be the feeder production company for Point TV.
"[This class] means success, and it's something I wish I had when I was in college," Hueth said. "I had three production classes in my four years [of college], but this allows our [Media Communication and Multimedia Journalism] students to do it every single semester."
To ensure the program's success semester to semester, there is a long list of responsibilities ready for the station managers. Literally. The two were given a thorough and lengthy outline of all the things they are accountable for, from projects to meetings to deadlines throughout the semester.
"For Point TV, Ali and I divide the tasks between what we believe we are best suited for," Laliotis said. "I am on more of the administration side and organizational part of the job, sending out emails and scheduling events, while Ali is more on the production, creative coordination side."
Laliotis, who originally came to PLNU as a Biology major, found a special home in the program she now helps run.
"I have the same friends I've had since my first intro class," she said. "Having a small major in general helps with getting better contact with the professors and each other, so it just really emphasizes one-on-one communication and contact with other people."
This will be Laliotis's second semester as station manager, and she plans to continue until she graduates.
As for Seaquist, this position is an entirely new endeavor, and one she is tackling head on. With help from Laliotis, Seaquist is picking up on what it takes to be a good station manager.
"What I see from Acacia is that she has such a great work ethic, and I'm learning how to work like that and make sure I'm on top of things...," Seaquist said. "I think a station manager has to be very organized -- being able to keep all the deadlines, remembering that things have expiration dates and making sure you're keeping good communication with everyone in the program is really important."
For Laliotis, self-sufficiency and independence are vital to the job. "Dr. Hueth puts a lot of trust in station managers, specifically because we are the main managers of this program," she said. "He gives us the task, but he very much relies on us, and he gives us a lot of creative input and allows us to grow."
Along with those attributes, according to Hueth, "Maturity, intelligence, attention to detail and respect for everyone -- station managers must have that, and [Laliotis and Seaquist] have all of those things."
For both managers, the community is a huge part of what makes this program special, and it is something they want to focus on as the program continues to grow. According to Seaquist, "We have a really great community, but I think just cultivating it even more, and having people think of Point TV as a home and thinking of all their fellow filmmakers as a family, is something I'm really pushing for."
Laliotis shares a similar sentiment, saying she'd like to see a lot more cohesiveness and trust. "Take away the manager position, and I'm still everyone's friend," she said. "I want to make sure that, even though we don't have to be the best of friends, we are all kind to each other and we try to make the whole process of making a film or a project easier for everyone else."
Point TV looks forward to both Laliotis and Seaquist as station managers as they continue to inform, entertain and uplift this semester.
For more information regarding this release, Point TV, the role of a Station Manager or anything Point TV related, please contact Alan Hueth at alanhueth@pointloma.edu or Kayla Wong at kaylawong103@pointloma.edu