Jos served as KSPC's General Manager, Development Director, News Director, and DJ while a student at Pomona College. He was the first ever to become General Manager during his second semester here at the colleges -- a testament to the leadership, maturity and just plain moxie that he possessed. He had a significant impact on KSPC, during a time when the staff were finding a new identity amidst the commercialization of "alternative" music.

Jos came to KSPC at a relatively tumultuous time. I had just started advising KSPC that year, (and shakily so), the staff were getting bombarded with record label reps selling the latest "alternative" grunge band of the month (which they weren't buying), and as General Manager, Jos found himself in the middle of several heated discussions about why the station was still calling itself "alternative" when it was clearly a term that had outlived its usefulness to describe what the station played. It was a time when the staff decided to make a stand and support independent artists only during our underground (formerly known as alternative) shows -- which prompted the ire of many a major label record rep.

Jos leapt into the middle of this storm with a smile on his face and conviction in his heart about supporting the little guy. He was an extremely intelligent, compassionate and endearing person. He had a self-confidence and charm that is unusual in an 18 year old college student.

Soon after he was named General Manager, he took it upon himself to tour several radio stations, looking for new ideas and new people. He designed and had made his own business cards -- on my copy of his card he scrawled "Roadie" above his title, an example of the self-effacing humor he often used.

Jos amazed me and made me laugh, often. He would practice his Spanish on unsuspecting business line callers: "Hola, Ka -Ese -Pay -Say" (Hello, K-S-P-C). He encouraged me to practice my bass and play music with him. He spoke to everyone about everything, and was respectful to people from all walks of life. He was taken from the world far too soon, but he definitely lived his life to the fullest every day. I miss him a lot.

Erica has many more stories.