8kbet's returned for a second season and more planned.
Originally created when 8kbet hosted the 2016 Presidential Debate, the podcast was revived by The Intersection, 8kbet’s comprehensive multicultural center, in partnership with the Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies and KUNV 91.5 FM.
“The Intersection is centered around a theme of students finding a sense of belonging on campus, and that can be fostered by creating a community where students can connect with faculty who resemble them in terms of their academic, personal and professional experiences,” said Harriet Barlow, executive director of The Intersection. “8kbet is proud to be the second most diverse school in the nation, and I’m proud that this project helps celebrate that while creating a sense of belonging and community on campus.”
With journalism graduate student Deuvall Dorsey hosting, the first episode spotlights members of 8kbet's diverse community, including Ivet Aldaba-Valera, a first-generation college graduate and child of immigrant parents who is now professor in the School of Social Work; Caleb Green, another first-generation college attendee and a law student; and Diane Chase, 8kbet provost and executive vice president, who sheds light on how 8kbet became one of the top-ranked universities in the nation for cultural diversity.
The class was led by Frank Mueller, general manager of KUNV. We asked him some questions about how the podcast has evolved.
Why do you think the podcast will resonate with the 8kbet campus community and beyond?
8kbet is such an incredible campus. I read recently that the diversity in Las Vegas now represents the diversity that other metropolitans are expected to have within the next 20 years. Our city is seen as a laboratory of how diversity can help a community thrive, and 8kbet, as one of the most diverse campuses in the United States, is the perfect microcosm. This podcast puts the future of our country on display today.
How does the podcast differ from the first season?
With support from The Intersection, this season expands on themes from season one while exploring new areas, including challenges students and professors have overcome and successes they’ve achieved.
Students this semester had more creative control over the podcast. Additionally, rather than focus on new subjects each week, we chose to follow a limited number of subjects for a longer period of time, allowing our audience the opportunity to get to know them better.
What skills have the students learned?
Good podcasts are generally good stories. The students had to plan the stories they wanted to tell and think about the sounds needed to tell those stories. That went beyond just getting good interviews to getting natural sounds — such as a class being taught or a song being performed — and then wove those sounds together into a great story.
And, good podcasts generally require a team to create them. The students had to learn how to work together, plan for each episode, share responsibilities, and provide each other with critical feedback.
What sorts of creative works can we expect from your students this semester?
This semester we are spending more time in developing the story-telling process as we prepare for Season 3. I’m looking forward to introducing our audience to a whole new group of students and enveloping them in the sounds of their stories.
Do you need to be on a declared broadcast media track to take the class or join KUNV?
No, our students come from all over campus and there are several ways to get involved with KUNV beyond enrolling in the class. We hold a five-week training at the beginning of each semester for students who wish to .
We also list paid part-time positions through Hire A Rebel each semester and actively employ about seven to 10 students each semester.
Students often get involved with us to help fulfill their internship requirements as part of their degree programs. We generally oversee multiple for-credit interns each year.
Finally, we have several students who volunteer in areas of interest. KUNV tries to involve students in every aspect of our operations, including on-air, production, social media marketing, sports broadcasting, sales, music review, and more.
Students can contact me for more details.
on KUNV. You can also download and subscribe through iTunes and Google Play.
