I’d like to introduce you to Madeline and Laura. They are both 4th year Carleton journalism students, Laura with a minor in Art History, Madeline in Film.
They co-host a program on CKCU called “The Emotional Rescue Show” on Mondays from 11-noon. Through themed musical selections, personal experiences, news stories, research and the occasional interview, they explore the psychology of a different emotion each episode.
Madeline: “It started with a little idea I had about a year ago for a show. I asked Laur to join me, and we started our journey, attending training in the summer of 2018. We were just buzzing with excitement! We both have very busy schedules, working on-campus and in J-school full-time, so we finally found a slot that works for us this year. Now our radio star dreams are a reality!”
Madeline credits a friend back in her hometown of Calgary (at CJSW!) for helping her catch the community radio bug. When she decided to test the waters here, she was pleased to find such a supportive and welcoming community here.
Laura: “I know a few friends that volunteered for CKCU and it seemed like such a cool opportunity to write, develop and program your own radio show without having any professional experience and just get to have a fun place to learn and not have too much pressure to be perfect.”
Both Laura and Madeline appreciate the encouragement they’ve received and connections they have made with fellow hosts like Erik Stolpmann, Candace Nelson and Dick Altavista who Laura actually shadowed on “Both Kinds Of Music” for her initial On Air training session. A testament to the true community spirit that is at Radio Carleton.
They both credit CKCU with helping them improve public speaking not stressing the small stuff so much.
Laura: “I think the biggest thing it helped me with is the fear of messing something up on air, because once it happens – and it inevitably will – you get over it, and it really is absolutely fine. Becoming comfortable with making mistakes in such a safe environment like CKCU has helped me become a better host and be able to sound more engaging and confident on air.”
Madeline: “CKCU has helped me with a sense that I can do anything I put my mind to. I think that a lot of people are terrified to make the first step towards their creative pursuits. It requires a lot of audacity to declare publicly that you have something to say. Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all felt free and comfortable to explore our little creative inklings without feeling like we have to do it perfectly the first time? That’s the kind of environment CKCU has created for me.”
To them, CKCU is a place for the things that don’t usually get broadcast. It represents a multitude of different communities and identities that can’t be silenced. Creating a radio show and expanding your knowledge and experience is such a useful thing to have on a resume, but even more useful when it’s something you can genuinely have fun with at the same time….. We’ve definitely enjoyed what they have presented so far, and are looking forward to more! ….check it out here: https://cod.ckcufm.com/ programs/540/info.html
PHOTOS BY: Ashton Schofield