EDI-R opens free podcasting space for students, staff, and faculty

The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-R) has opened a space for students, staff, and faculty that allows them to try their hand at podcasting.

The space features professional podcasting equipment, including four microphones, four monitoring headsets, and a professional mixer. Anyone who booked the space will receive support from a facilitator who will explain basic audio editing, the software needed to get started, along with fun additions, such as sound effects and live playback.

Karim Wissa, director of institutional programs and outreach at EDI-R, said staff recently got upgraded equipment for the office podcast, Amplify. As he was setting up the new equipment, colleagues in the office joined him.

“Everyone was having a lot of fun hearing themselves, as you would hear a regular podcast or radio broadcast,” Wissa said. “I was realizing — there’s an empowering effect to hearing yourself podcast as though you were listening to the people you admire and value their voices. So it struck me that this would be a good opportunity to open it up to the public.”

Wissa noted his background informs the initiative. Growing up in an immigrant household, he was encouraged to pursue fields such as engineering and medicine, rather than creative media. “Things like the fine arts and visual arts and audio arts or media production have always felt enigmatic to me,” Wissa said. “So even me, as an adult, sitting down with this equipment for the first time, it’s felt illuminating in a way, it’s demystified it, and in that sense, made it empowering.

This opportunity will allow anyone in a similar position to try out a creative field. “Often, certain communities – they feel marginalized or they just feel that that’s an avenue that’s not ever available to them. So part of the empowerment is thinking about people who have never had the chance to explore this stuff.”

After launching publicly on Dec. 4, several requests for timeslots came in immediately. “There’s demand – I’m happy to see it being used,” Wissa said. “For the first few people that have come in already — a lot of them have said, ‘I want to launch a podcast.’ It’s already prompted people to think about what’s possible.”

The EDI-R office plans to track usage over the year to establish a baseline metric for future growth. They also plan to distribute postcards to visitors that provide tips on how to start a podcast.

Anyone interested can book out the space in the EDI-R offices for 30-minute timeslots on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. Those booking are welcome to bring a friend. Booking can be done online through the EDI-R website. 

The EDI-R asks that those looking to book the space do so about two weeks in advance, although later can be accommodated in some cases.