Michigan Voices

Content warning: we will be discussing mental health, specifically ADHD.

Two individuals with ADHD, Olivia and Kaylin, engage in a candid and illuminating conversation about their experiences with the condition. They discuss the challenges faced in various aspects of life, shedding light on the daily struggles and triumphs that come with ADHD. Throughout the episode, they share coping mechanisms and strategies that have proven effective for them, offering practical insights for listeners dealing with similar issues. This episode fosters a sense of connection and understanding, aiming to break down stigmas surrounding ADHD while providing a platform for open dialogue and shared experiences. Producer: Kaylin Eighmey

The students of Writing/Digital 200, The Art of Podcasting Fall 2023, have been working hard all semester long to create the 5th season of Michigan Voices. This season, our sixteen episodes explore LSA’s theme of Art and Resistance and how it shows up in our day-to-day life, from here in Ann Arbor to across the globe. Resistance through art is found in all aspects of daily life, with no form too small. Together, we compose one collaborative voice to address the impact Art and Resistance has at the University of Michigan and beyond. Episode topics address how resistance is found in music, literature, sketches, and even what it means to “be”. We hope you take a minute to listen, to hear our stories of resistance through art! 

Producer: Thomas Welch

Composer: Chris Fetterly

Narration: Sari Rosenberg

Trailer Crew: Chris Fetterly, Kristine McLaughlin, Amanda Nguyen and Thomas Welch

Join Thomas and three friends and colleagues—Tsumari, Brendan, and Lydia—to explore how the experience of Musical Theater and Dance and art in all its diverse expressions can become both an escape and a means of reclaiming one's narrative. From the process of writing poetry and music, to the rhythmic movements of dance, art serves as a sanctuary for navigating life. Producer: Thomas Welch

Join Jewish student Sari and Arab student Adullah to discuss the history of Israel and Palestine, with topics ranging from what to call the 1948 war, misinformation circulating on college campuses, the hostage crisis, and more. By watching these students navigate difficult conversations together and against each other, you will not only learn about different narratives in the Middle East, you will observe peacemaking in real life! Producers: Abdullah Alhaiqi and Sari Rosenberg

In a world of social media, fashion trends are changing faster than ever. Keeping up with the current trends often leads to unsustainable practices by both the industry and the consumer. However, there's a growing movement of individuals reshaping the narrative. This episode unravels the threads of sustainability and ethical fashion by exploring how fast fashion rose to fame, taking a look into the current issues regarding sustainability and fashion, and hearing how consumer Bella Pignatello uses her purchasing power to resist fast fashion and practice ethical consumerism. Producer: Ella Russell

How do you listen to music? This episode explores different ways to engage with music, and how that’s changed over time, with the rise of digital media and the rise of streaming services and away from album-listening. It includes insights from college students about their listening habits, playlists, and, of course, their spotify wrapped data. The episode explores the value of diving deep into certain artists versus having a wide, but shallow range of music, and will get you thinking about your own relationship with music.  Producer: Ita Newman-Getzler

Join Taylor as she goes back into her youth and reads her diary! This episode will talk about the importance of self-reflection and how resistance can be seen in little ways (such as journaling) - and more specifically, how people can do acts of resistance in their everyday lives without even realizing it. Producer: Taylor Pulver

This popular country music festival at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn has dubbed itself “the party of the summer”. This episode unravels events of the festival and discusses the culture and experiences of those who have attended. Producer: Rocky Morabito

Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault and abuse.

A conversation with Izzy Brourman, an artist, Michigan alum, and survivor of sexual assault. We spoke about her current work as the court sketch artist for high-profile trials, including the Depp v. Heard trial in May 2022 and the ongoing People of New York v. Donald Trump, as well as her journey as an artist, her experience coming forward against a U-M professor, and her creative process in the courtroom. Producer: Irena Li

SHOW NOTES

Thank you for listening.

Timestamp mentioned in episode: 20:27

National sexual assault hotline: 1-800-656-4673

Follow Izzy @loveizzystudio on Instagram and Twitter.

Recommended Reading:

https://lamag.com/news/johnny-depp-amber-heard-sketch-artist-isabelle-brourman-exhibit

https://hyperallergic.com/813686/the-people-of-new-york-v-donald-trump/

https://www.culturedmag.com/article/2023/11/28/courtroom-sketch-isabelle-brourman-young-artists

Throughout Taylor Swift’s career, the media has constantly painted her as a villain as an attempt to discount her success. This includes criticizing whether she writes her own songs, analyzing the men she dates, complaining that she writes too many songs about her relationships, and many other aspects of her life. However, she has continued to evolve both as a musician and a woman, taking the time to find her own sense of self not built upon the validation of her fans and the media. The voices behind this episode are long-time fans of Taylor Swift and reflect on how her music has influenced their own lives and journeys of self-growth. Producers: Keely Ryan, Meredith Clemens, and Sabrina Shah

CONTENT WARNING: Sensitive material related to addiction and mental health.

A chronicle of the funk/punk/pop rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, their extensive history with drug addiction, and how it impacted their music over a 12-year, 5-album stretch in the late 20th century. Producer: Brendan Boyd

COINCIDING SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3TJE8EY13oKSsuvIzynSyU?si=b98497be814a4bac

A behind the scenes sample of the process of preparing the Marching Band’s “What A Wonderful World” show that focused on environmentalist themes. Find out how this performance spreads awareness, what it means to us band kids, and more. Producer: Chris Fetterly

In this episode, Jordana and Emiline dive into an eclectic range of University of Michigan student’s study abroad experiences! Each interviewee has a unique story to share and lessons they've learned as they paint us pictures illustrating how arts and resistance and cultural immersion manifested in their foreign experiences. From Vienna, Austria to Grenada, Spain to Amman, Jordan, to Paris, France, we will explore and reflect upon each respective student’s invaluable experiences and learn about the nuances of our world! Producers: Emiline Fahmy and Jordana Levine

Between the stressors of our busy lives and our culture’s fixation on productivity, it’s easy to forget that we’re all just tiny people trying to be happy in a big world. Every one of us has small moments that remind us of life’s beauty, but there’s an art to turning that into a lasting mindset that prioritizes your peace and embraces life’s little joys. Producer: Kristine McLaughlin

We invite you into a season of mysteries, myths and legends all connected to University of Michigan Ann Arbor in the fall semester of 2022.

In this episode of Michigan Voices, we explore the tunnels under the Diag through fabricated scary stories! Get ready to get scared. Producers: Riley Crimmins and Ren Strawn

Transcript Link

In Season 3 of Michigan Voices, we go back to campus. After a year and a half of Zoom classes, quarantine hobbies, and staying inside, we are now re-engaging with our peers and university environment. From Digital to the Diag is a series of episodes that tell stories from the Michigan community. From social movements to sports, we tackle these central questions in our season: Who are we now? Where do we go from here? And what do we hope for in the future?

Producer: Cherish Dean

Designer for season icon: Alexis Felcher

How Students are Doing Back In Person //  How are Michigan students doing after the intense years we have experienced since Covid changed campus? During this turbulent time, we have attended classes on Zoom, in person sometimes, then back on Zoom, then hybrid, and now mostly in person again. Producer Lily talked with (several/#)  UM students to ask how everyone was doing, in accordance with their mental health, after all these transitions. College, on its own, can be an experience riddled with stress, new and daunting challenges, and unexpected twists and turns in personal lives.  Then add a global pandemic.

The pandemic was unpredictable, but has Michigan supported us enough for students to succeed?

Producer: Lily Addington

What community means at the University of Michigan

U of M students come from not only all over the country but all across the world. People have different concepts of community and when we all bring those concepts to campus, it makes for a really interesting synergy. Meeting different people from all sorts of places has been one of the aspects that we value most about U of M; in this episode, listeners will get a glimpse of student perspectives surrounding the topic of community. What is the difference between community at home and on campus? What do students expect about the campus community?

Producers: Enoch Hung, Rose Israel, and Yuki Low

You and I belong to the community of the University of Michigan, but did you ever stop to think about what this means exactly? Communities are all around us, and they have the power to transform our lives and impact of a future. And defining and understanding what communities are can help us achieve that. Guided by two U of M professors, Dr. Eric Fretz and Dr. Marcus Collins, Borja, an exchange student from Spain, explores some critical questions about communities and collects some incredible stories about the power of community, and some advice for U of M students to navigate their communities and identity along the way.

Producer: Borja Jimena

The Potato Professor makes the best out of remote learning  //  As everyone knows, the COVID-19 pandemic threw us all for an unexpected journey in which every aspect of our lives changed- that including academics. Remote learning expeditiously became the new norm, though how did this affect teachers’ ability to present information to students that enable them to retain and understand it? I sit down with infamous professor, Ryan Ball, who gained attention through his efforts in maintaining exactly that during the pandemic. We hear about who he really is beyond the classroom and what motivates him to create an enjoyable environment daily.

Producer: Keyahna Bryant

Transferring is hard enough, but during a global pandemic?  //  Like most paths in life, college journeys are rarely straight. Being a transfer student puts its own twist in the road, be it planned, unplanned, from in-state or international, so on and so forth. Add to that the personal implications of having gone through that extra effort coupled with the downsides of college in a pandemic? 

This episode seeks to explore the commonalities and differences amidst the transfer experience, to highlight any unique impacts of covid-19, and to identify, considering prior university experiences, what the “Michigan Difference,” means to us.

Producer: Cherish Dean

How first-generation students with impostor syndrome are affected by the expectation of the leaders and best.

Producers: Lizzy Haag and Jacob Kahan

What it means to be a part of a women’s Christ-centered community  //  Alexis Felcher has a conversation with her fellow Delight leaders about the campus organization's mission and how the group has brought them closer to one another and also to God.

Producer: Alexis Felcher

The intention of this episode is to uplift the voices of Palestinian Wolverines. I hope to educate the university’s campus on the history of Palestine and the occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing harming my homeland. We are not able to encompass everything related to this dense topic and the entirety of the Palestinian experience, but we hope to provide insight alongside resources to educate the campus community. //

• We start with discussing a brief overview on the start of the occupation taking place in Palestine
• We take a brief look into what advocating for Palestine has looked like on the University of Michigan Ann Arbor’s campus
• Then we provide an overview of the attacks and events that took place in Palestine in the Summer of 2021
• In conclusion, we discuss the implications and impacts that the events of Summer 2021 had on Palestinian students and their allies

Producer:  Bushra Habbas-Nimer

A deep dive into the lives of the LGBTQ+ community at the University of Michigan //  Razzaan Zia and Cherish Dean discuss what life is like for the both of them being queer at the University of Michigan. Razzaan Zia, a queer Pakistan-American, and Cherish Dean, a biracial transfer student discuss what experiences they’ve had with the community and how they’ve navigated through the queer community and queer-friendly place of Ann Arbor. They also inquire Cherish’s friends Lindsay and Rye to talk about their experiences being queer and trans at UofM.

Producer:  Razzaan Zia

● Our biggest influences ● NFTs and what they mean for artists ● The importance of Authenticity ● Does school damage the artistic mind?

There are moments in this podcast meant to disorient… let it happen! Put feeling over understanding.

Producers:  Jack Lomedico and Sara Spillman

NOTE: some strong language

Monetizing the name, image, and likeness (N.I.L) of UM athletes  //  In June of 2021, a decision was made to override the NCAA rule that prohibited college athletes from making money off their name, image, and likeness (N.I.L). Now, like professional athletes, student athletes across the country can take advantage of different revenue opportunities such as sponsorships, brand deals, autographs, and more. Sydnee Lubar talks with Andrew Fenty (tennis), Cam Peel (swimming), Walt Alexander (lacrosse), Keaton Pehrson (hockey), and Luke Wilson (basketball alumni) about their experiences as UM athletes and their thoughts on N.I.L.

Producer:  Sydnee Lubar

It’s time we ask the question: what REALLY happens in a Martial Arts gym?  //  Nowadays, it seems like some martial arts have received bad press, from fake kung fu masters to the much too common “gym warriors”. In this episode, hosts Dylan Selkin and Evan Chung talk with a jiu-jitsu practitioner, a boxer, and the president of the Umich Taekwondo club to find out the truth behind the martial arts community. Are martial arts communities really what the internet makes them out to be?

Producers: Evan Chung and Dylan Selkin

NOTE: sexist language at minute 12 

Making waves of change on the Michigan Men's rowing team  //  In this episode, Ana Sahu, who is a senior at the University of Michigan and the current vice president of the Michigan’s men’s rowing team, shares her perspective on what it means to be a leader. She explains how the team has expanded upon enacting their values of diversity, equity, and inclusionary efforts within this past year since she’s stepped into a leadership role, as well as what she hopes these actions will do to help create a fiercely competitive but positive environment for future members of the team.

Producer:  Keri Zhang

How UM students are fighting back against institutions that silence abuse  //  How do we fight for change? In the face of inaction by institutions, students are rising to occasion and protesting for justice. In this episode, I sit down with Becca Wong, senior at the University of Michigan and leader of the #MeTooYoungLife movement to discuss the incidents of sexual assault and harassment involving the UMich Young Life chapter, We explore how she and her peers are fighting against the systemic silencing of young voices by this international youth faith-based organization. In a time of Michigan’s history where lack of accountability is being exposed and pushed back on, we must define what activism truly looks like and how our student community will be the catalyst for change.

Producer:  Rhea Basarkar

The surprising impact of cats on students mental health  //  Living with cats serves to do more than entertain you with a fluffy friend; it improves your mental and physical health. Since college-student life is full of stress, would it be beneficial for the University of Michigan to allow students living on campus to have cats in their dorms? In “The Feline Factor,” we dive into research and sit down with a current student in an attempt to find an answer. 

Producer: Mitchell Rowland

The next steps in diversity, equity and inclusion  //  In such a short period of time, the world has seen so many changes that have put social justice issues in the spotlight for everybody to see. Because of the Summer of 2020, Corporate America and the rest of the country have started to take diversity initiatives more seriously. Jor-El Santos of Michigan Voices interviews Rhonda Todd, the Director of Academic Success. They dive deeper into DEI initiatives at the University of Michigan, but more specifically, they talk about a unique program called, Preparation Initiative.

Producer:  Jor-El Santos

In Season 2 of Michigan Voices we not only speak, but we learn to listen. Conversation Nation is a series of ten episodes with a social justice lens that showcase our desire to learn from each other and explore issues. We learn about each other's backgrounds and, through this, we learn so much more--be it about water, hometown Black Lives Matter protests, hair justice, economics, important coursework, housing crises, influencer culture, indigenous rights, the environment or mental health resources. Producer: Mia McCrumb

Despite being from very different hometowns, Elyssa and Maddie’s lives have crossed paths and led them to similar places at University of Michigan. In this episode, the two graduating seniors discuss the differences between their lives prior to UM and explore some difficult pressing topics. Producers: Elyssa Moody and Maddie Deutsch

Hair To Be Different dives into the topic of hair and social justice. In this episode, we sit down and talk to the president of Curl Talk Kai Dotson to learn about the student organization she runs at the University of Michigan. Kai takes us back to her experiences growing up straightening her curly hair to now loving, accepting, and promoting her natural curls. Curl Talk provides a safe space for females to discuss, learn, grow, and accept their natural hair. Producers: Sarah O'Donnell, Stella Betrus, and Owen Hall

Influencers have power in 2021. That’s a fact. They dictate what we wear, read, donate, and consume. On this episode of Michigan Voices, we explore the intricacies of micro influencing, and what it means to partner with brands. We then dive into the public relations side of influencing and hear about what’s really happening behind the scenes. Finally, we explore cancel culture and its dangerous power in social media. The episode should leave you wondering, who do I follow and why do they have influence over me? What have they done to deserve my loyalty? Producers: Maddie Deutsch, Jack Mastrianni, and Cooper Weiss