Podcasts by High School Journalists: Eagle Exchange
What is your name?
Matthew O’Stricker
Where can your podcast be found?
https://soundcloud.com/eagleexchange
Please describe your podcast and why you thought it would be a good topic to have a podcast on.
Eagle Exchange is Woodward Academy’s podcast which is based around high school students having dialogues on pertinent issues or topics we find interesting. We also aim to highlight individuals via interviews in the Lower School and Middle School in addition to in the High School. The aim of Eagle Exchange is to provide a voice for everyone in the community so they have a chance to share their unique story.
At Woodward, there exists a wide range of diversity, not only through race with 56 percent of the school being people of color — 29 percent of that being African-Americans — but also by religion, thought, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and geography. Having a platform where we can capture the unique stories from each of these individuals makes Eagle Exchange a necessity in this environment.
For example, through our partnership with the Middle School, I was able to interview a Jack Doanne, a 7th grader who was named a kid reporter by Times For Kids Magazine, about how he landed this position, his rising interest in journalism, and even what he sees as his dream story to capture. Another instance includes when we had the chance to interview the founder of the Flat Rock Archives, which serves as a place that preserves tangible artifacts that relate to African-American history in the rural South, Johnny Waits about what made him get involved with the archives, what do they collect down at the Archives, and overall get to know the man leading the operation. Both instances provide an in-depth look into the narration of unique and interesting stories both in and outside of our school community.
How has the podcast changed since the first show? What are some things you’ve learned and done to make it better?
Since the first show, we have learned how to better articulate certain points when speaking, how to speak on a microphone, what clothes or accessories you should not wear when recording, as well as understanding how to better conduct interviews.
What tools do you use to record, edit and publish your podcast?
We record on Logic Pro X and Audacity and use SoundCloud to publish the episodes, but we are planning on moving to a different service soon i.e. Spotify.
Mics: Neewer NW-800 Pro Cardioid Studio Condenser Microphone Audio
Interface: PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 2×2 USB Audio Interface
What advice do you have for others looking to make a podcast?
If you’re passionate about making it happen, go for it! Podcasts are a hot commodity nowadays, and you have a chance to get your name out there. I would advise that you have an adult to watch over the podcast to make sure you are publishing content that represents you well.
