Lee launches new podcast studio for students
All photos by Taylor Baker.
The Communication Arts Department has added a new studio after several students voiced their desire to learn about producing podcasts.
The studio is intended to benefit Student Media, such as the Lee Clarion and Vindagua, but it also provides opportunities for students on campus to become familiar with this popular medium.
Professor of Communication Dr. Megan Moe teaches a new podcasting class that trains students to use the equipment as they navigate the narrative nonfiction genre. The studio allows students to create and publish their own content.
“Students who create their own content in the studio after they have been trained can publish it as their own content, so it will not be through Lee at that point,” Moe said.
Moe said that the addition of the podcasting studio will allow for students to distinguish their portfolios from those of other students.
“This is an excellent thing for a portfolio,” Moe said. “This could really set you apart from other candidates as it isn’t something that is in your typical college graduate’s portfolio.”
Moe said that the magic of the podcasting studio lies behind the scenes—specifically, in the walls and ceiling.
“A podcast studio is not flashy,” Moe said. “It is very well insulated, but most of what makes it amazing is behind wraps. It’s in the ceiling, in the walls... you can’t see what makes it really amazing.”
Lee Mercer, communication arts equipment specialist, worked to ensure that the room was up to industry standard.
Mercer said that he tuned the room with acoustic panels and reflective surfaces to create an environment that allows for clear and consistent speech.
Junior cinema major Bryce Castille is currently enrolled in the podcasting class and plans to use the studio for a podcast with a fellow student.
“The class has been a good opportunity to learn about the medium as a whole,” Castille said, “which benefits students to understand the width of the practice.”
For any questions regarding the podcast studio or the class designed for it, visit Dr. Moe in the Communication Arts Building or email her at mmoe@leeuniversity.edu.
