As podcasts grow increasingly popular, several Furman students have started their own. Each podcast’s area of coverage varies, but the most notable topics are sports, politics and campus activities.
The Paladin sat down with a few podcast hosts on campus to learn more about their platforms.
Senior politics and international affairs majors Jamal Halley and Kevin Sanders run a podcast called Regrettably Moderate, which covers current issues in national politics. Sanders and Halley provide what they believe to be “moderate opinions in today’s polarized political climate.”
Admitting that they have no “particular” credentials, Halley and Sanders said that “the beauty is that we can offer our opinions which will be received on their own merits.” Regrettably Moderate aims for a politically diverse audience that will offer insight on hot topics and encourages dialogue between both sides of the political aisle.
Politics professor Dr. Brent Nelsen co-hosts ZoomUni with Senior Evan Myers. ZoomUni focuses on campus issues at Furman and other colleges across the country. Topics from COVID-19 to social unrest and student attitudes towards the upcoming 2020 elections are all featured on the podcast.
ZoomUni speaks to the Furman community and intends to provide insight about the inner workings of campus administration and athletic organizations. For example, ZoomUni did multiple episodes on how COVID-19 affected sports teams and how they adapted their practices and future competitions to salvage a season. Additionally, Dr. Nelsen sat down with a Bob Jones University (BJU) administrator to discuss how BJU has handled in-person instruction this semester amidst COVID-19. The episode covered the strategies and struggles of higher education under new COVID-19 constraints concerning the health and safety of campus.
In addition to administrators, ZoomUni has featured guests from black student organizations on campus, as well as a guest from Howard University, to discuss the experience of black students at predominantly white institutions like Furman in contrast to the experience of black students at historically black colleges and universities like Howard.
Despite several new shows, podcasting at Furman is not entirely new. Programs such as Furman Sports Weekly have been around for a few years. Student podcasts, however, have proven themselves to be increasingly popular.
ZoomUni’s Dr. Nelsen mentioned that the biggest benefits of podcasts are also its biggest challenges. Given that podcasts are easier than other forms of media such as blogs or newspapers, anyone can host one. Therefore, according to Dr. Nelsen, one must manage their podcast so that it is neither too casual, easily becoming background noise, nor too dense, making it difficult to follow.
