Elysian Valley Finds Its Voice

Teresa Herrera and Maritza Mesa

Three years ago, community members in Elysian Valley approached my office with an unusual but inspired idea. Elysian Valley United (EVU) wanted to buy a radio recording and production booth to keep at the community center, one that could be used by community members to create and broadcast their own shows, that would provide high school students with hands on media experience, and that would give the smallest certified neighborhood in the city a voice that can be heard the world over.

That vision has become a reality. I was joined at the EVU Community Services Center by community members, the center's directors, and local youth to launch KEVU. The radio station will provide a unique opportunity for kids in the community to learn first-hand how to record and produce their own radio shows. Not only will it give these students a safe and productive after-school activity, but for some it will provide tools that they will someday be able to turn into a career. The broadcast booth includes a recording studio and a producing unit, and many students in the area have already begun to broadcast their own shows. I was interviewed on "The Big Show," hosted by Marshall High School students Maritza Mesa and Teresa Herrera. You can find the link to the KEVU Radio Station here; look for my interview to be broadcast soon!