East Tennessee State University’s Sherrod Library will host a podcasting workshop on Feb. 25, celebrating author John Green as part of the university’s common read program.
The workshop, set for 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Innovation Commons, will draw from Green’s book, “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” which shares its name with his popular podcast.
Aaron Castle, assistant professor at Sherrod Library, said organizers saw the campus read as an opportunity to connect students with media resources already available on campus.
“We knew that the author was coming to campus, and he was also the common read for ETSU, and we thought that’d be a good time for Innovation Commons to reach out to the ETSU community and get them aware of some of the stuff we have here,” Castle said. “The reason we chose podcasting, of course, was because John Green and his brother run the podcast and they’re very popular, and we just thought it would be a perfect fit.”
Castle said the workshop also reflects the storytelling traditions of Appalachia while embracing modern media platforms.
“Storytelling is a big thing here in Appalachia,” he said. “But it’s very much the way media is consumed now. Most people are going to YouTube or a quick online search, and that’s where they get their storytelling.”
The session will introduce students to recording and editing audio using Audacity, a free program compatible with multiple operating systems. Media and communication student Callum Harris, who has helped lead previous workshops, said participants will learn the fundamentals.
“We’re going to go into some of the basics of how to set up a recording in Audacity and then edit for pacing and some basic effects like compression and normalization,” Harris said. “Then, adding bumper music or sound effects if needed, and how to export. That’s really the goal — to try to get them set up to do a basic podcast.”
Harris said the workshop is open to all majors.
“It’s very accessible,” he said. “It’s not just limited to one major or a department, which is just amazing.”
Castle said accessibility is central to Innovation Commons’ mission. While whisper rooms and recording booths exist in various departments across campus, access can be limited to specific programs. At Sherrod Library, he said, the space is introduced to students during tours and made available to the broader campus community.
“We take technologies that kind of already exist on campus and look at how we can bring that for everybody to use,” Castle said.
The Whisper Room recording booth, microphones and digital media computers are available for podcasting, voiceover work, music recording, job interview practice and speech preparation. Castle said the coaching-style workshop will allow students to learn by doing.
“You tell them which buttons to press so they’re actually getting their hands on it,” he said. “Learning these basic editing skills will help you remove pauses and set the tone a little bit better. It needs to feel human.”
Harris, a radio, television and film major, said storytelling remains at the heart of the session.
“If you don’t have a story or something to keep your listeners hooked, then they won’t listen,” he said. “That’s really what we want to try to teach in this workshop — how to at least start it off.”
Castle said he hopes participants leave with a stronger sense of community and awareness of campus resources.
“Anytime there’s a campus read, we want to engage across campus,” he said. “I hope they come away knowing Innovation Commons is here to help and maybe, if they’ve ever had the interest in making a podcast, this will push them in that direction.”
The workshop is limited to a small number of participants and typically fills quickly. Students can register through Sherrod Library’s events calendar on the library website.
