Several Ohio State students have been recording podcasts for the university’s Web page since this summer.
The podcasts range from topics including the Student Housing Legal Clinic and dormitories as well as events like the Homecoming Parade and the Thanksgiving dinner at the Recreational and Physical Activity Center.
The average podcast runs anywhere from two to four minutes, but the length has “depended on how long we think we can keep the listener entertained, without them losing interest,” said Adam Carro, a junior in film studies who has been working on the podcasts since this summer.
Carro says the podcasts are important because of how practical they are for OSU students.
“We usually try to find stories that will really grab the listeners attention, and to encourage them to attend the event. Our podcasts really aim to let people know how to get involved, who to contact and why it is important that they do,” Carro said.
Belinda Tran, a junior in art and technology who has worked on the podcasts with Carro since the summer, said the podcasts are a new wave of media that students can appreciate for many reasons.
“Podcasts are unique due to the characteristics of the medium. Podcasts use sound, and in the case of ours, visuals from the slideshow to get their content across. Unlike printed media, the biggest selling point of the podcasts is their personability and character because you can hear the interviewee and see the related photos,” Tran said.
Tran likes the space for creativity in making the podcasts, as well as the convenience it provides for students who have are too busy to watch a video or read an article.
“I enjoy making the podcasts because it allows creative freedom in constructing the final piece. You can set the mood of the podcast by the way you organize the sound bytes and the choices you make in any other audio you include. Not only that but with podcasts being mostly audio, it allows listeners to do multitask and do other things on the computer or at their desk while the podcast is being played, so its convenient,” Tran said.
The podcasts are available online at osu.edu/buckeyeloop and can also be found under the “events” section of OSU’s site.
Josh Zurn can be reached at [email protected].
