East Lansing High School’s chapter of the Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) is launching a podcast run by its members.
The group brings together high schoolers of different backgrounds to work towards increasing opportunities for students of color.
WKAR's Saliby spoke with MSAN members sophomore Charli Collison and freshman Rania Dijagah about the new podcast called "The Humanization Station."
Interview Highlights
On why the group decided to start a podcast
We really wanted to push down the bridge between students and like staff and teachers and really make it a more human experience where everyone's just interacting with each other. And you know, we thought what else is better than just sitting down and talking with them, like face-to-face with a mic and recording it and sending it out?Rania Dijagah
On what the group hopes to accomplish
Our goal is to reach everybody, because obviously, the most interaction in school is between teachers and students. But of course, we're going to have interactions with our counselors, our principals, our student advocates, our coaches. And we want everybody to hear these and hear everybody's perspective, and just essentially, humanize each other, and make people realize that we've gone through things in our lives that you may have not realized, and just to be empathetic of everyone.Charli Collison
On ways to support students of marginalized backgrounds
I think standing up for people is like a big thing because I feel like I personally see a lot of people just like getting discriminated against in school because of their identity and not getting the same help that other people do.
And I think that it's not addressed enough and when people are made fun of or not given the same opportunities, nobody really stands up for them, and they do need that support and help.Charli Collison
Interview Transcript
Sophia Saliby: East Lansing High School’s chapter of the Multicultural Student Achievement Network or MSAN is launching a podcast run by its members.
The group brings together high schoolers of different backgrounds to work towards increasing opportunities for students of color. The new podcast called the Humanization Station is a part of that mission.
I spoke with MSAN members sophomore Charli Collison and freshman Rania Dijagah between classes. I started by asking Charli about the kind of work they do with the group.
Collison: MSAN has changed like a little bit since we've started because of COVID. But last year, we did online calls with MSAN members from across the country. And this year, we went to East Lansing MSAN members, went to our first MSAN conference in Madison, Wisconsin.
We work on action plans each year, a different action plan each year. Last year, we worked on microaggressions, and this year, we're working on a podcast.
Saliby: Rania, can you talk about why the podcast was the right choice for a project this year?
Dijagah: So to be honest, there was like a lot of options that we could have chose instead of a podcast. But our main idea and kind of solution for the whole thing, we really wanted to push down the bridge between students and like staff and teachers and really make it a more human experience where everyone's just interacting with each other. And you know, we thought what else is better than just sitting down and talking with them, like face-to-face with a mic and recording it and sending it out?
Saliby: And then I'll go back to you, Charli, it sounds like humans, humanization talking to students, is that where the name came from? Or what was the discussion among your group members about that?
Collison: One of our other members brought up the idea because we were talking about humanizing teachers and how it felt like there was just, as Rania said, a bridge between us, where we didn't realize that we had outside lives, like outside of the school day.
And we were talking about humanization. And one of our members just like, came up with the amazing idea to call it "The Humanization Station," and we all just agreed that it was a great name.
Saliby: I think you guys have put out your first episode, so who did you talk to and what was the main point of the conversation?
Dijagah: Our subject of that first episode was race. We talked to students and teachers of different racial backgrounds and ethnic backgrounds, and the whole thing was just trying to see different people's perspective on the topic and just like, letting it all out, you know?
Saliby: What are the plans for upcoming episodes?
Collison: I believe that we have five episodes. There's an episode on gender, body image, sexuality. I'm sure there's more topics that I can't remember.
Dijagah: We also thought about talking about like socioeconomic class and disability and ability.
Saliby: Do either one of you want to speak to the goals of the podcast? Is it for students? Is it for the bigger community? Is it for just your group? I guess, what is the goal?
Collison: So, our goal is to reach everybody, because obviously, the most interaction in school is between teachers and students. But of course, we're going to have interactions with our counselors, our principals, our student advocates, our coaches. And we want everybody to hear these and hear everybody's perspective, and just essentially, humanize each other, and make people realize that we've gone through things in our lives that you may have not realized, and just to be empathetic of everyone.
Saliby: What do you think is the best way for school official maybe not just in East Lansing at the high school, but anywhere to improve success for students of color? I know that's a big question, but does anything come to mind?
Dijagah: I would honestly just say look broader. Look out there, if you see maybe a student of a certain identity, or like multiple students have the same identity like struggling in school, maybe just ask yourself is that because of their identity and try to work things out and just, I don't know, take that into place.
Collison: I think standing up for people is like a big thing because I feel like I personally see a lot of people just like getting discriminated against in school because of their identity and not getting the same help that other people do.
And I think that it's not addressed enough and when people are made fun of or not given the same opportunities, nobody really stands up for them, and they do need that support and help.
Saliby: That was Charli Collison and Rania Dijagah. They’re part of an East Lansing High School group producing the podcast Humanization Station.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.
