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WA SEN Virtual Constitutional Day Event: Shaping the Future Through Civic Engagement

91.3 KBCS WA SEN Virtual Constitutional Day Event Recap

On September 17, 2024, the WA Student Engagement Network (WA-SEN) hosted its annual Virtual Constitutional Day Event. This event brought together students across Washington to highlight the importance of civic participation and share their experiences. Hosted by Kayla Hoy, a 2023 PSU graduate, and co-hosted by Monica Yu, WA-SEN King Region Coordinator, the event inspired attendees to become more engaged in their communities.

Meet Monica Yu: Student Leader & Cultural Advocate

Monyu Yu, shown in the attached image, is a Bellevue College student and regional coordinator for WA-SEN (Washington Student Engagement Network). With a background in International Business Management, she brings a blend of cultural awareness and a passion for creative expression. The image captures her standing outside in a formal environment, wearing a plaid top underneath a blazer. Her hair is long, and her facial expression is serene and confident, reflecting her academic achievements and active involvement in various student organizations at Bellevue College, including the Associated Student Government and Makerspace Club.

Monica Yu is a second-year transfer student at Bellevue College, where she is pursuing a business transfer degree. She completed her first degree in International Business Management from FIT NYC’s South Korea campus. During the event, Monica encouraged students to recognize their own “civic superpowers,” emphasizing that everyone can make a difference. She also reminded participants to ensure their voter registration is up to date.

Active on her campus, Monica is involved with the Associated Student Government, the Japanese Exchange Club, and Makerspace. Her passion for fostering international connections and advocating for cultural awareness made her a standout speaker at the event. Monyu’s commitment to creative expression and community involvement is an example of how students can use their skills to contribute meaningfully to society.

 

Richie Martinez: Building Strong Communities

In the image, Richie Martinez is outdoors with a lighthouse in the background on a clear, partly cloudy day. He is smiling, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a white shirt with a blue-collared zipper jacket layered over it. His head is shaved, and he has a well-kept goatee. The lighthouse, standing tall to his right, suggests a coastal location with the sea visible behind him. The atmosphere is calm and scenic, with a sense of nature and open space.

Richie Martinez, WA-SEN Columbia Region Coordinator, shared his insights on building strong communities through civic engagement. As a senior studying Cyber Security at Columbia Basin College, Richie highlighted the significance of post-secondary credentials to meet the growing demand for 740,000 jobs. He stressed the importance of sharing personal stories with legislators, particularly those from students of color, to advocate for policies that impact them directly.

Richie’s involvement with WA-SEN began in 2022 as a student liaison. Now, as a regional coordinator, he continues to inspire students to participate in civic activities. He encouraged attendees to apply for WA-SEN internships, which provide stipends without affecting financial aid, making it easier for students to gain experience and influence public policy.

Deputy Secretary of State Randy Bolerjack: Your Story Matters

Randy Bolerjack, Washington’s Deputy Secretary of State, closed the event by urging students to stay involved in policy discussions. He reinforced the idea that voting is just one aspect of the democratic process. Randy emphasized that sharing personal stories with policymakers can have a lasting impact on legislation. His message was clear: “Learn, listen, and let your voice shape the future.”

Randy also highlighted the value of public administration as a career path for those interested in policy-making. He encouraged students to explore opportunities to engage with local and state government to drive change.

Support Your Community Radio

The WA-SEN event showed that student voices matter. Opportunities to participate are still available through internships and grants. Civic engagement builds stronger communities, and your story has the power to make a difference. Also, 91.3 KBCS and WA SEN have one major goal in common, informing the community of its civic powers!

At KBCS, we believe that student voices are essential for shaping the future of civic engagement and public policy. WA-SEN’s Virtual Constitutional Day was a powerful reminder that every story can create change. To continue supporting important programs like this, we need your help. By donating to 91.3 KBCS, you enable us to keep producing meaningful content that empowers the next generation of leaders. Your contribution matters.

The image shows a red keyboard key labeled “Donate” with a heart symbol next to it. A finger is poised to press the key. This image serves as a button; clicking it will take you to the KBCS Donate page at https://www.kbcs.fm/donate/.

Vashon Green School

Here’s a highlight of Vashon Green School, a K-5 school, founded by educator, activist, photojournalist and farmer, Dana Schuerholz on Vashon Island’s seedbees farm.  

Producer: Yuko Kodama

Photos: Yuko Kodama

 

KBCS Spring News

KBCS Spring News: Welcome to a Season of Renewal and Rebirth!

Dear KBCS Listeners and Supporters,

As the days grow longer and nature comes alive with vibrant colors, we welcome the arrival of spring with open arms. This is a time of renewal, growth, and endless possibilities. I hope this newsletter finds you all in good spirits and ready to embrace the wonders of this season of regrowth and new beginnings.

Here is what’s blooming at KBCS:

  1. Exciting New Programming:

Spring brings with it fresh beginnings, and we are thrilled to introduce a new series of educational and cultural program offerings on KBCS that were chosen to inform, educate, and offer a more structured forum for a more balanced debate of the prominent issues and topics of the day. On Monday, tune in for Philosophy Talk, a program that challenges listeners to identify and question their assumptions, and to think about things in new ways. On Tuesday, you can listen to the largest and oldest public affairs forum in America, the Commonwealth Club of California, where for over 90 years distinguished speakers have shared their experiences and ideas in a nonpartisan forum that strives to bring a more balanced viewpoint on the issues and a serious commitment to “stick to the facts.” Wednesday at noon, features the City Arts & Lectures series with leading figures in the world of arts and ideas in literature, criticism, science, and the performing arts. On Thursday, KBCS presents Open to Debate, a new program that seeks to restore balance to the public square through expert moderation, good-faith arguments, and reasoned analysis on topics of science, technology, politics, culture, and global affairs. Finally, we will round out the week with a cultural program offering that features one of our region’s favorite sons, Rick Steves, who is also one of public broadcasting’s favorite personalities with his weekly radio series Travel with Rick Steves, a program that features great conversations with special guests and travel experts. Check it out, each weekday at noon on KBCS.

  1. KBCS News Director, Yuko Kodama, has announced that she is leaving KBCS:

Our popular News Director, Yuko Kodama, has announced her resignation after serving for the past 7 years as the KBCS News Director. Yuko is an amazing journalist, a highly respected collaborator, and a compassionate human being. Her large body of work with its focus on stories of social justice will never be forgotten. I know that we will all miss her and offer Yuko our best wishes for wherever life’s journey takes her next. KBCS will now begin the search for our next News Director which will be conducted through the Bellevue College Department of Human Resources. A search team will be established shortly to begin the formal hiring process.

 

  1. KBCS Annual Spring Fundraiser kicks off on Friday, March 15.

Our KBCS Membership/ Development Manager, Ben Brandow, has set the date for our annual Spring Fundraising campaign. The on-air portion of the campaign will begin on Friday, March 15th, and run through Monday, March 25th. Join us for a celebration of our over fifty-year tradition of community radio programming across the Puget Sound region. KBCS is a “self-support” educational nonprofit radio station that depends on the financial contributions and generosity of our listeners and supporters for over 80% of yearly operating funds.

  1. World News Radio KBCS HD2 now streaming live online:

Some of you will be surprised to learn that there is more to KBCS than just our longtime flagship KBCS-FM-HD1 Community Radio format. KBCS also broadcasts and streams our World News Radio KBCS-HD2 News and Fine Arts radio programming around the clock. The base programming of World News Radio KBCS is a live satellite feed from London of the BBC World Service. The BBC World Service is one of the most respected and trusted news outlets in the world. This broadcast stream also features a variety of independent specialty news programs during the day. During the weekday evenings, sit back, relax, and enjoy beautiful symphonic concerts and chamber music from the world’s leading symphony and chamber music orchestras. On Sunday evenings you can listen to thought-provoking and highly imaginative radio dramas from the award-winning LA Theater Works. This program features contemporary actors from both stage and screen sharing their talents and creativity by performing in a “theater of the mind.” Our World News Radio KBCS HD2 programming can be heard over the air through our HD radio digital broadcast transmission, and now streaming online at www.worldnewsradiokbcs.com

  1. Stay Connected: Do not miss any of our popular live in-station interviews with musicians, during Iaan Hughes, Roots, Rock, and Soul show now heard each weekday from 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. on KBCS-FM-HD1. Also join us during the evenings, overnight, and all through the weekend for an eclectic and diverse mix of amazing music programs produced and hosted by local community volunteers and students. Be sure to follow us on social media, subscribe to our KBCS newsletter, and visit our website regularly at kbcs.fm for the inside scoop on all things new this spring and much, much more.

As we embrace the new spring season’s spirit of renewal and growth, all of us here at KBCS are grateful for your continued moral and financial support as we embark on the next 50 years of great radio programming here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Thank you for your time,

Dana Lee Buckingham, KBCS General Manager and Executive Producer of World News Radio KBCS-HD

BC Camila

Spring Blossom

Sankofa Impact – Autherine Lucy

 

In 1956, Autherine Lucy, a Black student was expelled from University of Alabama within the first three days of starting a master’s program in Education.  Lucy had enrolled at the school just after the Supreme Court case, Brown vs Board of Education deemed segregation of public schools illegal. It wasn’t until 1988 that Lucy’s expulsion was annulled and she re-enrolled in the same program.  She graduated in 1992.

KBCS’s Ruthie Bly brings you this story about Autherine Lucy’s commitment to pursue her master’s degree.  This story is produced in partnership with Sankofa Impact. Sankofa Impact is a non-profit organization which hosts events and trips to engage community in informative and transformational discussion around the Black freedom struggle.

 
Producer: Ruthie Bly  Special Thanks to Valentina Cooper for help with editing this story.
Photo: Gene Herrick -AP News
 
 

Taking the Racism Out of Teaching English Writing

 

KBCS highlights a progressive approach to teaching college writing classes. A method of teaching college level writing titled Anti-racist Writing Assessment Ecology was adopted by 62 faculty at 30 out of the 34 Washington community college and technical colleges (at the time we were working on this story).  The methodology is meant to address and minimize what some educators are considering a culturally colonized education environment.

Dr. Asao Inoue is a Professor of Rhetoric and Composition in the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts at Arizona State University. He developed the Anti-racist Writing Assessment Ecology and wrote the book, Writing Assessment, Social Justice, and The Advancement of Opportunity. Dr. Inoue talked about the approach and what inspired him to create it.

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Black Families Navigating the School System

Emijah Smith assists Black families in the region navigating the school systems.  Smith shares her own experiences in advocating for her loved ones and what led her on this path. (more…)