Throwing Forward (far, far forward!)

Does it ever make you nervous to think too far ahead? To think about all the things that could go wrong, the things that may succeed and the things that will need more planning? Just thinking about our community partnership and how it will end up, come June, makes me panic slightly. I’m panicking because the team of four radio students- BK, Mike, Steve and I- will dwindle to only me. I panic because the Upstarters might not know as much as I hope they will, and can we keep this group of six Upstarters interested in the project for the entire year? Panic as I may, there still is hope. That hope is in the success of this week. 

Wednesday arrived this week, as Wednesdays do and I found myself less stressed and dealing mainly with the smaller details required to kick the Upstart radio project into action. All my planning and delegating had finally paid off as BK took the reins and prepped for the workshop. She covered interviewing skills again and began looking into scripting for radio. 

The highlight of the workshop was when we grouped the Upstarters into threes and got them to interview Jeanne duToit (our fourth year radio lecturer) and Jude Mathurine (the fourth year new media lecturer). I was as nervous, if not terrified about how Jude and Jeanne would treat the ‘newbies’. Jude somewhat lived up to my expectations, making it quite difficult for Roche’, Anesipho and Ziphozihle while they tried to interview him. When I say difficult, I mean: he took FOREVER to settle down, went off course with the questions, analysed their questions a little too harshly and then gave a mini-lecture after the interview. I felt sorry for my Upstarters and wanted to get them out of there ASAP! But hey, I suppose they learnt something from that- life doesn’t have any rehearsals.  

•   Anelisa, Thobani and Sinovuyo place Jeanne duToit (fourth year lecturer) in the hotseat as they ask her questions detailing her youth.

• From left: Roche’, Anelisa, Sinovuyo, Thobani, Anesipho and Ziphozihle having a squizz through the latest edition of Upstart while waiting for the taxi home on Wednesday. 

Saturday’s show saw Roche’ and Thobani on the airwaves for the first time. Roche’ couldn’t even write his script he was so panicked! But the show went off well as our anchor Xoliswa was there this time and his interaction with the six was great! They read their re-written Upstart scripts on air and then after a break, we posed the question to them: “If you were Mayor for a day, what would you do/change?” We had answers ranging from Roche’ wanting skating parks, to Thobani wanting all Upstarters to get free Blackberries. Issues we could delve into in later shows? I’m sure we could work on it- or rather raise some interesting debate about some of these and more in-depth issues these Upstarters face. The four girls were very relaxed this time round.

• Roche's nerves getting the better of him- but a stellar performance from him in the end.

 As the Upstarters become more acquainted with the fourth year radio students, the anchors, studios, equipment and idea of the community partnership, I am getting the feeling that they are also starting to open up. With them becoming more comfortable with us and each other, the potential for interesting and solid show ideas/topics will start to flow. Currently we are driving the ‘show bicycle’, but by second term, I want to see us (Mike, Steve, BK and I) holding one handle bar and Sinovuyo, Thobani, Ziphozihle, Roche’, Anesipho and Anelisa holding the other bar. Come June, I want them to be holding the bars and breaks, while I help them steer the bike and apply brake pressure when needed. It is not a distant goal at all and that makes me panic even more! But one thing at a time- or in keeping with my bicycle analogies, one grip at a time. 

Once the Upstarters have taken over from the radio kids, I would like for the show to sound or at least contain elements of the Upstarters with a hint of the radio students. I see a jingle being produced with their voices running throughout and a few stings to identify the Upstart slot on the Yung Amplified show. I want the show to be an honest, fresh, and prepared segment that reflects these youngsters’ personalities. Last night (Saturday), my friends and I were chatting about Carlie and Sade’ from Yo-TV in our younger days. We all knew who these two presenters were as we watched the show religiously, entered all the competitions and played all the games daily. I want our Upstart show to be as interactive, and as familiar to the Grahamstown youth as that show was to me. It will take time, but it will happen! 

How will they be able to produce a show like this? I’m still working on that answer but I know that, they will at least have all the skills in place to record, edit, interview and produce content for a show of this type by June. The trying periods will be the vacation times- as they will have to run their hour slot without us there. That crash course will prepare them for what may or may not come and how to deal with it as a team. Let’s hope that experience is a good one- I’ll keep you posted in the meantime though. 

 Nadia

• The team in studio on Saturday and having some fun with ideas around "if they were mayor for the day".

• We set the Upstarters to blogging after the show about their week's experiences.

The Bonds Are Forming

All I could think about this week was the book I had read in English 2, “Things Fall Apart” by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Things were very close to falling apart this week when the problems surrounding transport were not coming close to being resolved! First we couldn’t find a driver and then finding a bus proved to be mission impossible- but surprisingly, we found both. The rain (which had to fall on our workshop day!) threatened attendance of the Upstarters and this made me and the team quite nervous. But as the clock struck closer to 2:30pm on Wednesday this week, the team started to trickle in very slowly- but come in they did! And somehow even though things started to fall apart, they came together beautifully in the end. 

First to arrive was Roche’. Roche’ Buchner got his mum to drop him off and even sent me an sms when he got to the Africa Media Matrix (AMM). I like Roche’, in his Facebook profile, he has a couple of pictures showing that he’s quite the avid Skateboarder and likes music. He is keen to learn and has said that on the few occasions we have had a chance to meet with them. I do think that him and Mike will bond well (possibly too well!) considering he has a keen interest in the technical side of radio, and that is right up Mike’s avenue. I do however find myself worrying slightly about how he will integrate into the group. Considering he seems to be from a middle class background and the school he goes to (PJ Olivier) might make it slightly more difficult for him to interact with the other five Upstarters who had to walk to the workshop because they just don’t have a family car or someone to drop them off. I would really like Roche to slot in easier and I’m thinking of trying to get him to use the transport we have arranged to ensure a sense of ‘team’ and get friendships forming.  On the whole, he is a great kid and even though slightly shy, he has great things to share.

•     Roche with BK and Anelisa working on their profiles for the first radio show on Saturday.

And talking of things to share - Roche made one particularly important contribution to our discussions this week. We had asked the group, as a homework assignment to read the Upstart paper, choose an article and then write it to be broadcast on radio. The aims: shorter sentences, more description and no complicated vocabulary. Roche’ began reading his piece to us all, about last year’s Upstarter of the Year. BK stopped us, smiled and said, : “Hey! The Upstarter of the Year is here with us! It’s Ziphozihle!” And we realized that sitting quietly next to me, Ziphozihle Goje, was the Upstarter of the Year for 2011! And what a star she is! She is from Nombulelo High School and even though she is quiet (much quieter than Roche’), she has very definite ideas and is keen to learn too.

We were sitting with the Upstarters, re-working their profiles and I was paired with Ziphozihle. When I asked her what she wanted to talk about in the first Upstart Radio show for the year, she said, “I want to talk about Mistakes”. I was a little bit confused because I wasn’t too sure where she was coming from with this, but when I asked her to elaborate, she spoke about how people always make mistakes and it’s ok because we’re human. She also spoke about how she doesn’t like it when other kids laugh or make fun of a person who made a mistake in class, “It’s not funny”, she said. “My teacher said in class that nobody is stupid. We all have a brain”, and with that she smiled then waited for me to say something. I just nodded, smiled- happy to just be learning about Ziphozihle and her world. Here I thought I was going to be doing all the teaching yet it had just become a two way process of learning. 

• Here Ziphozihle teaches me a thing or two! Just when you thought you knew everything!

Onto Anesipho! A young lady with a plan and who likes to talk if given the opportunity! I have a feeling that she would wear fashionable clothing and drop earrings to school on a daily basis if she had her way. She is confident, tall and easy to get along with. I thought we might have a few problems initially as she seemed a little bit uninterested in the beginning but now, she is all in! She has been very polite and works well on her own as well as in a group. I haven’t really had a chance to sit down and get to her know her as well as the others, but I think time will see us becoming really good friends. I think that is what I like most about this Upstart project.  

•   Anesipho posing for the camera while getting to grips with interviewing- our own fashion  model!

When I think of the kind of smile that should be used on the Colgate/Dentene adverts- I think of Sinovuyo. Her shy smile is gripping and it reaches the corner of her eyes. I cannot wait to hear more about her world and what is ticking behind that pleasant face. I haven’t been able to get to know Sinovuyo very well as she is the quietest of the group and quite shy. She does however speak if we ask her something and I have seen her sharing a private joke with schoolmate Ziphozihle once or twice. She is such a delight though and she is always willing to help or answer something when we need to know about Upstart as this is her second year with the organisation. I was quite worried about her debut on air on the Saturday show, but when the time came, Sinovuyo held the paper quite steadily and spoke into the mike, her voice not wavering or cutting out as I had thought might happen. She was still a little quiet, but give her some time and she will be as able as the rest of the group.

• Sinovuyo listens closely to BK as she explains interviewing skills. (Sinovuyo is the one with crossed hands and standing)

Anelisa is going to be one of the talkers and confident ones this year- I just know it. She is quiet in the initial stages, but once she is used to you and her surroundings, she says what she has to with energy and confidence. She is also eager on the microphones as we saw on the Saturday show. When the anchor asked questions of the group, Anelisa would look around at the others, notice that nobody was going to say anything and lean in to the mic, keen to answer in the way she saw fit. I would like to see if she has any debating skills as that would make for interesting radio having someone take her on!

I don’t know why, but I do also feel like Anelisa may have a lot to tell about her life, and for now all I can base it on is a feeling. I think she will open up when she feels more comfortable in the group, but for now, like the others, I haven’t had a chance to get to know her as well as I should. I look forward to discovering hers and the five other Upstarter’s worlds.

• Anelisa smiling at one of Steve’s jokes during the talk on recorders.

 Thobani. What a polite, mischievous and keen young man. I think at this stage each of the Upstarters are starting to grow on us as a group. Thobani was involved in an accident on the way home from our Wednesday workshop and there was legitimate concern from the whole group regarding his safety. I knew the ties of affection were strengthening between him and the group when he smsd to tell me about the accident and I called him back to check up on him. Tonight (Sunday 4 March 2012), he smsd me to say: “Hey, thanks for Saturday show. I was listening to it and it was great- wish to be there but now I am feeling right better than before. See you soon!” I replied and asked if he is good enough to come to the Wednesday workshop, his reply again, “I will be there that’s for sho! Just can’t wait, miss you guys…thanks for your caring guys”. 

And so, I find myself very fond of this group and after all the drama that it took to sort out the Saturday show, and the stress of the week, it all comes down to remembering that working with these Upstarters is more than just creating radio material. It is about learning and teaching lessons that may help these individuals be just that: individuals with an ability to make informed and positive decisions in life. It is about thinking further than your next deadline, and more along the lines of thinking towards someone’s future. I like that kind of thinking- I think I’ll use it more often :) .

Sinovuyo, Anesipho and Thobani looking very focused indeed!

On the whole however, the workshops, the shows, the homework we have been giving them has all been quite basic with a slightly challenging aspect to it. After sitting down on Tuesday and working through each week on the calendar, I worked out a basic outline of what we had to do and how we would try and achieve this all in the term. I did it in relations to what the Upstarters can and can’t do. We have spoken quite a bit to the Upstarters and while collaborating with the print version of the project, we want to try and generate content that interests these Upstarters. I am thinking of asking the team about what they think about a Radio Talk aspect to the course in which we encourage the Upstarters to use the recorder more and open up about issues that directly affect them. I think this will work especially for shy people like Sinovuyo and Roche. This week does look more promising than the last and I am keen to see which mountain needs overcoming by the team :).

• Steve and myself working with the Upstarters.

·      

 Week 2 Trying to see over the mountain

Up, down; left, right. This seems to be the progression of our community partnership with the Upstart group and the Yung Amplified Radio Show this week. I would have preferred a linear progression but at least this week has been a learning curve for me. What have I learnt? One- Nothing goes the way you want it (it’s life Nadia, deal with it) and Two- People have lives and are either as busy if not more than you. Hard facts, but true. 

Tuesday this week was meant to be my Media Studies reading day. Tuesday was meant to see me sitting the whole day in my pyjamas, cup of coffee in hand and the readings in my lap. But Tuesday saw me running around the Journalism Department (as usual- Stephen, a fellow radio student has even called me a piece of the AMM’s furniture!), scooting off into the township and auditioning pupils for the Yung Amplified radio show. My Media Studies readings? They were at home, in my bed where I should have been. 

My day was not at all wasted though! But at the back of my buzzing head, I kept thinking that this project is starting to take a lot more of my time than I thought it would. I find myself constantly wanting things to go to perfection, but ‘perfect’ is not what I think this project is at all about. It’s more about constantly learning and working with a team of youth who are keen and willing to learn as much as we are from them. 

On the Tuesday workshop with the Upstart group, myself and BK (another classmate of mine) met Zandi Shireen Badat’s intern for Upstart and a pair of twins volunteering from Germany, who are helping for the week with Upstart. They were all great! Zandi handles the pupils and workshops in the afternoons or during their breaks. She works really well with them yet she is also firm with them if need be and then it is all back to mentoring and basically just having a good time with them while learning and interacting. 

Evidence of this good relationship between her and these Upstarters was apparent when Zandi encouraged the pupils to go forward and audition for a chance to be in Yung Amplified radio show. A short and energetic boy, Luthando, with a megawatt smile and confidence engulfing all those near him, marched to the stage, swung round, grinned at Beketele and I then proceeded to tell us about why we should pick him for the Yung Amplified show. Zandi then asked him to give us a demonstration of his acting skills (as he mentioned he enjoyed acting) and he turned around, took a piece of chalk, looked sternly at the class and asked them, “do you know how to spell ‘South’!” The class, Zandi, BK and I roared with laughter as he grinned even wider knowing that he had us all from the moment he flashed us that memorable smile. 

(Luthando in the recent Upstart paper! Download the recent paper by clicking  here)

 BK and I chose Luthando as one of our finalists for the show, yet when the chosen six Upstart members arrived today for the workshop we were holding for the new team, Luthano was not amongst them. I learned (as mentioned in my previous blog post) that the final decision does not actually lie in our hands but that we are working in partnership with organisations that have been established for a while already. Yes, they need our contribution and help but they know full well that we need them too. On my side though, I have realised that I need to acknowledge that quickly and adapt to situations that might be out of my control. I still miss Luthando’s smile and energy, but I’m sure I will see him involved one way or another with this project. 

The challenges are quite a few at this point. They range from Mike (my classmate) trying to get myself and him a PDP license to drive the children around, to not being able to meet the anchors of the Yung Amplified radio show. The challenges might be daunting, but we are progressing too! Today (25^th February 2012) we had our first workshop session with our Upstart group- they are: Sinovuyo, Anesipho, Roche’, Thobani, Anelisa and Ziphozihle. The presentation went quite well and we had a few interacting items such as the ice-breaker and the in-studio practice with them. I felt a bit discouraged that they didn’t have as many questions as I would have liked and they seemed very nervous, but hopefully we will knock those walls down and feel comfortable around each other.  

Plans for next week and thereafter? Gosh, they are never-ending plans! But I have decided to take week by week and one item at a time. For now, this week was a relative success and I am so grateful that my team and I all pulled through with the workshop and the preparation needed for it. Below is an idea if the plans we are still working on:  

• We need to rework our proposal as Jeanne (our lecturer) has made it clear that we might be too over-ambitious with what we expect from the Upstarters.
•  We need to organise transport for the Upstarters.
• The first show needs a sort of theme and we need to do that ASAP! 
• I would like to meet Shireen and the team a bit more often.  
• The running of and maintenece of the Upstart radio show website. 

I am now looking forward to when these challenges will start resembling something smaller than the size of a mountain, but after having met these Upstarters and working so closely with my team, I will prevail until my next blog post!  (We hope!)

Nadia 

*Below are images from the Saturday workshop we had with the Upstart members. 

BK giving a presentation on interviewing.

Thobani figuring out the equipment.

Mike focusing hard on the presentation :)

In studio- the how to 101!

Steve having a mock show with the Upstarters