I called Wenda Thompson, producer of “What About the Guys?” yesterday to ask her a few questions, and I caught her in the middle of a nap! Here’s a piece of the conversation we had:
T: Hi Wenda, this is Chantel Harley with YouthCast. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to call you earlier; do you still have time to chat? Is this a good time?
W: Yes, I have time. I was just in bed taking a nap.
T: Awe man, I remember those days. I miss that, being able to sleep between classes.
We both laugh.
T: Well, I was calling to ask you a few questions about the piece you did for WAMU, “What About the Guys?” I wanted to know, what inspired you to do this piece?
W: I wanted to do something different. In my school there were kids pregnant, young and what not. We always knew who the new mothers were, but no one ever knew who the fathers were. We never saw the guys with the girls, and there were so many programs for the girls, but never any for the guys. While in the Youth Voices program, I knew I wanted to do a piece on teen pregnancy, but that’s been done over and over again, so I thought “what can I do different?”
T: So you wanted to present something different. What kind of advice would you give to other producers trying to decide how to choose a story?
W: Find a topic that you’re confident about or interested in pursuing. If it’s music, that’s a wide topic, but you can narrow it down. Ask yourself, what is interesting to me? What about it do I need to make a different type of story? Keep breaking it down until you find something you’ve never heard before. Maybe it’s where artists come up with the ideas for their songs as opposed to why everyone likes rock music. Maybe you can take the audience behind the scenes.
T: Great advice. Are you still pursuing journalism?
W: Right now I’m a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University. I’m really trying to focus on my academic career so I don’t have much time for extracurricular activities. I’m an English major. I’d like to become a teacher.
T: How did you get involved with the program at WAMU?
W: Actually, I took a class in high school and one of my teachers referred me to Youth Voices, a program at WAMU where six students around the area produce radio pieces. When my teacher brought it to my attention, I had so much going on in school, you know in high school you want to do this and that. I had to be reminded about the program a few times. I didn’t listen to NPR much then, but I found that I really like it, and I grew a lot.
T: Lastly, is there any additional advice you would give to young producers?
W: You’ve got to be very determined. If you want to produce a piece, do something you would like to do. I’ll tell the truth, it was difficult for me to come up with a story. While others in the program were finalizing their scripts and preparing to record, I was still trying to decide what to do. I was working until the day the show was actually going to premiere! I wouldn’t encourage anyone to wait that late, but it was hard work. I didn’t think I would finish, but our program director, Deborah Bolling, didn’t give up on me. I had dedication from some who wasn’t even in my family! She helped me crank out the script and produce the piece. Even though it was difficult, it was all worth it. You need to have a support system, a producer who is dedicated, the drive, determination and support. Don’t give up; keep going!
Wenda is in college with aspirations to become a teacher. She said growing up in DC after moving from Ganea, South America, she has witnessed a different type of attitude in the schools. She has seen a lack of care from teachers, and it upsets her. She wants to do something to make it better; she wants to make a difference in the education system. We wish her the best in all her endeavors!
