Turning Up the Mic: Tracing the Journey from Idea to Podcast

Redwood High School Video teacher Mr. Henshaw discusses his journey of starting a new podcast and enlisting the help of Ranger students.

By: Isabella Guijarro

Mr. Henshaw, the video teacher at Redwood High School, is starting an exciting new project: a podcast that aims to amplify the voices of Ranger students. With the goal of providing a platform for students to share their thoughts and stories.

The idea for the podcast came from Mr. Henshaw’s desire to showcase the many perspectives and talents of the students at Redwood. By involving students in the production process, the podcast offers a platform for expression but also provides hands-on experience in content creation and storytelling.

Cami Villacreses, ‘28, says, “I wanted to do a podcast because it’s a way to talk about our school and community, and it’s an exciting way to talk to people. I hope we’re able to get it running well by the end of this month, and get a name for ourselves and make people excited for each episode.”

Lola Sullivan, ‘28, says, “I wanted to do the podcast because I thought it was a fun and educational experience that will open many doors for me in the future, and would be fun for all students and teachers on campus. I’ve also learned things that I never would have known like working with new technology.”

Tessa Van Dermyden, ‘28, says, “I wanted to do a podcast to bring community to freshman and upperclassmen. I also wanted to help out the video kids because it’s a lot of work, and give them a hand. I think that the podcast is a really good idea for Redwood and it’s going to be fun for everyone.”

Mr. Henshaw, Intro to Video,
Advanced Video, and
Ranger TV Teacher
Photo I.Guijarro/Gigantea

The podcast is set to cover a wide range of topics, including student experiences, school events, and community initiatives. Students are interested in starting their own podcasts as a way to share their opinions and stories that might not otherwise be heard. This allows the voices of everyday students and even administrators to be shared and brought into the light.

“The social part of it is for teachers, students, Dr. Gridiron, and admin to come in and use the podcast room to share stories about Redwood, the culture, and things that are going on. Gridiron even mentioned possibly talking about things even outside of school, so they can get together and talk about things going on in the community,” says Mr. Henshaw.

Mr. Henshaw has many ideas and plans for the podcast this year and plans for it to be up and running by the end of the month. One of the challenges he faced in planning the podcast was learning how to set up the necessary things for it.

Mr. Henshaw says, “I’m using technology I’ve never used before, so I have to go on YouTube and learn how to use it, so it’s going to be a learning process to use the equipment. Hopefully by the end we’ll be able to do a lot more things than just a podcast. We could use it for Ranger TV or more live stuff at school that would be easier to set up for like Cowhide, Homecoming, and school events.”

His interest in podcasts is extensive and ranges from podcasts about politics, Joe Rogan, history, and interesting things about our world. Podcasts offer multiple genres that can appeal to anyone no matter their age or gender and the amount of information that you can receive.

“I like to take it from an educational point of view and I hope students do the same, so it’s not just sharing and expressing but it’s also learning about each other and topics. I can see the whole concept of a podcast being something that’s not just for Redwood, but for the community,” says Mr. Henshaw.