By Brendan O’Hallarn
An С football player talking about the Transfer Portal. Two students sharing their experiences with chronic illness. A podcast about the challenges of being a server — featuring the podcaster’s mom.
These are just three of the student-produced media created in Podcasting, a class offered last fall by Dr. Steffon Campbell, a lecturer in the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts.
The 15 students in Campbell’s class, primarily from the College of Arts and Letters, learned valuable skills about finding their voice and creating content in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
“I’ve been wanting to create a podcast for a couple of years now, so for me to have this opportunity to put my voice out into the world means a lot,” said Mariah Brewer, who exchanged tales about working in the service industry with her mom in her episode “Bingo, Flying Pizzas, Oh My” in her podcast .
“Having a professor who’s enthusiastic about his students’ work is a big plus. Thank you, Professor Campbell.”
Campbell, came to Old Dominion from the University of West Indies, Mona in Kingston, Jamaica in 2023. As a podcaster himself, he wanted students to appreciate how effective storytelling is at the core of both journalism and strategic communication — two programs that will be offered as a combined major in the Department of Communication & Theatre Arts, starting with the freshman class of 2025.
“Podcasting has emerged as an accessible and dynamic medium for such storytelling but the basic tenet of using media to connect with people remains the same,” Campbell said. “This course allowed students to do just that. They were able to connect with each other and their wider audience by honing their interview skills, scripting, editing, and disseminating their podcast episodes.”
The class was first taught by Katherine Hammond, professor and associate chair of Communication and Theatre Arts. Director of Operations for Theatre, Hammond led a group creating a podcast around the interactive networking game show Imagine That!
“That was the spring of 2020, and we all know how March 2020 brought such change to our world,” she said. “Even so, we recorded a full live show, and then during the pandemic shut down, each team of students edited their own version in a podcast format. Working with a real-world, work-based client gave the group an insight into process and product – and the challenge of pivoting when things changed rapidly.”
Though theatre and strategic communication or journalism are different, common skills such as using technology to create media that breaks down barriers, and honing skills such as voice performance, has made the class a valuable experience for students in both disciplines.
“Our class required planning and technical skill which the students never imagined,” Hammond said. “We loved it! I am thrilled that Dr. Campbell is now taking on this challenge!”
The students in Campbell’s class shone as they turned their personal experiences into compelling media.
Cullen McCarty, a graduate assistant with the С football team, explored the challenge the Transfer Portal and Name, Image, and Likeness is posing to college football teams in a podcast interview with С offensive lineman .
Emily Harrison found the process of creating her podcast — where guests talk about their experiences dealing with chronic illness — to be challenging and worthwhile and said she “would even consider continuing my podcast with access to those who would like to share their story.”
Podcasting will be offered as a class again through the Strategic Communication and Journalism major in Fall 2025. For information about the course, contact Dr. Steffon Campbell at scampbel@odu.edu.