'This Won't Be Awkward.' Well ...

6/14/2017

by Jonathan Buckley

So I'm already awkward as heck, so when I walked into the YMP newsroom, which was full of new people who I was not sure if I was going to like anyway, I tried to be as unseen as possible. And then a teacher—I'm not sure what else to call them since we are students—named Emily had us play a game. I was thinking to myself, "Oh cool, I like games. This won't be awkward."

Then, we had to do stuff like touching people's noses with our fingertips and having elbows on each other's knees. When we did this, we had to talk to each other like this wasn't weird, and I was thinking to myself, "Are y'all CRAZY???"
When we did this, though, I met some pretty cool people who I am sort of friends with already. I really don't want to say friends because it has only been three days for knowing these people.

I guess the moral of the story is that no matter how awkward I am, there is something always more awkward than I am.

0 Comments

Major Sponsors and Supporters of YMP

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) is a leader in informational broadcasting. MPB has exhibited a commitment to educating and informing Mississippians. MPB has partnered with YMP to lend tech equipment and provide youth engagement and media specialists to train students.

E3, a project of Parents of Public Schools of Jackson (now Ask for More), supported YMP in summers 2016 and 2017 with stipends for students, and other resources.
The Community Foundation of Greater Jackson (now The Community Foundation of Mississippi) is the
fiscal sponsor for E3.

Podastery Studios in downtown Jackson offers a network of locally produced podcasts. Beau York, founder of Podastery, has generously donated his time to train YMP students in podcasting skills and allowed Youth Media Project students to borrow professional podcasting equipment to learn
production skills.

Dialogue Jackson, formerly Jackson 2000 Inc., is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to fostering understanding and building harmony between people of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds. The group became YMP's fiscal sponsor in 2017 and hosts youth dialogues for teens..

Choice Printing in downtown Jackson is an in-kind sponsor of YMP offering YMP copying and printing services from its Capitol Towers location.

Good Design & Code >>

Good Design & Co offers high-end UI/UX, web development, app development and branding services. Principal J.C. Hiatt is helping YMP students publish their own website for stories, video, podcasts and more.

Jackson-based Workplace Solutions by Barefield is a Steelcase authorized dealer offering high-end office furniture and technology solutions. Workplace Solutions has loaned chairs, mobile desks and mobile whiteboards to create a collaborative office for YMP participants.

Jackson-based Fuse.cloud (formerly Broadband Voice) offers Voice-over-IP phone systems, fiber Internet connections and technical services. Fuse.cloud has sponsored phones, VoIP phone service and technical assistance for YMP.

SPECIAL THANKS TO DR. GEORGE SCHIMMEL and NATALIE IRBY FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS OF PRODUCTION IMACS FOR THE YOUTH MEDIA PROJECT.
CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO YMP.

YMP Student Voices