Published Dec. 15, 2021
BY AINSLEY HENDERSON
With daylight saving time in effect and winter in full swing, many Carmel students are sorely in need of dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphin boosts, something that the new student-run podcast “D.O.S.E.” has the perfect solution for.
The podcast has just implemented a permanent host, junior Ayami Cole, and will be focusing on recording and releasing new material before Carmel’s winter break.
CHS juniors Althea Payne, Anna Hight and Mya Schnader recording Episode Four of D.O.S.E. (photo by HANNAH SHU)
“I had the pleasure of being a host on the first ever episode,” Cole says. “And I’m so glad to be able to share the rest of my ideas with our community.”
“Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin and Endorphins,” or “D.O.S.E.,” an offshoot of the TEDx Club, has published five episodes so far, each one tackling issues that speakers feel students may struggle with, including lack of recognition in accomplishments; psychology and the arts; stress in school; and a slightly less serious Halloween special episode, which junior members Mya Schnader, Althea Payne and Anna Hight recorded in an inflatable hot tub.
“Our first five episodes we were doing rotational hosts,” says junior Hannah Shu, the CHS TEDx club president.
Besides the revolving hosts, guest stars including junior Colin Dowse and sophomore Grayden Miller have made appearances to discuss topics they’re passionate about.
“I feel like I learned a lot,” says Miller, who spoke about her experience on the junior varsity field hockey team. “It was great to discuss an amazing team with another member of TEDx.”
The podcast’s cover art, which can be viewed while listening on Spotify, was created by Dallas Douglas. (art by DALLAS DOUGLAS)
Even though the podcast was originally created to occupy TEDx members during the fall semester, Shu has plans to continue generating content for the entire school year, despite it taking a backseat to the club’s spring plans, which mainly revolve around the speeches that they give in partnership with TEDx.
“Right now it’s kind of reaching whoever,” says sophomore Natalie Blackwell, who hosted Episode Three titled “Sports = Endorphins?” “But I think we’d like it to reach more of the student body, and I think I’d like it to reach anywhere, if only to inspire other schools to start an activity like this.”
When students sit down in front of the microphone to record, they go off of entirely self-written scripts. After students have recorded the podcast, it heads to junior Tosin Oladokun, who edits and cleans up the recording, before being passed to Shu, who publishes it on Spotify.
Running the TEDx Club and overseeing its sublet “D.O.S.E.” can be taxing, so Shu hopes to hand off the majority of the podcast’s responsibilities to Cole.
“D.O.S.E.” is available for free on Spotify.
