Joining a long list of media programs at Madison, the new counselor podcast series was released on Aug. 18. The podcast, called MAD Counseling Podcast, is intended to be a way for the counseling team to communicate information and support to students. Topics from stress management to college applications are discussed in each episode by the enthusiastic hosts, Mallory Bacalis and Alice Whitener. The counseling team hopes to revamp their online presence this year and the introduction of their podcast is one step in that direction.
“We were having lunch one day and somebody posed the question, ‘If you could do any job, what’s your dream job?’” Whitener said. “Ms. Bacalis started talking about how she wanted to be a host on the Today Show, like the Third Hour, the fun time! And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s what I want to do too! Somehow, we were like, ‘Well, we’re doing a podcast now!’”
Before recording each podcast, the two counselors decide what topics they want to cover based on what they see from students or what they feel students need help with. They draft an outline, then record in one of their offices. When recording, they use tiny microphones which improve audio quality. Afterwards, Bacalis edits the audio and creates the cover image in Canva. Then, the podcast is uploaded to YouTube, and a promotional post is released on Instagram.
“There’s so much stuff that we talk about here in the counseling office like, ‘Oh, our students could do this,’ or, ‘They should be doing this’” Bacalis said. “I think just trying to find new and creative ways that students can get information, so, the idea kind of grew and grew and we just thought it’d be fun.”
The first episode of the show focused on new beginnings, in which the counselors talked about the student services staff, nerves and how to manage them and the podcast in general. On their first episode, the counselors brought in three Lead Mentors as well. The second episode explored navigating the transition from summer to school and provided ways for students to succeed in that mindset switch. In the third episode, the hosts highlighted how to plan for the future, specifically college. Their fourth episode was just for seniors and examined the best way to get started on their future plans, find their fit and feel good about their choices.
“We knew we wanted to do something specifically for seniors to really get them launched off,” Whitener said. “We just had this notion of, ‘How do you plan for your future?’ ‘cause I think too often we make it more complicated than it really has to be.”
The fifth and most recent release of the series discussed how to stay motivated when faced with challenges. Every episode can be found on the MAD Counselors YouTube channel and most are about 20 minutes long.
“Our overall goal is to have conversations we’re having with a lot of different students and hopefully just give you something that you can listen to and relate to, and hopefully learn something from,” Whitener said.
As the year continues, there are many ways the counselors see the podcast evolving. Bacalis and Whitener would like to expand the scope by incorporating a video and having others come on as guests, especially staff, who can use their expertise to communicate information to students.
“I think we want to continue to use it to share information and be, you know, informational but also relational, so kids can connect with us by listening to the podcast,” Bacalis said.
In a changing world of media consumption, the podcast provides a unique and accessible form of entertainment and information.
“I think the podcast format or even just our Instagram page is hopefully a more helpful way for students to get some of the quick information they need so that they can feel more in control of what they’re doing,” Whitener said.
