Alaska Teen Media Institute

ADN Photographer Marc Lester | Zoom Room #50

The Anchorage Daily News is the most widely read newspaper in Alaska. When journalists are writing a news story, photos can be just as important as the stories themselves. ADN staff photographer Marc Lester has been working with the paper for over 25 years taking photos for news, sports, feature stories, and standalone pictures of nature in Alaska. 

ATMI producer Micheal Hunter sat down with Marc to talk about his work. They discuss Marc’s early days as a photographer, some of the standout moments in his career, and his advice for budding journalists.

Hosted by Xander Rose. Written and produced by Taylor Heckart.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. 

This episode was made possible with funding from Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts.

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

The 2025 Oscar Winners | Film Club #45

In our last episode, ATMI producers Cat Whited, Mo Spooner, and Elle Engel discussed the 2025 Oscar nominations. Now that the awards have been handed out, they’re back to talk about the results.

They discuss the big award winners, their thoughts on Conan O’Brien as the host for the night, and whether they think the Oscars in general reflect their taste in movies.

Hosted and produced by Indigo Schlee.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost.

Film Club was made possible with funding from the Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. 

With additional support from the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism Fund at the Alaska Community Foundation. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. 

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

The 2025 Oscar Nominations | Film Club #44

It's award season, so it's time to talk about the 2025 Oscar Nominations!

ATMI producers Cat Whited, Mo Spooner, and Elle Engel sat down to go through some of the main Oscar categories. They talked about what they think will win versus what they hope will win, shine a light on movies that were not nominated, and their favorite films and performances of last year.

Hosted by Eleanor Poe.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost.

Film Club was made possible with funding from the Rasmuson Foundation through the Arts in Education Fund, administered by the Alaska State Council on the Arts. 

With additional support from the Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism Fund at the Alaska Community Foundation. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors. 

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

Singer/Songwriter Emma Hill | Zoom Room #49

Singer/Songwriter Emma Hill has been in the Anchorage music scene for almost two decades. Originally from the village of Sleetmute, Emma is also a co-owner of Rage City Vintage and hosts the all-ages songwriter showcase Spenard Song Circle. 

In August, Emma hosted “Eras of Anchorage: An art exhibit honoring the history of the Anchorage music scene.” It featured photography, posters, and audio recordings documenting the city’s musical history.

ATMI producer AJ Yambao sat down with Emma to talk about her career. She spoke about inspiring young people in the Anchorage music scene, mental health advocacy, and the future of Spenard Song Circle.

On our YouTube page, you can see full videos of Emma performing her songs "We Are We (Fur Babies)" and "Wild Ride."

Hosted by Kaylee LaTocha.

Written by Taylor Heckart.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. 

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. 

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

SunDog | Zoom Room #48

This episode, we’re talking to local Alaskan band SunDog. The trio is composed of guitarist/singer Abi Sparkman, bassist Devin Lind, and drummer Philip Giannulis. Their music has been described as psychedelic, pop-grunge, and classic-rock inspired. Their third album “About You” came out on September 25th, and they celebrated the release with a concert at Bear Tooth a few days later. 

ATMI producer Kaylee LaTocha sat down with SunDog to talk about the formation of the band, Anchorage’s music scene, and break down the themes of “About You”. 

Click the links to see SunDog perform their songs "Spinning Out" "Fading Flower" and "Out of Place" in the ATMI studio.

Hosted by Ormund Alaois. Written by Taylor Heckart.

Music by Devin Shreckengost and Kendrick Whiteman. 

Special thanks to Mike Dickenson at Williwa for graciously lending us some audio gear, and to Jeremy Blake at King Technical High School for his added mentorship.

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. 

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

 

Former Mat-Su School Board Student Representative Ben Kolendo | Zoom Room #47

The Mat-Su School District made headlines last fall when they voted to severely limit the student representative position on the school board. Ben Kolendo, a senior at Mat-Su Career & Tech High School in Wasilla, held the seat at the time. 

Then this summer, the school board voted to entirely remove the position, which dates back to 1979. 

ATMI producer Edison Wallace Moyer sat down in the studio with Kolendo to talk about his experiences on the school board. He spoke about the responsibilities of being a student representative, the conflicts with the school board that led to his role being limited, and the larger story that followed.

Hosted by Ormund Alaois.

Produced and written by Taylor Heckart. Edited by Logan Ehrhart.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost. 

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. 

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

***A previous version was published on 9/4/24. The ATMI team made an editorial decision to repost with some comments regarding public testimony removed.

The Protected Bike Lane Pilot Project | Zoom Room #46

If you’ve been downtown at all this summer, you might have noticed one less lane of traffic on a couple of busy streets. Anchorage now has a protected bike lane running along parts of A Street and 6th Avenue. 

This bike lane won’t be there forever – just for the summer– but this protected bike lane is part of a larger two-year study funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill. In this episode, we’re hearing from the project leads.

ATMI producer Taylor Heckart sat down in the studio with Brad Coy, the director of the Traffic Engineering Department at the Municipality of Anchorage, and Anna Bosin, the Regional Traffic Safety Engineer for the Department of Transportation for the State of Alaska. 

They talked about the massive collaboration required to make this project happen, the benefits that protected bike lanes could bring to the community, and what it means to build infrastructure with non-motorized users in mind. 

Hosted by Grace Fujimoto.

Produced and written by Taylor Heckart.

Music by Devin Shreckengost and Kendrick Whiteman.

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the State of Alaska Division of Public Health. 

The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

3000-21 | Zoom Room #45

The Palmer band 3000-21 describe themselves as a cartoon robot band from outer space. In 2022, they released a full-length album “Across The Metaverse.” Last year, they put out an EP of new music called “Interdimensional UFO.” 

In March of this year, 3000-21 took human form and stopped by the ATMI studio to chat with producer Ormund Alaois. They talked about their songwriting process, the inspiration for their band’s identity, and their roots in the Alaska music scene. 

Hosted by Grace Fujimoto.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost.

Click the links to see 3000-21 perform their songs "Love You Still" "Scatterbrained Man" and "Goodbye" at the ATMI studio.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

"The Ladder" Writer/Director Emilio Miguel Torres | Film Club #43

Emilio Miguel Torres is a filmmaker who was raised in Ketchikan, Alaska. As a kid, Torres got involved with the local community theater, First City Players, where he was exposed to directing and storytelling. He spent high school in Seattle before attending NYU film school. 

Since graduating college in 2021, he has made a handful of short films, including “The Ladder,” which tells the story of an aging Alaskan fisherman who must decide between accepting old age and restarting his life through a futuristic procedure. It was shot in Ketchikan with the help of many of the individuals who helped foster his love of movies as a kid.

Torres currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, but in the fall of 2023, he returned again to his hometown to shoot his first feature film, an expansion of “The Ladder.” Currently the film is in post-production and Torres has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finish his movie.

ATMI producer Jordan Kehl spoke with Torres over Zoom about “The Ladder.” He talked about the challenges of filming in the remote town of Ketchikan, what he hopes to accomplish with the crowdfunding campaign, and how his hometown community came together to help him with his passion project.

Hosted by Ormund Alaois.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost.

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.

The Alaska Filming Initiative | Film Club #42

The Alaska Filming Initiative is a group of local filmmakers dedicated to reigniting the success of our state’s film industry. They hope to not just create movie making opportunities, but to foster a thriving, diverse, and sustainable economic environment across the state.

One of the ways they are exploring to achieve this, is by bringing a film tax incentive back to the state. 

Some Alaskans might remember the movies Big Miracle and The Frozen Ground filming up here over a decade ago. At that time, there was a sizable film tax incentive in place that attracted those productions. But it was short lived, and since then movies and TV shows that are set in Alaska often film at other locations, where it is more financially feasible.

In this episode, we’re hearing from Ashleigh Snead and Steven Cornfield, two members of the Alaska Filming Initiative. They spoke with ATMI producer Jordan Kehl about how a film tax incentive could benefit the state’s economy, garnering support from legislatures to get a feasibility study done, and much more. 

Hosted by Ormund Alaois.

Music by Kendrick Whiteman and Devin Shreckengost.

Many thanks to supporters of our podcast, including the Alaska State Council on the Arts. The views expressed in this program do not necessarily represent the views of our sponsors.

Alaska Teen Media Institute is based in Anchorage, Alaska. We would like to acknowledge the Dena’ina people, whose land we work on.