Blugold Radio debuts new show to connect campus and community

UW-Eau Claire alumnus and student team up to present faculty forum coverage in an engaging manner

Kiri Salinas, a journalism student, is co-hosting Blugold Radio’s newest show “Bridge Talks.”

Story by Emilee Wentland, Staff Writer

Blugold Radio introduced a new show in September that may interest to both UW-Eau Claire students as well as the members of the Eau Claire community.

The show “Bridge Talks” covers the weekly faculty forums that take place on campus. Kiri Salinas, a senior journalism student at Eau Claire, and Scott Morfitt, an UW-Eau Claire alumnus, put together and co-host the hour-long show each week.

“Bridge Talks,” created by Morfitt, originally aired on Sept. 24 of this year. This new addition to Blugold Radio is meant to build a metaphorical bridge between Eau Claire’s campus and its community, Salinas said.

The faculty forums occur each week throughout the school year. “Bridge Talks” delivers the information discussed during the forums while adding Salinas’ and Morfitt’s take on the topics.

The faculty forums take place in the middle of the day on Wednesdays, so community members may not be able to attend the forums each week if they want to. They can now listen to “Bridge Talks” on Saturdays and can look at a rundown of what was discussed earlier that week.

Salinas said she hopes the radio show influences students to take an interest in the faculty forums. She said that having the perspectives of both a current student and an alumnus makes “Bridge Talks” a unique show.

“I think it’ll add a cool twist to the faculty forums,” Salinas said. “It’ll be an easier way to go without having to leave home and go and sit down at a faculty forum to hear them speak.”

Each week, Salinas and Morfitt sift through the recordings of the forums that are provided to them by Learning and Technology Services (LTS). Afterward, they add their own perspectives and opinions — and even a few jokes here and there — to help make the forums appeal to an audience they may not otherwise find the topic an interesting one.

“It’s a way to make (the faculty forums) fun and I just encourage people to listen,” Salinas said.

Members of the community as well as Eau Claire campus residents can listen to “Bridge Talks” at 5 p.m. on Saturdays on 99.9 FM. They can also tune into the livestream on blugoldradio.org. The schedule of faculty forums can be found on UW-Eau Claire’s website.