Saint Martin’s University Digital Journalism class had the pleasure of spending four class meetings with Olympia, Wash local community organization Media Island International. Senior business major Patrick Burns shared his experience working with Media Island, “I had heard of Media Island before and thought it was a place where intense ideas were discussed, and it was." Before the class took to Olympia to experience all of what Media Island had to offer, station manager Shawna Hawk and radio programming manager Jimmy Mateson came to the classroom to give a crash course in radio programming and what the organization itself had to offer the community. Once students were prepared to take on radio programming, the journey to Media Island commenced.
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| Street view of Media Island International. |
“The site was warm and I could tell that the people who work there work hard” Burns said. Media Island’s site boasts a donated house giving it a warm and inviting feel, full of comfortable furniture, warm lighting, bright greenery, and murals covering the building and fence. Burns worked in the organizations on site library, “ordering the books and making sure they were all there with their online catalog, then in the archives sorting through magazines.” While Media Island is recognized by the city as a library, they also have a radio station, 106.9 KOWA FM, broadcast to the Olympia area and available for streaming online. Not only does Media Island create a space where ideas can be shared regarding social justice issues, both through their site and radio station, they can also be an inspiration.
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| Patrick Burns working in the library archives. |
“I can take my experience as an example of doing something that you set your mind to, even if it doesn’t fit into mainstream ideology” Burns shared. Media Island is an off the beaten path community organization that shows how perseverance and a dedication to your beliefs can lead to something blossoming into a well-known cause. “I thought it was fun, it was cool to see people trying to make a difference and putting themselves out there” Burns said.
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