Welcome to Our Club

Edwin: The Boys & Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley are a staple of the teen community here in Columbus, Georgia. There are three teen centers, all located within a quick drive from each other. The club that I go to, we call it the North Center. It is located on the corner of a quiet residential street. It's not the biggest center in the area, but it serves about 500 members yearly. Our programming here is tightly packed. Every member is involved in more than one club activity. Take me for example, I'm a member of the community service club and the workforce development program. 

But today, I'm here with the rest of the newly formed podcast club. There are six of us members here. We also have two people from a professional podcasting company showing us how to start a new show. We are learning how to use our new recording gear and we're talking about what we want to present on our new podcast.

Devon: So the idea that I came up with was BGC Chattahoochee Adventures and then the acronym being BGCCV Adventures. 

Noble: I'm gonna be completely honest. I like to tell the truth. I want to like, I was thinking, like, something more outside the box. 

Edwin: Okay, so we had a little trouble coming up with our name, but the thing we all agreed on was that the first episode of our podcast should be about the Boys & Girls Club. You know, I'm very active in the Boys & Girls Club community. For me, this place is really close to my heart. I spend so much time at the club throughout the year. During the summer, most of us spend 10 hours a day here. That's more time than we spend anywhere else. 

My view of the world and my place in Columbus, Georgia was formed here. It's been shaped by the dozens of people I've gotten to meet every day, those unique activities that I've gotten to experience and the challenges that I've overcame.

Edwin: From the Boys & Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley, this is Mixtape to My Future, a teen-led show about navigating our lives in Columbus, Georgia. I'm your host, Edwin Brown. 

Jayla: I'm Jayla Shelley. 

Josiah: And I'm Josiah Porter. 

Karina: My name is Karina Miles. 

Devon: I'm Devon Cetoute. 

TJ: And I'm Trajae Bell. 

Edwin: Join us as we each explore the questions and issues that concern us—from friends, to mental health, to music and all the other things we're thinking about. On today's episode, an introduction to the Boys & Girls Club. 

Josiah: From my perspective, the Boys & Girls Club is, like, a place where you can meet new people, do fun things, have a new relationship with other people, you can trust people. I think it's just a cool little place to vibe at. 

Karina: I agree with that because at first my parents were telling me that I had to come to Boys & Girls Club and I was not excited. I was like, oh my God, this is going to be boring, like, it's giving daycare. But then when I actually got there and then I started, like, interacting with people, like, I really enjoyed it. And I enjoyed the opportunities that Boys & Girls Club gave me with, like, social interactions. They have like, um, when we program, they teach us things like social emotional, um, skills and things of that sort. So I feel like it was very helpful towards me to meet new people and learn new things. 

Josiah: And that's another part. I'm glad, like, they separate, like, the kids side from the teen side, so we don't got to hang around with little kids so we can be around people our age.

Karina: Right. And I'm also learning things as well with other people my age, like we have field trips. And then they're educational field trips as well but they're also fun. So it's not, like, super boring. 

Tristan: Like the college tour. 

Karina: Yes, definitely. 

Devon: I will say that for me, my experience, I've been with the Boys & Girls Club for maybe going on 11 years now. And throughout that time, I've built significantly as a character. Um, in your teenage years, they're the kind of most detrimental when it comes to actually making some of the biggest life decisions, when you figure out where it is you want to go. Because once you turn 18 and you're out of high school, a lot of things change so… 

Jayla: Bills. Taxes. 

Devon: So, like, everything is just like, wow, everything hits you so fast. And being in high school now with the Boys & Girls Club, I just, I've noticed that I've come a long way. Um, before I didn't have a resume. Now I have two different types of resumes completed and I've been able to network throughout school and stuff like that. And this past year I passed with all A's just because I've been able to come to the Boys & Girls Club, get work done, um, ask questions and whatnot. 

Uh, and I don't know where I would honestly be if I didn't go to the Boys & Girls Club because my mom is a single parent and my mom kind of relied on the Boys & Girls Club to take care of me and my brother when she had to go to work or make sure that she could make ends tie to whatever. 

Um, but a lot of people, like Karina, you were saying that a lot of people look at it as a, um, daycare and that's honestly what I thought at five years old. My mom was like, when you turn six, I kind of want to take you and your brothers to the Boys & Girls Club. And I was just like, I don't know about that one. But after really being introduced to the, I ran into Mr. Tavari when I was probably six. Like, I recognized your face, but I didn't know who you were. And I was just like, okay, well, these are a lot of new faces, big wigs kind of just doing whatever they do. 

Edwin: If you're going to try to understand the Boys & Girls Club or the lives of many teens here, you have to first meet Mr. Tavari. 

Tavari: My name is Tavare Turner. I'm the Vice President of Youth Development Programs and Grants here at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. 

Edwin: So this means he has to overlook all the activities we do every day. Mr. Tavari is a big part of why the clubs are very fun for us. 

Karina: Mr. Tavari, I really like you. I think that you're funny and I like the way that you can relate to us because a lot of adults, they see themselves as, like, better or higher over the teens and things like that, but you make us feel as though we're an equal and you're really easy to talk to about, um, issues that we're having at our clubs.

Devon: I am recording Mr. Tarari as he goes inside of a program area and kind of helps with the clean up and break down. 

Tavari: Chairs need to be straightened out. We need to make sure all the trash is put up. Any games that you're playing with, we need to make sure we put them away. It’s time we get ready to rotate.

Edwin: He's one of those people that are everywhere and doing everything. 

Tavari: Right now, I'm fixing the CFO's computer because, uh, it keeps doing this weird crashy thingy magiger. So, yeah, we're gonna fix that now, and then head on to the next thing. 

Edwin: He pretty much does whatever needs to be done at any given moment.

Tavari: I've been working with the club since about 2013, so it's about 11 years at this point that I've been a professional staff member, but I really was a junior staff member when I was a teenager at my Boys & Girls Club. Um, I did some work in the administrative office at my club back in metro Atlanta. And so I really have been associated with clubs for over 20 years at this point between being a club member and a staff member. But I guess as an adult staff member, it was 2013. 

Jayla: So how did you feel about your first interaction with the club? 

Tavari: Oh, it's funny. I actually ended up in the club because my mom was a, uh, she was a caretaker for elderly folks. And so my mom actually met the club director. Her name was Ms. Shirley Durton. So she was the club director for the East Dekalb Boys & Girls Club in Atlanta and, uh, she met her and was actually going to go and sit with her mom. Her mom was elderly. And so she was looking for someone to kind of help take care of her mom. And that is how I was introduced to the club. And so I really credit this career, this experience to my mom and to Ms. Durton because those early days are all based on the fact that my mom just kind of was actually looking for work and through that opportunity, she was introduced and sent me to the club after school and really the rest has been history. It's been a life changing experience. 

Edwin: Mr. Tavari was the one that brought our podcast together. This is the first time for us teens to have a platform where we can share our own experiences. 

Tavari: I'll tell you, like, I am just amazed by how I hear different perspectives from young people. And so, you know, we really wanted to create an opportunity, really believe in making sure, uh, your, you all's voices are heard across this community, state, uh, region, country, right? We want to create, um, mediums, atmospheres for you guys to be able to be heard by as many people as possible. I mean, I think you guys are going to do just that in these next couple of episodes and even beyond. 

Devon: Alrighty, I'm here with? 

Ms. Sam: Ms. LaVonda Samuel. 

Devon: Ms. Sam, how long have you been with the Boys & Girls Club?

Ms. Sam: Um, I started on May 28th. 

Devon: Since you've been in Columbus, what is your overall thoughts of Columbus? 

Ms. Sam: Um, my overall thoughts about Columbus, um, I do like the city. It reminds me of home cause I'm from Baltimore, but it also has a rural aspect to it that I do like. And I do like that they have a lot of things for children to do and very family friendly city.

Edwin: Columbus is a big city. Over 200, 000 people live here, but it sort of has a small town feel to it sometimes. We're located in western Georgia, right along the Chattahoochee River, very close to the Alabama border. We're only two hours away from Atlanta, so I guess that's why we seem small in comparison. That's why adults always say it's a great place to raise a family. There's a big army base here, it's called Fort Moore, and we also have CSU, giving the city its college town vibes. 

Speaker: You know, Columbus is a good place to live. I mean, you got a lot of things to do. They got a new baseball park down there, and it's going to be called the Synovas Park. If you love baseball, it's a great opportunity to go out there and you know, uh, eat some popcorn, enjoy some baseball and, um, you know, just have a good time. 

Speaker: Uh, I think, I think it was great here. There's a lot of nice people here and good scenery. 

Devon: I'm here with?

Jamari: Jamari Green, 

Connor: Connors Staples. 

Devon: How do you feel about Columbus?

Jamari: Columbus is like a great place to live. I grew up here and it's been great, never had too many issues. 

Devon: Connor?

Connor: It’s a great city at times, but it can get a little rough, specifically on the South side, but it's a great city for tourists and it's very friendly. 

Devon: You stated that the South Side is one of those places that you may not want to live. What makes you state that? 

Connor: There's a lot of shootings be happening over there. A lot of bad stuff. 

Devon: I'm here with Christian McGee. Mr. McGee, what makes you kind of, what pops into your head when you hear Columbus, Georgia? 

Christian: Violence. 

Devon: Have you ever been related to such or is it just coming from media? 

Christian: Uh, no. I was at a football game one time and they started shooting. It was like the scariest night of my life. 

Devon: Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you continue to be safe. You enjoy those football games.

Edwin: It surprised us when people said negative things about Columbus in our interviews. I mean, I know there are crimes and violence that happen here, but I didn't think it was so top of mind for so many kids my age. 

Tavari: Well, I would hope that as they grow, they see some of the different sides, you know, sometimes not to minimize what young people see, right? It's actually 100 percent valid. But also, as you grow, you kind of get to see how your town may compare to other towns and you get a little bit more of a diverse perspective, if you will, right? 

But to kind of address where young people are now, one of the things that I know we need to do is continue to make space, places like this, not only for them to have the ability to express how they feel about it, but also what solutions, right, they want to see put in place to address these challenges. You know, you feel like there's blight or that you don't like the way that certain things look in your community. Well, what would you like to see that replaced with? What would you like? What kind of actions would you like to take or see people take around the community to fix those things? 

And so, um, I really can't offer anything to invalidate because I believe that, you know, young people's what they say matters 100 percent, right? But I can offer that this is a space, the club is a space outside of this podcast, but also in this podcast, where young people can really express not only what they see, but also how they feel like it needs to be addressed and what changes we can make as a community to push again in more positive direction, um, from just surviving to thriving.

Edwin: To help us understand the role of the media, Mr. Tavari set up an important interview with one of the media's well known faces. 

We were all excited to work on a formal interview for the first time, but as it turns out, it was actually supposed to be the day after we started our first podcast episode. Yeah, no pressure. 

Josiah: Oh, it's me. Uh, good morning. Uh, my name's Josiah. And I'm 13. And…

Jamil: You nervous? 

Josiah: Yeah. 

Jamil: Don't be nervous. You got this. 

Edwin: To be honest, Josiah wasn't the only one that was nervous. All of us were kinda nervous. We got to interview a person who reports every day. 

Josiah: Uh, okay. My name's Josiah. Thank you for being here and can you please introduce yourself? 

Jason: My name is Jason Dennis, the man with two first names, as some folks call me. I am a TV news anchor for the local ABC and Fox affiliates here in Columbus, Georgia, WTVM and WXTX. I anchor the 5,6, 10, and 11 p. m. news Monday through Friday, and um, as we record this, I'm glad it's Friday. 

Tristan: I can agree with that there. 

Edwin: Mr. Dennis has been covering news in the Chattahoochee Valley region for over 20 years. He's a local celebrity here. We wanted to ask him what was it like to be our age and thinking about your career? 

Jason: I was just enjoying school, enjoying summer. I played tennis and basketball. I was involved in theater. I was involved with our newspaper staff in high school. It's interesting cause I, I might have a different path than a lot of, you know, teenagers. But when I was 14 years old, I actually knew what I wanted to do with my life where I knew the direction. I wanted to be a sportscaster. I loved sports and I wanted to be on TV talking about sports. It's kind of crazy that I've, uh, had this dream and kind of followed it and, and, um, succeeded with it. So now, you know, fast forward 30 something years, I'm doing news, I'm still doing the TV thing. 

Devon: What made journalism kind of speak volume to you, even at that age? 

Jason: You know, when I was younger, I didn't really watch the news a whole lot, but I love sports and I loved seeing the stories that were told behind the scenes. You know, they, there's somebody that talked about what we do for a living. It's just really broken down into four words: tell me a story. I enjoy storytelling. I enjoy impacting people's lives. I felt like as a kid, like, how can I have an impact on people's lives? You know, I'm not going to be a preacher. I'm not going to be a police officer or firefighter or a soldier. Not going to be a doctor. What's the job that I can do to have an impact? Um, and with words, what you write, what you say on TV, on the radio or in the newspaper, uh, can really change people's views, can educate people, can entertain people.

And so, uh, with journalism, we have this big responsibility. Sometimes the things that are on the news that the stories we get to tell really can impact people in a positive way or a negative way it can as well. 

Tristan: So can you tell us about your favorite story that you've covered about Columbus? 

Jason: Back when I was a younger reporter, probably 20 years ago, I covered, you know, what was Fort Benning at the time. And a lot of you guys are familiar with bootcamp, basic training used to be 15 weeks. Now it's 22 weeks. They do have a different style of how they do it, but I wanted to see what was it like behind the scenes. So I, um, I reached out to our army post and it took me a few months to get permission. But, uh, they allowed me to follow a unit from beginning to end. So when they were transported by bus from the airport, got off and immediately they're yelled at by the drill sergeants, haircuts, all that kind of stuff. From there, 15 weeks later to what they call the dress blue ceremony, which is there, they are officially graduates of basic training and they are officially soldiers with the new uniforms on.

And, uh, it was a series I did where I did a story, kind of a pretty in depth story once a week with them. So 15 stories over the 15 weeks, we called it the Basics of Basic. It was so cool getting to know these young soldiers that were not too much older than you guys are. You know, maybe they were 18, 19 years old, a lot of them. And getting to see what they went through, you know, I did one morning, early morning PT, which is ]physical training with them, like at five in the morning, I, um, ate ranger burgers with the drill sergeants, but, uh, yeah, I'll never forget that. 

Edwin: Mr. Dennis still does a lot of military coverage. On Wednesdays, he likes to work on a segment called Military Matters. In this segment, he interviews people about their military lives. And sometimes he tells stories about the issues that veterans go through, like PTSD or poverty. It's a passion of his to cover these kinds of stories. He says he wants us to understand the military's role in our community. 

In addition to the military, Mr.Dennis also covers other human interest stories. But also, he has to cover the courts and violent crime. 

Jason: Crime and courts, you know, kind of more of the hard news as they call it, it definitely can be scary, exciting, uh, sad to see a lot of that stuff. But I think that, I mean, that stuff has to be reported as well because you have family members that lose loved ones to crimes, to murder or whatever else. And so we have to report on those things, but we can do it with a caring spirit and we can talk to family members like they're human, not just like they're, we just want to talk to them because we're on the news. I want to be protective of them, still tell their story, still talk about the crime, but do it in a way that's compassionate.

Devon: Between military, police and civil and some of the things that you've covered, what out of all of that makes it so that the story speak the most to you? 

Jason: Yeah, I, um, I would love to say covering kind of the lighter stuff, the fun stuff has most, most impact on me. And I enjoy that kind of, um, not covering maybe the hard news all the time.

But to be honest with you, you know, and I won't be real graphic with it, but the story that impacted me the most is when, this was about 20 years ago, so I would have been probably around in my mid twenties. And I was covering a story in East Alabama about a dad and his son. These, these two guys kidnapped them and, um, they ended up taking the dad and son out to a field. And he was a used car salesman who had a lot of money. So they were trying to steal from him. So, you know, not to get too graphic, but they left him in like this makeshift grave. He was still alive and they shot his son, 12 year old son and the guys drive off. And so the dad's alive and his son is dead. So I, I covered that trial and the two guys that were accused of that, they were caught, arrested, put on trial, um, and they've been on death row. They, they've, were convicted 16, 17 years ago, but that kind of thing, you know, not, not that it haunts me, but it, it, it impacts me because, you know, you see what people go through and, um, it sticks with me because it's tough to see. But I think that, you know, we need to know that there is some really bad people out there and that we have to be on guard and we have to, you know, come together as a community to protect each other. You know, it kind of takes a village. 

Devon: Does that affect the way you see Columbus? 

Jason: You know, it's, it's interesting. Some people have coined the phrase Killumbus. You probably have heard of that. K I L L, Killumbus because of some of the crimes and murders that have happened, but it's not, it's not a lot compared to other cities.

I'm a very optimistic person. I, you know, um, think positively. I choose to think Columbus is a great place and I've lived here for 20 of the last 23 years. And, uh, I mean, in my job, I get to see the best of things, but also the worst of things. But I choose to think that there's more great and good things, um, you know, that are being done here ike the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. I mean, I see you guys, you know, young people as our future. And, uh, I think that's, that's great. That's bright. I don't choose to kind of focus on the negative. We have to report on those things, but I think there's more good than bad in what we call the Fountain City.

Karina: So with that being said, do you see yourself doing news anchoring long term? 

Jason: I think so, yeah, if they keep paying me. So, uh, uh, just to be honest with you, yeah, I, um, I enjoy it. I am currently 48 years old. You don't really retire until you're 65. So in essence, I have 15, 20 years left to work and I see myself still in this business. Uh, you know, I don't see myself doing anything different. 

One of the cool parts about my job now that I'm in my late forties, I'm working with people that are half my age. I work with a lot of people that just graduated from college. They're 23 to 26 years old. A big part of my job, half my job probably is mentoring them, the young reporters, producers, photographers, and helping them to get better. And they may only be here for a couple of years then they go on to their next big city or whatever. So it's kind of cool to be able to do my job, anchoring the news and writing things, but also getting to help the next generation with journalism. 

Devon: Since we're doing our own podcast, do you have any advice for us?

Jason: Uh, I would say preparation is key, what you guys have done. You got your questions and, and organize, um, but just have fun with it. You know, you guys can work together as a team, five or six of you and just kind of have fun. It's just kind of a conversation. 

I tell people all the time at home that when we're doing delivering the news, I'm talking to a camera, which is a strange thing to do, right? To look at a camera, read words and talk to a camera. But what I'm really doing is I'm sitting in somebody's living room and I'm talking to them. I’m telling them some stories, giving them the news, sitting in their living room with them. So you got to think about that as a podcast, you're sitting in their car with them. You're sitting at their kitchen table with them. Uh, you're sitting at their school with them and you are just telling them stories and introducing them to some cool people or some strange people like me. And, um, just be yourselves and enjoy it. 

Josiah: Okay. Thank you. That was some very good advice. 

Jason: You guys did a great job. I appreciate it, it's an honor to be a, a part of it. Thank you so much.

Devon: It's not on.

Josiah: Turn up. 

Devon: I'm just gonna let it go off. 

Josiah: You gotta press it again.

Devon: Alrighty. So can everyone kind of talk about how it is they feel after it? We'll start with you, Tristan. 

Tristam: I felt really nice, like, yeah, I came in late, but I mean, I got a good portion there. It felt really nice to meet him, right? Learn what he does. 

Josiah: I felt nervous at the start, but like most people say once reality comes, it wears off. So I felt good about the podcast.  

TJ: I don't know. I thought it wasn't going to go good, but it actually went great. So yeah, I'm glad I actually had this opportunity. 

Devon: The biggest thing is I'm not putting too much, uh, what if on it. And that's because this is our first time. So we're kind of just kind of doing trial and error and seeing what it is it could be like. Um, and everybody just has room to grow. So just figuring things out. This is the 

Edwin: Mixtape to My Future. That's all we have for you today. We'll be back next time with more stories, questions, and more answers here from the Boys and Girls Club of the Chattahoochee Valley. 

CREDITS

Thanks for listening. This is Mixtape to My Future, a production of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley. From the team here, our producer is Jamil Harden. Our production partner for this series is CitizenRacecar. Our producer and editor is Hajar Eldaas. Post production by Alex Brouwer, podcast education by Em Löwinger, publication and promotion by Candice Chantalou. Thanks to the whole team at the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley for making this podcast possible.