radioplasma : voices + ideas

The summer is here, and it’s time to go out. Radioplasma is doing sessions on location, capturing the sounds of the places we visit, that become part of our conversations.

For this session, we visited The Teen Room at The Holyoke Public Library, and we had a conversation with Rachel Dowd, Teen Librarian, about the plans for the summer. This was a beautiful conversation among many teens utilizing the resources at the library, and we discussed all the plans, activities, experiences happening in this safe and welcoming space that Rachel has shaped for the needs of our youth to enjoy and discover.

Some of the planned activities for teens include a Miyazaki Move Fest, a Youth Leadership Program, Music Recording and Media Literacy sessions at the Radioplasma studio in the Gándara Youth Development Center, Crafts, Story Time, Bikes and Books Club, and a series of workshops on relationships, sexuality, and ways to stay safe.

You can visit Holyoke Public Library’s website to see the calendar with all the activities programmed for teens during the summer.

On this session, we welcome Natasha Colón-Ortíz, founder, and manager of Paper City Art Kids, and she gives us an update of her work, the plans for the Summer, the growth of a unique business model, and her artistic involvement on some of the Volleyballs that will be placed in several points across the City of Holyoke.

You can visit Paper City Art Kids website to subscribe on Natasha’s newsletter, and also you can follow her work with Paper City Art Kids on Facebook and instagram

Our guest is comedian Mike Lemme.

After a successful series of presentations in a New York theater, Mike talks about his experience on this project, his story as a comedian and performer, and all the details of his presentation at Gateway City Arts, on June 29th, 2018.

You can find more information about Mike Lemme and his presentations, on his website www.mikelemme.com

On June 15th, the Bring Your Own Restaurant pop up event, returned. Rebecca Lisi explains the meaning behind this concept, and shares the invitation for the next BYOR, happening on June 29th, 2018.

You can follow the Bring Your Own Restaurant Facebook Page, to stay updated of upcoming events.

Nelson Roman, new Executive Director of Nueva Esperanza, visited our studio to share the most recent news and information about Nueva Esperanza’s work, the achievements over the past months, and the plans for the future that include the rebirth of the space known as El Mercado, now renamed as Puerto Rican / Afro Caribbean Cultural Center of Holyoke.

Among the many activities, events, workshops, there is the Puerto Rican Flag Raising on June 20th, at 12:30 PM; The Guayabera Gala, celebrating Nueva Esperanza’s 35th anniversary, on June 24th.

You can follow all the activities of Nueva Esperanza on Facebook, and also their website, www.nuevaofholyoke.org

Naiomi Robles is a community organizer, and member of the group 413 Boricuas, who shared the information about an event in solidarity with the families currently living in Holyoke, displaced from Puerto Rico, and the victims from hurricane María.

The invitation is to gather at Veteran’s Park in Holyoke at 4:00 PM, to leave behind shoe prints as a reminder of the lives lost in Puerto Rico.  There will be chalk prints left behind, trying to get as many prints represented as possible. The pathway will continue to City Hall where the event will conclude by having a vigil and moment of silence, around 6:30 PM.

You can follow the activities of 413 Boricuas, and get involved on their planning of events on Facebook.

Let’s talk!

This is our first iteration of a new series of conversational discussions on topics of interest, led by Holyoke local media, and open for everybody to participate and follow up.

On this first session, we discuss the Puerto Rican Parades, that took place in Hartford, Springfield, Holyoke, during the previous weeks, and happening in New York, on June 10th, 2018.

“Let’s talk – Hablemos” is an approach to generate a diverse and open series of conversations, where journalist, Natalia Muñóz, News Director at Holyoke Media, along with Radioplasma’s producer and host, Iohann Rashi Vega, will share and present points of view on news, events, issues, and affairs of our local, regional, and national environment.

We want to invite everybody to suggest topics of conversation, and join us. Let’s talk!

We welcome all opinions and points of view, from everybody in the community.

You can reach out to Natalia Muñóz on Holyoke Media, at natalia@holyokemedia.org and you can reach out to Iohann R. Vega on radioplasma, at iohann@radioplasma.com

This morning of June 8th, 2018, CNN reported the news, conforming the death of chef and storyteller, Anthony Bourdain, at the age of 61, by apparent suicide.

We at radioplasma, wanted to honor his legacy as storyteller, and influencer on media creation, utilizing food, culture, and a personal approach to every place he visited, making it a whole learning experience.

On this session, journalist Natalia Muñóz, News Director at Holyoke Media, joins me on this conversation to honor Bourdain’s work, andalso to address suicide awareness.