With its first season nominated by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) Community Radio Awards in the category of “Breaking Barriers,” Ekta is in its second year and still going strong. Created in 2022 by Victoria Surtees, UFV’s Teaching and Learning Specialist in internationalization, Ekta is a student-focused podcast. Each episode engages with a different UFV student as they discuss topics that deeply affect them. Surtees sat down with The Cascade to discuss Ekta season two and the impact it’s having on students and the community.
Currently with around 700 downloads, the podcast is gaining a following, and Surtees hopes to continue working on the project. “I think that there’s still a need for those stories,” said Surtees. “I think that what I’m doing with season two is broadening the different kinds of experiences that I’m bringing.”
She explained that her process for each episode of Ekta is an intense one that requires a lot of research and trust-building with the students. Spending roughly eight to 20 hours per episode, Surtees said that she takes the time getting to know the students she works with as they collaborate on the content to ensure that they get the right message across. “I think that’s really what works, and the assurance for them that I don’t publish anything without their express permission.”
Surtees emphasized the importance of being careful about what is said and not said in each episode because it can negatively impact the student in the episode. “Ekta can be accessed anywhere all over the world, and that’s something that I’ve really had to think deeply about because what is acceptable to talk about here may not be acceptable to talk about in India, Iran, Russia, or other places.”
The podcast can occasionally delve into difficult subjects. A recent episode of Ekta centered on a Turkish student who discussed the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and how that impacted “his experience here at UFV, and his ability to engage the things that were going on for him.”
In the future, Surtees believes there are different potential directions she could take Ekta, such as featuring faculty members, and discussing how they have adjusted to “the local teaching environment,” especially those who come from “different places and backgrounds.”
“I’m also starting to engage more with students who are taking leadership positions here at UFV. So I’ll be doing an episode with two members of SUS (Student Union Society), talking about advocacy, leadership, and the things that they’re working on for students.” Whichever direction Ekta takes, Surtees makes it clear that it’s up to the students. “Ultimately, what this is all about is telling the stories that students want to tell, so it’s not necessarily my decision to make.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
