exploring
BANTER
One conversation at a time, Matthew O’Stricker works to help everyone climb the mountain.
by grace ross he name Matthew allow himself to grow from them. O’Stricker was well“When people critique you, they’re coming from their perspective,” known among students, teachers O’Stricker said. “If you accept everyone’s critiques without and administrators around campus. understanding who you are, you have no perspective. [At] that point, While many may have been familiar you’re not necessarily leading. You’re not actually yourself, you’re just with O’Stricker because of his role as whatever everybody tells you to be. Know who you are as a person, take SGA president, many did not know the critique, and then adjust it based on your own principles.” about his involvement in the school’s podcast club, Eagle Exchange. “The goal of [Eagle Exchange] is to allow access for students to use their voices about certain issues that interest them,” O’Stricker said. “That can be serious issues and be current events, it can be things that are going on in the Woodward community, and it can also be fun stuff that we like talking about.” Dr. Elizabeth Burbridge, history teacher, inspired O’Stricker to create his own podcast club during his sophomore year. Eagle Exchange was casual in its beginning stages, only consisting of “[Dr. Burbridge] explained she had her own podcast, ‘Footnoting O’Stricker and a number of his friends. History,’” O’Stricker said. “I asked, ‘does Woodward have [a podcast “All of his friends who were in the club were male and black,” Dr. club],’ and she said no.” Burbridge said. “It was kind of like their lunch table had O’Stricker asked his come together [to] talk about things.” friend Ozie Adams ‘20 However, as the podcast gained more traction and to join him in creating expanded its audience, O’Stricker knew he had to diversify. the school’s first podcast “If we were going to be the voice of the school, we club. had to be more representative,” Dr. Burbridge said. “We Initially, O’Stricker had to bring on white students, other students of color, experienced backlash for and we had to acknowledge that everyone should be able his interest in pursuing to have a voice.” podcasts. He said many According to Dr. Burbridge, since the onset of Eagle of his peers considered Exchange, there have always been members that share podcasts outdated and differing political and world views. Thus, to ensure that felt they were irrelevant. each opinion can be expressed during a given podcast, Matthew O’Stricker ‘20 and Nick Wright ‘20 interview Callie Riggs “There’s gonna be members do not plan out an entire script ahead of time. Dauler ‘04 and Jeff Dauler about their podcast “The Upside.” people that are gonna Instead, they come prepared with individual ideas and Photo by Dr. Elizabeth Burbridge doubt you, people that thoughts, which have not been edited or revised by other are gonna make fun of you,” O’Stricker said. “You’re going to have peers or faculty. people that love to critique you.” “A podcast is a conversation in and of itself,” O’Stricker said. “We do O’Stricker decided to try and understand his critics’ perspectives and not need paper.” 24
“There’s a fine line between listening to people and hearing them.”
Matthew O'Stricker
