WKU Public Media is partnering with StoryCorps and the Library of Congress to launch “One Small Step (OSS)” throughout December, an initiative that “aims to connect people as people,” Membership Services Manager for WKU Public Media Elizabeth Bates said in an email.
StoryCorps launched OSS in aims of finding common ground in shared lives and experiences between people who have different cultural backgrounds and beliefs. Bates said this is not a debate, but instead a conversation that lets students meet others with different perspectives, allowing them to get to know that person as an individual.
“This is one of the most politically divisive periods in America’s history, and we need to recognize that the person standing on the other side of the aisle is still a person with the same right to pursue happiness as you or I,” Bates said. “And that is what this program aims to do, help us recognize and connect with the humanity in each other even when we don’t agree.”
Participants will be paired with a stranger from a different cultural background, and will be guided through a 60-minute conversation, Bates said. Participants will have the option to have the conversation added to the Library of Congress and StoryCorps’ databases, and a shortened version of the conversation could also air on WKU Public Radio or TV.
Bates said the conversation aims to provide equal contributions from each participant, and a facilitator will ensure that everyone feels comfortable and the conversation remains on track. WKU Public Media decided to apply for the opportunity to be part of StoryCorps’ OSS Radio Station Hubs earlier this year as another way to serve the community.
“We were thrilled to be picked, along with five other stations across the country, to help bring this mission to our community,” Bates said. “We hope this initiative provides a safe environment in which community members can get out of their comfort zone and help connect our community.”
Bates said she believes this mission of connecting communities and bringing out the humanity in everyone is more important now than ever before.
Bates said the best part of this program is that it’s open to anyone in the community. When StoryCorps began onboarding with WKU Public Media for this program, they warned them that when done in the past, the hardest part of this program was getting people with conservative backgrounds to apply.
This remains true for WKU Public Media. From more than 30 applicants, only 10 identify as conservative.
“Perhaps conservative people are worried about this being one-sided or an attack on their beliefs, but I can assure you that we aim to make everyone in the room feel respected and equal,” Bates said. “If at any time someone felt uncomfortable, they are absolutely able to ask for a change of subject, refuse to answer questions, or even leave the conversation entirely.”
There are no requirements to participate, but Bates said there is a process. Each applicant is vetted through phone calls, mostly to make sure they answered the application correctly, but also to ensure that they are open to having a conversation and not a debate.
The application briefly asks participants about their religious, political and economic beliefs as well as general lived experiences so they can be paired with the best partner. WKU Public Media will take photos of the participants after the interview if they give permission, but it is not required.
“College already helps students expand their understanding of the world and meet people with many different backgrounds,” Bates said. “One Small Step takes that just a step further and provides an opportunity to enhance their experience by truly getting to know someone completely different than themselves. I also think the opportunity to be part of the Library of Congress is incredibly neat, and I would have been very excited about that as a student.”
Bates said based on StoryCorps’ research, the program also helps empower participants to be more involved in their communities, and that sense of connection that this program provides can be invaluable in a world where we often feel isolated and disconnected from each other.
Bates said WKU Public Media is excited to help the community, no matter the individual’s background.
Bates said they highly encourage anyone to apply. The initiative will only run through December of this year, so applicants who apply early will have a better chance of getting paired quickly, according to Bates.
Students can apply online through WKU Public Radio’s website, or they can apply directly through the OSS Service Form. The application also has a bit more information about the program so participants can feel confident in applying, according to Bates.
“By connecting our community and helping humanize whoever may be on the other side of the aisle for you, we hope to promote a more civically engaged and kind Kentucky,” Bates said.
