Mercer Island community figures give their perspectives on issues pertaining to Mercer Island and the world as a whole. Hosted by Miles Avilez, MI Insider gives a voice to those whose messages, hardships, or accomplishments warrant being highlighted.
Miles reflects on his four years in high school, what he's learned, and the people that have helped him along the way. He gives his advice to the next generation of Islanders and looks forward to what comes next for him.
2 May 2023
Life at the US Airforce Academy
Miles invites his former co-host, Creed, on to the show to talk about his first year at the US Airforce Academy. They discuss the lengthy application process, the initial shock of arriving at basic training in the summer, and the daily life on campus.
Later, Creed explains how the Airforce Academy has changed the person he is, and he gives advice to others who are considering attending a military academy.
To see the podcast Creed and Miles hosted together last year, click this link! :
https://open.spotify.com/show/5uZ6v9hun86tdiI8eKqh9i?si=d55ba00439524f2c (https://open.spotify.com/show/5uZ6v9hun86tdiI8eKqh9i?si=d55ba00439524f2c)
25 Apr 2023
Salmon Under the Stars: Tales from Nighttime Snorkeling
Miles Avilez sits down with Sergio Camacho, a former snorkeler for U.S Fish and Wildlife, who was tasked with monitoring the endangered Chinook salmon in Lake Washington as well as their deteriorating habitat. Once a week, Sergio would suit up for a frigid all-night snorkel along the coastline—often the Mercer Island coastline—to take measurements of the salmon and track their location. Sergio shares the shocking and terrifying aspects of his former job, the fond memories he holds, and what his research accomplished.
18 Apr 2023
How the Media Divides Us
Miles sits down with Henry Brechter, the head editor of the popular news site AllSides.com, to discuss how media bias influences the political landscape, fuels polarization, and sows discord. Brechter discusses AllSides.com, explaining how it was created to counter media bias by showing "all sides" of any news issue. Additionally, Brechter reveals the tactics the media uses to push you in one direction or another.
28 Mar 2023
Reading my College Essay
Miles goes solo on this episode, and talks college applications. He reads and gives his reaction to his college essay, then shares what he wished he would have known about the application process beforehand. You'll also get to hear the behind the scenes details of what Miles does at the station, and find out how he came to do this show.
14 Mar 2023
The truth about declining enrollment (featuring Superintendent Fred Rundle)
Miles interviews Superintendent Fred Rundle on the Mercer Island School District's problem with declining enrollment and why it is such a big issue. In this episode, they unpack the reasons for the low enrollment, the possibility of closing an elementary school, how low enrollment could impact teachers, and how the district is working to overcome the issue.
14 Feb 2023
Combatting Home Burglaries on Mercer Island
Miles speaks with Officer Foster Barragan of the MIPD about a recent string of home burglaries that occurred on the south end of Mercer Island. Barragan provides information on the case, breaks down the motivations and behaviors of thieves, and explains what you need to do to keep your house burglar-free
4 Jan 2023
A Portrait Says a Thousand Words...
Seattle Artist Al Doggett joins the show to discuss a portrait he created that is displayed at Mercer Island High School. The portrait depicts Dr Stanley Ann Dunham—the mother of President Barack Obama and a 1960 graduate of MIHS. Al walks us through the journey of his career including how he became an artist, what kind of work he does, and how he survived the shift from hand-drawn to digital graphic design mid-career.
1 Dec 2022
Mercer Island Parks get an upgrade
Sam Harb and Alaine Sommergren of the Mercer Island Parks and Rec Department share the details of a recently passed levy that provides additional funding for parks. They discuss the two main upgrades from the levy, those being more funding for forest restoration in Pioneer Park, and more funding for the replacement of playground equipment.
10 Nov 2022
Teaching the Next Generation of Storytellers
Miles talks with Michael Ketchum, the teacher of Mercer Island High School's new "Media Technology" class, about his career through the years. Michael has served in the navy, owned a restaurant, worked as program manager of allrecipes.com, and has since become a freelance film producer and the teacher of Media Tech. In Michael's class, storytelling is above all else, and video is the tool that allows students to tell these stories.
27 Oct 2022
Sleepless in Mercer Island
The streets of Mercer Island are alive in the middle of the night. From shoplifters to Pokémon Go players to police on their patrol routes, there is so much to be seen when the sun goes down. David King, a Mercer Islander with insomnia, recounts the crazy experiences he's had while walking the streets of Mercer Island in the middle of the night. He explains why he enjoys his night-walks so much and why you should give it a try...
20 Oct 2022
The Fight for Women's Rights in Iran
Protests have erupted across Iran after Mahsa Amini was wrongfully killed for refusing to wear a hijab. Protestors call for revolution and an end to the reign of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Anahita, a second generation Iranian Immigrant, shares her perspective on the movement and what the future may look like for Iranian citizens.
13 Oct 2022
How Russians are Reacting to the War in Ukraine
Miles speaks with Tolly, an MIHS student who has family currently living Russia. Tolly gives the inside scoop on Russian attitudes towards the war, how propaganda has affected its citizens, and how thoughts are starting to shift among Russia's youth. Tolly suggests that Russia's failure to overcome a NATO-backed Ukraine will lead to a revolution in Russia.
3 Oct 2022
A Humanitarian Crisis in Tigray
Miles Avilez interviews Tech Specialist and ethnic Tigrayan, Beniam Yetbarek, on the dire state of the war and humanitarian crisis in Tigray, Ethiopia. In Tigray millions of civilians are stuck behind the blockade, being deprived of food and water. Miles and Beniam discuss the origin of the war, Beniam's family still in Tigray, the current situation on the ground, and what you can do to help.
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