KUNR Youth Media

Audio Diary: ‘I Think This Is A Real Turning Point In History’

KUNR Public Radio | By Avery Thunder

Published December 31, 2020 at 2:56 PM PST

Avery Thunder and Janelle Olisea are posing for a selfie. Black bars that say "BYE 2019" are covering both of their eyes. — KUNR Youth Media’s Avery Thunder (left) and Janelle Olisea celebrating New Year’s Eve 2019 in Reno, Nev.";s:

After a turbulent year, 2020 is coming to a close. Now, many are looking forward to 2021 with the new challenges and opportunities it might bring. Local high school junior Avery Thunder reflects on 2020 and comments on what the new year might look like in an audio diary for KUNR’s Youth Media program.

So, 2020 is coming to an end, and I guess what I would say I've learned from this year is that anything can happen. I'd say that our biggest mistake going into 2020 was that a lot of people had really big expectations. You know, the decade was coming to an end. It was supposed to be this whole new beginning.

If I could say anything, I hope for 2021, it would be that we don't let ourselves get too comfortable. Even if we do make progress and even if things do get better, I hope that we don't convince ourselves that we can't do anything else to make things better. And that we don't just sit back and decide that it was just 2020. I think things could get worse if we let them. I don't think they will, but I think they could.

I think this year is a real turning point in history. I think we have the chance to change a lot of things and to fix a lot of things, but I think we also have the chance to blow it and not live up to the potential that we have as a country and as a world.

Avery Thunder is a junior at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. KUNR’s Youth Media program is a special partnership with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists.

KUNR's Jayden Perez adapted this story for web.

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.