The podcast "POD115 - Kessel Run," created by a group of nine students from different concentrations, debuts April 28.

The students have been learning recording skills and podcast writing techniques to develop, produce, and release nine episodes of this original podcast. The students began their project with tutorials from the Lied Library staff and recording in the new multimedia production studios in the library's Makerspace. Since then, students have had a lesson in professional flexibility during the COVID-19 quarantine, requiring them to shift to remote collaboration from home ‘studios’ using smartphones as recording devices.

The result: 10-minute episodes focusing on the science in science fiction, or as the podcast’s logline says, "Where we ruin the science fiction movies you love and cherish by talking about real science.“

"The skills needed to podcast have never been more accessible to learn and put into practice, as evidenced by the new multimedia studios at Lied Library," said course instructor Adam Paul. "Having those skills gives our students remarkable real-world tools for communicating with large audiences on niche topics, expressing ideas and opinions and learning the value of creating, producing, and distributing those ideas so these students have actual skin in the game."

"We began this project before this period of quarantining, but as we adapt now, we’re finding deeper value in being able to literally have a voice in isolation, to have meaningful conversations, and to connect deeply in spite of our distance."