The Article below was published in Vol. 136, Issue 6 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on March 12, 2021.
Alec Macartney ’24
Staff Writer
When asked to comment on the newly released “See The Trees” episode, co-host and assistant director of the Office of Intercultural Relations (OIR), Andre Meeks, said to “let the podcast speak for itself.”
According to the College’s website, “See The Trees is a podcast sponsored by the Office of Intercultural Relations.” The podcast is co-hosted by Meeks and Kobee Marion ’22 and produced by Blythe May ’22, and episodes are released on Mondays at 5 p.m., according to the podcast’s Instagram account. The College’s website further explains that the production “aim[s]to provide transparency for the college community on topics that are integral to the pursuit of equity. Each week we are joined by a guest who will help us unpack the theory and practice of topics spanning from institutional accountability to the fatigue caused by systemic obstacles in a path towards justice.”
In the first three minutes of Episode One, listeners are welcomed by Meeks, Marion, and May. The group quickly introduces themselves and establishes the podcast’s goal: “See The Trees” seeks to be a platform where people can speak genuinely and honestly about their experiences and their work to make the campus more equitable.
Episode One, released on March 1, centers around transparency and what that means to the “See The Trees” hosts and their guest, Cassidy Herbeth ’22. Herbeth and the hosts spend their interview calling out instances where they believe community members, institutions, and activists have failed in securing equity for others on Lake Forest College’s campus and beyond.
Editor’s note: New episodes are released on Mondays at 5 p.m. CST. Episodes are available at this link: www.lakeforest.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-initiatives/see-the-trees-podcast and broadcast on the College’s radio station, WMXM 88.9 FM. The podcast’s Instagram account is @see.the.trees_lfc.
