Service Rendered: Straight Talk Vermont - Media and Community Affairs

Hello everyone. Welcome to the Straight Talk Vermont program. I'm Bruce Wilson. Here are my incredible co-hosts. You say who you are. >> My name is Emily Howerin. I'm a UVM student and today I'm joining Bruce on Straight Talk Vermont. >> Right. Thank you. Thank you, Emily. Emily be working with our programs as our medium coordinator. I mean our media and community service uh community affairs um coordinator working with us people in the community and also working with our media. You'll see her around a lot with um the cameras and just anything that she feel like she want to do. So okay, here we are. So today's um show is about um straight talk program and um youth on city boards or youth on boards period. And so, um, before I go into, um, starting with Straight Talk Vermont program, we're gonna, um, talk about, um, our upcoming what's going on with Arts So Wonderful. That's arso wonderful.com. So, look us up and see um, you know who we are. I know a lot of you guys see all those incredible murals everywhere. Art so wonderful own 75% of the murals in Burlington. And um and in 2010 we created art so wonderful electric boxes. So those cool electric boxes you see everywhere is it's um we're the founders of all that art so wonderful boxes and art so wonderful murals. You'll see them everywhere. You see ASW um logo up there. So art so wonderful. Wow. It's been a good year for us, you know. Um, and we're still working at it because, um, having over 75% of the murals just in Burlington, um, we have to we curate our murals and we make sure that they are curating means that we make sure that they continue to look good. You know what I mean? And, um, somebody like what they call bomb the wall, we make sure that that graffiti is off of them. We bring the artist back and they repair it and um fast as we can because we you we don't want nothing with art so wonderful name on it looking all you know with graffiti on it. Just so you know mostly like I would say 70% of our murals maybe se more than that are uh we create them and we put them over graffiti because in my studies in 2001 if you put murals over graffiti they honor them. was a code of ethnics that the graffiti on the vandals or whatever however you want to call them. Just so you know that when they when they bomb the wall they are graffiti vandals. When they started work on officer one of them they are graffiti artists cuz we give them opportunity to put [clears throat] their art in in public places where where they they they show their mother and also they can um the [clears throat] police can hand them a brush and we buy all the supplies for them. So how good is that? That's called restorative justice. So we right now we're just um what we're doing is um repairing up not repairing them. Well, we we've done the repairs on murals. What we're doing now is conditioning them. We have this world best graffiti conditioner is like if you buy five gallons of it, it cost you like $550 for us. And um so we condition all our murals, make them look nice. They be shiny. And for us to keep the brick nice because when you paint over brick, brick is porous. Masonary is porous and they need to breathe. [panting and sighs] They need [laughter] they need to breathe. And if they don't breathe, you know, then they start if you see at the bottom of buildings like, you know, like it's painted, then what happens is it start shafing. It start like cracking off the bottom. And so we put conditioner over to keep it nice and fresh and then keep our murals nice and fresh. So that's where we're at right now. Um I think we might have a couple more murals that'll be trying to finish up and on Thorson way. Um somebody if we we want to name it art so wonderful way you know arts so wonderful somebody say ali we going we're going to do a contest to see if we can name it you know we're not going to change th way name because it's dedicated to um someone but we just want to add our name in a in a you know so people can understand art so wonderful is the creator of this art up down Thorson way which is all around the alley and you could so many murals down there it's crazy man and one year when we first started it was all graffiti. It was nobody wanted to walk down that alley. It was like it was only took a person from Chicago like to walk down the alley like that and that alley that ain't nothing to me cuz you know blah blah blah you know you know but that we walked down that alley in Thors way. It was crazy. It was crappy. Oh god. Nobody wanted to walk down it because it was like graffiti everywhere. It was just it just was crazy. So I walked down say wow one I love to put murals all around that. And I did and we did. are so wonderful then. And so now there's restaurants down there. There's shops down there. People walk around there and they look at the murals and they say they say Emily say those are nice m we we surveyed some people that was sitting outside at the restaurant. I can't think of the name of it. And um we asked them what do you think about the murals? you know, you know, a few times and all of them say, well, a couple of them said, um, but my one's guy said, my wife actually eat, let's come around and eat here because of the murals out there, you know, the ambience, you know. So, so it's always good, you know, they was lovely cuz they walk around, they'll look at the murals and and um so that was cool. It was a good good thinking on and I actually thought about something good for like put something good together. So, um, so that's what's happened with art so wonderful. Um, do you want to talk about anything about the murals or anything you you're excited about or you know? >> One of the things I missed about Burlington was the murals. I'm from a small town that doesn't really have public art like that. So, it's it's a really great program. Art's so wonderful that there's so much public art and so much opportunity for local artists to get involved and be the ones to get to paint a wall or draw something that way everyone can enjoy. >> So, um, so let's talk about you a little bit, you know. So, so, so, so you're a sophomore at UVM right now. Go ahead. Go ahead. What's your major and all all the good stuff? Where you from? >> So, I am from Rhode Island. I'm a sophomore. I'm a sophomore at UVM and I am in the public communications major. I am loving it. I'm part of the journalism pathway. So, that's very involved with what I want to get into. I want to be doing stuff like this. I'm involved with rev tune in to Over the Moon with DJ IO 5 to 4 PM to 5:00 p.m. >> 90.1 baby. >> Yeah. 90.1 your better alternative. So that's my radio show. I love doing that. I also love being behind cameras mostly, but as you as is obvious, I do occasionally get in front of them. So I just really love being involved in the community and I love like doing the technical aspects of production. It's something that's so special to me and it's amazing that we have places like CCTV where you can just come in and you can learn and you can be on air like it's really incredible. >> Right. And since you talking about seeing that stuff well we have a incredible opportunity to work with Wooki school district man. So um what's your ideas about because we're going to be working with the media class. >> Yeah. >> And um in their finance class but you mostly you're going to be working with the media class. So what what do you what what's your what's your aspirations because it's basically what your objectives are or your agendas are you know hopefully putting together a curriculum for them for them. What what what's your ideas about how you want to work with those students? >> So my main ideas are based off career tech education programs. I was involved in one in high school back when I lived in Bington, Rhode Island. And basically they're pathways that they they're class-based. So you're doing classwork but you're also involved in the community. You do an internship. You do some projects. to take a test and it basically certifies you that you have learned these techniques and it's been so helpful for me. It's what inspired me to get into media and to go to college for public communications. So, I kind of want to create something similar based off my teachers uh lessons and classes. Mr. John West, who is the amazing head of Eagles News Network at Bington High School, he he's been such an inspiration for me. So, I'm taking a lot of ideas from his uh lesson plans and kind of like the kinds of assignments he had us doing. He pushed us a lot. Like we had a morning show and he would always rearrange the cameras, always rearrange like who was doing what, who was hosting, who was doing graphics, who was doing teleprompter. And at the time, it was just annoying because it was 8 a.m. in the morning. But he had a good reason for doing it. And it really taught us all so much. Like even though not all of us went to continue in media production, I think the skills that we learned with interviewing and being able to talk on air and be confident and research and not even to mention like the more technical skills with video editing and setting up interviews and like emails. So I want to pass those skills on to the kids of the New School District. >> Well, this is perfect, man. I believe everything works in the buy and order. I keep telling you that it does, you know, and um wow when I um talked to um this princ um at the um principal of um Wii High School and I talked to um the superintendent of Wilmer about you know they was very excited about it and I told them about you. I told Jess um the media person about you. Oh man, she was like, she was so happy, you know, that you going to be a part of um helping them with the media program, getting the students involved. And I said, you know, I think um I said she's I believe Emily want will help them, you know, get their own show on CCTV. And that's what I I know she want them to do that and then um teach them how to >> cameras, you know, more more camera work and let them operate cameras in the community. um show them how to edit edit their um you know their show and take um measurements for us as we do our when we as we working within the school and all the different things we do and I was want to document our stuff you know and she was so excited she was she was like she was and I was too you know like yay you know you know here's somebody to go we can get to get measure measure our stuff you know document our stuff and because for we got a grant from the state from the state and we need measurements you need to have all kind of, you know, let them know what we're doing and and um just have um your program document our stuff via um media. That's perfect, you know. That's perfect. So, I'm so excited about that, you know. I'm very excited about that. And um God, I'm telling you, man, I you know, talking about somebody lucked out, you know, I mean, you know, but like I said, I don't believe in really luck because I believe everything works in divine order, you know. I mean, not before, but um >> I'm so excited, you know, what you what you bring to our program. straight talking about our heart so wonderful all the things who we are fight for kids foundation it's like I it's too great to measure I can't even put a measurement on it and I thank you so much for like working with me you know as as like I told you we both a mentor you my mentor and I'm your mentor nobody better than nobody you know whatever you want to do you know we gonna do it because you know you're smarter than me on all that stuff like I'll be a damn fool to try to try to tell you how to work do media you know I'm saying even though we have the most um They CCTV said we have the most longest running show than anybody, you know, so that so we know but >> I haven't, you know, whatever, you know, it's all good. And so I want to thank you for being a co-host and hopefully you'll be a co-host with me times, you know. >> So um so I'm so glad about that. Um and sooner um you got to pick some dates to to work with Jess, right? >> Yeah. So hopefully an upcoming Thursday would be best. So >> sorry was Thursday. >> Yes. And I did email Jess back. So hopefully we'll have an update for that next time. >> Nice. Let's do it. Cuz I will take the tour. I want to show you that. I want to show Boy, I'm telling you, Wookski School District, they their new building is incredible. It's like there when you see that that auditorium, you be like, "Yep, they got the, you know, the roofs up top, you know, with all the cameras and lights and then the sound stage down there." Oh, man. >> You're gonna love that thing. You're gonna love that. Boy, it's so I think it hold like a 300 more people in there. >> Wow. It's gigantic. >> It's gigantic, man. RG. So, um, let's let's talk about Straight Talk Vermont program. Um, well, Straight Talk Vermont program is a cognitive program to help individuals identify things that put them at risk and learn new interventions. You know, they go we go over thinking errors and patterns, conflict resolution exercises, written drug and alcohol evaluations, and we help them in the community. We help them um with their systemic needs by using our community partners like they need like like everybody needs have systemic needs. You know they need transportation, housing, food, all these you know things that just regular stuff that you know um that everybody needs. You know it's not nothing like um well it's a lot of it's real special for people who living in the park and who's homeless and who living in higher risk every day. Because if you living homeless, if you're homeless and you living out on the street, automatically that puts you at high risk. Automatically in the environment, it puts you at high if you're living in the woods where automatically it puts you at high risk because it [clears throat] could be bears and know out there and wolves and you know, you never know. You know, I mean, could attack you. You know what I mean? So, you're living in harvest. I don't care if you're not living in a comfortable place like a lot of people have their comfortable little homes and settings and um and um they have a roof over their head. Should I say a roof over their head? That's what they say. You need a roof over your head. That's part of the systemic needs, you know. And so straight talk for my program was um been around for years and um it was facilitated mostly in all the facil um like um Chin County Regional Correctional Facility, Marvel Valley um facility, St. Albins, and these correctional facilities, you know, and even um um Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center. and I'm I'm the founder and I u was um facilitated these programs a lot most of them with um like UVM psychology majors or or captain psychology majors was you know because we was in Maro Valley >> and um to help them not only help uh work with the individuals that um that we're working with in the um facilities >> but also give the um like I try to do you know it's a you know it's a win-winwin situation give the um um interns and art majors or psychologists or psychiatry majors or media, whatever they are, help them with their goals in life, too. So that way they can say, "Well, I've done this. I already worked with a high risk. I've been in um um correctional facilities. You know, I've I I created agendas and you know, and I I made up, you know, I um curriculums for how we're going to present to individuals and um you know, and I listen to individuals and I, you know, I learn a lot from individuals and that was corre in correctional facilities. And I um and I know um and I help them with based on what their systemic needs are. you know, I know what they, you know, they tell me what they need areas and I try to u work with our community partners to help them, you know, and when you talk like that, when you have that type of information, you actually like we call boots on the ground. When you have that experience, it puts you ahead of you're not better than nobody. We, you know, it seem like we seem like we better than people, but we're not better than nobody, but you know, we're not because if without people, what help we be at? We need to work with them and we need to learn from them. you're my mentor and I'm your mentor. Ain't nobody better than nobody. But the thing about it is that when you when you go to your mast's program or whatever or job and they say they say you worked in facilit um uh individuals with their goals, dreams, aspirations, help them to get um identify that thinking that they put them at risk and learn new interventions and um to help them reenter into the community successfully. That's what it's about. you you get the job you get you get into the the school you want to get into you're getting because everybody else like well I read the book and I know what they're thinking I know what Aristot's theory is and sigment frog theory theory is you know you know but here you are like you you see it seeing is believing you know and so you're there you actually experience it you know when people tell yourself you you in that experience yourself you know that's like when if somebody like harm somebody on your block and you stand on your porch and you see it you you're part of the situation. That's why the police come to you and say, "What do you see? What who was that? Who this?" You you think, you know, you think you have nothing to do with that, but you do have something to do with cuz you you're a eyewitness, you know. >> So, so that's a good thing about what I try to do. And we're very successful. I don't know what the measurement I don't know if the measurement numbers I don't try to remember. I know we like I want to say 100% but I ain't going to say 100. Robin said we like 97. You know, this be >> I 95. Whatever. you know that getting people to where they want to go because I make sure they get to where they want to go because I don't care if I got the governor to sign you a letter. Nobody can deny a person who's working like you the work you do and you actually hands-on boots on the no who can deny you who cannot who don't want to help you on the upper level letter to get you where you want to go you know and so and that's what I tell them you know I mean listen don't don't go there that's why we have over 50 awards >> over 50 awards and we hosted over 700 events in the state y >> like I just um I a lot of people won award but I won like the racial equity inclusion blow from the mayor's office and we have um f four um kids safe collaborative awards and awards are proud of you. I mean we got the Greek awards. We won the Greek as a sorority and fraternities at UVM. Baby, I was happy. I did it. I won the Greek award. Really we sponsor Greek society Greek for the um Greek awards. We we sponsor that. It's amazing. >> Yeah. With our United Council Club program. But um yeah, the Greek award, baby. Who was that? We did this. They did the Greek awards. You you never see so many sororities for sharp as hell. When they get the Greek Awards, they be sharp as hell, man. You never You see them all like at their house or whatever just hanging out. But when they go to this Greek Awards, they be sharp as hell. They be like they be like Michael Kho and Eko and Monell and Whim, they be like sharp, you know? They be really sharp. Wow. Like what? You know, and like um so they they they still do. They they um since um not this year but not last year of the book because co mess a lot but they um they would always come me I go to the philanthropist meetings and the philanthropist >> Bruce what can we do for the you this year you know because I do like they going well you just wanted to continue to do your what you do and they we they u they many years for many years they um they um the Greek life um got into the um um Vermont process. That's where you go to um you go to um um uh Ben and Jerry's and you eat all the and they they [clears throat] win the contest every year for us. Every year. I forget what we won, but >> I mean, let's go UVM. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, then they put the bucket on the hand after they eat all that big old bucket of Greek, you know, and you got to love it, man. It's all for us, you know. >> You know, it's all for art so wonderful is part of city market as well. We do art on Sunday. Da da da. We do we know we do a lot, you know. But um I threw I went off with u straight talk of mine is like so so um city of Burlington, city hall park is probably one of the reasons why um I um want to really bring it back because >> you know you just if you going to kick people out the park, if you don't, you know, don't have a give them a housing living then and you know what how are you helping them? Yeah. >> And those are the people who the city council council props and the mayor supposed to be serving. >> Yeah. >> Right. >> You're serving these people. >> Yeah. >> That's a part of your, you know, maybe if they if they live in the city of Park, they live in A4. That's why I live in A4 right downtown. You know, so that's A4 Merrick. He's a city councelor. You know what I mean? What do you I mean when I city council meeting I mean I be present almost every city council meeting about something and I always I ask them I mean be straight up with them like what what are you doing for the people who you serve? I come straight up with them because I'm supposed to you know. >> Yeah. >> You know I'm supposed to you know you know and I'm also Vermont human rights commissioner. So what you know I'm you know what are you supposed to do? You if you are are you helping these people and they living oh you just you just want them out the park or you just want them come on man. So we g we're gonna help them. >> Yes. >> That's right. And we're gonna be we're gonna facilitate our our programs in a couple places and um we're gonna do like from 8 to 10 8 to 10 like 8 to 10 people will one person can fac facilitate for eight to 10 but we're going to have two cuz we know cuz we're going to do a mic um um micro setting and and macro setting 101 and group micro macro to a group setting. And then we're gonna find out what's going on. No, we're gonna do this thing program called what's good. And what's good mean like I'm tell what's good started was like everybody be like you know high like what's good? What's good? Like what kind of drugs you got? You know I mean what's good? Then we switching around say what's good? What's good meaning? >> What's good you you know oh you woke up this morning you know you you got a birthday you know you know you about to go to school. You know you get off of probation. You know that's what's good. So we're not so they they understand what good is but not we're not going to go with what they normally get what's good about getting drugs >> and that's part of it. Then we're going to do bad for you. You know it's called bad for you the program. And bad for you mean of course is drugs and not going to that's bad for you. You know we're going to go over that and we go cognize cognize mean to be aware of in one's mind. And so you know be aware of your in your own mind you know straight actually straight talk with mind means being straight with yourself. this our cable show but that's the program is was before the cable show you know and um people don't know about the program but over 500 people um went um attended our program so that was cool so um what do you think about straight talk from our program >> I think that it's so vital like if the government is failing to be able to help people who are literally on their front door then something needs to be done people need to step up and I think straight talk Vermont is a great way to do it while also involving ing the local community with the UVM psychiatry students, hopefully being able to join us and help facilitate these conversations and help work with people so that way they can break out of bad habits and start new ones. Like honestly, I think this kind of redirection is what we need. Like just be able to give people a place to go where they can be heard and be helped and be given opportunities that other people might be unwilling to give. But Straight Talk Vermont, like the goal of it is very much to help these people, help them get jobs, help them be housed, help them be safe. >> Yes. And I know you're looking for some psychology majors for us. Well, you know, we there's plenty plenty, you know, you have to go right to the professor or whatever, but you know, you'll find some. And that's what we want them to help them with their goals, too. You know, I mean, they want to be, you know, the the students. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Um >> and also so a lot of people who um we're not just going to try to help them with systemic needs on our own. We're going to have the providers there talking to them when like today it's going to be C hyper tax CBO it's going to be housing person Vermont um Vermont Finance Housing Association could be you know these people who actually do the work going to be talking to and actually while they there I want them to make sure they sign them up. >> Yeah. you know, you don't have that's so so our our program is going to be broke down to it's not going to be let's oh we can help you get a apple or whatever you know you know we the person that got the apples they going to be there giving you apples yeah you know what I'm saying that's that's how you really work with our individual for me that's I don't >> I almost say the dumb forget the dumb stuff you know what I'm saying you know for real work with individuals for real for real about their um goals and aspirations you So let's so um and what they really need and that's all that people need is like help with that whatever they want to do and like I don't know what your goals are. Well I know when we was growing up I you know want to be a doctor lawyer or Indian chief or fireman or ballerina or something you know you still and you still have those passions within yourself for the things that you want to do as you was growing up. >> Yeah. >> So we they said we have five minutes whatever. So let's talk about um our youth on board. Yeah baby >> on boards. >> Yeah that that's so important. It really is. Like I think that younger perspective is just so vital for communities. Like it may not seem like it, but kids are parts of communities too. And especially as they get older, they do want to be involved. Like I was on the DEI committee in my hometown and I love being there. I love being involved. And it really opened my eyes to both how public policy works and just how important it is for us to all come together and speak up about what we care about and what directly affects us. It's just great experience. It's like you meet so many amazing people through public service. >> Doubt about it. And it puts you in a good place cuz like these people be like a police commission, planning commission, school board and we and our thank thank God along with you. We created this this program for the city of Burlington and now we bringing it back and we had an amendment um to it because when we first started, you know, police commission, planning commission, school board, all the boards these youth sat on um they was is very excited about sitting on it. But when they was time to vote, you know, yay or nay, they will vote yeah, but their vote didn't count. So we amended it years later, 2021 around co. So that's why we signed it back up. Um, now now they can when they vote, they it counts. Oh man. Cuz like, well, you know, it counts, you know, and so that's what we want the votes to count. And we also want them youth I want personally because all the youth that's going to be on these boards and and we're gonna start in Burlington and uh I work with um city manager Regina Mahoney and um Essis and um they want youth on board and Susan and Elliot and um Shurn's going they want you they going on youth board but we starting with Essis and and Burlington and youth going to be on these boards and they going all those youth on those boards is going to be part of us because when we sit down and talk How's it going? What's good? You know, this that another. You know, how can any other youthful on the boards help you out with this that and the other, you know what I'm saying? That's what I want. Synergy, being proactive and collaboration, you know, and so they going to we're going to help, you know, we going to make sure they successful. You know, I mean, and one thing I also I want, you know, I only I don't I don't want much, but I want these youth that sit on these boards to actually have agenda items. Yes. you know, you talk, you know, you talk to I talked about peeps around this with my peeps and and this is what they think we should do on with the police commissioner or the planning commissioner or whatever. That's what they want to add this. They want that. So add on the agenda, you know, and also >> add some finance on the for what you trying to do. >> Yeah. >> If it ain't nothing about buying all all your for pizza, whatever, you know, I mean, but add money on to that too. >> Yes. >> So that's very important. So, you know, >> it's very important. So, um I know you're going to have a lot of ideas about that. Um >> wow, I'm so excited, man, about youth on boards, man. And like I like forget that. You should be on every board in America. >> Agreed. You know, >> and be able to vote. That's something that's so unique to Burlington and this area. Like when I was on a board, I was not able to vote because I was a student. So, it's just being able to vote and like being able to actually make change besides just being able to be in the room is vital. Yeah. Yeah. The good thing about it [clears throat] though like you know um like because being if you're on the finance committee and you and your major is finance and normally that's how we would pick the students you know I would go to Brooklyn High School picking with the principal and they put application process and I think that's a good way to do it and then you can be this time you will be with me. So you'll you'll pick who you know what know whoever you know fill the position the best and um >> and um and usually when they like if they want to be media whatever you know I mean fighting that's what we want we want them to do if that's their goal in life and usually if they apply for a position want position you know they want to you know be on a police board or whatever that's probably what they want to be in law enforcement. said that's what we want them to do because we want to help them to be what the hell they want to be. >> You know, I sit on Vermont State Police, fair and partial policing in community for over 10 years and I still on it. Um um and you s you probably seen some Dan um um on on that on that email I sent to um >> um oh to the to that's to the mayor uh city manager Regina, I told him I want him to be a I want youth to join our fair and partial policing committee too. They join that too, you know. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. That's right. You make some [clears throat] decisions with the V from Vermont State Police. And Dan, he's the co- director of Fair and Partial Policing Community. And he's like my partner. You know, come get me in. [laughter] I like Dan is cool, you know. I like Dan a lot. We We work together on that. And And it's so nice, you know, get youth involved. Maybe they want to be troopers. You know what I'm saying? you know, >> but just getting them that experience and letting them kind of explore different opportunities. Like that's so important. Like that's how we make our community stronger. >> No doubt about it. So I guess we got a couple more minutes. Why don't you come on Emily close us out? Just say just what what what else should we be what should we ask you know people who are viewers? What should we what should else we I mean we got a lot going on. You got a lot you like me. I was like I said I'm not trying to overwhelm you. I'm like I need this can you help me with that? Can you read me there? give you this and that. Oh, wait a minute. So, so how'd you like on the Pride U event? >> Oh, I had so much fun. So, I was there with First Congregational Church and since I also interned there and it was so fun. Like it was a little different from last year, but it was amazing getting to walk down Church Street with them and being able to like just see all the people and then the performances by the drag queens and all the booths. It was so cool. I ran into so many friends. I met so many cool people. >> If you didn't go this year, plan to go next year. It's so much fun and it's such a great event. Like it's a great way to interact with your community and kind of like see who's out there and like what kind of jobs and all the different things that are happening. So, >> right. And I was there with the Vermont human rights commissioner because we help sponsor that event. But, uh, and I I like going too because it's the biggest thing ever. So, close us out. >> Yeah, >> Emily. Close us out. >> All right. Well, thank you all so much for tuning in to Straight Talk Vermont here on CCTV. We'll be here next week, I think. >> Oh, yeah, we will be here. >> Yeah, hopefully with the mayor of Wooki, but >> Well, I Jordan, our channel coordinator, she's sitting on some dates and we'll see what he says. >> We'll find out. So, it's a surprise. >> Yeah, it's a surprise. You'll see it. Stay tuned. Thank you. Thank you for tuning in, everybody.