It was a big year for the guys at Keep Your Voice Down, as Doug Sears, Jr. and Alek Haak-Frost published 34 episodes and interviewed 25 guests in 2021. Here are the five episodes folks listened to most.
5. James Hissong — December 13, 2021
James Hissong joined Doug and Alek to discuss his firm Grantsmanship Consulting LLC, the ins and outs of grant-making, trying to explain to his kids what exactly it is he does, Sturgis’ forthcoming splash pad, and possibilities for the “old” Three Rivers Hospital.
4. An Ode to Educators — March 8, 2021
Doug and Alek were joined by Justine Galbraith, an English teacher who penned an op-ed titled ‘I’m a teacher. Why am I considered expendable?’ for Michigan Advance. Galbraith shares the fear, frustration, and anxiety she has experienced as an educator amid a global pandemic, while Alek and Doug serve as a two-man hype team for teachers, listing their favorite fictional educators, and lamenting over the lack of Capri Sun, trail mix, and pizza parties they’ve experienced since reaching adulthood.
3. Biohazard — September 28, 2021
No guest, no headlines, just a pair of college best friends discussing three aspects of their lives that explain who they are, and who they hope to become. So put on your hazmat suit (unless you’re comfortable with vulnerability and intimate conversations, then you’re probably safe with just the tissues), and tune into the Season 3 premiere of Keep Your Voice Down.
2. Courtney Moore and a Tale of Two Kobes — June 7, 2021
Doug and Alek were joined by recording artist Courtney Moore to discuss her new album “25.” The Three Rivers native details her music making process, the pros and cons of dating in the 21st century, her son Kobe, the tragic passing of his namesake Kobe Bean Bryant, and the effect it had on her.
1. A Symbol of Personhood — November 30, 2021
Former Three Rivers Middle School teacher Russell Ball joins Keep Your Voice Down to talk about his recent resignation after Three Rivers Community Schools staff were asked to remove Pride flags from their classrooms due to an “external challenge.” Ball details the events leading up to his exit, what the flag represents to members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and why the flags should remain in classrooms not only in Three Rivers but around the world.
Keep Your Voice Down is a podcast featuring fellow Central Michigan University journalism grads and best friends Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears, Jr.
Any views or opinions expressed on “Keep Your Voice Down” are those of its hosts and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.
