VCU news

By Sian Wilkerson

When Virginia Commonwealth University professor Judith Crenshaw was tasked with helping to promote the inaugural Student Podcast Day, she knew she’d need support – and exactly where to turn.

Crenshaw, an assistant professor in the Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture in VCU’s College of Humanities and Sciences, approached media production major Hazel Hoffman over the summer to help lead the marketing and communications effort for the new event.

Hoffman, who will earn their bachelor’s in mass communications in December, hit the ground running. They made posters and hung them around the city and did in-person and virtual outreach on campus and at universities around the area. During the event, which was held Oct. 24 at the Institute for Contemporary Art, they even served as emcee.

From start to finish, it was an event that helped to set Hoffman up with the next step in their career.

“Figuring out how to communicate with people in a professional setting and with other academics was a huge learning experience,” they said. “Figuring out how to communicate with people and large groups. I also hosted, which was a new thing for me.”

Hoffman stood out to Crenshaw in a number of ways. In class, they were somewhat introverted but willing to step out of their comfort zone, enthusiastic about the material and eager to embrace it.

“Hazel was an engaged student wanting to soak it all in, wanting to put into practice what we were talking about in class,” Crenshaw said. After the term was over and Hoffman left Crenshaw’s class, they stayed in touch, keeping Crenshaw up to date on what they were doing. A year later, Crenshaw was asked to spearhead Student Podcast Day and Hoffman came to mind.

“I just thought, they are the [right] student: already interested in radio and media production, but also willing and quite frankly, had the skills and work ethic to wrap their head around it. [So I said], ‘We have no idea what this might look like; would you like to join?’ And they said, ‘Absolutely.’”

Student Podcast Day was launched as an offshoot of the RESONATE Podcast Festival, a production of the VPM + ICA Community Media Center, which brought more than 350 professional and aspiring podcasts together for two days of programming and networking.

As part of the event, production companies provided portfolio reviews for a select number of students, including Hoffman, who presented their journalism portfolio. The day after the review, Hoffman was brought back to meet with one of the companies – Goat Rodeo, a Washington, D.C.-based creative team and production studio, which offered them an internship that starts in January.

“That’s what that weekend was all about,” Crenshaw said. “Making these high-level connections that were going to be in Richmond in one place at one time and for students to experience a really unique atmosphere.”

Hoffman’s love of podcasts grew from a childhood spent listening to the radio on their family’s farm in rural Oregon.

“The radio was always on,” they recalled. “Our morning hosts were Lonnie and Meg, so [it was like], ‘Oh, Lonnie and Meg are here.’”

That feeling of familiarity is something that has continued to resonate with Hoffman as they envision a future in journalism.

“My goal would be to do it in a way that people feels represents them authentically through whatever medium that ends up being,” they said. “Audio is special because you can take it anywhere. It’s like a companion media. It builds a connection.”

During their time at VCU, Hoffman has dabbled in different forms of media. They work at a local radio station, starting with news coverage and then moving to sports, and have written for The Commonwealth Times and The Richmonder.

“[VCU] has been fantastic,” Hoffman said. “It was a very rural area that I grew up in and Richmond is like a big city, small town kind of thing, and it’s changed my whole world. I’m so much better off for being here and the opportunities that VCU has provided.”