Interview w/ the Bronco Post

An Introduction to Scoops

Available on Apple Podcast and Spotify

In modern society, it seems almost impossible to keep up with the newest subjects and world events. In a world where opinions lead to polarization, it can be difficult to navigate the fine line between self-expression and prejudice. With audiences from over 14 countries, ranging from Brazil to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Scoops is a society and culture podcast that shares and discovers new perspectives on topics that are often overlooked or rendered taboo. Run by a collection of hosts in high school, Scoops hopes to incorporate the different backgrounds and cultures of hosts and guests in genuine conversation.

Founded by Melody Wei (‘25), Scoops has sparked the interest and following of many. Passionate about advocacy and education, Melody started Scoops as an initiative to create a community free to express opinions without judgment or discrimination. When asked about the inspiration behind starting Scoops, Melody shares, “As someone that has been in Morrison for over 9 years, I have seen a lot of people with different interests and backgrounds, but as we now live in a world that is fast-advancing, I find that a lot of us are solely working towards the goals that people deem to guarantee success rather than pursuing the curiosities that we have.” Melody expresses that one of her main goals with Scoops is to create a space where students can engage in down-to-earth conversations, dive deeper into their passions and experiences, and break free of people’s assumptions, impressions, and stereotypes.

At the same time, Melody is compelled to use her platform to raise awareness about imperative social issues. “Events that have happened in the past couple of years, such as BLM, Asian Hate crimes stemmed from Covid-19, and now the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Melody shares, “have also showcased a momentous need for more awareness and understanding.”

Recently, Scoops published their third episode hosted by Melody, Sophia Chiu, and Humanities teacher Miss Monty touching on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, akin to the podcast’s objective, the episode presented the historical background of the conflict and examined arguments from both sides instead of reporting on current events and personal stances. As Melody expresses, “Scoops hopes to provide our listeners with information [from] all facets to allow them to discern complex topics on their own.”

Despite publishing their first episode this school year, Scoops has already garnered an engaging and supportive audience, and as Melody expresses, she and her team are grateful for all the heartfelt feedback they have received. Still, starting a podcast is no easy task. From technical challenges like setting up equipment to learning how to engage with the audience in authentic ways, Melody shares that she and her team have “definitely come a long way.” She is thankful for her team members and their perseverance even with things got hard.

High school can be overwhelming. Melody observes, “There seems to be a popular expectation that everyone must have their lives figured out by the time they throw their graduation hats in the air. However, with the hope to encourage everyone to embrace the uncertainties and unknowns in life, I hope that Scoops [can] ultimately pose as a segue for everyone to understand anything and everything [from] different perspectives.”

Be sure to support Scoops by following and listening to their podcasts on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or directly from their website, and tune in for all future episodes!