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Keep Your Voice Down is a podcast featuring fellow Central Michigan University journalism grads and best friends Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears, Jr. Alek, the executive editor of Watershed Voice, and Doug, a Watershed Voice writer and columnist, will discuss a variety of topics including the week's top stories in St. Joseph County and beyond, as well as pop culture and other general nonsense. With 13 years of friendship and training from the best journalism school in the State of Michigan un ...
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Alek and Doug are joined by Watershed Voice staff writer Frank Stanko for his long overdue Keep Your Voice Down debut. The trio discuss Samwise Gamgee and the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, Frank's journey from Michigan to North Dakota and back again, the challenges, rewards, and current state of journalism, and Frank's passion for theatre. Alek …
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In true Watershed Voice fashion the Keep Your Voice Down (wrecking) crew brings the news in this week's episode. Doug and Alek discuss the fourth annual Artist Showcase lineup announcement slated for next week, the Huss Project Farmer's Market that kicks off on Saturday, June 1 (according to Doug's Fitbit), and the official end to Watershed's paywa…
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Doug and Alek dusted off their mics and got back into the game this week after nearly five months away, explaining where they’ve been, why it’s been so long, and what not to do when it comes to retrieving DoorDash orders or cleaning up dog pee. The show’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week’s outro music is “Take It to the To…
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Hosts Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears Jr. are joined by Watershed Voice's resident holiday expert Steph Hightree for a very special episode of Keep Your Voice Down. After a brief NewsMatch update, the greatest trio since Garfield, Holland, and Maguire discuss elves on shelves, new and old traditions, the legitimacy of ham, Christmas cats, their favo…
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Keep Your Voice Down Presents: This interview with Matt Erspamer, a journalist, copy writer, and film and television critic, who also happens to have went to Central Michigan University with hosts Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears, Jr.The three CMU journalism school alums discuss a new partnership between Matt and Watershed Voice, the pros and cons of…
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On this week's episode of Keep Your Voice Down, Alek and Doug are joined by Washington-based hip hop producer and artist Blake Alford. The Anderson, Indiana native talks about his latest project Domino Effect, and the added effort that went into producing the album's first single, Oxygen, which is set to drop on November 10. The trio also discuss h…
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Following a totally planned and not at all unintentional 80-day hiatus, Keep Your Voice Down is back! Alek and Doug return to their respective mics to discuss the 2023 LION Local Journalism Awards in North Carolina, mental health, and Watershed Voice's upcoming NewsMatch fundraising campaign. The show’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, …
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The Greatest Recap in the World — A Tribute
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Alek and Doug attempt to recap the magic that was the third annual Watershed Voice Artist Showcase, while Alek grapples with the authenticity of certain pop culture references and idioms used by characters in Ginny & Georgia. Would a teen in the 2020s reference Ghost (1990)? How often does Pinky & the Brain (1995) come up? Is Casper the Friendly Gh…
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Doug and Alek are, in fact, alive. After a lengthy hiatus the duo return to preview the third annual Watershed Voice Artist Showcase (Saturday, July 15, 6 p.m., The Huss Project, Three Rivers), recap all that has happened between the last KYVD episode and this one, including Three Rivers Pride, Alek’s first tattoo (shout out to Portfolio Ink and Am…
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Andrew George of Three Rivers Pride stops by Keep Your Voice Down to chat about the upcoming and first ever Pride Festival in the City of Three Rivers on Saturday, June 24. Andrew, Alek, and Doug talk about how a Pride flag ban protest and the community support it garnered spurred the creation of Three Rivers Pride Festival, how it all came togethe…
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Kim Moffat, executive director of We Are Voters and prolific podcaster (Here's What's Happening, Dawson's Darlings, My America), joins Alek and Doug on Keep Your Voice Down this week to discuss all things voting. We Are Voters is a nonpartisan nonprofit that aims to reimagine civics education, reestablish a healthy dialogue concerning government an…
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With the recent passing of Dr. John K. Hartman, a professor who impacted Alek and Doug's lives and a great many others, the Keep Your Voice Down hosts decided to honor Hartman with a special episode. Fellow Central Michigan University alums Chad Livengood (Detroit News Politics Editor) and Steve Coon (CMU instructor, Grand Central Magazine advisor)…
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Alek's childhood friend and standup comedian Rio Riojas stops by Keep Your Voice Down to discuss his recent foray into the world of standup comedy and his upcoming show in Kalamazoo (Wednesday, March 22 at Final Gravity Brewing Company, 8 p.m.). The Bay City native and East Lansing resident tells Doug and Alek about how he got started, how his act …
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Three Rivers Public Library Director Bobbi Schoon returns to Keep Your Voice Down to discuss the library's involvement with the Smithsonian's Spark! Places of Innovation program. Spark! explores the unique combination of places, people, and circumstances that sparks innovation and invention in rural communities. The Three Rivers Library will be hos…
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Local author and hairstylist Brittni Huyck drops by Keep Your Voice Down to talk about her Iron City Heat Series, a trio of what Alek calls "spicy novels" and Doug, an adult, calls romantic novels. The Three Rivers native describes her writing process, what her family, friends, and clients think of her "dirty books," and what their support has mean…
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Amber Ward, Jillian Gardner, Portfolio Ink
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46:10
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Alek and Doug are joined by Portfolio Ink owner and tattoo artist Amber Ward, and Portfolio shop manager Jillian Gardner. The quartet discuss Amber and Jillian's respective upbringings, the interesting routes each took to the world of tattoos and piercings, how their love of art and artistic expression influences most everything they do, and their …
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Alek and Doug welcome poet, community activist, voice actor, author, and Watershed Voice columnist and board member Aundrea Sayrie. The long awaited interview with one of Watershed's founding members doesn't disappoint as Aundrea talks the origin story of Three Rivers Open Mic, her Black History Month series on WSV and why she decided to change the…
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This week on Keep Your Voice Down, Doug and Alek are joined by Jackie Koney, chief operating officer of The Mill at Vicksburg, and friend of the show, Dan Moyle. The quartet discuss the progress of The Mill project and its 110-acre campus being developed for craft brewing, entertainment, tourism and more, right here in Southwest Michigan. You can l…
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Alek and Doug are joined by Watershed Voice's new staff writer and longtime food columnist Beca Welty to discuss her new role, her journey from "Judge Welty's kid" to super mom and super baker to community journalist, and her thoughts on the maddening, yet highly entertaining third season of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime. You can find Beca…
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Alek and Doug discuss the week that was in Three Rivers, the resurrection of the Three Rivers Commercial-News, the news landscape in St. Joseph County, and what the future may hold for Watershed Voice as a daily news source in this new era of community journalism. The show’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week’s outro music i…
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This week’s episode of Keep Your Voice Down includes the harrowing tale of a vet visit with three cats, thoughts on Doug and Alek’s respective and very different Thanksgiving dinners, an award-winning trip to Austin, #GivingTuesday, and future plans for Watershed Voice. The show’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week’s outro m…
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Alek and Doug discuss all things Austin, as Alek heads to Texas for the Independent News Sustainability Summit and 2022 LION Local Journalism Awards. The pair go over which categories Watershed Voice nominated for, Doug decides which sessions Alek and Deborah will attend at the summit, and Alek talks about being a writing mentor for the Voices of Y…
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Mark Quinn, Heart 2 Heart Autism Center
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Alek and Doug are joined by #MomLife columnist Steph Hightree, and Mark Quinn of Heart 2 Heart Autism Center to discuss the Three Rivers-based center and the services it provides. The quartet also talks about the importance of respite care, the stigma and misconceptions surrounding autism, and coping mechanisms for parents/caregivers of children wh…
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Alek and Doug are joined by "My America" co-hosts Kim Moffat and Dan Moyle to discuss federal student loan debt forgiveness on the heels of President Joe Biden's unveiling of a three-part plan "to address the burden of growing college costs," and "to make the student loan system more manageable for working families." The show’s theme is “Howling at…
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Alek and Doug are joined by rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and engineer poet Mikel James Watkins. Mikel talks fatherhood, mental health peaks and valleys, better understanding the history behind the music he produces, and his upcoming event at Harvey House in Constantine. You can purchase tickets for "Awakening In August" on Eventbrite, while…
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Alek and Doug return to their respective mics to discuss what went down at the Watershed Voice Artist Showcase last weekend, why Doug wasn't there, and why taking multiple plane rides and attending a handful of summer weddings before your friend's big event isn't conducive to co-hosting. So join us, as Alek unintentionally sets the world record for…
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Kalamazoo recording artist, producer, and songwriter Sherridan Harris returns to Keep Your Voice Down to chat with Doug and Alek ahead of Saturday's Watershed Voice Artist Showcase. The trio discuss Sherridan a.k.a. Sherdizzil's sophomore record "The Vine Album," his growth as an artist and as a performer, rap and hip-hop nerdom, and how this year'…
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With Doug on vacation in Beantown, friend of the show Dan Moyle steps in as Alek's cohost for this week's episode with Erin Schultes. Erin is the Democratic candidate for District Two St. Joseph County Commissioner, vice chair of the St. Joseph County, Michigan Democrats, and a member of the Three Rivers Pride Committee. The trio discusses why Erin…
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Local author, Watershed Voice columnist, and limited licensed psychologist Charles Thomas returns to Keep Your Voice Down to discuss mental health options in Southwest Michigan, his book Headcase (The Remix), his daughter's high school graduation party, the genius of Erin Schultes, and Josh Brolin and Al Pacino's avid listenership of KYVD. Doug, Al…
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Alek and Doug return from yet another involuntary hiatus to chat with Rock Island, Illinois native and Creative Aubrey "Aubs." Barnes. The trio talks about Aubrey's latest published work "it is Written. it is Good.", their hip-hop and rap influences, mental health, education, open mics, rap battles, and antiracism. You can follow Aubrey on Instagra…
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Alek was contemplating podcast retirement after technical issues ruined two completed interviews, and forced he and his cohost Doug into a longer than expected hiatus. But don't fret: They're finally back, and mediocre as ever. So join your favorite duo (besides Tina Fey and Amy Poehler), as they catch you up on all that has happened erstwhile in t…
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Emme Zanotti, the Third Vice Chair of The LGBT and Allies Caucus of the Michigan Democratic Party and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion specialist, joined Alek and Doug in early March to discuss her column about the recent barrage of anti-gay and trans legislation adopted in the United States, and her personal journey as a trans woman. Due to mic …
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Aspiring TikTok influencer and Newport News, Virginia native Micah Temple drops by Keep Your Voice Down this week for a chat with hosts Alek Haak-Frost and Doug Sears, Jr. The trio discuss Micah's burgeoning social media presence, the fleeting nature of Tumblr fame, discovering one's people, pop cultural blindspots, and their respective Mount Rushm…
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Poet and spoken word artist Madison “Mocha” Hunter drops by Keep Your Voice Down for a chat. Alek, Doug, and Madison discuss the poet’s current locale, Memphis, Tennessee, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in creative writing and a certificate in African American literature, and how it compares to her previous stops in Alabama and her hometow…
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Alek and Doug address the Georgia Bulldog in the room: Former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is Super Bowl bound, and they're here for it. After fawning over Stafford and what he meant to Detroit, Doug and Alek discuss rooting for a player after they leave your favorite team, silver linings from the trade that sent Stafford to the Los A…
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Author Matthew Roberson stops by Keep Your Voice Down to discuss his forthcoming novel “Interim,” set to be released in March, and all things writing. Doug, Alek, and Matt talk process, influence, young writers’ dependence on film, television, and video games in lieu of reading literature, and Central Michigan University, where Matt teaches creativ…
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Warning: This episode contains explicit language Malachi Carter (The Unapologetics (UN) Podcast) drops by Keep Your Voice Down to discuss, well, everything. Doug, Alek, and Malachi talk Season 2 of UN, what to expect in Season 3, Malachi’s upcoming MLK Day online event “MLK, CRT, and The Gospel,” the respective greatness of Betty White and Spider-M…
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Now I know what a TV dinner feels like
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Doug and Alek wanted to discuss all things holidays, and felt it was necessary to bring in an expert, so we called Mrs. Christmas herself, Steph Hightree. These three wise people discuss Steph's lack of egg nog experience, ridiculous Hallmark Christmas movie plots, determining whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not (it certainly is), survivin…
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James Hissong joins 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. The show’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week’s outro music is…
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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+ c…
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At the top of this week’s episode Alek and Doug address Monday’s troubling news that teachers within the Three Rivers Community Schools system were asked to remove Pride flags in their classrooms in response to an “external challenge” by an unidentified party. The hosts of Keep Your Voice Down are also joined by Sarah Lee, Director of Marketing Com…
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Former Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Brian Persky joined Doug and Alek on Keep Your Voice Down this week to discuss downtown Three Rivers, his work with Discover Kalamazoo, the hierarchy of Halloween Candy, and why being a Detroit Lions fan is basically a combat sport. Brian is the Director of Sports Event Developme…
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Doug rejoins Alek and the podcast this week to interview Podcaster Dan Moyle (I'm Not In An Abusive Relationship, My America, Antiracism in Action). Doug, Alek, and Dan discuss domestic violence and ways victims AND abusers can get help, his experience as a Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services board member, becoming an antiracist, asking "dumb white …
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Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose
1:42:23
1:42:23
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Doug and Alek are joined by Layne Deuel (Spartans, Wolverines and Beards Podcast) to discuss the best and WORST of sports cinema. Alek tells all of the stories including how he and his brother Shane used The Waterboy against their sister Kayla, why his Uncle Andy got in trouble for showing Mystery, Alaska to his niece and nephews, and the tragedy t…
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Torrey Brown, a write-in candidate for Three Rivers At-Large City Commissioner, drops by the show to discuss why he's running, the importance of representation and transparency, his vision for a rec center for the city's youth, his upcoming induction into the Three Rivers Athletics Hall of Fame, and more. A technical snafu at the start of this epis…
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Doug and Alek discuss Watershed Voice's Fall Member Drive, the importance of local journalism, Halloween in Three Rivers, Alek's forgotten novel he recently picked up again, the legend of Dr. John K. Hartman, and Doug's love for cycling and drop-in hockey. Keep Your Voice Down’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and this week’s outro mus…
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WARNING: In this week’s episode, Alek and Doug get personal. 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 j…
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2Pac & Vince Vaughn walk into an artist showcase
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Doug and Alek go it alone on the heels of the Watershed Voice Artist Showcase to discuss the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of Alek's first foray into live entertainment, touching on what Alek learned, what he would do differently, and what the future holds for the event. Keep Your Voice Down’s theme is “Howling at the Moon” by D Fine Us, and t…
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Doug and Alek are joined by Michigan Advance Editor-in-Chief Susan J. Demas to discuss her recent column about the current state of affairs as it pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic, journalistic niceties, the shift in the way journalists operate amid an ultra polarized political climate, access journalism, and the highs and lows of mountain climbing…
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Doug and Alek join Lisha and Jules on Screen Tea Podcast for a very (very) in-depth discussion about the 2015 Ridley Scott film The Martian. Listen to Doug fanboy over Screen Tea, his favorite podcast on the planet, and Alek fanboy over Matt Damon, while Lisha and Jules try to bring the rickety vessel that is this episode safely home. Make sure to …
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