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Two innovative students from New Mexico Tech are at the forefront of a media project designed to create a connection between NMT and the community of Socorro. This initiative not only seeks to foster communication between the two groups but also aims to illuminate the gaps in public information currently in Socorro, ensuring that all residents are well-informed and engaged with the happenings around them.
“It’s kind of just establishing a community where people can interact with each other on a different basis,” Jack Ryan O’Brien Nation said, “We’re all nerds. Everybody’s very stem-focused, very class-focused, and a lot of the time, people get caught up in that, and it’s kind of hard to step back and take a break and have a little fun sometimes.”
Nation and David Koshkin are the dynamic duo behind the YouTube channel NMT-KTEK.
They said that since September of last year, the KTEK Club has grown substantially with 60 members. Their remarkable growth has earned them the title of “Best New Club of the Year” from NMT, a testament to their engaging and impactful presence on campus.
They plan to expand their channel through local collaborations, create podcasts and establish a radio station.
Nation mentioned that he listened to the radio a lot while growing up, during a time before Spotify and when streaming music on phones was not as accessible. He understands that it might not be practical for everyone, as many people prefer their curated playlists, which they spend hours crafting. However, he believes there is a joy in discovering and sharing new music, whether it comes from emerging artists or those who have not been heard of before.
Koshkin said they will stick to internet radio for now but hope they can get a license to broadcast their radio station one day. He said currently applications for the license aren’t open right now.
“So if anybody reads the newspaper and could help with that, that would be great.” Koshkin said.
Koshkin and Nation have several strategies for long-term sustainability, including building infrastructure to make content creation easier, with automated systems that allow students to quickly produce content, developing paid positions to incentivize ongoing participation and seeking financial support from multiple sources.
“We’ve managed to raise almost $15,000 this first semester,” Koshkin said, “We raised it from Senate bills from the student government. The city of Socorro donated some money to us as well. We also got a little bit from Walmart and a little bit from Los Victors.”
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To make the project sustainable past their time at Tech, they are working to create paid positions with potential funding from the City of Socorro.
Their main objective is to establish a sustainable media platform catering to the student population and the wider Socorro community. They will focus on infrastructure, funding, and diverse content creation. Additionally, they aim to promote Socorro and New Mexico Tech (NMT) to enhance enrollment.
You can find their channel: www.youtube.com/@NMT KTEK-007
For more information email ktek.nmt@gmail.com
To make a donation NMT KTEK Media Group Campaign : NMT KTEK
