notes on student stewardship

over the past three years, the place of sound has moved through three transitions in student leadership. what began as a media experiment has gradually become a student-run project, shaped and sustained by successive hosts and producers.

the first student producer/host was Sama Russell, who played a foundational role in building the show’s structure. she helped establish core workflows, contributed to the development of the student handbook, and laid much of the groundwork that made future transitions possible.

in 2024, leadership was passed to Natalie Hall, who brought a distinct journalistic sensibility to the role. during her tenure, the show featured episodes that engaged directly with events and initiatives in the city, expanding the program’s relationship to local publics and contemporary sound practices.

in spring 2025, Kateryna Kalynovska stepped into the role of host and producer. at the time of this transition, she is beginning to shape her own approach to the show, and it will be interesting to see how the project continues to evolve under her direction.

what matters most in these transitions is not continuity of style, but continuity of responsibility. editorial decisions, production workflows, and the day-to-day life of the show are now led by students themselves. this has been the case for several years, and it is now simply how the project operates.

this model of student leadership has been made possible through sustained support from Teaching and Learning Services at Carleton University, including funding through the Students as Partners Program. that support has enabled students to take on meaningful responsibility for the show’s editorial direction and day-to-day operations. the video below was produced as part of that program and demonstrates what it means for students to produce the place of sound on their own terms.

Produced by Greg Allison & Hasi Eldib