What it Means to be an American
Express Yourself!
it Means to be an American “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy Host Sharanya discusses how being a naturalized citizen has affected her and her family. Being an American to her means being honest about governmental failures instead of pretending they don’t exist. It means refusing to confuse patriotism with blind loyalty. You can love a country and still demand that it do better. Sharanya has learned that Americanness doesn’t stop at borders. The values she associates with being American...
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KBG Syndrome and Using AI to Write Songs
Express Yourself!
“I think every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” - Neil Armstrong Some people use their heartbeats to make noise. Others use them to make meaning. In today’s broadcast, host Julia interviews someone who does exactly that through music. Rachel Schaub is an emerging 17-year-old pop songwriter and artist from the Detroit area whose music is playful, expressive, and deeply personal. Her songs move easily from bright, bouncy pop anthems to more reflective, emotional moments, all rooted in real experiences, friendships, and...
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How Curiosity Leads to Success
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“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein Brothers, Jatin and Milan, reporters on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, talk about how being curious leads to success in all things. Jatin discusses how curiosity helped some people become famous for their inventions. Milan reads a poem and encourages teens to explore and be curious. Producer, Cynthia Brian, hosts the program and reads the chapter from her book, Be the Star You Are! for Teens called The Gift of Curiosity, penned by Sally Franz. Buy copies of the book . Click on the STORE. ...
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Goals for the New Year!
Express Yourself!
“Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.”~ Mahatma Gandhi It’s a brand-new year, and Express Yourself!™ teen reporters, Milan and Jatin, share their suggestions for creating goals and resolutions. Producer, Cynthia Brian, hosts providing a few insights into planning for success. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!” Happy 2026…Sparkle and Shine! Follow us: Sign up for FREE Newsletter: Buy shirts and hats with BTSYA logos: Listen to StarStyle®-Be the STAR You Are!® shows: Or ...
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Holiday Celebrations with Julia Howe
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"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful." – Norman Vincent Peale. In this holiday episode, Host Julia explores what the season really feels like for teenagers: balancing stress, shifting family dynamics, and the pressure to enjoy a “magical” time of year, while learning how to make the holidays meaningful on our own terms. Julia reflects on practical, honest ways teens can enjoy the season without clichés, perfection, or forced cheer. The show also features a special caroling segment from the LWHS Waves, LWHS Vocal...
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Exploring the Existence of God
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“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.” Voltaire Does asking whether God exists help teens think about bigger questions like what gives life meaning? What makes something right or wrong? Who or what do I look to when I’m trying to understand my purpose, my identity, my relationships, or the challenges? Host Hanna talks about the fact that even teens who don’t believe in a higher power often care deeply about justice, fairness, compassion, dignity, and the desire to be part of something meaningful. Many of those values were born of religious traditions long...
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Thanksgiving and Gratitude
Express Yourself!
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.”— Maya Angelou A family-friendly Thanksgiving program with host Kirpa and her cousins Milan and Jatin as they celebrate gratitude, food, music, travel, and joy. Thanksgiving is a time of connection, a time to apologize, and forgive. Kirpa advises that life doesn’t need to be perfect to be beautiful — and that’s the heartbeat of Thanksgiving. Have gratitude for the sunshine and the rain and even the rainbows that follow. Milan talks about being kind. Jatin shares his music appreciation. All three encourage...
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How Teens Preserve Their Culture
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“If we are to preserve culture, we must continue to create it.” by Johan Huizinga Culture is not only about connecting the past to the present, but it is also a way we form our identity; it is a part of the puzzle in our lives. Host Julia and reporter Milan discuss the importance of studying culture and keeping one’s heritage and culture alive. Milan talks about how culture forms our identity and shares how teens can illustrate the importance of traditions through events, social media, writing, and more. Julia shares information on the Chinese Opera Program she founded. Jing Shao Nian is...
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Preparing for College Applications
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“ The future belongs to those who prepare for it today.” - Malcolm X Although college applications can be stressful, there are small steps to take to make the process feel less overwhelming! Host Diya walks you through actions that will help you fill out successful applications to colleges that will be best suited to your life preferences. Stay organized and start early. Put all your extracurriculars, deadlines for essays, and application fees on spreadsheets and checklists. Research colleges that best fit your personality and interests. Do you want urban, suburban, or...
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Teens and Gun Control
Express Yourself!
On August 5th, 2012, when Express Yourself!™ teen, was a toddler, he, his brother, and his mother stopped for three minutes at a gas station on their way to their Sikh temple. Those three minutes saved their lives as a gunman began a mass shooting. Today, host Kirpa and reporter Milan discuss gun control and what teens think about it. There are an estimated 400 million to 500 million civilian-owned firearms in the United States, with some estimates putting the number at around 1.5 firearms per person. This means there are more guns in the USA than people. Kirpa indicates that for many...
info_outline“If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him.” Voltaire
Does asking whether God exists help teens think about bigger questions like what gives life meaning? What makes something right or wrong? Who or what do I look to when I’m trying to understand my purpose, my identity, my relationships, or the challenges? Host Hanna talks about the fact that even teens who don’t believe in a higher power often care deeply about justice, fairness, compassion, dignity, and the desire to be part of something meaningful. Many of those values were born of religious traditions long before they were written into constitutions or taught in classrooms. Hanna interviews third-year Ph.D student in the Department of Philosophy, Joe Schmid, who provides an argument for and against God's existence. The cosmological argument for God's existence posits that everything in the universe has a cause. Arguments against God's existence center on the Problem of Evil, how an all-good, all-powerful God allows suffering. He then discusses Pascal’s Wager. Blaise Pascal, the 17th-century philosopher and mathematician, argued that we should believe in God and act as if God exists because it is the best bet.
The existence-of-God question is more than a question of belief. It’s a doorway into understanding culture, history, psychology, community, creativity, and the human need for meaning.
Dive deeper into the existence of God and decide for yourself!
Bio: Joe Schmid
Joe is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Philosophy with research interests in metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and philosophy of mind. He earned a B.A. in philosophy from Purdue University in 2022 (Boiler Up!). Joe has published papers in Mind, Noûs, and The Journal of Philosophy, co-authored the SEP entry on Ontological Arguments, and co-authored a book published by Springer. He also runs the philosophy YouTube channel Majesty of Reason. When he’s not doing philosophy, you’ll find him either playing soccer or cuddling with his overwhelmingly cute dog (or both).
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