Cynthia Brian

No matter what the situation is...close your eyes and think of all the things in your life you could be grateful for right now." — Deepak Chopra Is there any holiday better than Thanksgiving? Not only is it a time to eat all our favorite foods, but it is also a time to express our gratitude for living. Keerthi hosts this holiday favorite and surprisingly she is not a fan of Thanksgiving food because she is a vegetarian. But she is a believer in appreciation and thankfulness a

“We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.” — Ursula K. LeGuin The increase in technology and social media, has led to the rise of misogyny online - a dangerous, vile problem that has infiltrated almost every corner of the internet. Hannah and Keerthi host this program about equality for women. Hannah discusses a major problem that has infiltrated almost every corner of the internet…misogyny. S

The midterm elections are approaching and our Express Yourself!™ teens, hosts Ruhani and Keerthi and reporter Kevin have important thoughts to be considered. Keerthi starts the segment in her usual humorous monologue talks about democracy and voting through the debate lens. Ruhani focuses on the 19th amendment and our rights to vote, giving us a history lesson worth listening to. Our A.I. afficionado, Kevin, discusses how A. I. plays a role in the voting process and candidate

Maggie hosts an hour of celebrating the arts with special guest artist and illustrator, Jensen Russell. Jensen illustrated the new children’s picture book authored by Cynthia Brian, No Barnyard Bullies and will be illustrating forthcoming books in the series, Stella Bella’s Barnyard Adventures. (https://www.StarStyleStore.net) She says she has always been an artist beginning as a little girl doodling and encourages teens to pursue creative endeavors. After high school she too

In today’s episode of Express Yourself!, hosts Hannah and Ruhani delve into serious topics such as feminism and misogyny. Hannah explains the rise of femicide and how sexist media has contributed to these rates. In the next segment, Ruhani goes into detail about the merger of publishing houses and how it can lead to limiting diverse voices in literature. Our hosts ran out of time before they can go more in depth about the rise of dangerous misogynistic podcasters, so stay tun

Biotechnology/Genetic Modification and Ethics Another scientific episode from our very intellectual teens at Express Yourself! In segment one, Keerthi humorously describes biotechnology. She looks at the advantages of biotech. Biotech can help produce healthier foods, since genetics can be altered through biotech, scientists can increase the amount of healthy nutrients in crops. Changing the genetic code of crops could also cause fewer pesticides to be used, more efficient fa

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.” ― Maya Angelou Hannah, Ruhani, Keerthi, and Sharanya stand up for all women. Keerthi offers an insightful, yet humorous take on creating interesting characters for fiction writing, especially for the female gender. Hannah dives into the dangerous effects of the recent overturning of Roe. v. Wade which took away women’s reproductive rights and jeopardizes f

Back to School Can summer vacation be over already? Yes, for most students, classes begin this week. No more sleeping late and going to bed whenever. It’s time to hit the books and make sure you make the bell. Producer, Cynthia Brian introduces Nerd Extraordinaire reporter, Keerthi, as she gives a humorous, yet impactful insight into debating. Host Hannah catches up with Rose in her segment Bite Share, focusing on the importance of urban food policy, food in schools, and food

Ruhani, Sharanya, and Keerthi showcase a program about different types of journalistic endeavors. What is journalism? According to Britannica, journalism is “the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such print and electronic media as newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, webcasts, podcasts, social networking, and social media sites, and e-mail as well as through radio, motion pictures, and television.” Nerd Extr

“There’s nothing wrong with you. There’s a lot wrong with the world you live in.” –Chris Colfer https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/138495/lgbtqia According to the CDCR, “LGBTQIA+ is an inclusive term that includes people of all genders and sexualities, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allies. While each letter in LGBTQIA+ stands for a specific group of people, the term encompasses the entire spectrum of gende

Sharanya, Ruhani, and Hannah talk about the pseudoscience of energy healing. Producer of the hit film What The Bleep Do We Know?!!, Betsy Chasse, joins for a discussion about energy, healing, filmmaking, and being a Mom to teens. https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/138260/energy-healing The definition of energy healing is holistic practice that activates the body's subtle energy systems to remove blocks. By breaking through these energetic blocks, the body's inherent abilit

“If it comes from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t!” Michael Pollan An allergy is when your immune system reacts to an allergen. The type of reaction that occurs can vary from mild to severe. Some of the most common allergies are nuts, pollen, and pets. Reporters on Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio, Nihal and Kirpa Gill, provide information on allergies for both humans and pets. Allergies result from an overreaction of the immune system. The immune system has o

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/137969/modern-music According to Express Yourself! host, Ruhani’s Spotify statistics, her most-listened to artists are Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, and Mitski. All amazing singers. But anyone who knows her knows that her favorite artist will forever be the first one on the list, the one and only Harry Styles. Ruhani shares her concert experience and the reasons he is her number one choice. A.I. And Us reporter, Kevin, expla

“Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.” - T. Collin Cambell Rose hosts a program about her favorite topic, food and nutrition. In her segment Bite share she discusses the importance of urban food policy, food access, and nutritional education. This show focuses on clean eating, organic food, and eating to optimize your body's functions. Nihal talks about how eating healthy is the best way to keep your body clean and ready f

“Fraud is the daughter of greed” -John Grant Over 49 million people were victims of identity theft in 2020. This resulted in $13 billion in damages from “traditional” identity theft, i.e., people losing their info through data breaches and similar attacks. One of the strangest statistics is that the majority of the losses ($43 billion) stemmed from direct-interaction scams, such as phishing emails. Bad actors are getting bolder and are willing to target people directly. Host

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” Nelson Mandela Why is education critical to success? The Express Yourself!™ teens have a lively discussion on various aspects of learning. In segment one, host Ruhani and reporter Maggie chat about ways to make a classroom more accessible for neurodivergent students. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with d

Other than indigenous people, everyone in the US has immigrant blood. Yet immigration policy has been a heated political issue for decades. Hosts rose and Ruhani investigate the various aspects of immigration. Rose discusses how immigrants have limited access to healthy produce and how immigration has influenced the production of healthy foods. Ruhani shares the history of immigration in the United States. Immigrants come to the United States in the hope of finding a better l

https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/137150/public-health What is public health? Public health is the science of and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized effort and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private communities, and individuals. Public health protects and improves neighborhoods and communities by preventing epidemics and spreading illnesses and diseases. Public health encourages healthy lifestyles

“Child slavery is a crime against humanity. Humanity itself is at stake here.” —Kailash Satyarthi The internet is a powerful tool and an integral part of modern society. Living in a fast-paced digital world, individuals can contact others worldwide at the simple click of a button. Applications like social media and Google have created many benefits, such as staying up to date with important events and global news, increased interaction with other individuals, and increased ac

BE A VOLUNTEER “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou Do you volunteer to help others? If not, why not? The paradigm of life is the more you help others, the more you help yourself. Hosts Rose and Ruhani share their experiences with being a volunteer. Rose talks about being a counselor at Camp Harmony where she was able to build relationships and have an impact