Three get cracking on Nice Radio

Young people in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are being called upon to get involved in discussions on the issues that are current in their country. And, three young professionals are providing them with an opportunity to do just that.

Two weeks ago, three friends, lawyer, Vynette “Vinnie V” Frederick, 29, Mechanical Engineer, Colin “Husky” Huskinson, 30, and Management Consultant, Marlon Stevenson, 41, launched their weekly talk radio programme, “Let’s Get Cracking” on Nice Radio. {{more}}

Frederick says she gave the programme the name “Let’s Get Cracking” because it’s something she says all the time. “I tell young people, “man, let’s get cracking.”

The programme airs each Friday night at 8

p. m. and is the brainchild of Colin Huskinson, who declared, “We have a very laissez-faire attitude among young people. Most of the people from my generation walk around and they don’t really care, they don’t get engaged, they don’t get involved. I think we really need to engage young people.” Frederick observes that the apathy also exists among her professional colleagues. “I don’t think this is the right attitude,” she stated.

Frederick, an NDP activist who failed in her bid to contest the South Leeward seat for the NDP in the upcoming general elections, is of the opinion that even though she has declared her political affiliation, she is still an “independent thinker.” She added, “I am not going to just toe a party line, or bring a particular bias when it has to do with things to develop an individual… I don’t think what I have to say is either assisted or tainted by my being an NDP supporter. The substance of what I have to say transcends any political affiliation.”

The two other members of the trio contend that they are non-affiliated. They feel that they are ideally equipped to raise the level of consciousness among their peers. “It is better that we do it coming from a non-affiliated background than if the politicians do it. Essentially when the politicians do it, they are trying to buy votes. I don’t think they are appealing to young people with an interest in getting them up and developed; they are appealing to them with an interest in getting them to vote for a particular party,” Huskinson asserted.

He contends that it is a coincidence that their programme is being broadcast from the pro-NDP Nice Radio which, he says, airs the programme free of charge. They contend that they would have been equally willing to work with any other radio station, once they were not asked to pay.

Stevenson, whom the other two refer to as the “grandpa” of the group, is the main coordinator and researcher.

So far they have tackled the issues of education and the relevance of newspapers to young people. “We can look at life from different perspectives. We are not afraid to disagree with each other. We debate and still remain friends,” Huskinson concluded.