Hear Mark Zhang and his show Leave Your Mark, Wednesdays 1-2 PM.

1.Are you from Kamloops? If not, where are you from and how did you come to be in Kamloops?

I am originally born in China, and then came to Canada, Toronto specifically in 2001. After spending years with my parents, I thought it was time to branch out and moved to Vancouver to pursue my Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. That’s where I met my wife and then together, we decided on moving to Kamloops where she was born and raised.

2.Are you a student volunteer? If so, what are you studying and does volunteering at the station help with your studies?

I am not a student volunteer. I am currently employed as a counsellor here at TRU in the Counselling Services sector of the institution. Volunteering at the station gives me a chance to become more involved at the university and engage with other members of the institution that I don’t usually get the chance to meet.

3.What is it about volunteering in general that appeals to you?

Volunteering in general is appealing to me because it gives me a chance to contribute in many ways. It gives me the opportunity to give back to the community that gives me so much, it gives me the chance to learn about a whole new area (radio) that I was always interested in, and it gives me the privilege to learn about the amazing lives of many others within the university and share their stories in ways that can promote mental wellness.

4.What other hobbies and interests do you have outside of doing campus/community radio?

Playing volleyball is my number one escape from life responsibilities. It’s an activity where I can fully focus on competing, connecting with others, and being physically active. Besides volleyball, I enjoy walking my dog, exploring new places while drinking too much coffee, reading when I have the time, and online shopping without buying anything (gather a bunch of items and then immediately emptying the cart).

5.What is your show about? What would a listener hear when they tune in?

My show is about highlighting “everyday” individuals across the institution who have achieved incredible things in their own ways. Whether if it’s faculty, staff, or students, listeners get a chance to hear about their passions, interest, successes and challenges they have experienced, and things that are important and meaningful to them.

6.What makes your show unique? Why do you think listeners are interested in your show?

From my perspective, my show may be similar to podcasts where celebrities talk about their lives and how they overcame obstacles to achieve their successes. However, the possible difficulty with that, again from my view, is that many may find it difficult to relate to these conversations. What maybe makes my show unique is that everyday individuals are being highlighted, and listeners maybe have a chance to relate better because these are people they will come across the community. The guests have the spotlight to share their stories of successes and difficulties that may be minimized in other spaces but deserve to be heard because it’s important for all of us to hear these stories so we can begin to normalize and validate our own life stories. Listeners may also be interested in my show because they get the chance to learn about different topics where they may have very little knowledge. Personally, I have had the privilege to learn from experts of psychology, English, philosophy, athletics, and many other important areas, and I believe that others in the community would want to learn about these topics too.

7.What does campus/community radio mean to you?

Campus/community radio to me begins with the idea of community. It’s about the people and topics of the community we are in and highlighting what’s relevant and important to our community. It means giving voices to those who are part of the community and the opportunity for them to share their passions with others in the community, whether if it’s a shared passion or the chance to learn new things. Campus/community radio is a space where we can discuss or share meaningful things or issues and connect with others through music or conversation. It also gives the community a chance to learn about music from artists who maybe don’t get the playing time from mainstream radio, and spotlight the incredible work they have produced.

8.What shows at CFBX do you like and listen to regularly? Why do you enjoy them?

I am going to take this opportunity to spotlight the show after my slot, Jazz Notes with Jim. I enjoy listening to Jim because jazz is not a category of music that I have listened to a lot in the past, and hearing Jim’s knowledge and passion about jazz through our conversations makes listening to his show so much more meaningful.

9.Name an artist you discovered through your time at CFBX that you’d like others to know about.

I would like to stretch the limits here and name more than one artist that I have discovered through my time at CFBX, and they are Adrian Glynn, Golden Lava Club, and Scatterbrains.

10.Is there a local musician that you would like people to pay more attention to? Why?

Wander North is a “Northern Rock” group as they call themselves that I would like people to check out! They are locals to Kamloops, and it’s hard to place an exact reason as to why people should pay more attention to them besides me really connecting with their sound and being able to just focus on their music when I heard their songs.

11.​Do you enjoy attending live concerts? Why? Can you tell us about your favorite live concert that you’ve been to?

I definitely enjoy attending live concerts but haven’t had the chance to attend a lot. My favourite is the one I went to most recently, Usher, without a doubt. Usher has been one of favourite artists for my entire life and it was amazing to watch him perform and to relive the moments of when I first found out about him and then followed his career.

12.What do you hope to do with your show in the future? What direction do you see your show moving?

I hope to be able to gain more listeners through more intentional promotion and spreading awareness. Ultimately, I hope to continue what I’m currently doing, which is to have intentional conversations with people across the institution, give them a voice to share their passions and accomplishments, and spread their words of wisdom.