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Ethan, from media to military.

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A media production graduate a semester from finishing is asked what his generation is supposed to do about work, and answers by describing friends who have graduated into nothing and a plan that ends with the military.

Ethan is from Ocean City, Maryland, came out to Boulder for four years, and has one semester left before he goes home. The near-term plan is modest and stated without embarrassment: work at a restaurant, surf for a while.

The question put to him is blunt about the conditions. You cannot make minimum wage and survive; what do people do about that? His answer starts with the people around him. “It is pretty hard right now. I have a bunch of friends, just graduated, have no idea what they’re doing, can’t get a job.”

He thinks his own field gives him some cover, and his reasoning is a small snapshot of the labour market this whole archive keeps bumping into: “I’m a media production major and minor in communications. So it’s kind of nice, because everyone’s trying to get some media out there. They need people who know how to make it.”

And then, in the same breath: “But I do think I’m going to go into the military.” He comes from a military family. The reply from behind the camera is not an argument, it is agreement that there are good people there.

The best part is the last minute, when the questions turn to what he actually likes. “I love the storytelling aspect of it. Really feeling that emotion through the visuals and the editing. That’s my favourite part. I’m a big editor.” The man filming him agrees on the spot, and says the thing every editor believes: “You can film anything you want, but as soon as you start editing, it can turn into a real masterpiece.”

Filmed by Tim Palka, from Pittsburgh, one of two pieces he shot for this archive. He also gives the clearest gloss anybody has offered on the name of the channel: We Them Media, as in we and them, and anyone anywhere who wants to be involved can be.

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Transcribed from the original audio and corrected for names. Speaker letters mark turns, not names. Search every transcript →

These are the speaker’s own words. We have not checked their claims.

0:01ASo, I don’t know. Your name was again? Ethan. Ethan, Tim.

0:06CNice to meet you.

0:07AHey, are you from Denver?

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0:08CI’m from Maryland.

0:09AMaryland? Nice. I’m from Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. He’s from Philly. East Coast. What part of Maryland?

0:16COcean City.

0:17AOcean City, cool. Yeah, have you ever been to like D.C., skated around there and stuff? Like Freedom Plaza, that’s my jam. Fuck yeah. So, what brought you out to Denver, Colorado?

0:26CI just graduated Boulder.

0:29ANice. I was in

0:29CBoulder for four years, just came out here for shits and giggles

0:34AAnd then it’s kind of working out for you?

0:36CYeah, I got one more semester at Boulder and then heading back to Maryland

0:39ANice, do you have any plans for the future then? Going back to Maryland and enjoying yourself? Back and forth, it’s the only one,

0:46Byou gotta like hand the mic

0:47AOh, okay,

0:50Bwell Just swing it back and forth because it’s only one mic Do

0:53Ayou have any plans for going back to Maryland at the moment?

0:57CNow I’m just going to work at a restaurant and try to bum out and surf for a little bit

1:01AYeah, there is surfing out there on the east coast, let it be heard, there is That’s where I learned to surf, New Jersey

1:07BHell yeah

1:09ASo, besides that, I mean you have any, you know, with this economy, all this bullshit going on I mean, we can’t really trust to make minimum wage and even survive these days I’m not going to go into your degree or nothing, but do you have any ideas on how people are going to deal with that in the future?

1:30CDude, it is pretty hard right now. I have a bunch of friends just graduated. I have no idea what they’re doing. Can’t get a job. I’m a media production major in minor communications, so it’s kind of nice because everyone’s trying to get some media out there. They need people to know how to make it, but I do think I’m going to go into the military.

1:50BOkay,

1:51Ano, there’s a lot of good people in the military too

1:54CI come from a military family, so Thinking about doing that

1:57AHeck yeah, I mean also That’s what we’re doing at the moment So, you know, we’re trying to meet other I think We Them Media We Them Media as in we and them Anyone who wants to get involved Anywhere in the country, I think they can at the moment

2:10BIn the world

2:11AIn the world I think there’s some people skating across Africa I haven’t talked to them yet, but we’re trying to But yeah, besides that I’m happy to hear Like, people do have plans, you know, and because, you know, it’s hard to kind of keep staying positive out here You know, just talking to more people and figuring out, you know, hey, what is everyone actually thinking? What are people thinking? What are people thinking these days? So, you know, I’m happy to talk to you. Yeah, hell yeah. Ethan. Ethan? Hell yeah. Yeah, yeah.

2:42CIt’s nice to meet you guys.

2:44AYeah, nice to meet you too.

2:44BWait, wait, wait. I want to know, you’re doing this media stuff. What’s most interesting to you about media stuff?

2:49ATrue.

2:49CI like the storytelling aspect of it.

2:50ASo, talking about the media stuff, I was wondering what kind of interest you and put you in the media realm. What do you like about it?

3:01CI just love the storytelling aspect of it. Really just feeling that emotion through the visuals and the editing. That’s my favorite part.

3:08BI’m a big editor.

3:09AYeah, no, me too. You can film anything you want, but as soon as you start editing, it can turn into a real masterpiece, in my opinion.

3:15CYou can change it any way you want. Make anyone feel a certain way.

3:18AYeah, so I love that part about it, too. Hell yeah. Well, Ethan, I know it’s kind of laid out here. We’re walking the dog. Appreciate you stopping.

3:25CNo problem. Heck

3:25Ayeah, man.

3:26CI see you, brother.

3:27AYeah, yeah. See you later. Peace.

3:29CNice to meet you, too.

3:30BNice to meet you, too. I’m recording you skating off into the distance.

3:33AUnless you want to hit my Instagram. I’ll give you my Instagram.

3:41BI like it, though.

That was the whole tape.

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Filmed the same day.

12 March 2026

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