The B-Side

Produced and written by Richie Requena

Recorded by Claire Malon

Our second episode of The B-Side features a story from Pueblo Managing Editor Richie Requena. Published in May of 2019, "Paying Out of Pocket" details the experiences of three undocumented college students as they struggle to afford the cost of tuition amid discriminatory laws preventing them from recieving financial aid.  

In this piece, Requena describes how local undocumented students are finding ways to pay their way through school and explains the efforts by leaders to change the law to make higher education more accessible to all.

This episode of ‘The B-Side’ was featured in 14 East’s weekly newsletter, In The Loop, on Jan. 24. Read the full newsletter here. Cover art for the podcast is by Bridget Killian. Miss our first episode? Check it out below:

Story by Lara Diaz

Produced and recorded by Claire Malon

Our pilot episode of The B-Side is a story from contributing writer Lara Diaz. Published in the fall of 2021, “Next Stop, Van Buren,” is a powerful narrative essay about community, identity and belonging.

Diaz, who was born and raised on the Southeast Side of Chicago, describes how she was forced to grapple with her identity as a Mexican American while attending predominantly white schools on the North Side. Using her commute on the Metra Electric train as a metaphor, Diaz seeks to show how the deeply rooted love and understanding of where we come acts as a guide to interpreting the world around us and our place in it.