TURN it up!

The Universal Radio Network

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Society & Culture
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Welcome to The Universal Radio Network's podcast page, here you can access our interviews, discussions & podcasts. Visit our website at www.theuniversalradio.com or follow us on social media for updates!Instagram: @theuniversalradioTwitter: @theuniversalrad

1d ago

#320 Pressure is a Privilege?

Sogand sits down with Sunny Brar to talk about legacy, service, and why making people feel seen can be more valuable than any title. We dig into resilience, mental health tools, and the small daily choices that help us lead by example when life gets heavy. • Defining legacy as making people feel seen • Seva and the mindset behind Project Love • The men’s mental health flowers initiative and why it matters • Reframing struggling as normal and learning affect labelling • Seeking help, journaling, and building neuroplasticity through words • Lessons from sport about loss, growth, and teamwork • Brain versus mind, metacognition, and pushing past comfort • Gratitude, perspective, and “pressure is privilege” • Coping with trauma exposure in first responder roles • Transition rituals, movement, sleep, and not taking work home • Trying different mental health supports and not giving up when fit is wrong • Sunny’s book You Knew This All Along and uncovering wisdom Tune in to Wellbeing Wednesdays with Sogand on The Universal Radio Network, 97.9 FM in Edmonton, or globally at www.theuniversalradio.com. IG: @theuniversalradio
2d ago

#319 TURNing it Up with Sameer: Edmonton's Unofficial Tourism Ambassador

Sapreet sits down with Sameer (@sameer.pictures), the photographer whose work makes Edmonton shine. He shares how a self-taught hobby turned into real tourism impact, plus practical tips for exploring the city and starting your own creative practice. • Why Sameer calls himself an Edmonton ambassador rather than an influencer • Early culture shock moving from Bangalore and how Edmonton became home • Learning the city through downtown walks and river valley trails • Picking up a camera in 2018 and getting an early boost from CBC Edmonton • Shifting from photos to Instagram Reels and drone photography for new perspective • Seeing real-world tourism influence and earning Edmonton Tourism Award nominations • Making the case for Edmonton as a four-season city with winter lights and fall colours • Simple creator advice: start with your phone, learn on YouTube, keep going past the slow start • The message behind the work: a positive look at Edmonton’s growth and affordability • Standout collaborations with Travel Alberta including The Last of Us location project • Favourite Edmonton spots: Walterdale Bridge area, Foosh, Bodega, Brown Butter Cafe, Heritage Festival • What he loves most about Edmonton and what he’d change about transit make sure you stay connected with us across socials at the Universal Radio. IG: @theuniversalradio
3d ago

#318 TURNing it up with Simar

Ravia sits down with Simar to unpack how “Billo” became an alter ego, a sound, and a permission slip for women to feel bold. We talk creative instinct, Punjabi English code-switching, Brampton roots, and what it takes to build a music career with real support. • The Billo name, persona, and visual identity as storytelling • Writing from an “itch” and finishing ideas without second guessing • Building confidence by creating for ourselves first • How melodies lead lyrics and how Punjabi versus English gets chosen • Diaspora language, simple Punjabi, and the bridge to global listeners • Brampton upbringing, kirtan training, and pop and R&B influences • Returning to music after corporate work, marriage, and motherhood • Balancing career with team support, family help, and trust • Advice for young women in a male-dominated industry • Flipping perspective with “Pab Chakdi” and challenging the usual gaze Stream Billo now! Tune in weekly on Mondays & Thursdays to TURN it up with Ravia on 97.9 FM or live-stream at www.theuniversalradio.com IG: @theuniversalradio
6d ago

#317 How to Support Someone When Mental Health Gets Complex

Gurjeet shares how to give someone a helping hand when their mental health starts to slide, using the "The Golden Rules" as a simple guide. We talk about what to say, how to listen without trying to fix everything, and where boundaries protect both your friend and your own mental health. She also gets into: • Why friends and coworkers often spot changes first • A quick check for changes that are intense, long-lasting, and disruptive • The journaling prompt on times we have shown up • Say what you see with clear, concrete observations • Show that you care through tone, time, and practical support • Hear them out with open questions and fewer solutions • Know your role by setting boundaries and respecting capacity • Connect your friend with therapist search tips and local resources Tune in weekly to Wellbeing Wednesday with Gurjeet Gill on The Universal Radio Network, 97.9 FM in Edmonton, or globally at www.theuniversalradio.com IG: @theuniversalradio
Aug 5

#316 Colour Psychology and Neuroscience

Sogand delves into colour psychology and neuroscience to understand how the colours we wear and the colours around us can shift attention, stress, confidence, and mood. She connects research to everyday choices, from why red feels energizing to why black became a millennial comfort colour and why greenery can help our nervous systems recover. Sogand also unpacks: • How context changes colour meaning and mental health effects • Why red grabs attention and increases arousal • Mood and culture shaping colour preference including black in millennial style • Green and nature cues for stress reduction and mental fatigue recovery • Yellow and orange effects on energy, optimism, and social connection • Blue as a signal of calm, safety, and professional trust • How pink and purple become social signals over time • Brown as grounded and cozy environmental design • Gold and silver jewellery as reward cues in the brain Tune in to Wellbeing Wednesdays with Sogand on The Universal Radio Network, 97.9 FM in Edmonton, or globally at www.theuniversalradio.com. IG: @theuniversalradio
Aug 5

#315 Canada’s First Commercial Female Astronaut: Dr. Shawna Pandya

Sapreet sits down with Dr. Shawna Pandya, an Edmonton emergency physician and Canada’s first named commercial female astronaut, to talk about what her training, research life, and travel schedule actually look like. We talk frankly about representation in STEM, being underestimated, and the daily habits that keep a long, uncertain path sustainable including: • Balancing rural Alberta ER work with astronautics research and training • Using parabolic flight to practise zero-G science and teamwork • Tracing a childhood spark from Dr. Roberta Bondar to the International Space University • Navigating family expectations, immigration roots, and the courage to take detours • Carrying the weight of representation as a South Asian woman in space • Handling doubt with the rule: don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t take advice from • Managing a 24-7 schedule by accepting there’s a season for everything • Sharing details on a Virgin Galactic Delta class research spaceflight and its science priorities • Treating fitness as daily therapy to prevent burnout • Learning what it means to be an aquanaut and live underwater at saturation pressure Give us a follow us across socials @theuniversalradio. Tune in 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day at 97.9 FM in the Edmonton area or livestream www.theuniversalradio.com IG: @theuniversalradio
Jul 31

#314 AI and Mental Health

In this episode of Wellbeing Wednesday with Gurjeet, she unpacks why people are drawn to AI for mental health support, then digs into the risks that show up when a chatbot sounds confident but cannot meet real clinical and ethical standards. Gurjeet connects bias, misinformation, AI psychosis, and agentic misalignment to one hard question: what should never be automated when someone is vulnerable. • Why AI feels appealing for mental health support when care is expensive and hard to access • The upside of AI for reducing burnout through automation and summaries • Job loss, health system strain, and broader community impacts as AI adoption grows • Misinformation and the real-world harm of overpromising services and outcomes • Privacy risks when sensitive documents or therapy details get uploaded into AI tools • Decline in critical thinking with heavy reliance on AI outputs • Bias in language models and why “equitable care” is hard to guarantee • Studies showing stigma toward substance use and severe mental illness descriptions • AI psychosis and echo-chamber validation that can amplify harmful thinking • aAgentic misalignment, including sabotage, fraud assistance, and refusal to comply • Safer, limited roles for AI like triage and intake support with strong safeguards Tune in weekly with Gurjeet on Wellbeing Wednesdays at 6 PM on 97.9 FM or live-stream at www.theuniversalradio.com IG: @theuniversalradio
Jul 31

#313 Canadian-Punjabi Music, Power & Culture with Dr. Vanderbeek

Ravia sits down with Dr. Conner Singh Vanderbeek to unpack what ethnomusicology reveals about culture, power, and the stories people force onto music. We dig into Canadian arts funding, censorship, and diasporic cultural memory. This conversation looks at Dr. Vanderbeek's research and ask who defines “authenticity” and who pays the cost when multiculturalism needs a feel-good headline. Here's what we get into in detail: • Ethnomusicology as fieldwork-driven cultural analysis of music • Why “music is a universal language” can erase meaning and history • Diversity policy in Canadian arts and how it commodifies racial identity • Grant logic that pressures Punjabi Canadian artists to “serve” a community • Curatorial flattening of nuance through tokenizing descriptions of work • Sidhu Moose Wala and Chani Nattan as case studies in censorship and respectability • “Song and dance diversity” and the limits of palatable multiculturalism • Sikh kirtan traditions, Gurmat Sangeet, and debates over authenticity and access • Cultural memory across the Sikh diaspora including regional histories • Practical realities of making a living in the arts including grant writing and admin labour Tune in weekly on Mondays & Thursdays to TURN it up with Ravia on 97.9 FM or live-stream at www.theuniversalradio.com IG: @theuniversalradio

Welcome to The Universal Radio Network's podcast page, here you can access our interviews, discussions & podcasts. Visit our website at www.theuniversalradio.com or follow us on social media for updates!Instagram: @theuniversalradioTwitter: @theuniversalrad

Creator

The Universal Radio Network
Years Active

2022 - 2026
Episodes

322
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 TURN it up!
Show Website

TURN it up!