As much as I love listening to quirky pop-star Ke$ha, sometimes a breath of real life on the radio is more refreshing.

Every Wednesday night, the Youth Media Project produces an hour-long radio show that gives just that: reality among the blabbering, screeching voices that penetrate most radio waves.

The program is geared toward teens, produced by teens and covers issues relevant to Santa Fe youth. Each week has a theme. Last Wednesday's theme was youth, journalism and government.

A large portion of last week's program went to the ever-present issue of DWI and underage drinking. Instead of moaning and groaning about the problems, though, the focus was more on solutions. One voice asked if teens are just "waiting for adults to solve (their) problems," with an obvious indication that this is the wrong thing to do. "Safe Ride," a designated driving program for teens that have been out drinking and need to get home, was covered. The segment left the words "starting a conversation" and "rethinking" echoing in one's mind.

Other segments of the show included an interview with the "Yes Men," an (educated) rant about ageism, and a conversation with some of the members from the Mayor's Youth Advisory Board. The segments are short enough that it is easy not to drown out the static radio seems to often become. And they are lengthy enough to get something good out of each and every one. If not a laugh, they inspire an action; if not an action, they inspire a good long pause for some thinking.

This group of teens finds an issue they care about, focus on it and deliver.

Ke$ha delivers too, but I don't usually feel like getting up and starting a revolution when I hear "Tik Tok".

Lucy Ohlsen is a senior at Santa Fe High. You can reach her at limefreak44@cybermesa.com.