Last Wednesday, BTV Channel 6 held its first official taping of “The View,” featuring hosts Eric Li, Esmeralda Murray, Yaa Takyiwaa, Shemar Middleton and Franklin Richards. Even though the show still remains in its early stages, these five students demonstrate a knack for on-the-spot conversation and an ability to remain composed while under pressure.

Starting off an intro of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” the episode covered a variety of topics, including Amber Rose, Zendaya and her controversy with Giuliana Rancic, the recent town hall meeting on campus addressing the demands of Students for Change, LGBTQ-related concerns on campus and, lastly, a talk from guest Yasmene Neita. Each host was assigned one of these topics, so that they could each research the subject prior to the show. As Murray explained, the goal is for each host to sound well versed in their topic, without appearing overly prepared.

Li, the show’s creator, wanted to provide an outlet where students in minority groups can express their opinions on relevant issues in pop culture. But even then, he wants to challenge and refine his hosts by getting them to think beyond their particular comfort zones. He said part of his inspiration came from people who told him he should have his own talk show. Taking that to heart, he made that dream a reality.

“I wanted to create a platform for students to be heard, of different races and genders,” said Li, a freshman double-majoring in political science and economics.

Getting out of one’s comfort zone doesn’t even come close to describing it. For the duration of “The View,” not one fell short of stirring up some controversy.

According to the show’s producer, Sarah Kumar, a sophomore majoring in management, “The View” is a novelty for BTV in more ways than just its content.

Guest speaker Neita, a senior majoring in psychology, represented SHADES, one of BU’s LGBTQ organizations. Neita discussed the possibility of a new resource center for LGBTQ students on campus.

Not only does “The View” give students an opportunity to learn more about what’s happening on campus, but it also highlights the difficulties that members of the Binghamton community may be experiencing. While certain topics may be hard to digest, it’s important to take note of such issues so that we can be a more informed — and more accepting — campus.

Contributing News Writer Eric Li was not involved in the publication of this article.