66. Unpacking Cultural Anthropology w/ Sydney Laws

In Episode 66, Dan Dissinger talks with recent graduate of USC’s Film and Television Production program Sydney Laws about how Black stories are represented in media, cultural anthropology, and Storytelling versus Story-breaking.

Sydney Laws is a very proud ATLien and recent graduate of USC’s Film and Television Production program. She defines herself as a creative, particularly a filmmaker, who finds her current interests at the exciting and often-overlooked intersection of storyteller and cultural anthropology. Her main focus is on marshalling ethnographic insight into the creative realm in an attempt to influence the interpersonal nature of society and shape broader social structures. Though her current projects are nonfiction, Sydney typically enjoys crafting fiction and fantasy stories to actualize this goal. She currently works as Associate Producer at The Skin Deep, an interactive studio focused on human connection and, what Sydney deems, a ‘true feat of visual anthropology’. 

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“I currently find myself, at least storytelling wise, at the intersection of filmmaking and cultural anthropology.” -Sydney Laws

“If I dream about a story, and that’s coming from an alternate reality, [and] I’m bringing it into this reality, it feels exactly like you’re breaking it in here.” -Sydney Laws

“[Cultural anthropology] I love that word […] about a year ago or two years ago, I didn’t know the term for what it was I was consistently doing throughout my life, and then when I found it, it was like being in love for the first time.” -Sydney Laws

“I would like to be [Zora Neale Hurston] in the film realm, being able to use ethnographic insight to inform the creative realm.”
-Sydney Laws

“The first image of a Black person in this country, many times, was in shackles. So if that was the first thing that anyone in this nation saw, how do you think 400 years from now we’re going to be seen?”
-Sydney Laws

“Most of the things that I have written about in my films has been about, not even in my film class, it’s been in a literature class, it’s been in a history class, so if we’re banning critical race theory, it’s laughable […] it’s so ingrained in every part of who this nation is.”
-Sydney Laws

“[Birth of a Nation] led to the KKK being reborn and then all of this racial violence […] especially in the 1920s when you see the height of lynching […] particularly Black men being lynched […] and it’s all because of this image that was created in 1915 with Birth of a Nation.” -Sydney Laws

“It’s really nice to see yourself on screen […] but it’s much more than that, it genuinely comes down to a matter of life and death for a lot of people when you actually look into how it impacts the mind.”
-Sydney Laws

“You are at the whim of someone else’s imagination, constantly.”
-Sydney Laws

“I’m acutely aware of how the mind works given all of this history, so how can I tell the stories I want to tell, but tell them in an authentic and accurate way that’s also going to be putting humanity at the forefront and going to be ensuring my safety.” -Sydney Laws

“Is it possible for a film to actually hold a sense of double-consciousness?” -Sydney Laws

“It’s a tactic, honestly, this idea that Black stories and minority stories aren’t relatable […] That means that Black love is something that is not relatable and it leads to Black people [being] something that is not relatable and it’s just another tactic to further this divide.” -Sydney Laws

Call for Contributors
Humanities Podcasting Symposium
October 15-16, 2021

The Humanities Podcasting Network is inviting expressions of interest for our first annual symposium on academic podcasting. Please use this survey to indicate which kinds of event(s) you’d be interested in organizing and to briefly describe your proposed topic. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2021.

This episode was recorded on June 25th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

65: Documenting the Nickelodeon Story w/ Scott Barber

In Episode 65, Dan Dissinger talks with filmmaker Scott Barber about storytelling through documentary, why Nickelodeon was such a positive creative force in the early 90s, and the role of writing when making a documentary. And who can forget GWAR.

Scott made his directorial debut with his film, The Orange Years: The Nickelodeon Story, featuring Kenan Thompson, Drake Bell, & Melissa Joan Hart. The film  premiered at the DOC NYC Festival in 2018, to a sold out crowd. 

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“We started assembling this team but it wasn’t through a production company or having a big budget, it was just people that were like, ‘I like Nickelodeon and I think it cool you guys are doing this and I want to do it with you.’” –Scott Barber

“I think it’s important for all writers to find their voice […] What stories are you going to tell and how are you going to tell [them]?”
–Scott Barber

“Whenever I became a documentary filmmaker, I was like, ‘Oh, I feel like this is how I was meant to write, through other people’s words.’” –Scott Barber

“People have high expectations of documentaries now; it has to feel like a movie.” –Scott Barber

“To me, the real writing is the editing.” –Scott Barber

“We wanted the [Nickelodeon] story to be told through people’s voices.” –Scott Barber

“I was able to use sound and vision and dialogue and all that together to tell a story, […] I just felt much more confident than whenever I’m just writing in Final Draft.” –Scott Barber

“My favorite part of this whole process is people saying, ‘I cried when I watched your movie. I didn’t know I was going to feel the way I felt when I watched your movie.’” –Scott Barber

“For an hour and a half, 90 minutes, we’re going to make you feel better, and you deserve that, you deserve to feel better. […] We’re living in a pandemic, it’s a crazy world where nothing makes sense anymore, so I hope for 90 minutes I can be your court jester and just entertain you and make you feel good for 90 minutes.” –Scott Barber

“[Nickelodeon] treated kids like people in a time where kids were not treated like people.” –Scott Barber

“When you say, ‘I love 90s Nickelodeon’ there’s no real unifying trait other than the fact that they were just all good and felt real.” –Scott Barber

“If you think [GWAR] is a heavy metal band that wears costumes, you’re wrong.” –Scott Barber

“I just love human stories.” –Scott Barber

Call for Contributors
Humanities Podcasting Symposium
October 15-16, 2021

The Humanities Podcasting Network is inviting expressions of interest for our first annual symposium on academic podcasting. Please use this survey to indicate which kinds of event(s) you’d be interested in organizing and to briefly describe your proposed topic. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2021.

This episode was recorded on June 11th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

64: Performing Arts Advocacy w/ Viva Vinson

In Episode 64, Dan Dissinger talks with Vocalist/Educator/Actor/Writer Viva Vinson about the positive impact of performing arts education, overcoming Dyslexia and ADHD, and harnessing the power of the performing arts to have deeper DEI discussions with students and teachers.

Born of an Italian American mother, and African American father, Viva has always had multiple artistic interests as diverse as her cultural and ethnic background. Viva is somewhat of a Triple Threat, starting her dance career at age 12, her acting career in her teens, and then later transitioning into music, writing, and performing arts education. Viva started her acting career at age 16 appearing in such productions as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, A Different World, Cop Rock and the cult-classic Roadside Prophets, to name a few.

After taking a hiatus from her acting, Viva rediscovered a deeper joy and passion for music. She turned to a career in Music in 2002 where she made her way to Asia in September 2003, performing at the Island Shangri-La Hong Kong. She spent several years traveling to and from Asia.

Viva is currently pursuing parallel careers in music, acting, writing and performing arts education. She loves inspiring young artists through arts-education programs and individual instruction. She has also become an arts advocate, reinforcing the importance of Performing Arts Education in Schools. Follow this link to see Viva’s full bio.

Follow Viva on:
Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“I believe performing arts education should be in every learning institution that is on the planet […] whatever I can do to champion that cause, I’m all for it.” -Viva Vinson

“Performing arts education saved my life, literally.”
-Viva Vinson

“We are all musicians.” –Viva Vinson

“Music is an essential part of the evolution of mankind.” –Viva Vinson

“Music is its own language and it’s universal.” –Viva Vinson

“The intellectual process that one has to go through to learn music and play music is so, so valuable it’s a different way of thinking, and I just think it makes us more well-rounded, more sensitive, more empathic, and more creative and more intelligent.” –Viva Vinson

“I’m dyslexic […] and ADHD, so fitting in those [writing] constructs was always very difficult for me and sometimes it did kill the joy of writing, because I was always so afraid that I didn’t adhere to all the rules of grammar.” –Viva Vinson

“You’re always learning, you’re always growing as a creative person.” –Viva Vinson

“I feel like everyone should feel that they excel at something, and sometimes the students who have ADHD and they can’t focus, they can’t read […] they might be great in drama class, they’re great at doing improvisation, they’re great at rapping, they’re great at coming up with rhymes, or they’re great at dancing, or putting choreography together; and so it’s a vehicle for students to excel in this other area […] there’s a lot of learning to be had in the performing arts.”
–Viva Vinson

“I want to reach those kids who don’t feel like they’re good at anything and have nothing to say and give them a vehicle to try and explore how to say what’s in their hearts through performing arts education.” –Viva Vinson

“There needs to be this more collaborative approach to education, where it’s not like a kid scared in a classroom that the teacher is going to give them an F and therefore they can’t express their ideas.”
–Viva Vinson

“If I’m going to achieve, I have to work three times as hard as others and I have to be the best, I have to be supreme at what I do in order to get the recognition that’s so freely given to somebody who may just be good, but not the best, but we have to be ‘better than’ because of the color of our skin or because of our gender identity […] it exists in all spaces.” –Viva Vinson

“Instead of me just having this conversation [about my racial identity], or feeling fearful about saying these things, because I might hurt somebody or offend somebody, if I put it into the context of a play or a scene […] yes I’m expressing these ideas, but it’s not me expressing, it’s the character and it kind of gives me an opportunity to kind of free myself from feeling so identified by this thing that I’m going to say.”
–Viva Vinson

“Why bother teaching if you’re not learning […] That’s why I teach. I’m constantly learning, I have to constantly work and develop and learn and expand, work on my craft to be able to teach […] but I’m also learning from my students. And that’s why I do believe in a space that’s collaborative, because how can I learn from my students and how will that inform my teaching?” –Viva Vinson

“I’m here to facilitate, to facilitate the learning.” –Viva Vinson

“Why do we assume that we know everything and the students know nothing? That’s constantly, I think, a mistake that a lot of educators make.” –Viva Vinson

Call for Contributors
Humanities Podcasting Symposium
October 15-16, 2021

The Humanities Podcasting Network is inviting expressions of interest for our first annual symposium on academic podcasting. Please use this survey to indicate which kinds of event(s) you’d be interested in organizing and to briefly describe your proposed topic. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2021.

This episode was recorded on June 25th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

63. Expanding the Victorian Conversation w/ Dr. Melissa Rampelli

In Episode 63, Dan Dissinger and special guest host Dr. Meghan Nolan talk with friend, colleague, and fellow Saint John’s University Alum Dr. Melissa Rampelli from Holy Family University about the impact of the Victorian Age, Medical Humanities, and what sea monsters have to do with the 2008 Great Recession. On top of all of that, this was a mini Saint John’s University reunion!

Melissa Rampelli is Assistant Professor of English at Holy Family University where she teaches courses in British literature and first-year composititon. She is currently at work on her book manuscript, Plots of Pathology, and her article “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and the 2008 Recession” is forthcoming in the Winter 2021 issue of Modern Language Studies. Her research interests include nineteenth-century British literature and culture, the history of psychology, gender studies, medical narratives, and the novel. 

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“Even as an undergrad I just remember that very first semester when I was actually a business major taking an English Literature course just for fun—that should have been the first sign—and we read Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and something just… I still teach it to this day, there’s something that just drew me to it, and I wrote my undergrad thesis with my mentor Catherine Golden on mental health for women in 19th century. It just kind of stuck with me.” –Melissa Rampelli

“There’s work done in terms of Medical Humanities by Rita Charon from Columbia University, and a lot of work about the plot of therapeutics and why we as a culture need this plot of pathology, this idea of cause to crisis to cure and why we’re just so drawn to that.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“Maybe I’m biased, but I think the Victorian period is so important for so many different reasons […] so much is happening in terms of modern medicine like the very beginning and the fundamentals of modern medicine […] and psychology in terms of the actual physical body […] and also this really fascinating mind-body connection.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“With the Industrial Revolution, all of these hurt maimed bodies now, so this real strong focus on the able body from a real commercialized/industrialized point of view as well, what it means to be well and healthy psychologically, physically, that’s all coming so fresh in [during the Victorian period], and then you add all the gender things, which adds a whole other layer.”
-Melissa Rampelli

“In academia, we celebrate the more Cartesian divide, right, like we are not our bodies, we are disembodied, our ideas ought to be disembodied. So, to have a professor tell you to come into your body not only because of identity, but also just to like to feel how you actually feel.” –Melissa Rampelli

“It’s also a wonderful opportunity when [students] don’t understand passages to use class time to just dissect them and try to understand them together […] we’re here together, I don’t even understand every passage, let’s do it together, because then you’re really teaching them how to learn as well.” –Melissa Rampelli

“At the end of [my] Brit Lit 1, I want [students] to pay attention to craft and play with craft. Because we’ve done so much close reading of the form and function, and the meter or the metaphor […] that I want them to then be able to play with that themselves and show why Fantomina by Eliza Haywood written in 1724 is just still relevant.” –Melissa Rampelli

“I want [my students] to make Canterbury Tales relevant.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“I added some classes; like I added Women in Literature, Literature and Disability, Literature and Disability […] [Holy Family University] is really incredible about opening up the curriculum.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“I let [my students] write on whatever they want to write about, because that’s when they’re most passionate: when they have the most choice.” –Melissa Rampelli

“I don’t think [Ben] Winters poses this is what caused the recession, or even know if he even intended this by any means, it’s just a way that we could read [Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters]. But I think it doesn’t just offer one thing, because there are multiple theories of the alteration within the novel, so I think it more so, encourages us as readers to do our own research on the recession.” –Melissa Rampelli

“I did have students watch at one point Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and they had a fantastic conversation dissecting the Bennett sisters [who] are all of a sudden, like ninjas and they had this incredible like conversation dissecting how that physicality and that strength for those women actually just made manifest this feminist wit that a lot of people may have just missed in Austen in the first place, I mean the critics are always debating whether or not Austen is even a feminist.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“It was definitely gender politics [that made me interested in the Victorian and Regency periods]. As a budding 17-year old feminist coming into my own […] I think that’s what spoke to me, like the new woman […] there are these gender tropes, and I mean these gender tropes are still so relevant right like the woman in the house, the fallen woman, how short was your skirt right, I mean still so relevant today.” –Melissa Rampelli

“We had really good mentors [at Saint John’s University].”
–Melissa Rampelli

“I doubly agree with the Comp work at Saint John’s because my program [at Holy Family] I teach two writing and two literature, so if I had not had that background it would have been a rude awakening.”
–Melissa Rampelli

“I think [teaching writing] strengthens how I teach and reinforce writing in my literature classes […] so to operate like literature classes aren’t writing classes it’s doing everyone a huge disservice.”
–Melissa Rampelli

Call for Contributors
Humanities Podcasting Symposium
October 15-16, 2021

The Humanities Podcasting Network is inviting expressions of interest for our first annual symposium on academic podcasting. Please use this survey to indicate which kinds of event(s) you’d be interested in organizing and to briefly describe your proposed topic. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2021.

This episode was recorded on June 14th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

62. Seeing Each Other’s Humanity w/ Chris Muniz

In Episode 62, Dan Dissinger and special guest host Stephanie Renée Payne talk with Chris Muniz of the USC Writing Program about reconnecting creative writing back to academic writing, developing meaningful and authentic student-centered projects, and how the personal journey leads the way towards student agency.

Chris Muniz is a faculty member in the University of Southern California’s Writing Program. He received and MFA in Interdisciplinary Writing from CalArts and a PhD. in Literature and Creative Writing from USC . His critical and creative work center on the intersection of race, identity, and culture in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands and American West. The former Editor-in-Chief of Gold Line Press, Chris has work forthcoming in Ploughshares and is nearing completion of his first novel, Owl Medicine.

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“What is the purpose of higher education, and as I moved into a role of actually being in a place to have a classroom of my own, even through grad school, what’s the best space and use of this time and space that we can sort of carve out in the institution. Kind of pushing the boundaries as much as possible, still providing the deliverables that the ‘Man’ wants, but at the same time really emphasizing that this is an experience. rather than, ‘I’m an authority figure here to fill you up with knowledge.” –Chris Muniz

“Critical thinking and writing, they can apply almost to any major, any degree, [and] any class I taught.” –Chris Muniz

“Real life doesn’t afford us six months to sit down and sort of read and think about our lives and figure out our place in the world, so let’s take full advantage of that.” –Chris Muniz

“A student-centered approach is something that’s easily thrown around as a term.” –Chris Muniz

“Starting with getting [students] to think about and articulate their position and their positionality in terms of related to writing and thinking, but also getting them to think about their career goals begins to situate them in a space where they go, ‘Okay, wait a minute this really why.’” –Chris Muniz

“The personal value of having [my students] sit outside for 15-minutes and reflect on and write about that experience, I would argue that it actually was probably more valuable and more insightful than the final project that they ended up turning in for the whole semester.”
–Chris Muniz

“You know, this idea of building human beings, developing character and ourselves more than just like churning out A-level writers drives what I do.” –Chris Muniz

“The reason Malcolm Gladwell is so popular or Atul Gawande is because […] there’s a really kind of human center to it where you’re like, ‘Oh! I feel something emotional as a result of that writing.’”
–Chris Muniz

“In terms of the arc of my own kind of journey, one thing I haven’t been able to do but plan to do […] how do we invoke spirituality into this, right, into this sense of awe about the world? And not in a kind of dogmatic sense […] but just again that child-like awe and wonder of the world, for me, is a spiritual experience.” –Chris Muniz

“In many ways, what we’re talking about, doesn’t sound revolutionary or transgressive, but I think going back to bell hooks it is in a way to sort of approach education this way that somehow threatens the status quo to be excited about transforming the lives of your students.”
–Chris Muniz

“Coming back to this idea of willing to be vulnerable with your students, but then of course when they’re vulnerable with you, you have to be in a position to hold that, create a space for that, not only just a safe space, but a space that allows you to do something productive with it.” –Chris Muniz

“You can’t be encouraging people to come up with trauma to write about because it makes for good emotional writing and then leave them with no kind of framework.” –Chris Muniz

“I think it just comes down to seeing each other as human beings.”
–Chris Muniz

“I’m honored when people share something with me.” –Chris Muniz

“Really the goal is you want [the students] to connect the dots themselves. I’m going to gather all these dots, but I want [my students] to connect them. Because I think that’s really where they get excited, it’s when they start to go, ‘Oh! I connected something!’”
–Chris Muniz

“Not only is making a mess okay, that’s exactly where we start, the generative mess is where we start.” –Chris Muniz

“The way in which the educational system is setup is it sort of prevents students form having agency.” –Chris Muniz

“You know that notion of not letting your education getting in the way of your education […] that the real world experiences are almost more valuable.” –Chris Muniz

“Asking questions is just as good as or even better than coming up with answers.” –Chris Muniz

“You make that kind of circle where you realize at a certain point the academic connects to the creative and then obviously all of that work connects to who you are as a human.” –Chris Muniz

Call for Contributors
Humanities Podcasting Symposium
October 15-16, 2021

The Humanities Podcasting Network is inviting expressions of interest for our first annual symposium on academic podcasting. Follow the link to read the CFC and submit your ideas: Call For Contributions

This episode was recorded on May 24th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

61. Uplifting Survivors of Sexual Violence w/ Emma Collins

Content Warning: Discussion of sexual and domestic violence, please listen with care.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual and/or domestic violence/abuse, you can find support through: RAINN & RSVP (for USC community). More resources available here.

In Episode 61, Dan Dissinger & special guest host Danielle Lee talk to USC alum Emma Collins about being an advocate for survivors of relationship and sexual violence, working for RSVP (Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services) at USC, and rape culture on and off the college campus.

Emma Collins (she/they) recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Psychology. She worked as an Intervention Coordinator for USC Relationship and Sexual Violence and Prevention Services (RSVP) throughout undergrad and is now pursuing a career in violence prevention and education. She is passionate about survivor advocacy, intersectional feminism, and building community. When she is not working, Emma can be found volunteering as a counselor for USC Troy Camp, a student-run philanthropic organization providing long-term mentorship for students in South Los Angeles, and creating art through various mediums. Check out her work on Instagram @StitchForChange (50% of proceeds go to The Loveland Foundation).

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“I’m ready to not be a student anymore […] I’m excited to leave this bubble.” -Emma Collins

“In 2018, only about 30% of the USC body knew what RSVP was, which is so disheartening because it’s one of the only confidential resources around campus.” –Emma Collins

“I’m really glad that we’ve [RSVP] been able to amass more of a following and that more students are going to know what RSVP is […] and hopefully help facilitate a better culture around sex and around relationships on campus.” -Emma Collins

“Working at RSVP really honed in just how clearly I need to be doing some sort of advocacy in whatever field that I choose and how passionate I could be about something.” Emma Collins

“There was a long time where […] I really wanted to get a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and become a therapist, a really well-educated therapist, and try and make a lot of money […] Now it’s sort of shifted to how can my job position help build community and help heal different communities. [The] community I’ve been focusing on for the past couple of years has been the community of survivors and people that are impacted by sexual and relationship violence.”
-Emma Collins

“I think when most people think of a survivor of sexual assault, they think of someone that looks exactly like me, usually a white cis-woman [and also a] straight woman. When in reality, Black and Brown communities are so much more affected by sexual and relationship violence, and then we can think about the fetishization of Asian communities (AAPI communities), […] and Queer communities as well.” -Emma Collins

“There’s sort of this stereotype that Queer communities can’t experience domestic violence because the men [can be] also feminine and women all get along so well, but there’s actually very low reporting of domestic violence within these communities because of those stereotypes and it’s just something that’s not really talked about very often.” -Emma Collins

“[Being in quarantine] has definitely changed how I facilitate, […] and I think has made RSVP more accessible for a lot of people.” –Emma Collins

“We’re constantly putting new pop-culture things in [our workshops]. Our latest healthy relationships workshop has a TikTok in it. We wouldn’t have done that a year ago.” –Emma Collins

“If we don’t have these conversations [about relationship and sexual violence] it’s not going to change.” –Emma Collins

“1 in 3 women in The United States has been sexually assaulted, and then we can think even at USC […] the statistics are actually very believable to someone who understands rape culture and is educated on it. But, presenting these workshops [to the USC students], people are so blown away that even at USC 1 in 3 women has been the victim of unwanted sexual contact or sexual touch or something like that and those numbers are even higher for Queer, Transgender students, and students of color.” –Emma Collins

“We are raised in rape culture. I always say that during presentations, like, ‘You are not an exception and I know you want to feel that you are, but I’m here teaching this workshop and even I’m not an exception’.” –Emma Collins

“The way that we’re raised in America and in most places, because rape culture really is everywhere, is that sex and healthy sex is just something we can’t talk about, and relationships are these gender stereotypes things that are kind of set in stone.” –Emma Collins

“I have found that just doing this work, people that are so clearly in positions of power, if [they] understand anything about intersectionality, love to have some aspect of themselves that is a victim.” -Emma Collins

“The percentage of false reports of sexual assault is the same percentage of the report of false murders, it’s 2%-8% and that includes reports that have been withdrawn by the victim after being advised by a lawyer after more reflection […] Survivors don’t want to have to go through a trial and relive what could be the most difficult, most tragic day of their life.” –Emma Collins

“If you’re only going to talk about or advocate for people that could be victims in different situations when it serves your point or when it’s to go against women, that’s just unacceptable and is showing how much you actually care about these different things.”-Emma Collins

“Toxic masculinity isn’t serving anybody.” -Emma Collins

“My hope is that as we continue […] we’re able to slowly move more and more into rhetoric that’s actually productive and that will actually uplift survivors and help them heal […] but then also just educating other people.” –Emma Collins

“Advocacy groups and support groups like RSVP are more there to help uplift the survivor and help return agency and self-advocacy to that survivor, and not the other way around.” –Emma Collins

This episode was recorded on May 10th, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

60: Dedicating a Life to Service w/ Andre Luna

In Episode 60, we talk to USC alum Andre Luna about what it means to be a First-Generation college student, his commitment to a life of service and advocacy, and how a film about surfing is helping him meet his goals.

Andre Luna is a son of Mexican Immigrants and is from La Puente, a small town in the San Gabriel Valley, 30 minutes east of Los Angeles. He is pursuing a BS in Public Policy and Law, a minor in Cinematic Arts, and a Masters of Public Administration. Andre is the first in his family to attend university and intends to use his education to enter the political realm and combat issues that continue to plague this country such as our crumbling infrastructure, deep-seated systemic racism, and diminishing social programs. Andre has a passion for giving back to his community, especially the Latino community, through mentorship, tutorship, and guidance. Among many of the interests Andre has, one of the most important is speaking on behalf of First-generation students and the American education experience for minority students. He has been involved in local and state politics throughout his experience with the LA County District Attorney’s Office and with California State Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg. Andre is currently interning at A Political consulting Group in Washington DC and plans to pursue a law degree and an eventual career in government following his time at USC.

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“I think one of the things we always ask ourselves is, ‘Who am I?'” -Andre Luna

“Being First-Gen is a recognition of what’s come before me, but also what’s ahead of me [and] the challenges I face in the present.” -Andre Luna

“One of the things I enjoyed about my time at USC was saying I was First-Generation because even though USC is known as this traditional [institution], it does have that dynamic of being different things at the same time.” -Andre Luna

“There’s a lot of things that…people will try to hold onto as divisions, but one thing that I choose to do, and I think most people in my generation do, is find common ground, and that’s what being First-Gen really is. It doesn’t matter what background you are or where you live or what religion you practice, it’s that common struggle of being the first in your family to go through this shared experience.” -Andre Luna

“[Being First-Gen] is going to push me to give back to students like me.” -Andre Luna

“Ever since I was young, I always said that I wanted to be the voice for my community and voice for people that have inequities and injustices in this country.” -Andre Luna

“We’re always told that America is number one. America is great. But then you look at the reality of things. There’s things that can be improved on. There’s definitely some problems that are not being addressed.” -Andre Luna

“Dedicating my life to service is what I envision myself doing.” -Andre Luna

“My goal is to basically make people’s lives better, and especially for my own community.” -Andre Luna

“There’s a lot of things in this country that need to be fixed, and I think the biggest critiques that I have is there’s a lot of people that say we have problems, but there’s not anyone actually doing anything to solve them.” -Andre Luna

“To remain the number one country in the world we have to be constantly improving and that means recognizing what’s at fault and what needs improvement, and I think one of those things is education.” -Andre Luna

“I feel like half the battle is won, metaphorically, in the classroom, but the other half is outside of it as well.” -Andre Luna

“Networks save lives […] I secured my internship because of my network.” -Andre Luna

“I think the best advice I got was always have questions about what you’re being taught because it’s coming from a certain vantage point.” -Andre Luna

This episode was recorded on April 26, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod.

59: Taking Back Your Voice w/ Jordan Broberg

Content Warning: Discussion of sexual and domestic violence, please listen with care.

In Episode 59, we talk to USC alum Jordan Broberg about staying creative during the pandemic, finding a voice in poetry, and coming into her own as an artist and a person.

Jordan Broberg is an American actor, director, poet and playwright. Her primary concentration is in the theatre, but she has crossed all mediums and has enjoyed every minute doing it. Broberg is a 2019 magna cum laude graduate of the USC School of Dramatic Arts and she thoroughly enjoys the exploration of off-kilter, vibrant and unparalleled ways to tell stories. From stage-managing Off-Broadway, to finessing her way to production assisting for Aaron Sorkin, Broberg has worn every hat. She is a SAG-Eligible actress and a proud member of Includiance, a new production division of Schmengie Inc. that has partnered with GLAAD to increase the representation of LGBTQIA+ in commercial spaces. She has just released her first book titled, I Forgot My Parachute This Time – A Collection of Poetry In Three Acts, which can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other book retailers. Please visit iforgotmyparachutethistime.com for more information. Her theatrical/film work is located at jordanbroberg.com.

People and Texts Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“You get tired of being down on yourself…I can just choose to say I’m awesome…I’ve found great power in that.” @JBroberg

“It took a while to really find the joy of creating just for the sake of creating.” @JBroberg

“You do not need anybody’s permission to make art.” @JBroberg

“A big part of me coming into who as I am, just as a person but [also] as an artist, is every poem I wrote is me, and it’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done.” @JBroberg

“I really just tried to write for the love of writing, and that’s the only reason this book is happening.” @JBroberg

“Writing was definitely a big surprise in my life, something I didn’t expect to wake up every morning and want to do.” @JBroberg

“This was my way of just taking my voice back.” @JBroberg

This episode was recorded on April 19, 2021. CW: medical abuse. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

58: Practicing Vulnerable w/ Cody Lake

In Episode 58, we talk to USC alum Cody Lake about the collaborative power of poetry, web development, and videography, the pressure of commodification, and the surprising inventiveness of Pinterest. 

Cody Lake is an emerging writer, web developer, and video poet. Maintaining a rigorous art practice in high school, Cody received the Jonathan E. Slater Award for Visual Arts upon graduation. At the University of Southern California, Cody expanded their creative work in as many ways as possible. While juggling two majors in Comparative Literature with a Focus in Critical Thought and in Cultural Anthropology, Cody made time for the Undergraduate Writers’ Conference and elective courses in drawing. They completed internships with the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation and the Fisher Museum of Art. Under the direction of Printmaker Xavier Fumat, Cody assisted in teaching an introduction to printmaking course. Unsurprisingly, Cody graduated USC as Magna Cum Laude as well as Renaissance Honors, a distinction that recognizes students who excel academically while pursuing at least 2 widely separate fields of study.

After departing Los Angeles, Cody completed a boot camp in full stack web and hybrid mobile application development. Eager to establish an online presence independent of big technology companies, Cody began to iterate their own creative studio. Events in film screening, nature photography, writing resources, and of course, their own video poetry, compose the offering that is Intoo.Studio. In the summer of 2021, a print editorial featuring Cody’s poetry will be available from the multimedia cultural collective, Pier To:.

People, Texts, and Organizations Mentioned in the Episode

Some links may be affiliate links, which at no additional cost to you help to fund The Writing Remix. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

“I found my own way to join the writing and the web development […] and really want to see where that is going to lead me.” -Cody Lake

“Some of us weren’t even calling ourselves artists […] yet we’re doing art.” -Cody Lake

“The ability to just […] go on the site and show what I’ve been doing has been really critical for me because one of the biggest barriers that I’ve found for myself is my own, I guess, self-deprecation or the bar that I set for myself–just bringing it down to where I’m actually at and making sure that I celebrate where I’m at right now and what I have right now.” -Cody Lake

“It’s always going to be a work-in-progress and that’s kind of web development and writing, but what I have right now is already a success.” -Cody Lake

“This is a huge surprise for me: I’ve been sharing [my work] on Pinterest […] If you caught me 2 years ago I would’ve scoffed at the idea of a Pinterest board, like, ‘I’m too dark & artsy for Pinterest.'” -Cody Lake

“I feel like people, in my age group at least, are consistently feeling this pressure of commodifying our hobbies and feeling like we have to turn everything into a money-making business, a side hustle.” -Cody Lake

“Part of the ideas on my site are taking photos during walks where I just really try to prioritize mindfulness.” -Cody Lake

“I have a long way to go when it comes to filling up my own cup and making sure I’m aligning on my own spiritual journey towards healing.” -Cody Lake

“People are really picking up on the mindfulness piece [in my writing]. People are really picking up on how present I am whether it’s a difficult situation or a celebratory situation. Hearing that is really cool because here I am just like going through the day and I’m like, ‘I just want to understand what’s going on with me, right now.'” -Cody Lake

“If I look into myself and say what are the topics that I’m writing about, the main thing that I can really think of is just being human, being in my own skin. I know that’s so broad, but it feels so personal inside, to me.” -Cody Lake

“I wanted to make my own stance in that, like, I can also create something that I can share, and it says something about me.” -Cody Lake

“Having had that space to bear witness to myself, and to have other people bear witness to me, I think is what gives me the ability to trust that I can experience what’s going on now without having to project a [false] reality onto it.” -Cody Lake

“I daily remind myself: I’m not going back to a place where I have to project a false self.” -Cody Lake

“It’s actually nice just thinking about when [someone listens to my poem]…I wonder where in the world [they are], and that is something that has helped me with the loneliness of the pandemic. When I go to sleep at night I think about how I’m actually not alone; everybody walking on the earth is still walking on the earth. I’m really surprisingly helped by that.” -Cody Lake

“I’ve realized that that the same things that honestly made me feel really wholesome inside before still do, but to an even deeper level.” -Cody Lake

“I just have FOMO about library programs, which is new.” -Cody Lake

This episode was recorded on April 12, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod. 

57: Improving Public Health Messaging w/ Megan Tebbenhoff

In Episode 57, we talk to USC alum and epidemiologist Megan Tebbenhoff about the U.S.’s response to the pandemic, the role and responsibility of the government when it comes to public health messaging, ways to overcome vaccine hesitancy, and the work that needs to be done regarding climate change and population displacement.

Megan Tebbenhoff recently graduated from Columbia University with her MPH in epidemiology and a certificate in public health and humanitarian action. Megan spent her time at Columbia working on COVID-19 global health research and studying public health in the humanitarian setting. She is passionate about global health equity and accessible healthcare for all. Megan is working in the Strategic Information Unit at ICAP at Columbia University to support dozens of global health research programs. When she is not working, she enjoys getting outside in different parts of Brooklyn and trying new restaurants around New York.

“Having the exposure and having the understanding almost makes it more challenging to be in the environment where [the pandemic]’s what most people are talking about. You see a lot of misinformation… You know too much almost. It’s almost an ‘ignorance is bliss’ kind of situation.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“It’s so interesting to see how we’ve placed a lot of responsibility on non-government actors to be the guardians of [pandemic policies] and on the individual to be the guardian of what is actually safe and what is unsafe. And I think at the end of the day our government should be the organization that’s leading this.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“I think that there’s a lot more that the government could have done to help people stay inside when they really needed to.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“Climate change is going to be a major issue in the next 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“We’re going to get to the point where people can’t keep living where they’re living because of flooding, because of extreme heat or extreme drought. And that’s going to become an exponential growth in the number of people that are displaced from their current homes over the next century.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“Those apocalyptic movies aren’t that far off.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“Every humanitarian intervention is also very flawed, and it’s very difficult to actually learn lessons from the things we’ve done.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“The vaccine conversation is a very challenging one…People don’t want to be patronized.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“Public health messaging is really an important field and really needs to be taken seriously, and I think for the most part it’s been underdone and underfunded.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

“It’s challenging when you leave public health decisions in the hands of people who don’t understand public health.” -Megan Tebbenhoff

This episode was recorded on April 5, 2021. Because we recorded via Zoom, there may be occasional audio hiccups. Our theme song is “4 am” by Makaih Beats. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher and follow us on Twitter @WritingRemixPod.