Perseverantia: Fitchburg State University Podcast Network

In this episode of Five with a Falcon, Derek Tirrell ('25) talks with fellow  Communications Media major McKenzie Calvao ('25) about finding his passion within the film/video production program, and the sense of place and community he’s nurtured while working on campus as a student tour guide and Student Orientation leader.  Derek also plugs an upcoming short film he’s producing with Ally Thompson and Ania MacIndewar and other students in his Advanced Cinema Production course during in the Spring 2024 semester called Dream Girl.***Episode transcript available here.Episode produced and edited by McKenzie Calvao, a member of the Perseverantia staff, and a film/video production student in the Communications Media department.***Perspectives is an ongoing series of Perseverantia -- featuring the voices and stories of the campus community, including alumni interviews; conversations with students, faculty, and staff; and features events.  The goal of Perspectives is to allow for in-depth exploration of the experiences and issues on the minds of those teaching, learning, and working at Fitchburg State University.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes.The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics.In this episode, students engage with Dr. Brian Rosenwald, a historian of the modern United States and media and politics. He cofounded and serves as senior editor of Made By History, a Time history section. He is currently a scholar in residence at the University of Pennsylvania and writes regularly for public audiences and as a media analyst.In this episode, students interrogated the rise of Rush Limbaugh’s career and his success in conversation with media regulations and political transformations. They discuss Rosenwald’s book,Talk Radio’s America: How an Industry Took Over a Political Party That Took Over the United States. Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes.The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics.In this episode, students engage with Dr. Matthew Delmont, the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College.  A Guggenheim Fellow and author of four books, Professor Delmont is an expert in African American History and the history of the civil rights movement, and his work explores these histories as they intertwine with media history, including his most recent book, Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African-American Newspapers (Stanford University Press, 2019).In this episode, students raised questions regarding busing, with a focus on Boston, and how media enters this story that often focuses on policy and urban history. They discuss Delmont’s book, Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation (University of California Press, 2016). Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes.The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics.In this episode, Dr. Matthew Pressman of Seton Hall responds to students questions about his book, On Press: The Liberal Values that Shaped the News, published in 2018 by Harvard University Press. As a professor of journalism at Seton Hall, he teaches courses on Writing for the Media, Contemporary Issues in Sports Journalism, Feature Writing, and American Journalism.Pressman explores the evolution of journalism’s core values, business practices, and how the news and politics intertwine.  On Press  won the History Book Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the PROSE Award from the Association of American Publishers. As he discusses in this episode, Pressman’s next book will explore the history of the New York Daily News.Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes.The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics.In this episode, students engage with Dr. Heather Hendershot, Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, and her book, When the News Broke: Chicago 1968, and the Polarizing of America (Chicago UP, 2022), which received an award from the Pattis Family Foundation, from the Newberry Library, was praised in the New York Review of Books, and in February 2023 was chosen as a Best Book by the New Yorker. Hendershot is an expert on American film, television, and political culture. Her work explores the dynamics existing between media and politics in the 1960s-70s, including mainstream network news and conservative and right-wing media. She also explores Hollywood productions from the 1950s through the 1970s, and is currently pursuing a new book focusing on Nashville.Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes. The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics.In this episode, students engage with Dr. Allison Perlman at the University of California Irvine and her book, Public Interests: Media Advocacy and Struggles Over US Television (Rutgers UP, 2016).Allison Perlman is an associate professor in the departments of history and film and media studies at UC Irvine. Her research examines the intersections between television history, American social movements, and broadcasting policy. Her publications include articles in Critical Studies in Media Communication, Feminist Media Studies, Television and New Media, Journal of Popular Film and Television, Cinema Journal, and Communication, Culture and Critique.Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Making History Today, produced by the History program at Fitchburg State University, connects the classroom to historians working in their fields. In these conversations, students discuss works assigned in class and develop questions for the authors, which are then posed in these episodes.  The first series of conversations emerges from Prof. Katherine Jewell's graduate course in Fitchburg State's online Master's program in History in summer 2023 on Media and U.S. Politics. In this episode, Professor Jewell talks with Kathryn Cramer Brownell of Purdue University about her first book, Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life.Dr. Brownell received her B.A. from the University of Michigan and her Ph.D. from Boston University. Her research and teaching focus on the relationships between media, politics, and popular culture, with an emphasis on the American presidency.Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life, (University of North Carolina Press, 2014) explores the institutionalization of Hollywood in American politics. This book traces the key personal relationships, institutions, and government policies that established the foundation for a celebrity political culture and made entertainment a central feature of American politics. Her second book, released just after the conclusion of the graduate course, 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News, (Princeton University Press, 2023), explores the political battle over cable television from the 1960s through today, excavating how the American political process became tethered to the business interests of a corporate cable television industry.  She also serves as Senior Editor for the Made By History column at TIME Magazine: https://time.com/author/made-by-history/.Episode transcript can be found here.***This episode was edited and sound mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff and a student in the Communications Media department.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

In this episode of Classroom Stories, students from Professor Josh Spero's Spring 2023 study abroad class, The Heart of Europe reflect on their experiences traveling from Amsterdam to Poland, encountering historical sites, German university students, visiting Auschwitz, and seeing European residents confront the realities of the Russian war in Ukraine.Find out more about Fitchburg State's Study Abroad programs and other classes in the Economics, History, and Political Science Department.Episode Transcript here. ***About the Classroom Stories series:Students come to Fitchburg State University for academic enrichment and the innovative pedagogy offered in its classrooms. Classroom Stories feature the work of students and learning communities and the exciting explorations in the content of the many disciplines available for study at the university.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

The Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library hosted poster presentations of Honors student work on  November 29, 2023 at a literature fair entitled "A Journey into What's Possible: An Exploration of Afro/Africanfuturism."   The event and reception was the culmination of a semester long student exploration of Afro/Africanfuturism in Dr. Kisha Tracy's Honors Seminar in Literature course (HON 2100). In this episode of Getting to the Point, Tonia Magras speaks to the Judges' Choice Award winner, Autumn Garceu (junior, ECON), and Visitors' Choice Award winner, Julia Arena (junior, EXSS), about their experiences in Dr. Tracy's course, their participation in the literature fair, and how the film Black Panther (2018) served as the gateway to the rich novels, novellas, and short stories that make up the genres of Afro/Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism. Tonia Magras also spoke to Lori Steckervetz, Outreach Librarian for Student Success and one of the judges for the literature fair,  about planning the event and plans for future displays of student work.(Portions of this conversation were condensed for time.)Matt Baier (COMM '24) edited and mixed this episode for Perseverantia.Episode transcript can be found here.Getting to the Point  (GTTP)  is an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  Recorded on December 12, 2023, it was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus.If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.  Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Dr. Laura Garofoli of the Psychological Science department received the 2023 Manuel Carballo Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service at a State House ceremony on November 8, 2023.  A few weeks ago, she sat in studio with  host Zoe Chrisostomides ('26) to talk about the prospect of meeting Governor Healey, the work she and her colleagues have done to develop the First Year Experience (FYE) program on campus, and how her students inspire her every day. Professor Garofoli is being recognized at the state level for her exceptional contributions to Fitchburg State and its students, including service and leadership to academic departments and her role in the development of our First-Year Experience Seminar.  The Governor’s Award winners are selected from the statewide recipients of the Commonwealth’s Performance Recognition Awards. Episode transcript can be found here.This is the inaugural episode of Season 2 of Getting to the Point  (GTTP), an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  Recorded on October 14, 2023, it was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus.If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.   Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Shellee Brevard (COMM '26), a sophomore screenwriter, joins host Zoe Chrisostomides ('26) on GTTP to talk about Shellee's experiences as a first-year student at Fitchburg State University.   Hailing from Washington DC, Shellee offers her advice on navigating campus life, the benefits of an awesome college Math professor, discovering her love for film through Spike Lee's Crooklyn, exploring her own creative voice, and her dreams of making screenwriting her career. If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.   Episode transcript can be found here.This is Episode 4 of the pilot season of Getting to the Point  (GTTP), an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  Recorded in May 2023, it was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus.Matt Baier (COMM '24) edited and mixed the episode for Perseverantia.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Stephen Wells will graduate from Fitchburg State University in December 2024, with a degree in English Studies and a concentration in Professional Writing.  He's just like any other soon-to-be graduate, except that he has eight grandkids and started on his journey towards his degree 52 years ago.   Being a "non-traditional" student has its challenges (mainly technology!) but the joy of learning remains alive and well for Mr. Wells.   During this interview with Getting to the Point's Zoe Chrisostomides, Stephen talks about his experiences in the classroom and his support system of teachers, classmates, and family.   It can be daunting returning to the classroom.  But, his advice if you're holding off on finishing your degree?  "Don't wait. Do it."   Stephen Wells was a featured storyteller in FITCHBURG SPEAKS: Stories About What Made Us Who We Are, talking about how learning to read was the greatest accomplishment of his life.If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.   Episode transcript can be found here.This is Episode 3 of the pilot season of Getting to the Point  (GTTP), an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  Recorded in May 2023.  It was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus.Matt Baier (COMM '24) edited and mixed the episode for Perseverantia.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Joining host Zoe Chrisostomides ('26) on GTTP is Darcy Lally (COMM '24), a senior filmmaker who recently started a film production company  -- Stargaze Studios -- with her friends and collaborators in the film/video concentration within the Communications Media department.  Darcy's 2022 film Subtle Signs screened at Visions 2023, while the Stargaze team's  new film Will-O'-The-Wisp (directed and written by Emily Gelinas) will be completed this Fall.   If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.   Episode transcript can be found here.This is Episode 2 of the pilot season of Getting to the Point  (GTTP), an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  Recorded in May 2023.  It was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus. Matt Baier (COMM '24) edited and mixed the episode for Perseverantia.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

This is the pilot episode of Getting to the Point, an affiliate podcast of The Point, the Fitchburg State student newspaper.  You may think that competing on a college level is exciting -- and it most definitely is. But what are the consequences to competing at this level?  What happens to the athletes on the road to competition?  What are their challenges and what support do student athletes have when it comes to the issue of mental health?Joining host Zoe Chrisostomides ('26) on GTTP is Spenser Powell, a former student athlete who just happens to play the same sport as Zoe, soccer.This episode was recorded in April 2023.  It was produced by Toni Magras for the College Newspaper Production course taught by Prof. Wafa Unus.If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.    Episode transcript can be found here.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

Welcome to Getting to the Point, the college newspaper’s news podcast, where we dive deep into the stories that matter most to our campus community.  And give you a behind the scenes look into the pieces that make it into your campus newspaper, The Point.From campus events and student achievements to critical topics like social justice, sustainability and technology advancements.  Our podcast covers a broad range of subjects relevant to our diverse community and the issues shaping our college experience. In each episode will feature an exclusive interview with the prominent figures, faculty experts and fellow students who are making a difference on campus and beyond.  We'll ask the tough questions and dive into the details to provide you with the insight you need to form your own opinions.But this podcast isn't just a one way street. We want to hear from you, our listeners. Your feedback, questions and story ideas are crucial to shaping the content we produce. Reach out to us through our website or social media platforms. Join us every week as we embark on this exciting journey of discovery, understanding and engagement. Together, let's Get to the Point.If you're interested in working on the podcast, register for College Newspaper Production (ENGL 3830) or contact The Point at https://fitchburgpoint.com/contact-us/.   Episode transcript can be found here.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

CATCHING UP WITH … is an ongoing series where Fitchburg State students talk to Fitchburg State alumni, reflecting on their time here on campus, celebrating their accomplishments and discussing how they got from here to where they are now. In today's inaugural episode of this series, Adam Fournier, a current Communications Media major, focusing on film and video production, talks to Mike Grasela, a 2013 graduate of the Film and Video Production program, about their shared passion for all things video editing as well as Mike's time at Fitchburg State. Adam and Mike discuss how Mike took the skills he developed in the classroom to the filmmaking industry beyond, the possibility of pursuing a filmmaking career while staying in Massachusetts, and how Mike started his own successful post-production business based right in Boston – Minutemen Post – and the steps and sacrifices he had to take to get to where he is now.This series is produced, edited, and mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff.  If you have a suggestion for a student and alumnus that would be a good fit for the CATCHING UP WITH... series, please contact us at podcasts@fitchurgstate.edu.Episode transcript available here.***Perspectives is an ongoing series of Perseverantia -- featuring the voices and stories of the campus community, including alumni interviews; conversations with students, faculty, and staff; and features events.  The goal of Perspectives is to allow for in-depth exploration of the experiences and issues on the minds of those teaching, learning, and working at Fitchburg State University.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

In this episode of Five with a Falcon, Jessica Garcia discusses being a “non-traditional” student at Fitchburg State, balancing her educational goals, work, and dedication to working with youth in her community with her ministry.  Her story of finding her purpose in education, working with Dr. Jessica Robey, has led her to pursue an Interdisciplinary Studies degree that will help her in work, community life, and ministry. Hear about her experiences in online classses, learning as a multilingual student, and accomplishments as she progresses toward her goals.Episode transcript available here.Episode edited and mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff, and a film/video production student in the Communications Media department.***Perspectives is an ongoing series of Perseverantia -- featuring the voices and stories of the campus community, including alumni interviews; conversations with students, faculty, and staff; and features events.  The goal of Perspectives is to allow for in-depth exploration of the experiences and issues on the minds of those teaching, learning, and working at Fitchburg State University.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

In this episode of Five with a Falcon,  Karla Taveras Guerra ('23) joins us a day and a half before her graduation to talk about what she's learned about herself while studying Graphic Design and International Studies, how her personality differs when speaking English and Spanish, and how she found a sense of belonging while at Fitchburg State University. Episode transcript available here.Episode edited and mixed by Adam Fournier, a member of the Perseverantia staff, and a film/video production student in the Communications Media department.***Perspectives is an ongoing series of Perseverantia -- featuring the voices and stories of the campus community, including alumni interviews; conversations with students, faculty, and staff; and features events.  The goal of Perspectives is to allow for in-depth exploration of the experiences and issues on the minds of those teaching, learning, and working at Fitchburg State University.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

In this episode of Classroom Stories, students from Professor Megan Krell’s graduate class, Practicum in School Counseling, in Spring 2023 reflect on what they learned about being a school counselor. Plus, Professor Krell provides some insight into the evolution of the term and the role these educational professionals play. Find out more about Fitchburg State's MS in School Counseling as well as other Graduate Degrees in Human Services -- at the Behavioral Sciences department website.Episode Transcript here.***About the Classroom Stories series:Students come to Fitchburg State University for academic enrichment and the innovative pedagogy offered in its classrooms. Classroom Stories feature the work of students and learning communities and the exciting explorations in the content of the many disciplines available for study at the university.Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.

In THE EMPTY CAMPUS, students in the Spring 2022 Honors Seminar in History gathered thirty-six oral histories about the Fitchburg State community’s experience of the Covid 19 pandemic. They turned their research into this podcast to begin the process of reflecting on these events.  Episode 5: Back to Campus is the final installment in this series.In Episode 5, students, staff, and administrators reflect on their experiences with Covid-19 policies with the return to campus in Fall 2020 and as the community looks to the endemic stage of the pandemic.Find out more about The Empty Campus project at the Fitchburg State University Archives.This episode was first recorded in Spring 2022.  The five-part series was remastered for Perseverantia, in Spring 2023 by Matt Baier, a student in the Communications Media department and member of the Perseverantia staff.Episode transcript available here. Click here to learn more about Perseverantia . Join us for programming updates on Instagram. Or reach out with ideas or suggestions at podcasts@fitchburgstate.edu.