Podcasts

Welcome to the homepage of QC Pod! Browse through this page to see what important conversations our QC students and faculty have been hosting on Spotify. Feel free to email any questions or comments to info@theknightnews.com or info@queenspodcastlab.org. If you’d like to submit a podcast to our website, pending approval, please email your pitch to info@theknightnews.com or info@queenspodcastlab.org.

Click HERE to go to the Queens Podcast Lab homepage

“United States Foreign Language Deficit” by Sammy Ali

We join Sammy Ali to learn about language in America. Sammy speaks with William McClure, Dean of Arts and Humanities and Professor of Japanese at Queens College about diversity on campus, why speaking multiple languages isn’t more prominent, and how language barriers affect the country.    

“Write or Die Part 2 ” by Nev Yakubov

Nev Yakubov is back with the second part of her podcast debut, Write or Die. In this episode, Nev continues her discussion about writers Frank Chin (Donald Duk, The Chickencoop Chinaman), and Maxine Hong Kingston (The Woman Warrior, China Men), and their debate to figure out how to accurately write about and how they each went about adapting the Ballad of Mulan.

“Write or Die” by Nev Yakubov

Nev Yakubov introduces us to the first episode of her new series, Write Or Die. Nev takes listeners on a journey through literary history, and the battles that occurred along the way. In the first part of this two episode premiere, Nev takes a look at a battle between two great Asian American writers, Frank Chin (Donald Duk, The Chickencoop Chinaman), and Maxine Hong Kingston (The Woman Warrior, China Men), and their debate to figure out how to accurately write about the Asian American experience. 

“Writing in Queens with Catherine LaSota” by Jason Tougaw

Catherine LaSota—founder of The Resort LIC Writers’ Community—joins Jason Tougaw in the QC POD to discuss community building, pro-tips for running events that tap into your happy place, her history as a performer, and her experience as a Creative Nonfiction student in the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation at Queens College. 

“Omme Bangush Presents: Truth Unveiled” by Omme Bangush

Omme Bangush is a senior at Queens College, introducing her new podcast, Truth Unveiled. On her first episode titled Home Invasion, Omme invites York College student Surriya Azizi to help explain the situation which occurred in Afghanistan over the summer. Surriya Azizi is an Afghan American who spent her summer under Taliban rule. She discusses the experiences she faced this summer.

“Swarthmore v. Queens” by Sabrina Testi

Latine students compare their university experiences at a fancy private college versus public school.

“Dr. Mick Interview” by Anthony Borrelli

Dr. Ryan Earl, better known online as Dr Mick, is a licensed therapist who uses video games to teach about psychology & mental health. QC Pod’s Anthony Borrelli sat down with him last semester to discuss his business, the games he plays, and how he uses his platform to promote mental health awareness.

“Riot Woman” by Amy Herzog and Jason Tougaw

Riot Grrrls, Riot Women, Zines, DIY, Radical Politics. Eleanor Whitney, author of Riot Woman: Using Feminist Values Destroy the Patriarchy (Microcosm) is an MFA Student in Creative Writing and Literary Translation at Queens College. She sits down with QC faculty Amy Herzog and Jason Tougaw to talk about the Riot Grrrl culture, the evolution of feminism, and even a little disco.

“In the Cut with Jonathan Leon” by Jonathan Leon

Today on the QC POD, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our students’ new projects. Part of our mission is to give CUNY students a platform to express themselves creatively,  and today we want to present Jonathan Leon’s new podcast, “In the Cut,” which focuses on the intersection of sports and content creation. In today’s episode, Jonathan interviews Laker’s content creator Brayden Figeuroa. You can subscribe to Jonathan’s podcast by searching for “In the Cut” on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. 

“Bob Dylan & the Electrification of Folk Music” by Johnny Sullivan

On this episode of the QC Pod, Editor-in-Chief of the Knight News, Johnny Sullivan, defends Bob Dylan of the accusation that he and he alone was responsible for the electrification of folk music. Join Johnny on a journey through the history of transformations of folk, and his opinions on the artists involved.

“How Has the Pandemic Affected Education?” by Sammy Ali

On this episode of the QC Podcast, Sammy Ali is joined by Dr. Bobbie Kabuto, department chair of the elementary and early childhood education department at Queens College, to discuss how the pandemic has affected education in the country. After a year of education taking a back seat to safety, students are now facing insurmountable learning challenges. With the lingering effects of the Covid-19 crisis still impacting many communities, the two will discuss the learning barriers exacerbated throughout the last year and the lasting effects it will have, especially in low-income areas.

“TV Theme Songs” by Salia Hovanec

On this episode of the QC Podcast, Salia Hovanec sits down with her friend Brendan to discuss an often overlooked genre of music: TV theme songs. From a thematic guessing game, to a look at theme songs that capture the tone of shows such as Cowboy Bebop and Mad Men, Salia and Brendan take a look at what makes these songs tick.

“Steven Universe” by Nathalie Avalo

On this episode of the QC pod, Nathalie Avalo talks about how the animated television show Steven Universe teaches lessons on mental wellness. From magical musical numbers, to grounded scenes of dialogue, Natalie takes us through her journey with a show aimed at teaching kids and young adults lessons on mental health, relationships, and supporting emotional intelligence.

“The Stock Market” by Hanme Cho

This spring, stock market investment took America by storm.
It’s never been easier to invest (and lose) money trading without understanding what is happening.
In this episode, the QC Pod’s Hanme Cho sits down with Prof Ivy Huang (Accounting and Information Systems) to learn about the stock market.

“David & Xavier Talk NBA” by David Middleton and Xavier George

In this episode of the QC Pod, David Middleton discussed professional basketball with Xavier George talk professional basketball.

“Why Do We Love True Crime?” by Eden Ayala

QC Pod’s Eden Ayala explores our obsession with the true crime genre. What is it that captivates people?
She engages these questions in an interview with true crime author and Queens College Professor Harold Schechter.

“Queens College’s Counseling Services” by Samantha Galvez-Montiel

Queens College’s Office of Counseling Services is available to talk to students about personal things (relationships, family issues, shyness), school issues (difficulty studying, financial aid appeals), or just about anything else.
Many students don’t know it is available, or how it can help.
In today’s episode of the QC Pod, Samantha Galvez-Montiel sits down with Counseling Center Director Barbara Moore.

“QC Analytics Wins at UN Hackathon” by Eden Ayala

Queens College Data Analytics just won at a Global Hackathon sponsored by the United Nations! In this episode, the Queens Podcast Lab’s Eden Ayala sits down with the winning team: Esther Jenaro Rabadan, Rachel Ramphal, and Habiba Aziz.

“Ann Powers” by Jason Tougaw

Music journalist Ann Powers was a guest in The Knight News Visiting Journalists Series. Afterwards, she sat down with Jason Tougaw to talk music towns, the role of pleasure and love in music criticism, the racial politics of American music, her close encounters with Prince, Tori Amos, and Bono—and a whole lot more.

“Political Rage and the Media” by Samantha Galvez-Montiel

In this episode, QC student and The Knight News journalist Samantha Galvez-Montiel interviews QC Media Studies faculty member Benjamin Strassfield about the Capitol Hill Invasion and America’s increasingly fraught political culture.

“CUNY, Cutbacks, and Threats to Social Mobility” by Jason Tougaw

We talk with Urban Studies professor Natalie Vena and pre-dentistry student Tiara Miller about CUNY’s social justice mission, what it has made possible in their own lives, chronic underfunding, and the future of this powerful institution of social mobility.

“Learning about COVID19 with John Dennehy” by Hanme Cho

COVID19 has turned Queens College campus upside down. Fortunately, Queens College has expert virologist John Dennehy, QC biologist and head of the Dennehy Lab, to explain the virus to us. Our host, Hanme Cho, asks Prof. Dennehy about the virus, its epidemic, the vaccine, and more.

“Life as a New York Journalist with Amir Khafagy” by Jason Tougaw

In this episode of the QC Pod, we meet Amir Khafagy, freelance journalist and QC graduate with a B.A. and M.A. in Urban Studies from Queens College. Khafagy’s writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Vice, Bloomberg, and City Limits. He’s the recipient of The New Economics Reporting Fellowship and the Asian American Writers Workshop Open City Fellowship. Born and raised in Jackson Heights, much of his work explores the intersections of Labor, Race, Class, Immigration, and Urban Development.

“Campus Labor Relations” by Siddharth Malviya

In this episode of the QC Pod, we meet two campus labor leaders to discuss the current state of labor relations between campus faculty and executives. Jane Guskin is an adjunct in the Urban Studies department at Queens College, a PSC delegate, and co-founder of QC Adjuncts Unite.

“Inside Weill Cornell’s COVID-19 Testing Lab” by Jason Tougaw

Ever wondered what happens to the sample after that swab invades your nasal passages? On this week’s episode of the QC Pod, we meet Kathy Fauntleroy, Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor at New York Presbyterian Hospital by day–and MFA in Creative Nonfiction student by night.

“Doomsday Preppers in New York City” by Joseph Cohen

On today’s episode of the QC Pod, we meet Prof. Anna Bounds (Sociology) to discuss doomsday preparation in New York City. Prof. Bounds is the author of Bracing for the Apocalypse: An Ethnographic Study of New York’s ‘Prepper’ Subculture (Routledge).

“Applying to Graduate School” by Joseph Cohen

Queens College has a history of placing its undergraduates into world-famous graduate degree programs. In today’s episode, we talk to Robin Rogers (Associate Professor of Sociology), a former Director of Queens College’s Honors Program and a mentor to many students on the path to advanced degrees.

“QC Poet Ariel Francisco” by Jason Tougaw

Queens College is renowned for the multilingualism of our students, with more than 130 languages spoken on campus. Ariel Francisco is one of those students. He’s a poet studying translation in the MFA Program in Creative Writing and Literary Translation. He’s also the author of three books of poetry, A Sinking Ship is Still a Ship (Burrow Press, 2020), All My Heroes Are Broke (C&R Press, 2017) which was named one of the 8 Best Latino Books of 2017 by Rigoberto Gonzalez, and Before Snowfall, After Rain (Glass Poetry Press, 2016).
Ariel Francisco joins Jason Tougaw on QC POD to talk about his poetry, translating Latin American poets (including his father), growing up in Miami, after being born to Dominican and Guatemalan parents in the Bronx. He also does us the honor of reading some of his poems.

“Succeeding in Online Learning” by Joseph Cohen

COVID19 has pushed school online, and learning online is a new experience for a lot of students. In today’s episode of the QC Pod, we talk to Queens College’s educational technology gurus — Eva Fernandez and Michelle Fraboni — to discuss how students succeed while studying online. Eva Fernandez is Queens College’s Associate Provost for Innovation and Student Success, and a Professor of Linguistics and Communications. Michelle Fraboni is an Assistant Professor of Education at Queens College. They are, respectively, the former and current Directors of Queens College’s Center for Teaching and Learning. For more tips and information on College resources, visit Queens College’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

“The Women of Generation X” by Joseph Cohen

In today’s episode of the QC Pod, we meet with Professor Robin Rogers from the Department of Sociology to discuss her research on the women of Generation X. The young women of the 1990s and 2000s were told that they could do everything that men could do, but were their expectations of a better life fulfilled? Are there lessons for younger generations?

“Teaching During COVID” by Joseph Cohen

In today’s episode of the QC Pod, we talk to Eva Fernandez and Michelle Fraboni, two of Queens College’s teaching and technologies gurus, about how to serve our students while COVID19 forces us online. Eva Fernandez is Queens College’s Associate Provost for Innovation and Student Success, and a Professor of Linguistics and Communications. Michelle Fraboni is an Assistant Professor of Education at Queens College. They are, respectively, the former and current Directors of Queens College’s Center for Teaching and Learning. For more tips and information on College resources, visit Queens College’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

“QC Data Analytics in the 1990s” by Joseph Cohen and Ryan Sperry

Professor Mindy Rhindress is a valued faculty member and Mentor-in-Residence at Queens College’s Program in Data Analytics and Applied Social Research. She is also one of her program’s highly-successful alumni, with a very successful corporate career that culminated in a senior executive at the major marketing research firm Abt Associates. In our inaugural episode of The QC Pod, we ask Professor Rhindress what it was like to study analytics back in the 1990s. She talks about how QC students were trained to evangelize the idea that enterprises should give all their knowledge workers a computer of their own, and should teach people to use them!