Match Volume

On today's episode, I'm sitting down with Jane Honor. She is a USC senior as well as an incredibly talented singer. She is coming out with her second album "Reach Out, It's Easy" in May and has a single dropping on 4/28. From London to LA, Honor has captured audiences from around the world. Today, we talk about her journey to creating her first album, what listeners can expect from her sophomore album, and advice on how to get started in the music industry.

Today I am sitting down with one of my best friends, Sophia! In this episode, we talk about the good and the bad of living in dorms and favorite places to eat near USC. With admissions coming out, we talk about why we chose USC and why we think you should too :)

On today's show, we discuss how recent shows affected California's drought, how local schools are celebrating Read Across America Day, and a conversation with CNN reporter Katelyn Polantz. All that and more, from where we are!

This episode explores the relationship between roommates who have survived New North and now reside in the USC village! We've had our fair share of ups and downs, but have only grown closer in the process. This is a blueprint for anyone who's searching for a roommate, looking to replace one, or wondering how we've made it work for so long.  Nothing too mushy, but also answering the question of why we've chosen to live apart our junior year, dun dunnnnn

Allyson Felix: Earning Olympic 11 medals, she is becoming the most decorated track athlete in U.S. history. 

If you ever wanted a sneak-peak into what it is like to work in Annenberg Media, this is your all-access pass episode. Executive editor Nataly Josepth about what led her to join Annenberg Media and her journey in the newsroom. `

An interview with Joel Anderson about his career and work on the Slate Slowburn podcast

Specialized Journalism grad student and award-winning writer Andrew Dubbins talks to Jeffrey Lee about how he came to author the highly praised book "Into Enemy Waters: A World War II Story of the Demolition Divers Who Became the Navy SEALs." Along the way, he discusses how he came to meet 95-year-old veteran George Morgan, and how he was able to tell Morgan's story.

In this week's episode, Match Volume's Ashi Kumar "sits down" with fellow USC student Natalie Park to talk about how she started her fashion blog, how to overcome challenges in the content creation space, and advice on how to juggle school/life and being a creator. Check out Natalie's blog: http://www.nataliepark.com/

Legendary journalist and USC Annenberg Professor Robert Scheer joins Jeffrey Lee to talk about his life, journalism philosophies, and stories from a lifetime of asking hard-hitting questions.

In this week's episode, Match Volume's Ashi Kumar "sits down" with recent USC graduate Alexis Zimmerman to talk about how to handle the ups and downs of post-graduate life. We talk about how to handle post-grad anxiety, comparing yourself to other graduates and all the struggles being an adult entails. Hopefully, this episode will make the student to adult transition a little less scary and intimidating - don't worry you don't need to have all answers now. 

 In this week's episode, Match Volume's Ashi Kumar "sits down" with fellow USC trojan and successful food blogger Mandi Mikasa to discuss how to create a successful food blog. Her food blog is dedicated to trying and rating new food and beverage places in Los Angeles. The account has had rapid success with over 5,000 followers. Mandi speaks about the ins and outs of starting a blog. From how to create an authentic follower base to the right camera angles to make your food look otherworldly, Mandi is here to help! As a food expert, Mandi gives her favorite LA restaurants and café recommendations. If you are eager to learn how to create a successful blog, keep followers engaged or know where to eat when you are in LA, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. You can follow Mandi's account @foodoflosangeles. 

On this week's episode of Match Volume, Contributor Halee Anderson sits down with Taylor Hill-Miles, Logan Norman, and Ryan Driver to talk about her trepidation after doom scrolling TikTok, and why Black Americans need to explore opportunities in the Metaverse. Hill-Miles is a biomedical engineering major. As the chair of the campus NSBE Pre-Collegiate Initiative (PCI),  she is helping to advance Game Change 25, a national strategy to increase the pool of Black engineers. Norman, a computer science major and an NSBE member, entered the blockchain/web3/NFT space recently and describes how Black Americans are already making waves with these new technologies. Driver is a business major at Marshall. He's a “veteran” in the NFT space, with some early success leveraging the unique non-fungibles. He explains how the community aspect of the metaverse makes it extremely accessible and primed for  growth.

This week, Ryan Coleman had a conversation with Judy Muller and Cheri Mathews, the co-author of the book: red-headed cook of the desert: meth, murder, and motherhood. Judy Muller is an American journalist who earned an Emmy Award for coverage of the O.J.Simpson case. When she first met Cheri Mathews, a woman serving “lifetime parole” for murder, the story just began.The book takes readers on a journey into Cheri's complicated life, from her ill-fated attempts at marriage and motherhood to her love affair with meth to the murder that landed her in prison.Check out more about the roller-coaster tale here.

For this week's episode, Match Volume's Shitong Zhang talked with Shawn Tran, the founder of Cup of Troy, a pop-up coffee shop starting from USC. Shawn is also a Trojan who majored in the music industry. He and his friends started their coffee business as a hobby during the pandemic and now Cup of Troy has become a brand every trojan knows. Check out Cup of Troy on Instagram to find more about their events and menu.   

In the last week of USC's APISA Heritage Month, Match Volume's Lutian Wang sat down with Isaac Vigilla, a native Hawaiian working as a USC faculty member. They started from the story of pineapple and then dug deeper into Hawaiian history and culture, raising people's awareness of the significant contributions made by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

This week, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen joined Match Volume with Isis Leung, Grace Galante, and Julia Kim. Frances Haugen is an advocate for accountability and transparency in social media and a former Facebook employee. She disclosed thousands of Facebook's internal documents to the public to expose the company's ethical shortcomings. In this episode, Haugen shared what led to her courageous decision to blow the whistle on Facebook and her thoughts on the misinformation on social media platforms.

For this week's Match Volume, Nataly Joseph sat down with Alice Wong, a disabled activist, writer, editor, and the founder of the Disability Visibility Project, which is a project collecting oral histories of people with disabilities in the US. Wong also served as a presidential appointee to the National Council on Disability. In this episode, Wong and Nataly had a conversation about Wong's upcoming new book, Year of the Tiger. The book is a groundbreaking memoir in essays showing Wong's journey to finding and cultivating community and the continued fight for disability justice. Check out her debut memoir here.

This week on Match Volume, our very own Nataly Joseph talked with Nikki Nguyen, who founded Trans Defense Fund in LA. Trans Defense Fund is a mutual aid group providing self-defense kits and classes to trans folks in response to the disproportionate violence that trans folks face, especially Black and brown trans women. According to a report, Last year, at least 50 trans and gender non-conforming people, mostly Black and brown women, were killed, reaching the highest number of deaths since 2013. Things need to be changed and here comes Nikki Nguyen.

This Monday, the 2022 Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting was presented to ProPublica for their project, "The Secret IRS Files", which analyzed a massive trove of secret IRS data, revealing a series of systemic inequities that allow America's wealthiest citizens like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and Warren Buffet to pay little or nothing in federal taxes compared to their massive fortune. The award-winning team joined Match Volume with Andrea Valeria Diaz to talk about the stories and creation process of the amazing investigative report.

A doula is a trained professional who provides physical, emotional, and informational support through a significant health-related experience, especially childbirth. Though many studies have shown that the services of doula benefit the birth outcomes, the doula is still an overlooked position.  To mark World Doula Week, this week on Match Volume, Nataly Joseph chatted with Andrea Weaver, a certified Black doula based in LA and the founder of Nurture and Flow, an organization giving personalized care back to women and pregnant people, especially Black and brown birthing people. Andrea believes that the birthing person must be informed and empowered with the freedom and authority of making choices, which ensures a positive birth experience. The two also discussed the importance of Black doulas for Black women considering the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers is nearly three times that of white mothers nationally.

Food is often used as a symbol of cultural identity. How can we write about food and the culture behind it? This week, Match Volume's contributor Peter Njoroge talked with the senior food writer Tien Nguyen about her new book Red Boat Fish Sauce Cookbook. Red boat Fish Sauce has earned affection from many food titans as a famous fish sauce brand. But what's even more incredible is the story behind the brand's success and founder. Listen in for more on behind-the-scenes stories of the book and the brand.

On this week's episode of Match Volume, Contributor Halee Anderson interviews LA-based writer Jeff Weiss about his most recent endeavor, theLAnd, a gonzo-style print publication born out of the alt-right buyout of the LA Weekly. Weiss is an independent journalist and the founder of the longstanding music and culture blog Passion of the Weiss. In a wide-ranging discussion on alternative news, writers and their craft, and what inspires him, Weiss imparts some novel advice for aspiring writers and also trumpets this Saturday's party in celebration of the latest edition of theLAnd. His latest story appears in the February issue of Los Angeles Magazine.

Match Volume comes back for the seventh season with new voices and fresh stories. This week, Alexandra Applegate had a talk with the New York Times' international climate reporter Somini Sengupta. Somini shared her career path as a journalist working in over 40 countries around the world and the lessons on climate change she has learned. She also discussed how young people can use the tools they are learning in school to amplify and leverage their influence globally.

On Match Volume's last episode of the season, our very own Nataly Joseph spoke with Author Ariel Henley about living with the effects of Crouzon's syndrome and her new book “A Face for Picasso.” Crouzon's syndrome causes facial bones to stop growing prematurely. Listen in for more on Henley's experience and how she is channeling her pain into writing. Check out her new memoir here.

In tandem with USC Annenberg and Visions and Voices' Waging peace in Vietnam: An exhibition of protest movements and social change, Match Volume's own Ashley Carnahan sat down with David Cortwright and Susan Schnall, who participated in the Vietnam War and its resistance. Cortwright is the director of the Global Policy Initiative, special advisor for policy studies and professor emeritus at the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. After enlisting in the Vietnam War, he helped circulate petitions and other resistance efforts against it. Later, he sued the U.S. Army for infringing upon his first amendment rights during that movement. Schnall is an assistant adjunct professor at the New York University School of Professional Studies, Healthcare Management and the president of the New York City chapter of Veterans For Peace. She served as a nurse during the Vietnam War, helped organize “leaflet bombings” and promoted peace demonstrations. Listen to this week's episode to learn more about Cortwright and Schnall's stories, as well as the importance of peace movements and resisting from within.

On this week's episode of Match Volume, Contributor Claire Fogarty helps us understand the importance of political parties with Podcaster, Author and Senior Political Correspondent for Yahoo News, Jon Ward. Ward shares his thoughts on the Republican and Democratic parties in light of 2021 politics as well as the future of democracy in America. He also discusses strategies for managing mental health as a journalist who covers crisis topics.

This week on Match Volume, Contributor Steven Vargas sits down with Suchi Branfman and Terry Sakamoto of the Dancing Through Prison Walls Project. Branfman started the project in 2016 as a five-year choreographic residency inside a medium-security prison in Norco, California. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, the project -- and the expression it allowed the people in prison -- was put at risk. However, Branfman was able to let it continue by having participants write dances from their bunks. The dances will premiere Saturday, November 13 at 3pm at Scripps College.

This week on Match Volume, Nataly Joseph sat down with Travis Hines, who helped found the custom rug company, Tugs Rugs. After finding overnight viral success on Tiktok, the Hines family began working together to support the business started by their son, who is also named Travis. Hines schools Joseph on all things tufting, as well as how to connect with customers and build community around artistic commerce.Theme music by Polina Cherezova.

When you look into the night sky, you might see stars. Seth Shostak hopes he'll see aliens. This week on Match Volume, Annenberg Media's Nisha Venkat chats with Shostak about his research at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, California. Shostak is a senior astronomer at the institute, and he's spent the last 31 years looking for E.T. Venkat and Shostak discuss how to find an alien, the Fermy Paradox, machine learning and more.Theme music by Polina Cherezova.

On this episode, Host Jeremy Lindenfeld chats with Rebecca Kessler and then his friends Jake Squire and Perry Budd, to discuss their journeys toward anti-zionism. Zionism is the belief that Israel belongs to the Jewish People. They tackle the importance of intentionally differentiating between Judaism and Zionism, and the pain that they went through when first questioning Zionism. Rebecca Kessler supported Israel because that's what she was taught during her upbringing in Boca Raton and now in her 30's, Kessler has moved away from that position. Jake Squire is a Jewish man who has recently begun to question his Zionism. Perry Budd is a master's student at USC and former writer and researcher for The Borgen Project, where he reported on international political economy and American foreign policy. Match Volume is an interview-based podcast that presents the perspectives and experiences of the impressive and passionate. It is not a news podcast, though it often discusses current events and issues relevant to its listeners.Theme music by Polina Cherezova.

On this week's episode, we air two interviews surrounding the topic of sustainable innovation. First, Match Volume's Alexandra Applegate chats with Aly Moore, founder of insect advocacy blog Bugible. Moore shares her enthusiasm for all things insects, and why we should help nature return to its roots by reintroducing bugs back into food chains and human diets. Then, Match Volume's Ashley Carnahan profiles Tiktoker and Upcycler Jennifer Collier. Collier, who is a junior at UCLA, went viral after she crocheted plastic grocery bags into sleeping mats for people who are unhoused. Listen for more on how you can make small changes in your life to reduce your carbon footprint.

This week on Match Volume,  Nataly Joseph sits down with award-winning Journalist and Author Abigail Pesta. Pesta wrote “The Girls: An All-American Town, A Predatory Doctor, and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down.” The two discuss how the F.B.I. and U.S.A. Gymnastics were able to cover up the abuse of over 150 gymnasts, as well as what it takes to report a story of this nature. This episode mentions disturbing activity surrounding abuse and may be triggering for some. CW: Abuse, pedophilia, suicide.

For this week's episode, Nataly Joseph discussed the positive impact of online communities with Luckie Alexander. Alexander founded the trans-masculine internet collective, Invisible Men. He also works in the senior services department of the L.A. LBGT Center and serves on the Trans Advisory Council and H.I.V. Commission for L.A. City and West Hollywood. The two talk about how trans-masculine inclusive spaces, like Invisible Men, are helping to redefine what it means to be a man.

On this week's episode, Elle Davidson sits down with her friend and former boss, Justin Barney. Barney is the music director and assistant program director for 88Nine Radio Milwaukee. The two Milwaukee natives discuss Wisconsin pride, listening to Sufjan Stevens in middle school, how to make it in your own city, Caroline Polachek and of course… 2021 NBA Champions The Bucks!!

Hosts Jeremy Lindenfeld and Nataly Joseph make their Match Volume debut in a special getting-to-know-you episode. They work their way through a variety of probes and hypotheticals, from their favorite pick-up lines to what skills they have to survive in the wild.Theme music by Polina Cherezova.

Match Volume returns for another season with a new sound and fresh voices. This week, MV's Nataly Joseph sat down with LA rapper, AJ, The One. An Inglewood native and Cal grad, AJ, The One turned her poetry into rap to "talk her shit" about queerphobic patriarchy. Listen in to hear more about what it means to be an artist with soul, the binary trap many rappers get stuck in and AJ's vision behind her song, "Vagina Vibe."Check out AJ, The One here. 

On the final episode of season five, Match Volume’s Mari Young is joined by Dr. Quade French, a clinical psychologist and consultant in the USC provost’s office of campus well-being and education. In their conversation, Dr. French breaks down the experience of “pandemic stress” and offers compassionate advice on how to cope with burnout. Special thanks to Ashi Kumar and Mari Young who both contributed to the promotion of this week’s episode. And a special thanks to all of our listeners this semester.

On this week’s episode of Match Volume, co-hosts Ella Katz and Elle Davidson “sit down” with conservation photographer and writer Amy Gulick. Gulick has been capturing rare ecosystems for years, which she discusses in this episode, as well as the ticking time bomb that is climate change. Her most recent book, “Salmon in the Trees,”  takes a deep and unfiltered look at Alaska’s Tongass Rain Forest, an ecosystem that Gulick explores with Elle and Ella. Gulick’s work has been featured in a handful of publications from National Wildlife to Outdoor Photographer, and she emphasizes the urgency of acting on our pressing climate crisis. This conversation coincides with Earth Day and President Biden’s call to action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Check out Amy Gulick here.

On this weeks episode, Match Volume’s Ashi Kumar "sits down" with Geistwear co-founders Ocean Ronquillo-Morgan and Clara Diogo to talk about what successful entrepreneurship looks like in college. First started at USC, Geistwear is a collegiate apparel brand that now offers attire for college students across the country. Ocean and Clara speak about the in’s and out’s of starting a business and how challenging yet critical it is to create a strong brand identity. They touch on the competitive nature of the industry and how they faced the harsh reality of haters. The two also speak about confidence in the entrepreneurial world and how female self-starters can navigate a predominantly male-space. If you are eager to gain confidence, have effective interactions or create a successful business, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. You can purchase clothes from Geistwear at www.geistwear.com. Special thanks to Ashi Kumar, who contributed to the promotion of this week’s episode.

Catastrophic wildfires on the west coast feel like a very modern problem — one that’s a product of global warming, improper zoning policies, drought and more. Yet fires are also nothing new, and have been raging on these landscapes for hundreds of years. A new project from the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West attempts to tie together the history of Western fire with modern fire ecology. A large part of that history also surrounds Native American tribes who have lived on this land — and used fire as a tool to preserve it — for millennia. The project is called the West on Fire, and Match Volume’s Sean Flannelly sat down to talk with its lead investigator, Jared Aldern.

On this week’s episode, Match Volume’s Eduardo Ocampo speaks with longtime San Diego immigration activist Enrique Morones about why he has spent so much of his life fighting for the undocumented. Morones is the founder of Border Angels, House of Mexico and Gente Unida. Ocampo and Morones discuss his experience working with past presidential administrations, his frustration with misinformation regarding deportations and his thoughts on President Biden’s first 100 days.

This week on Match Volume, reporter Ike Allen chats with Richard Carpiano, a UC Riverside professor and expert on the anti-vaccine movement. This conversation explains how opposition to public health measures and vaccines have brought together far right militias, business owners, and others during the pandemic. Special thanks to Ashi Kumar for contributing to the promotion of this week’s episode.

On this week’s episode of Match Volume, co-hosts Ella Katz and Elle Davidson “sit down” with Dr. Meg Jay. As a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Virginia, Dr. Jay saw a misunderstanding in society and took action by writing her book, “The Defining Decade”. According to Dr. Jay, there is a dangerous ignorance about how transformative our twenties actually are, especially when thinking longterm about the future. Dr. Jay talks with Elle and Ella about the importance of befriending co workers, living with intention and how “twentysomethings” can seize young adulthood during the pandemic. If you are a twentysomething, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.You can purchase Dr. Meg Jay’s new edition of “The Defining Decade” wherever books are sold.Special thanks to Ashi Kumar, who contributed to the promotion of this week’s episode.

This week, Victoria Garrick discusses how to balance your diet while prioritizing your mental health with Match Volume hosts Ella Katz and Elle Davidson. Garrick discovered her voice in the body positivity space while giving a Ted Talk to fellow USC students. The former Trojan has gone on to create viral content on Instagram and Tik Tok, encouraging authenticity and nutritional health for college students and young athletes. The three engage in a candid conversation, opening up about their respective relationships with food against a backdrop of comparison stemming from social media. Garrick explains the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders and highlights pragmatic ways to fight diet culture in college.

On this week’s episode of Match Volume, Caitlin Calfo is joined by CEO and founder of Leda Health, Madison Campbell. Leda Health provides at-home rape kits and mental health resources to sexual assault survivors. Campbell defends her company against the ongoing controversy of Leda Health's mission, which has been criticized by law enforcement agents in New York and Michigan. Calfo and Campbell discuss the institutionalized corruption that continues to plague police departments and university campuses, like USC, when it comes to sexual assault. Special thanks to Ashi Kumar, who contributed to the promotion of this week's episode. Content Warning: Sexual assault/rape

On this week’s episode of Match Volume, Nataly Joseph is joined by “beauty entertainment” YouTuber and USC student Amanda Elimian. When Elimian is not in class, she is making videos for her 232K subscribers on everything from pop culture, to her experiences as a young Black woman. Joseph and Elimian discuss GenZ’s performative activism, misogynoir at USC and how to deal with internet trolls.

On this week’s episode of Match Volume, Ella chats with Queen of Confidence and host of dating show, “Let’s F***ing Date,” Serena Kerrigan. Since the start of quarantine, Kerrigan has capitalized on Stay-At-Home orders by live-streaming a weekly virtual dating show. Over the past year, Kerrigan has built a die-hard fan base and used her a platform to promote self love and entrepreneurship. To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Ella and Serena discuss tools for resilience in the face of toxic hookup culture, Instagram FOMO, and dating in the age of COVID-19. Special thanks to Ava Brand, who contributed to the promotion of this week’s episode.

For this week’s episode of Match Volume, Pia Bergman joins Elle to discuss her professional journey in the fashion and beauty world. After graduating with a degree in anthropology, Bergman is now working as a copywriter for the beauty and skincare brand, La Mer.  In their thoughtful conversation, Elle and Pia touch on clout culture, Telfar bags and tangible advice for students looking to explore their own personal brand.

On week three of Match Volume season 5, filmmaker Lance Oppenheim joins Elle & Ella to discuss his feature documentary, “Some Kind of Heaven.” At only 25-years-old, Lance premiered this directorial debut as an official selection at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it was recognized by most major media outlets and garnered attention in Hollywood. In this episode, Lance opens up about his love for filmmaking, the importance of cold-calling and how he got to where he is today.

Content Warning: Sexual violence, abuse and racismOn this week’s episode of Match Volume, Journalist Brandi Morin joins Caitlin Calfo to address the systemic issues that cause Indigenous women and girls to go missing. Morin shares her powerful story and addresses the current genocidal crisis happening to Indigenous women that many overlook. Based in Treaty 6 territory, Alberta, Canada, Brandi Morin is now a freelance journalist raising awareness for Indigenous rights and legislative action.If you or a loved one are in need of support, you can call the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center at 1-844-7NATIVE in the US, or 604-687-1867 in Canada to speak with a native advocate for support.