The Echo Podcast

On April 29, 2022, The Echo issued a new column in their features section similar to a man or word on the street. This column, known as Gumby Gossip, is meant to highlight the thoughts and opinions of the California Lutheran University community. Listen as The Echo's Editor in Chief Alijah Hernandez highlights how students around Cal Lutheran's Thousand Oaks campus feel about Cal Lutheran Cares Day.

In honor of women's history month, California Lutheran University's Center for Cultural Engagement and Inclusion hosted a women's leadership panel on Tuesday, March 15. The panelists included the campus President, Vice President for Talent Culture and Diversity, and Director of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies. Our reporter Will Haddock joins the podcast to share his reporting on this event.

The city of Thousand Oaks opened it's first medical cannabis dispensary in February of 2022. Two Cal Lutheran alums along with the former mayor of Westlake worked on developing this business. Our reporter Melodie Truchi comes on the show to break down what went into creating this business and the hopes they have for being the first dispensary in the city. 

The Black Student Union held their fourth annual Soul Fest kicking off the end of black history month. This event highlighted black artists, black-owned businesses, black-owned food trucks, and included activities for the community. Our reporter, Will Haddock, comes on the show to talk about his experience at Soul Fest and tells us what he's learned in interviewing the people behind this whole event.

California Lutheran University added a COVID-19 state testing site on Monday, Jan. 24 in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness center parking lot. Our reporter Madison Kosar comes on the show to break down when students should get tested, where they should get tested, and what happens once they test positive.

El siguiente podcast estará completamente en español como parte de un proyecto colaborativo entre The Echo y la clase de SPAN 301.Hay varios recursos de salud mental que son accesibles para estudiantes en California Lutheran University, pero estos no son disponible para profesores también. A partir de la pandemia, los profesores han cambiado algunos aspectos de sus enseñanzas durante estos tiempos difíciles para seguir dando clases en línea. Editora de nuestra publicación en español El Eco Magally Lopez y editora apunta Julissa Raigoza hablan con reporteras Madison Corletto y Iliana Zepeda sobre las opiniones y sentimientos de la facultad en Cal Lutheran mientras regresan a clases presenciales en el episodio de esta semana. The following podcast will be fully in spanish as part of a collaborative project between The Echo and the SPAN 301 class.There are various mental health resources that are accessible for students at California Lutheran University, but these are not available for professors as well. Because of the pandemic, professors have changed some aspects of their teaching during these difficult times to keep conducting classes online. El Eco Editor Magally Lopez and Deputy El Eco editor Julissa Raigoza speak with reporters Madison Corletto and Iliana Zepeda about the opinions and feelings of faculty as they return to in-person classes in this week's episode.

A town hall for California Lutheran University faculty and staff was held on Tuesday Nov. 2 to relay general campus updates and provide more information on strategic planning, enrollment, the university's revenue and more from the university's administration. Our reporter Taylor Love comes on the show to break down the key details from this meeting and what that means for the Cal Lutheran community.

California Lutheran University students Bailey Hendrix and Ariana Godinez created the first edition of “Le Gumby,” a French-language newspaper at Cal Lutheran. This was a part of a special topics language class taught by Professor Sophie Khadraoui-Fortune in the spring of 2021. Our reporter Carrollyne Aasen comes on the show to explain how Le Gumby came to be and the significance it has to the french-speaking community at Cal Lutheran. 

The Cal Lutheran Hockey Club has grown significantly since their last season ended before the pandemic. The team is not a part of the university's athletic department, so they receive funding from the Associated Students of California Lutheran University Government and their club dues. Since they last played, the team has expanded as they have garnered interest from students. Our reporter Lauren DeRosa comes on the show to explain the team's experience as they continue to navigate new changes.

Cal Lutheran's Center for Global Engagement celebrated International Day of Peace on Tuesday, September 21 with a roster of events to show the university's commitment to peace. Our reporter Carrollyne Aasen comes on the show to discuss the origins of this celebration at Cal Lutheran and what festivities took place this year on campus.

Cal Lutheran Residence Life aims to bring 1,200 students back to the dorms in fall 2021. Now that all students are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and Ventura County's infection rates are declining, a return to campus seems more realistic than ever. Our reporter Alijah Hernandez comes on the show to dive deeper into the student experience during the pandemic and what this influx of students could look like. 

Uyeno-Tseng Professor of International Studies and Professor of Political Science Michael E. Brint is retiring after a 20-year career at Cal Lutheran, with that also passing on his legacy: the Oxford study abroad program. Our reporter Marcos Pino comes on the show to discuss his reporting on Brint's legacy and the future of the program.

On April 5, five teams' short films competed for first, second and third place awards at Cal Lutheran's virtual 48 Hour x 2 Film Jam Screening. Cal Lutheran's Film Jam challenges teams to create a five-minute film under tight time constraints each semester. Echo Reporter Emily Henbest comes on the show to discuss her reporting on how the first fully virtual Film Jam played out. 

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges provided a letter of formal notification of action summarizing WASC Senior College and University Commission's (WSCUC) Special Visit to Cal Lutheran on Dec. 2-4 2020, and its subsequent meeting on Feb. 19. The letter outlined six issues or action items that the commission is asking the university to address. Our reporter Shendel Friedman comes on the show to discuss her reporting on WASC's visit, letter and what the university is doing to address WASC's asks.Note: the term "accreditation visit" is used interchangeably with "special visit" in the podcast. Concise details regarding the visit and subsequent action are available here. 

California Lutheran University President Lori Varlotta announced earlier this month that the university plans to host classes in person in the fall 2021 semester. Staff Reporter Madisyn Morin got the chance to speak with university administrators about what this transition could look like and how Cal Lutheran community members are feeling about a slow return to normalcy. She comes on the show to elaborate on her reporting and give insight into what this return to campus might include.

En el condado de Ventura, hay una organización que se enfoca en ayudar la gente. Especialmente en estos tiempos difíciles, allí están para ayudar. En este podcast en español, hablamos de la organización conocida como Adelante Comunidad Conejo. Una de nuestras reporteras, Angelica Rangel Cabrero, escribió un artículo de la organización y hablamos de la información en el artículo y cómo puedes ayudar o pedir ayuda con ellos. 

Ventura County recently began vaccinating tier 1b which includes those working in the Education sector and California Lutheran University faculty, staff and student employees specifically. Our reporter Whitaker Proll-Clark comes on the show to discuss his reporting on vaccine rollout, efficacy and a path toward normalcy.  

The Fredrickson Family Early Childhood Center at Cal Lutheran has been closed for about one year. Although the Thousand Oaks campus is slowly reopening, the preschool that some faculty members and staff depend on for childcare currently remains closed. Reporter for The Echo Christer Maxine Schmidt comes on the show to discuss her reporting on barriers to reopening the preschool and what this means for its employees and community members seeking childcare.

Empezando el 16 de febrero, algunas clases de California Lutheran University comenzaron un formato de enseñanza que ocurre parcialmente virtual y parcialmente en forma presencial. Los estudiantes, además de tener la opción de asistir a clases vía Zoom, tienen la opción de asistir a clases en persona, en salones al aire libre bajo carpas. Reportera Lilián Terán Mendoza se une a la editora del Eco Magally López para discutir su artículo sobre el regreso al campus.

Cal Lutheran President Lori Varlotta recently announced that the university has joined the American Council of Education Internationalization Laboratory cohort. Cal Lutheran's Internationalization Laboratory Steering Committee will help the university develop a path to better prepare students to be global citizens. Contributing Writer for The Echo Sam Hostetter comes on the show to discuss her reporting on what this engagement means for the university.

February is Black History Month and the Center for Cultural Engagement and Inclusion at Cal Lutheran is holding a variety of events to educate and entertain the Cal Lutheran community. Our reporter Mikayla Galaviz comes on the show to discuss Black History Month's origins, upcoming events and the role of the CCEI at Cal Lutheran.

Almost one year ago, Cal Lutheran was forced to reckon with its racial climate that former President Chris Kimball described as a "long-standing" issue. Kimball and other cabinet members began to take initiatives presented by Black Student Union and Sisters' Circle and put them into action last spring. With a new president at the helm, our reporter Vic vonBerg comes on the show to provide commentary on her reporting about the progress the university has made.

News & Managing Editor Lindsey Potter and Editor in Chief Isabella Breda provide commentary and analysis on events and change throughout Cal Lutheran's history as well as the process and purpose of creating their timeline project "Cal Lutheran by the decade." The project aims to provide context for the university's current social and cultural environment by highlighting and depicting major events throughout its history. The timeline can be found at cluecho.com under the "Timeline" tab. 

If state, NCAA and county guidelines permit Cal Lutheran student-athletes to return to play in the spring,  they may not get to see any fans in the bleachers. Our reporter, Sebastian Gagnon, comes on the show to discuss what he learned while reporting on what the fan experience could look like during the spring 2021 semester.  

Among the commitments necessary to return to in-person learning in the spring semester, faculty members and staff are required to return to campus. If they present a physician's note, accommodations will be considered. Our reporters, Joslyn Buckley and Jacqueline Flores come on the show to discuss what they learned about what a return to in-person instruction during a global pandemic would mean for the university employees.

Many California Lutheran University offices and departments used to report directly to the president, but that's changing. Our staff reporter, Christer Schmidt, comes on the show to discuss what she learned about President Lori Varlotta's changes to the university's organizational structure, just a few months into her presidency. 

Last week, California Lutheran University announced plans to hold classes in a split in-person and online format during the spring 2021 semester, sacrificing spring and Easter breaks to reduce travel and the potential for COVID-19 transmission. Our reporter Jacqueline Flores comes on the show to discuss what she learned from university administrators about the university's plans to reopen. 

This Monday, Oct. 12, was Indigenous Peoples' Day. America's reckoning with its racist past has led to a push to replace a celebration of a colonizer, with a celebration of the people that have longest occupied these lands. Our reporter, Jasmine Perez comes on the show to discuss what she learned while reporting on the holiday.

With added stressors including an impending election, fully remote learning and a growing pandemic-related death toll, Counseling and Psychological Services at California Lutheran University is broadening its offerings to help support students. Our staff reporter Nataly Gutierrez comes on the show to discuss what resources are available. 

For the first time in California Lutheran University history, revisions to the student handbook included input from students that was collected during focus groups in summer 2020. Our staff reporter, Zeyma Martinez, comes on the show to explain what those students in the focus groups had to say, and how that changed the handbook.

In this episode we sit down with the newly elected Freshman Senator, Millennia Gamez, to hear more about her background and goals for the campus community. The Echo's staff reporter Alijah Hernandez also drops in to give a breakdown of the first Associated Students of California Lutheran University Government Senate meeting. 

At the beginning of 2020, California Lutheran University students were calling for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The university is starting a fully remote fall semester with a new university president, but the demands remain. Reporter Sam Hostetter describes her interview with President Lori Varlotta and shares her hopes for how the new president will tackle DEI on campus.