The Forum Podcasts

Forum reporter Devin Logan discussed the increase in engagement for ASW events and how these activities bring the Westminster College community together with Denali Zebelean, the 2022–23 ASW events president. They also spoke about some of the upcoming September events to get excited for and the return of some student favorites.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Tommy Howells. Westminster College student Shellby Carvalho, a junior environmental science major sat down with Forum Reporter Tommy Howells to discuss May Term Study Experiences. Their discussion touches on family trips internationally before and during the pandemic and the impact that the pandemic has had in suspending the Westminster community's favorite places around the world to visit, for two years. Anthony and Cat say goodbye to the podcast, and welcome next year's editor Vanessa Eveleth who will be taking over as host.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Rylee Brown. Westminster College students Cole Porterfield, a senior international business and marketing major and Mikey O'Hearn, a sophomore communication major sat down with Forum reporter Rylee Brown to discuss what it's like learning a second language in not only college, but through a pandemic.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter KC Carter. As first-year students coming into college, some students' say their home lives are shifting in big ways for the first time, leading some of them to make new connections and discover new ideas of family. In this episode of The Forum Podcasts, staff reporter KC Carter sits down with her two roommates to discuss the ways they've impacted each others' lives over the last four years as undergrads.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Vanessa Eveleth. In this episode, The Forum Reporter Vanessa Eveleth sits down with a Westminster College professor of education and a student-teacher in the master of arts in teaching program to learn about the art of teaching. Eveleth dives into how creative teaching provides an opportunity to share diverse perspectives and the ways recent events have impacted students' responses to inclusive lessons.

Recorded & Edited by Gisselle Ramirez. In this week's episode of the Forum Podcasts, Forum staff reporter Gisselle Ramirez sits down with Skye Mossbrook, a senior finance major at Westminster College, to discuss how living in Utah and being isolated from his family in New York during the pandemic has affected him and his experience as a college student.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Channing Gibbs. In this episode of The Forum Podcasts, staff reporter Channing Gibbs speaks with Juanita Galvis, a first-year marketing and communication major. Galvis, who was born in Colombia, shares her experience learning English, as well as how language and language learning have shaped her identity.

Recorded & Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Quinn Winter. In this episode, The Forum Reporter Quinn Winter looks into ways the Westminster community can manage the stress and anxiety of starting the Spring semester with a flexible start due to the Omicron surge. Winter talks to both mental health professionals and current students to understand coping strategies and self care practices as we approach two years in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recorded & Edited by Video & Podcast Editor Anthony Giorgio. In this episode of The Forum Podcasts, Anthony Giorgio and Editor-in-Chief Cat Taylor interview four members of the Westminster community, whose experiences span 25 years on campus. Between them, The Forum pulls together a history of the first Pride club on campus, its eventual successor Alphabet Soup, the formation of Queer Compass through the Student Diversity & Inclusion Center, and the roots of Pride Week traditions on campus. Special thanks to Rodney Glore, Ashlee Szwedko, Faith Staley, Steve Morgan and Jonny Jemming. Music via the Free Music Archive Creative Commons at https://freemusicarchive.org.

Recorded & edited by Forum production manager and staff reporter Ella Viesturs. On this episode of The Forum podcast, Production Manager Ella Viesturs talks with Nick Pollock, assistant professor of Honors and geology at Westminster College, about the Wasatch fault, visibly identifiable as 1300 East, Westminster's neighborhood street. Pollock answers questions and concerns about the Wasatch fault line.

Recorded & Edited by Forum staff reporter Lucas Arico. Westminster's theatre department has their first live performance in over a year and with it comes new changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With live theatres opening back up for the first time since the pandemic began, senior theatre technology major Abbie Hagen talks to Forum reporter Lucas Arico about how the pandemic changed and will continue to impact theatre.

Recorded in The Forum podcast studio and edited by Forum reporter Keely Carolan. In this episode, Forum staff reporter Keely Carolan sits down with biology and environmental studies professor Christy Clay to discuss local issues of food systems and climate change, and what students can do to make a difference in the campus community.

Recorded and Edited by Forum Staff Reporter Brooklyn Covington, featuring Adrianna Franco and Wyatt Bringhurst. As classes move back to in person for the Fall semester, masks are required in all shared, indoor spaces on campus for all individuals (vaccinated or not) consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations, according to Westminster's new mask and vaccine requirements page. Westminster College requires everyone, including contractors and visitors, to follow its guidelines when on campus, according to its coronavirus (COVID-19) resources page. Wyatt Bringhurst, a senior business management major, came to Westminster as a transfer student in Fall 2020. Bringhurst said he was skeptical at first about coming back to campus when Dr. Glenn Smith, the dean of students and vice president for student affairs, released an announcement on Aug. 5 of the current mask and vaccine requirement before the Fall semester started.

Westminster Director of Counseling discusses imposter syndrome by The Forum Media: Westminster College's News Source

In this episode of Westminster Stories, Video & Podcast Director Anthony Giorgio interviews three incoming first-year students: Madeleine Felix, Hannah Henke, and Jack Williams.

By Abby Mangum On a sunny day in June, Peter Frank went out for a run in his home state of Montana, where he was living for the summer during a year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. What happened on that fateful afternoon was nothing short of unexpected. “I was just running on a road in Montana, and I was crossing an intersection, and a truck didn't see me crossing,” Frank said. “And then it came and hit me, to put it in the simplest terms.” Frank was unconscious for 14 minutes before paramedics were able to rescue him and rush him to the hospital.

By Anthony Giorgio In this interview with the chair of the economics program at Westminster College, Professor Michael Mamo speaks with Forum staff reporter Anthony Giorgio to break down important concepts for understanding the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recorded and Edited by Reme Torbert In this episode of Office Hours, Forum reporter Reme Torbert sits down with the head assistant volleyball coach at the University of Utah to talk about having a newborn during the pandemic and the value of time management. While having a full-time job and being a full-time mother, Malia Shoji shares some insight on what's key when managing time, and how you can get ahead.

By Riley Levine In this podcast series, Forum contributor Riley Levine sits down with Lisa Senecal: Chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, co-founder of the Maren Group, host of Lincoln Project TV's “Vote For America”, and host and creator of upcoming LPTV show “We're Speaking.”

By Riley Levine In this podcast series, Forum contributor Riley Levine sits down with Lisa Senecal: Chair of the Vermont Commission on Women, co-founder of the Maren Group, host of Lincoln Project TV's “Vote For America”, and host and creator of upcoming LPTV show “We're Speaking.”

By Melissa Reeves In this podcast, Forum reporter Melissa Reeves sat down with sport psychologist, Kelli Warmouth, to discuss mental health and sport psychology in the age of COVID-19.

By Kate McMaster Jan Saeed, director of spiritual life for the Office for Global Peace and Spirituality, shares the office's current projects, events and resources. She discusses how to foster understanding in polarized times, COVID-19's effect on emotional well-being and how her personal spiritual view informs her outlook on the pandemic.

By James Carson In this podcast, Forum Reporter James Carson sits down to talk with Devin Maxwell, a core adjunct professor in the school of music. They discussed the music technology courses that the school offers to students.

By Katana Urry Tyrone Davies, a film professor at Westminster College, shares his love for experimental film, and how it took him all over North America as a film curator. His passion immersed him in a community of people that he describes as both authentic and honest: “a welcoming crowd interested in new ideas,” said Davies.

By Lauren Shoughro Roasted turkey, cranberry sauce and any type of potato one can think of -- These foods all represent Thanksgiving for most Americans. As students approach the holiday season, it's important to understand the true history of the American holiday. Franci Taylor, the director of the American Indian Resource Center at the University of Utah and a member of the Choctaw tribe, shared with The Forum what Thanksgiving means to her.

Recorded by Mekenzie Denault. Edited by Marina McTee Westminster student Joe Richardson talks about his journey through the military and how that lead him to want to be a family and marriage counselor for military families.

In this podcast, Forum Reporter James Carson sits down with Brandon Derfler, chair of the Florence J. Gillmor School of Music. They discuss the private music lessons that the school offers to all students -- not just music majors -- and the opportunities that come with those lessons.

The two vice presidential candidates faced off in their first and only debate Wednesday night at Kingsbury Hall at the University of Utah. Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris clashed on a number of issues, creating a stark contrast between the two campaigns. Join editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux and video editor Marina McTee -- who covered the debate live from the University of Utah -- to discuss their takeaways from the event.

The gubernatorial debate hosted Tuesday by the Utah Debate Commission came at an interesting time, finishing just minutes before the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden began. However, the two candidates were able to dive into their views on the state COVID-19 response, unemployment and the overall quality of life in Utah.

Erin Gibson, the director of counseling at Westminster College, joins staff reporter Rian Zetzer to discuss the mental health challenges students are facing in the pandemic. Gibson discusses coping mechanisms, campus resources and brings awareness to the statement, “its ok to not be ok.”

Republican Blake Moore and Democrat Darren Parry faced off in a debate Sept. 24, competing to fill the only open congressional seat in Utah this year. The two candidates hold similar views on several issues -- but worked to separate themselves in order to appeal to candidates. Behind the Ballot is a political podcast introducing you to the candidates for Utah's statewide and Congressional races. In this episode of Behind the Ballot: A Hot Minute, editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux gives the rundown of the top moments from Thursday's debate.

On this episode of Westminster stories, Adrianna Franco talks to international student Val Scopello about what it was like being stuck in the U.S after campus closed March 2020 for the coronavirus pandemic.

The race for Utah's 4th Congressional District is deemed one of the most competitive in 2020 -- and is gaining national attention as Rep. Ben McAdams seeks to defend his seat against opponent Burgess Owens. Behind the Ballot is a political podcast introducing you to the candidates running for Utah's statewide and congressional races. Listen to this exclusive interview between Rep. Ben McAdams and editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux, discussing McAdams' campaign platform -- specifically on the issues college students care about the most.

In this installment of Westminster Stories, Katie Valdez, senior justice studies major and former co-president of the Westminster College Feminist Club, discusses the struggle of women of color to gain enfranchisement even after the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the continued fight for enfranchisement by groups today, and the importance of acknowledging issues that impact members of our local, national, and global communities each day.

Welcome to The Forum Podcasts by The Forum Media: Westminster College's News Source

In this episode of Office Hours, staff reporter Grace French talks with Westminster College's new Title IX Coordinator Mary Royal about how Westminster College updated its Title IX policy ahead of the Fall semester -- along with other colleges across the country -- to align with the newly updated regulations from the federal government.

Behind the Ballot is a political podcast introducing college students to the candidates running for Utah's statewide and congressional offices. In this episode, editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux talks to Greg Skordas: the Democratic candidate for attorney general. Skordas is running to unseat incumbent Sean Reyes (R-UT) who has held the seat since 2013.

Behind the Ballot is a political podcast introducing you to the candidates running for Utah's statewide and congressional offices. In this episode, editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux talks to Kael Weston -- the Democratic candidate for Utah's 2nd Congressional District and former writer-in-residence for Westminster College -- to find out more about his campaign, specifically on the issues college students care about the most.

All eyes are on the governor's mansion this year, as the 2020 election promises a new state leader for Utah. In this episode of Behind the Ballot, editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux spoke to Democratic candidate Chris Peterson and his running mate Karina Brown. Although Utah typically votes red, Peterson said he feels the political landscape in the state changing.

Behind the Ballot is a political podcast introducing college students to the candidates for Utah's statewide and Congressional offices. Through these exclusive interviews, editor-in-chief Cami Mondeaux dives into candidates' campaign platforms to learn their stances on the issues college students care about the most. In this episode, The Forum spoke with Devin Thorpe: the Democratic candidate for Utah's 3rd Congressional District. Thorpe will face incumbent John Curtis (R-UT) on the ballot in November.

Forum reporter Alexys Smith sits down with Erin Merrill, the instruction & outreach librarian at Westminster College, to talk about how students can stay up-to-date about what resources have been made available online and what students can get physical copies of during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forum reporter Gwenna Salazar talks with Stephany Murguia, the director of education and outreach for the Rape Recovery Center near Westminster campus. Murguria talks about the history of the RRC, the recent goal to increase resources in Spanish, and celebrating Sexual Assault Awareness month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode of Westminster Stories, The Forum talks to Blaine Whitford about his journey as a study abroad student in Morocco during the coronavirus pandemic. After being told mixed messages about his return to the states, Whitford made it home on March 21 on an emergency flight out of the country. Now that he's home, he says that finding people to talk to and activities to do at home is most important during this time while taking care of ourselves.

In the final episode of From The Hill, we recap the biggest bills that happened in the session and where they ended up. We talked about polygamy, abortion, affordable housing and redistricting. While this is goodbye, for now, keep an eye out for more episodes in the future.

On this episode of Westminster Stories, Forum reporter Riley Levine sits down with Oz Scott, a Westminster College senior and avid skier, who makes a point to reduce his emissions by carpooling to the ski resorts. They'll discuss topics like why carpooling and reducing emissions are important and the relationship between public transit and students.

The Utah State Legislative Session has reached its final week. Join Editor-in-Chief Cami Mondeaux and Managing Editor Marina McTee as they rehash their favorite bills of the session and where they ended up. *Disclaimer: HB 201, which deals with the co-pays on insulin prescriptions, passed the Senate and is headed to the governor for a vote. This podcast was recorded before that happened.

The Utah Legislative Session is reaching the end of its 45-day session. In this episode, The Forum editors look at more bills dealing with guns and taxes. While some lawmakers are pushing to increase gun control, others are fighting against it.

Among the several bills proposing to deal with gun control -- for and against -- in the Utah legislative session, three that seek to strengthen gun control were either killed or put on hold. Gun control has become a hot-topic issue in the last few years, with lawmakers splitting along party lines. Those on Capitol Hill this week did the same: wearing red shirts to defend what they call their “God-given” second amendment rights, and others wearing blue shirts to push for increased gun control. Lawmakers are also facing pressure to adjust the tax budget for the state, coming up quickly on the deadline. There are only seven days left in the legislative session, which is causing a faster pace in the legislature.

Skye Jeffries is a graduating senior who has managed to balance a crazy schedule over the last four years. Between being on the women's soccer team and juggling a full-time schedule, Jeffries said one of the hardest parts was finding a way to manage her time. The weirdest part about graduating? She says it's the thought of not playing sports competitively after she walks across the stage in May.

Tanner Hall, 36, is a legend in the snow community for being one of the athletes that pioneered the sport of freestyle skiing. In this podcast, Hall talks about how he got into the sport of skiing, some of his greatest accomplishments, how he overcame what should've been two career ending injuries, where he's at with his alcohol recovery, and what it's like being one of the oldest athletes on the Freeride World Tour.

Lawmakers closed out the fifth week of the state legislative session, with only two more to go. Gov. Gary Herbert has begun signing bills into law, with 12 already enacted. They have also spent a lot of time focusing on education during this legislative session, which was highlighted this week. Salt Lake City School District teachers walked out of classes Friday afternoon to march to the Capitol and demand more funding.