The Passion Project

The title's not even a joke — Melissa really recorded from her bathroom. Well, it is funny when you think about it. And she's a funny person, too! Listen to her discuss her podcast, "Information Dump," what her research and production process is like, as well as her other passion for directing theater and why Kelli O'Hara should have won a Tony.

Check out Information Dump on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you can find podcasts!

The Oscars, Greta Gerwig's Meryl Streep biopic (it's not real, but we're manifesting it), and Lani's burgeoning love for anime falling into the same conversation can only mean one thing — another host episode! And, of course, we'll let the title speak for itself.

Get ready because we're covering everything from why cover letters are irrelevant to exploring how we can leave monumental impact on other people's lives. Because if you can't get practical career advice and philosophical musings on life, love, and happiness, then what else is this show for? Dive into all that and more with Blue Kim, who's currently juggling multiple roles in the DEI, publicity and event producing fields after graduating from Chapman University last year. Blue walks through her work as a Junior DEI consultant, discusses ways entertainment companies need to improve, and how her love for music feeds into her passion for event producing.

Does anyone remember March happening? Anyways, a new episode is here and, don't worry, we're gonna make up for some lost time. Buckle in for an adventure with NYU student JoJo Yang — they take us on a journey through the depths of Dungeons & Dragons, share some exquisite learnings on the culinary arts, and provide a brief education on linguistics.

This episode also marks a year of using Zencastr, which also means a year of being in the pandemic — it's an anniversary of sorts!

Presenting the spinoff of Netflix's GLOW — give it up for GLAM! Except it's a podcast, set in modern day, and there's no wrestling. But you got four amazing hosts! This week they're talking everything from K-dramas to hip hop opera to learning to not follow the rules! Tune in to a bit of an overdue new year check in with The Passion Project crew to round out the end of January. Because punctuality is not their speciality.

This week, learn about the 7 pillars of Will Behvandi: fashion, socialism, spirituality, water, skin care, rap music, and Mexican food. In a sprawling epic of an episode, Will gives in depth insights into each of the passions that make him up, discussing everything from making garments to inciting revolutions, and why you should never drink Dasani water.

P.S. Listen to the episode and help us figure out if Lani is a Capricorn or an Aquarius!

The Passion Project would like to officially endorse tacos, and halal. It does not, however, support Dasani Water.

Here's a slightly early Christmas present from The Passion Project crew to you: a new episode! On this week's episode, Ellie Kim comes on the show to talk about her own podcast, "Taking a Gap" (aptly titled as she started it this fall when she was taking a gap semester). Her show consists of two main segments: "The Time I...", where she discusses personal experiences related to a specific topic, and One-on-Ones, where she brings on a friend for them to discuss whatever they want. Ellie breaks down her production process, how she would want to translate her podcasting skills into a professional career, and also discusses her experience in a capella!

The Passion Project crew is excited to announce the arrival of their first child: Zen Castr! This is really a plea for Zencastr to sponsor the show, but there was a lovely discussion on unconventional parenting styles. But speaking of children, this week's guest is Emily Carpenter, a NYU student who works part time at a pre-school in New York City. Emily discusses how she came to love teaching and working with young kids, how the school has been adapting to COVID-19 guidelines, and how, even at a pre-school level, education can and needs to be reformed. Not that it's easy to radicalize a 2-year old, but it's never too early to learn.

Also, check out Emily's Christmas song covers on her IGTV (@hey_itsemily)

And her latest vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJHiUjmVUuw&feature=youtu.be

This week, get ready to experience a battle of the puns between Michael and Alyssa! Okay, this was actually a subplot to the real purpose of this episode: learning about the journalism career of NYU student Mina Mohammadi! Mina spoke about her entry into journalism, experiences reporting for student-led publications on campus and local outlets based in the city, and her internship at the United Nations. We discussed the problematic nature of celebrity journalists, how social media has affected the delivery and consumption of the news, and the archaic elements of the industry that need to change quicker than they are.

P.S. Excuse some texting notifications that may appear in the episode — we couldn't edit out all of them because they overlapped with talking

Don't overthink the title — the point is, teamwork! NYU Tisch student Ben Kaufman-Shalett came on the show to talk about his passion for filmmaking, specifically in the areas of cinematography, editing, and directing. Ben reflects on how the short films he made growing up developed his love and skill for the craft, what the track in Film/TV is like, how he translates his on set experiences to the classroom/personal projects and vice versa, and ways Tisch needs to improve to foster more cross-departmental collaboration. We also talk about some of Ben's momentary passions, including his love for video games.

P.S. Anyone down for a game of Among Us??

*CONTENT WARNING*: Sexual violence and trauma are discussed in this episode

Were you also dissatisfied with your sex education before coming to college? Then this is the episode for you! NYU student Fin Muratova came on to discuss their work as a sex educator for Peer Health Exchange where they volunteer to provide sex education for New York Public School students. Fin explains how their work with PHE attempts to make up for what's already lacking in American sex education, the aspects many gloss over or unfairly stigmatize, the heteronormative nature of sex education, and the biggest misconceptions in the field. They also provided some helpful resources for those either looking to dive deeper into the profession or just learning more about sex/sexual well-being in general.

Instagram Accounts Recommended by Fin:

@sexpositive_families

@crippingupsex

@queersextherapy

We propose that Red Lobster's greatest nemesis is Olive Garden — agree or disagree? Anyways, welcome to the 50th episode extravaganza! We're so grateful to have made it to this milestone and wanted to give you an extra long episode filled with discussions on: our favorite holidays, the gender and wage disparity in mall Santas, Zoom birthday parties, and some childhood lore. And yes, sprinkled in between are some behind-the-scenes secrets and fun facts from the podcast's journey to 50. Here's to 50 more!

P.S. Stardew Valley, please sponsor us one day!

Have you registered to vote? Cool, now listen to our new episode with Emily Pattison, a senior at Wellesley College double majoring in Economics and Media Arts & Sciences, who has recently founded a civic tech startup, Our Voice: an app that will provide effective and accessible tools and actions to youth activists to help them create change in the issues they care about. Emily breaks down the coding and design process for the app, how she's been gathering feedback and expanding the project, how digital activism can and needs to evolve moving forward, and the potential impact of political apps in campaigning overall.

Please floss before and after listening to this episode. This week Victoria Hain, a second year dental student at Rutgers University, comes on to the show to share insight on what the dental track looks like, how her first two years of dental school have been going, and her inspirations to entire the healthcare industry. We discuss how advancements in technology will change dental practices, the gender disparity in the field, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the dental side of healthcare..

Listen also for some hot takes on the tooth fairy!

P.S. Victoria is the older sister of one of our previous guests, Cristina!

Feel free to guess what show Gabriel was talking about in the title before you begin listening. Here's some other things to know: Gabriel Igtanloc is a senior at San Diego State University studying theater performance and dived into a discussion about why they love to perform, the advantages and disadvantages of Zoom theater, and the inaccessibility of musical theater. We deconstruct the form, artistically and commercially, and think about ways it can and needs to evolve in this new era. Gabriel also spoke about a theater activism project they worked on in the Philippines with a professor of their's.

Anyone else remember Flipnote Hatena on their Nintendo DSi? This week's guest Marisa Hetzler reminisces on the app that inspired her to pursue graphic design at FIT! Okay, well, she really spends most of the episode talking about the systemic issues in the graphic design industry, ways designers and brands must address social justice in their work, and how brands have been (un)successfully adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Marisa also gives an overview of what her graphic design track at FIT is like and the ways in which the curriculum and professors must change.

We recorded this right after some of our hosts (Guru, Alyssa, and Lani) graduated in May, but it got delayed for a few reasons. However. the conversation remains as timely as ever as the public discourse around opening schools has grown in the past few weeks. NYU Steinhardt student Anthony Cruz came on to talk about campaigning for a seat in his district in Long Island's Board of Education and the issues that need to be addressed in the U.S. higher education system. We discuss the politics of higher education (as they pertain to NYU), what NYU and other universities should consider when deciding how, or if, they're reopening their schools, the further potential and consequences of remote learning, and what it's been like to rely mostly on digital tools for his campaign.

David Joseph, the Student Government Executive Vice President at Boston University, discusses the current initiatives him and his team are leading in conjunction with clubs on campus to support the Black Lives Matter Movement, how college students are being active now and ways they can continue doing so when school starts up again in the fall. David explains the methods and resources he's been using to educate himself and have productive conversations with his peers, how to avoid burnout, and why it's critical that everyone keeps educating themselves as the movement evolves to also allow such conversations to continue happening. We also predict how college campuses may change, culturally and administratively, in a few months.

As a reminder, in our Instagram bio (@official.passion.project), we have added a bevy of resources to our Linktree for Black-owned businesses and bail funds you can donate to, educational links, protest safety tips, and other ways to get active online and offline.

In this episode, we speak with NYU student Derin Lawal about the current nationwide protests, George Floyd’s death, and the Black Lives Matter movement at large. While we covered a lot, this one hour does not and cannot encompass all dimensions of the Black Lives Matter movement. This is one of many conversations we all need to have that addresses and dissects institutionalized racism, police brutality, anti-Blackness in white and non-Black POC communities, the role of social media, and so much more. There needs to be persistent, long term change, action, and dialogue, and we cannot allow any of it to slow down or stop.

We stand with the Black community and we will continue using our platform to listen to, amplify, and champion Black voices.

To our non-Black listeners, we hope this episode incites you into starting or continuing to have dynamic conversations with your friends and family that then translates into direct action. Educate yourselves, and listen to and support the Black community in every way you can.

In our Instagram bio (@official.passion.project), we have added a bevy of resources to our Linktree for Black-owned businesses and bailfunds listeners can donate to, educational links for non-Black people, protest safety tips, and other ways to get active online and offline.

Disclaimer: this episode was recorded on May 31st. We recognize that a lot has changed across the United States in such a short amount of time, and know that this will continue to be the case moving forward. Let's work with the Black community to create change.

Another podcast milestone with our 40th episode! New School student Emily Messana joins us to talk about her transition from acting to directing plays and films, and her past projects with No Man's Land, a theater company she founded with other collaborators to create work by and for queer, non-binary, transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. Emily explains what her directing process is like, the types of stories she likes to explore, and how her projects have been impacted by the pandemic.