61 E M LU O V
019 2 , 4 ER B M CE E /D
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L A I R O T I UE D E ISS
5 E1 U S / IS
LETTER EDITOR from the
As the fall semester comes to an end I can say with pride that The Sundial team successfully made it through the first 15 issues of the new chapter of our publication. The amount of hard work and perseverance I’ve seen come from the editors and production team to make the paper come out each week is something I can’t thank them enough for. This week’s is our last issue of the semester that we are calling the Editorial issue. This is an op-ed based paper written by our editors and student sharing what they feel CSUN is lacking or what is impacting the students on our campus. We talk about how the curriculum in the journalism department is affecting the success of students and student-run publications, and a call to action to update the English department’s curriculum that lacks a pathway for a successful career. We hear a first person perspective of a tutor from the LRC on how students of color have been impacted by the implementation of Executive Order 1110 that displaced them into writing courses they weren’t ready for. Lastly, I would like to thank our CSUN community members for the outpouring of support during this semester. Each one of your stories has helped bring attention to issues of our generation that need to be told. Keep a look out next semester for more community and topic-based issues that take a deeper look into our campus community!
SUNDIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief
Madison Parsley editor@csun.edu
Managing Visual Editor Joshua Pacheco photo@csun.edu News Editor Gillian Moran-Perez city@csun.edu Assistant News Editor Kimberly Silverio-Bautista city@csun.edu Chief Copy Editor Ivey Mellem copydesk@sundial.csun.edu Copy Editors Munina Lam Sarah Shabbar copydesk@sundial.csun.edu A&E Editor Ivan Salinas ane@csun.edu Assistant A&E Editors Kayla Fernandez Deja Magee Moss ane@csun.edu Opinion Editor Raychel Stewart opinion@csun.edu Sports Editor Bryanna Winner sports_sundial@csun.edu Assistant Sports Editor Andres Soto sports_sundial@csun.edu Photo Editor Logan Bik photo@csun.edu Social Media Manager Natalie Fina sundialsocialmedia@sundial.csun.edu Graphic Designers Ewan McNeil Elaine Sanders Natalie Miranda Illustrator Joelena Despard Audio Editor Pejvauk Shahamat sundialpodcast@gmail.com Video Editors Andrea Esparza Elaine Sanders Noelle Nakamura Assistant Video Editor Brendan Reed-Crabb
Thank you,
Web Developer Rugved Saurabh Darwhekar online@csun.edu
Madison Parsley
Sales Representatives Pathik Patel Kelly Salvador Olivia Vakayil Estefano Vasquez
Editor-in-Chief
Sales Support HaoWen Hsueh
CONTENTS
“Journalism Department Has Lost its Way” Page 6
Madison Parsley
“Following the Roots to Success” Page 7
Gillian Moran-Perez
“The English Department: A Relic in the New Millennium” Page 11
Deja Magee
Students lack basic writing skills and the journalism department’s curriculum isn’t helping.
Distribution Lead Brendan Reed-Crabb Distribution Nicole Benda Emilio Bravo Publisher Arvli Ward arvli.ward@csun.edu General Manager Jody Holcomb jody.doyle@csun.edu
Why administrators need to pay more attention to students’ needs.
A call to action in an effort to update the English department’s cirriculum.
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Editorial Staff Photo Cover photo by Logan Bik
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CITY@CSUN.EDU
Hello Seattle
Satellite
Under The Sun
Owl City
Guster
Going Gets Tough
Submitted by: Ivey Mellem, Chief Copy Editor
Submitted by: Joelena Despard, Illustrator
The Growlers
Submitted by: Gillian Moran-Perez, News Editor
I love this song because it’s a classic throwback and has such a wonderful, relaxing sound to it. I like to play it when I’m feeling down or just want a pick-me-up. There’s something about the synthetic beats and Adam Young’s voice that make this song one of my favorites, no matter how old it is or how random the lyrics. Also, Seattle is one of my favorite cities, so it reminds me of happy memories and keeps me looking forward to another visit.
Alone & Unafraid
ELIZA
Submitted by: Deja Magee, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor
Submitted by: Elaine Sanders, Video Editor/Graphic Designer
The song title is my motto at the moment. Overall, I relate to the lyrics, especially when it says “that the labor of our love will reward us soon enough.” In my life, I’m going through shit and it’s a matter of persevering through it. It’s an upbeat song but it has a melancholic feeling, which is similar to how I live my life.
A F V OR S ’ R I O
I chose it because just listening to the first lines of the lyrics you know that it’s going to brighten your day. It’s the kind of song that’s going to get you back on track and make you hopeful for the day. This is a project that was founded by rapper J. Cole and is now a record label featuring several up and coming hip-hop artists. I was checking out their new album and it’s the first song I heard three times in a row--which everyone should do if they’re going to listen to it.
Youth
Glass Animals Submitted by: Raychel Stewart, Opinion Editor
When I first heard this song I was going through a lot of changes in my life. I had started as an editor at The Sundial and started an internship, and I decided to leave my retail job which I’d had for years. There were so many changes happening and I felt intimidated while going into my last semester of college, so when I heard this song I felt uplifted and like everything was going to fall into place. Eventually, it did.
S TE
ED IT
I picked this song because it gives me a sense of relief or a fun breathless kind of feeling. ELIZA is one of my favorite R&B singers who usually sings bluesy songs about sex and love but this one was simply about being carefree and being at peace with yourself.
I chose this song mainly because my oldest sister showed it to me. She loves the band. When I started college she shared it to emphasize that I’m going to be okay. Some of the lyrics have to do with a love interest. No matter where he is, that love will always be the satellite he will be going for and it’s a reminder for me not to lose sight of what I’m choosing to focus on.
Dreamville
A SUNDIAL STAFF PLAYLIST By Ivan Salinas
Racks in The Middle
Story 7 clipping
Nipsey Hussle (ft. Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy)
Submitted by: PJ Shahamat, Audio Editor
Submitted by: Andres Soto, Assistant Sports Editor
I chose this song because it was a release I was looking forward to. Roddy Ricch and Nipsey are two of my favorite artists. Nipsey has been a motivating figure for me, not only for hype but also to get things done. I love the way both artists make their melodies. A month after the song was released I saw my friend post on Instagram that he was murdered and at first I couldn’t believe it, but I found out for myself when I saw it was the first thing trending on Twitter.
En Vida
Banda Los Sebastianes Submitted by: Kimberly Silverio-Bautista, Asst. News Editor
This is a song I can relate to. I want to let the people in my life know that I care about them and I hope they also care about me. I don’t want them crying and sending me flowers only until the day I die. The lyrics say that if people are waiting for that moment, it’ll be too late by then.
Don’t Think It Over Her’s
Submitted by: Joshua Pacheco, Managing Visuals Editor
I really liked their music before they passed away. They were involved in a car accident and they’re originally from Liverpool, Britain. The song title says it all. I’m graduating and I’m telling myself all the time not to think about it too much so it’s a subject I can relate to.
I like clipping a lot. They’re masters at production, especially the sounds for their drums which are all sound field samples. The beat change at the end of the song is fantastic and it breaks down with a collage of synths and eerie sounds. The album came out before Halloween and had a lot of creepy scenes. Their production is phenomenal. Daveed Diggs is the main rapper and he’s a really good storyteller and technical rapper. They blend really creative production with solid technical lyrics that flow.
Check out the full playlist on Spotify THE SUNDIAL
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DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 10, 2019
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KCSN SHOULD BE FOR THE STUDENTS CSUN should allow college journalists to run the university radio. Pejvauk Shahamat
Audio Editor
When I was in high school, I wanted one thing from a college. It wasn’t a football team, or an active college life, but a student-run radio station. The idea of having my own timeslot to show listeners my favorite tracks of that week or invite in local bands sounded so cool to me; however, CSUN doesn’t offer that opportunity for
most students. To be an involved student at KCSN you need to be part of the journalism department. This would be okay if students would be able to have more active roles at the station, but this isn’t really the case. Students get minimal time at the station and when they do, it’s predominantly academic, by which I mean there aren’t student DJs or student-curated programs even though it’s supposed to be a station with an emphasis on student participation. Students can get a lot
of great experience from being involved in this and it can teach them how to properly run a program but instead, students are treated like the burden of the station. According to Pamela Moreland’s 1987 article in the Los Angeles Times, up until the ’70s KCSN was a student-run station that involved student DJs and campus coverage. However, that involvement started to dwindle when the station became a charter member for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. Doing
this granted more benefits for the station like an increased budget and increased prestige. I’m not saying that there isn’t any value in having a professional station, it was definitely a smart move, but there should be a more even balance for the students. The station should start treating students as if they’re professionals and giving them more of a voice. By allowing students to have their own show over air, it gives them the experience, engagement and training they need to become professionals.
Illustration by Joelena Despard
FIND YOUR SUPERPOWER
AS AN EMT
CITY@CSUN.EDU
APPLY ONLINE NOW: www.cpc.mednet.ucla.edu/emt UCLA CENTER FOR PREHOSPITAL CARE: (310) 267-5959 4
OPINON@CSUN.EDU
SUNDIAL
DECEMBER 4, 2019
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JOURNALISM DEPARTMENT HAS LOST ITS WAY Students lack basic writing skills and the journalism department’s curriculum isn’t helping. Madison Parsley Editor-in-Chief
I declared journalism as my major in 2017, and now I’m a senior in the department. A year after I declared, I started working at one of the only student-led publications at CSUN: The Sundial. It’s a shame that working for this publication wasn’t deeply encouraged by some of my professors. I remember sitting in my first journalism class, only to hear that The Sundial was a mess; this is an opinion that even my own peers have stated, too. Criticizing students about their ability to run their own publication without recognizing the problems that start in the classroom is choosing to ignore a flawed curriculum leading to its own students being underprepared. In the spring of 2018, the department made a change to the curriculum. Previously, the courses offered emphasized traditional journalism writing and broadcast, which I believe was outdated. Now students are part of a new curriculum that lacks the resources necessary to understand what journalism is in the digital age. Classes vital to print majors such as editing and graphic design were cut to make way for multi-platform classes that focus mostly on broadcast, whether you are pursuing it or not. The push for multiplatform can be damaging by teaching students they need to be multifaceted instead of mastering their form. The new curriculum didn’t create more classes that focus on what I see most journalism students struggle with, which is writing. Whether you are print, magazine, broadcast or a public relations student, you need to grasp the basics of writing a story so that you can develop your own style and focus in your journalism career. But this is where I see students struggle the most and professors not keeping up with today’s forms of journalism. When the curriculum prioritizes hard news over other beats such as entertainment or sports, and writing to an outdated formula over creating your own style, students fall behind. There is more to journalism than a 500-word news story, there is more to journalism than three story types, and there is more than the traditional pathway to success in the journalistic field. We don’t encourage students to read outlets outside of traditional publications like the LA Times, instead of focusing on the innovation of media platforms like Vice with their narrative-style journalism or Vox with their YouTube explainer videos. There are also news outlets that highlight culture like Remezcla, Mitu and Fusion catered to a bilingual and cross-cultural audience, which all incorporate a fresh form of storytelling for today’s audience. If we stick to an outdated formula, it leads students to fall short in their major and hinders the success of student-led publications.
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Photo illustration by Logan Bik During my three semesters in The Sundial’s newsroom, I have seen a decline in student enrollment and preparedness to work at the pace a publication needs to survive. Editors have taken on reporting, writing, editing and laying out each week to make up for our own lack of resources. We did it all on our own this semester because we wanted The Sundial to be the publication it should be in the new millennium. It isn’t my job, nor our editors’ jobs, to teach student reporters the basics of journalism that should have been mastered in their 110, 210 and 310 classes, yet it is now falling on us. It’s important to state that The Sundial doesn’t rely on journalism majors alone. I have seen English, political science, public health and art students become journalists without formal training to
create articles and media better than what I’ve seen from students in the journalism department. I believe this comes from a passion for a subject that interests a person and encourages them not to be bound by journalist tradition, but by creating a new pathway for success in journalism. It’s time to reflect on where we are in this era of journalism that is vastly different from what it was 20 or 30 years ago. A student who has a passion for the career will find a way to thrive whether the curriculum supports it or not, but the department should strive to create classes that benefit the students of today. I want to see students like myself speak up, help better a department that is truly needed to create this generation’s next round of journalists in a time where the fourth estate is needed more than ever.
OPINON@CSUN.EDU
Illustration by Joelena Despard
FOLLOWING THE ROOTS TO SUCCESS Why administrators need to pay more attention to students’ needs. Gillian Moran-Perez News Editor
I have worked in the Learning Resource Center for three years now. I didn’t know exactly what I would be getting myself into — I just knew that I would be helping people and that was enough. I learned my tricks from shadowing other tutors, like to always take notes for a student and to let the student read their work out loud to catch any errors. I remember the first session I had went by so quick, that 30 minutes flew by, but with practice I learned to keep an internal clock. But that’s not my special skill. What I do best is helping students feel confident about their writing. I end every session with: “How do you feel?” “Better. I know what to do now,” they say with a smile and a sigh of relief. Tutoring is more than just offering assistance on essays, it’s about being there for students who are new to college life in general. Sometimes I’ll take five minutes to ask them about how it’s going with their professors, their schedule, if they work, what it’s like. I want them to know that people here at CSUN do care about their education and personal life. Being a student is the biggest investment one can make for themselves, because you’re either all in or out. Sometimes there’s half-assing, but let’s be real — how long does that last for us? In my experience, I have picked up a few things about education. The students who struggled with their writing were mostly students of color, and there are many factors that add to their struggle. There are reports out there that prove that a lot of students of color do come from disenfranchised
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DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 10, 2019
communities, from low-income neighborhoods where their schools aren’t properly funded. The Los Angeles Unified School District tends to have disproportionate funding for schools in different neighborhoods, and it shows. What’s even worse is that the CSU system has been adding to these problems with Executive Order 1100, displacing students into writing courses that they are not ready for. I know, because I’ve heard it. I’ve heard students tell me, “I don’t think I was meant for this course.” As tutors, we encounter struggling students from different course levels but because of our limits, there’s only so much we can do. We can be a teacher to students and teach them how to write a thesis. I cannot count the number of times I have had a student tell me, “Wow, I did not learn this in high school.” We can be a guide and show them to campus resources; Purdue Owl is any college student’s best friend. We can be a peer and just listen to students who need to let it all out before we begin our session and remind them that everything will be okay, it just takes time, and to never give up on themselves. But those who really need to hear this message about not giving up are the administrators, those who make choices for all students that will affect their future. There should be no half-assing student success. They should start from the root of the problem and build their way up by detangling the problems one by one. Taking away opportunities to take stretch writing courses does not work for every student. Administrators cannot be prescriptive in the way they decide student success, because everyone learns differently, everyone is on their own time
and no one should accelerate their time at CSUN or any other institution as a means to improve the graduation rate. Instead, administrators should be asking students how many jobs they have, how long is their commute, what their high school experience was like, what did they learn, what they wished they had learned, what resources they needed back then starting from elementary school, what they were grateful for in high school, which teachers stood out to them and why, what field they want to pursue and why, how many people in their family has gone to college, what’s their housing situation like, who helped them fill out a college application and FAFSA, what they need to be a better student, and so on. Students want to be heard, they want someone to ask them “What do you need to succeed?” and not be pushed onto different paths of success supported by data. Students are not data, they are people who want to make their difference in the world. There are professors who care so much about their students, but some have also been silenced. The gap between students and administration is getting bigger with the way things are going and professors are bending over backwards to close the gaps. True change for student success, for students to be sure of their education and to know it’s worth the time, comes from doing the groundwork first. Only then will students be provided with the necessary tools to be confident about their future.
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ACADEMIC ADVISEMENT
SHOULD BE MANDATORY Required advisement would guide students through college and raise graduation rates. Natalie Escutia Communications major
A current and compelling problem at CSUN is the lack of advisement students receive each semester. Without advisers’ help, students are confused once their registration day comes and could end up taking
unnecessary classes. This can results in an increase of drop-out rates or transfers. It’s an unfortunate circumstance when students cannot enroll in the required courses because they did not meet a requirement. CSUN must work on implementing a policy change that requires students to meet with an adviser each semester. This policy change can help all CSUN students stay on the right track and graduate. Some students are fortunate to have helpful advisers, but that is not the case for every major field. This is especially critical when registration dates are scheduled close to the beginning of a semester and classes are reaching capacity. This results in students, including myself, taking potentially unnecessary general education classes. An improved advisement policy would allow students to schedule appointments with advisers from their major field. In advisement, advisers will assist mapping out required courses each semester and plan class alternatives when students
are unable to enroll in a class. This includes repeating courses and avoiding classes students do not need. Advisers will also help with applying for graduation, and what comes after. Advisers could provide information about internships or ask students to research what type of jobs they might like. Advisers will help CSUN students move forward and succeed in college with advisement plans. With proper scheduling and advisement, graduation rates should increase and drop-out rates should decrease. Student’s academic plan shouldn’t cause strain when there are advisers who can have a great impact by helping students succeed during and after college.
Photo illustration by Logan Bik and Joshua Pacheco
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OPINION@CSUN.EDU
STUDENTS’ GRADES SHOULDN’T BE A MYSTERY Like students, professors should have deadlines to post grades. Alondra Slack Communications Major
CSUN professors should be required to utilize the available online platform to maintain grades and publish any course work. Students should not have to calculate their own grades when the resources are there. Students are required to turn in assignments with deadlines, so professors should also have those same deadlines when it comes to accurate grading and feedback. Academic professors should be mandated to post grades 72 hours after assignment completion. Student success is unknown as we await our grades. We can try our best to calculate, but our grade may reflect otherwise and dropping a class by the
drop date deadline may be the only option. Drop dates are made so that students can drop a course without it affecting their GPA. Many times, course grades do not accurately reflect a student’s actual grade by the drop date; students have to make a difficult decision between taking a risk and continuing the class or dropping the class for the sake of their GPA. Think about the amount of time that we have to submit assignments for multiple courses. Students are to meet deadline requirements and may not always get extensions unless an emergency situations occurs. Since professors know what they are looking for when it comes to grading assignments, it should not take longer than
72 hours to grade some papers. If students are able to cram multiple assignments, quizzes and essays in a span of a week, then there shouldn’t be a problem to get reciprocation from professors. School can be challenging for most, given the workload that we have to endure. According to an article called “The Science Behind Student Stress,” “a new study finds that when students experience an academic setback such as a bad grade, the amount of cortisol— the so-called stress hormone— in their bodies typically spikes.”
Academic professors should utilize online platforms to input grades. Currently, some courses utilize online platforms like Canvas or Blackboard. It is at their disposal, but not all professors use them. Courses that use Canvas give students a feeling of structure and success. We are able to see our progress and see the topics we are succeeding in. Professors who do not use Canvas are not helping students succeed and monitor their progress. With the resources available, there are many ways academic professors could input grades within 72 hours of assignment due dates. Students deal with stress from multiple, simultaneous deadlines, and being unaware of grades shouldn’t put on additional stress.
Photo illustration by Joshua Pacheco
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CAN YOU HEAR THE MUSIC? A student’s call for inclusion of non-majors in the music department. Christopher Salazar Communications Major
Plato once said that “musical training is a more potent instrument than any other, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.” It is a shame, when even Plato is being ignored by CSUN in regards to music classes. As a CSUN student for three years, the options provided by this school are lackluster. Instead of offering students the ability to explore music, the music department leaves that for the elite musicians. Students should have more opportunities than learning about music history and basic piano or guitar classes that only last a year. CSUN’s music department is very limited. To apply for the major, students are asked to audition. But
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how many students had the opportunity to attend a school that taught what to do in an audition? How many students came from schools with an underfunded music department? Why should students be punished because their schools did not provide them with the chance to pursue music further? Another problem is that the music department has a limited selection of music classes that do not require a major in music. There are currently eight classes for music that do not require the major: five focus on music history, one focuses on music theory and two focus on learning instruments — piano and guitar. The problem is that these classes do not allow for students to apply or learn music concepts beyond one class. For example, the piano class goes on for a year without the chance to continue what you’ve learned. You can continue on your own, if at all, because the school does not provide any further learning. These classes just tease students and don’t provide a chance to thrive in music. Through the discussions I had with my music professors about this
problem, I conclude that the music department is ill-equipped to add a minor or more classes. From what I was told, the professors in the music department focus their time, energy and resources on improving those who are majors in the department. So, why not add more professors? CSUN and the music department should add more professors and allow more funding in the music department. This could be a major cost to the school, but the benefits outweigh the costs. Music, through multiple studies, have been shown to help students be successful. The New York Times published an article “Is Music the Key to Success?” which discusses the correlation between music education and successful people through mathematical skills and critical thinking. This means if you were a business major, taking classes or a minor in music could help you be more successful in the field. Overall, it is a shame that CSUN and the music department are hindering non-majoring students. The problems and their causes are remediable if CSUN allows for more professors to teach. Students must show interest as well. So, if you have a music class this coming semester or are thinking about taking one, be eager to tell your professors you want to learn more. That will allows us to be the students we want to be, not what CSUN forces us to be.
OPINION@CSUN.EDU
THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT: A RELIC IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM A call to action in an effort to update the English department’s curriculum. Deja Magee Assistant A&E Editor
Being a young black woman in an English major, a lot of things run through my mind about my department. It’s great to be in the creative writing option, but is it for me? And with that statement, I don’t mean my race, but I mean my career path. In a major catered for literature and theory, there is nothing for me. In a place where they promote diversity, I’ve constantly been taught by white professors about ancient white authors who laid the foundation for what I love all throughout my college career, but have hardly learned about people who look like me, think like me and act like me. My major is a lot of things, but I surely think it needs a lot of reworking. The English department is an old husk of what the world used to be and not what the world is today. Despite there not being a lot of creative writing courses, the department lacks the foresight to help students in career paths. Counselors don’t take the time to help students understand the right career path for them, only to leave them to their own devices. The department itself needs a drastic reworking with a couple of added majors within the College of Humanities structure itself. It boggles my mind to think about all the opportunities that are being passed by because of the sheer fact that the department seems detached when it comes to the 21st century. Yes, we have a pop culture minor, but it still feels like there’s something missing. Something that really solidifies what the English department is in the new millennium. Something that has to do with social media or the digital industry itself. The English department’s website claims that they can help students’ jobs in a variety of industries, ranging from actors, video programmers, marketers and advertisers. Besides advertising the major for either teaching or creative writing, couldn’t they do something that adheres to their claims? Make separate majors for these vocations that they suggest so they can set up students for a successful future. What can make the English department distinguishable from other departments that can make prospective students see that an English degree is just as significant as any other degree? Time and time again, I’ve listened to
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DECEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 10, 2019
my fellow English majors go on and on and on about how they never feel like the department is doing enough for them. They don’t feel like they can go to anybody for help and they seem lost. There needs to be a call to action in regards to what needs to be done about the English department and it’s moving forward into a new era and a new decade, but it’s a question of what would be the kick in the
right direction that motivates the head of the department to do so. Reconstructing it from the ground up has now become a faraway dream of mine that I hope someday in the future to make a reality for the prospective students of CSUN. I have my dreams, but I want others to achieve theirs successfully, too.
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t a j l
e o f t u r n a s m
h r o i
Why incorporating more art into journalism will make a stronger newsroom. Elaine Sanders Graphic Designer & Video Editor
What is art? Is it anything? Is it everything? That definition is continuously up for debate, but for me, an art major with an emphasis in photography and design, art is communication. So, when I joined The Sundial in fall 2018, it was shocking to find there were only a few artists residing in the newsroom: one illustrator, two designers, a handful of photographers and the new addition of myself, the one video editor. Where were the teams of people working on visualizing all the powerful stories being written? All I found were editors and reporters hard at work writing long form, cut and dry, hard news stories. What is the thing that makes you pick up a magazine, newspaper or journal?
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It’s the art. You are not going to know how great of a story is lying in the pages if you never pick up the publication in the first place. This is even more important for small publications, such as independent magazines or school publications whereas, for the most part, there isn’t a huge following or name brand recognition. This means we don’t have the luxury that publications such as The Washington Post or The New York Times have, the luxury of name recognition that has been built from years of dedication and trust. We need something to make someone passing by a newsstand or clicking through websites pause for long enough to actually pick up and read the content we work so hard to produce. What is that something? You guessed it: art. How do we get our stories read? Well, we need an equally powerful visual to go with it. Let’s face it, people
of my generation (Gen. Z) are less likely to read longform content. We are better able to absorb and interpret short, engaging audio and visual content that will give information quickly. That does not mean that there is no place for longform content. In fact, this leaves even more importance for these types of stories as they are the place where detail and more context can be found after the initial interest is sparked. But these don’t catch people off the bat, they may actually scare more people away than they bring in. There is no field, career or job that is not interconnected and interdisciplinary. The more types of people and types of storytelling we can combine, the stronger the content will be. Let’s bring more artists into the conversation, the classroom, the newsroom. In the end we are all working towards the same goal: to communicate stories in the best way we can.