PennWest POV

S2E2: Finding your story with Animation

Just look at the list of films Jalil Sadool worked on: "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Avatar," "Rise of the Guardians" and "The Adventures of Tin Tin." Jalil is an animator and co-owner of Steamroller Animation, and he joins us to talk about the field and how he came from a small island near Madagascar to working with some of the top names in cinema. After graduating from Edinboro, Sadool took his talents to some of the major animation students and worked on award-winning films. Check out his story and his thoughts on the future of animation.

S2E1: Hunting for answers with the Paranormal Society

When California senior Mara Proie gathers her equipment and begins ghost investigations, she isn't looking for the cliché white-sheet ghost or the spooky spirit. She's digging into the history and background of real people who existed. Mara and her California Paranormal Society colleague Tristan Huber join the podcast to share what got them interested in the abnormal and celestial and what they've found during their investigations.

S1E10: Finding the moment with mindfulness and meditation

Your mind is racing. You can't focus. You're too worried about what just happened or what's to come. How can you learn to be in the moment? What can you do to be more present in the moment. And better yet, how can being mindful lead to a more fulfilling academic and personal experience? Today's guest on PennWest POV is Dr. Michael Baranski, assistant professor of Psychology at PennWest California. In this episode, we'll talk about what mindfulness is and how you can achieve it on a small or large scale. Also, stay tuned as we do a guided breathing meditation at the end of the chat. To learn more or to inquire about joining PennWest's Meditation and Mindfulness Club, email our guest at baranski@pennwest.edu.

S1E9: Celebrating Black History Month and "Black Resistance"

The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance," explores how African Americans in the U.S. have resisted oppression and fought for freedom. But what does that mean to members of the PennWest community? How are the ideas of resistance and resilience alive on campuses in 2023? Today on PennWest POV, we sit down with a panel of PennWest administrators and students to learn what Black History Month means to them, how they find the strength to resist and success and who has inspired them to press on.

S1E8: Serving those who serve

After a 10-yearcareer in law enforcement, Special Agent Ryan Spencer found his new calling – educating future police officers. And this isn’t just your average municipal or state police force. Spencer has spent nearly a decade educating law enforcement officers. He now works for the Department of Veterans Affairs – a force that is comprised of nearly 90% U.S. veterans. So what is the difference between VA police officers and your average community police? What sort of training is involved in this field? Special Agent Spencer joins us today on the podcast to discuss his career in law enforcement and how he discovered the human element of serving veterans. He also talks about how modern policing in Veterans Affairs involves a large percentage of social work techniques.