Seawolf Voices

20: Embodying Santa Claus and the transition from plane to sleigh w/ Dan Bale

Anyone can put on a coat, hat and beard and call themselves Santa Claus. But few embody the spirit of Father Christmas as perfectly as professional piloting alumnus Dan Bale. An Alaska bush pilot who has logged more than 20,000 flight hours over the course of his 50-year career, during the winter, he is more affectionately known as Santa Dan.  Now in his 17th year, Santa Dan is available for photos with kids (and even dogs) at the Midtown Mall in Anchorage, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 6 p.m. In this episode, Dan talks about his childhood watching planes take off from the New Orleans airport runway, why you need a strong poker face when playing with children, and recounts a lovely Christmas story that perfectly encapsulates his roles as a pilot and as Santa. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.   Access captions for this episode >> [https://youtu.be/QBuE9MG2S8k]

19: Directing Native Student Services and the delicate balancing act of parental encouragement w/ Jason Hotch

November is American Indian Alaska Native Heritage Month, and in a bit of serendipitous timing, this month is also when business alumnus Jason Hotch, a first-generation university graduate from the Southeast Alaska village of Klukwan, stepped into his new position as director of Native Student Services at UAA.  In this episode, Jason talks about transitioning from working in business to education, resisting the need to rush things unless you absolutely want to, and making education more equitable for everyone. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.   Access captions for this episode >> [https://youtu.be/xvHUxq6_1LU]

18: Filipino American history preservation and the benefits of talking to strangers w/ Shayne Nuesca & Pearl-Grace Pantaleone

Mana in Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines, translates to inheritance. It is also the title of an exhibit [https://www.manaalaska.com/] on display in the Anchorage Museum from October 2023, in time for Filipino American History Month, until January 2024. The collection serves as an archive of portraits and stories of Filipino immigrant elders from communities across Alaska. In this episode, journalism and public communications alumni Shayne Nuesca, Mana cofounder, and Pearl-Grace Pantaleone, Mana cowriter, talk about the origins of the project, the surprising benefits of talking to strangers, and the importance of preserving our histories. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.   Access captions for this episode >> [https://youtu.be/Y3WwqQlPdyU]

17: Volleyball coaching and how to give a more effective inspirational halftime speech w/ Stacie Meisner

After a record-breaking [https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2022/11/09/uaa-sets-new-ncaa-dii-volleyball-attendance-record-with-3888-fans/] season for Seawolf volleyball, English alumna, former student-athlete and longtime assistant coach Stacie Meisner [https://goseawolves.com/news/2022/12/16/womens-volleyball-meisner-elevated-to-head-volleyball-coach.aspx] closed the year with a promotion to head coach. The seventh head coach in program history, Stacie took the reins over from Chris Green [https://goseawolves.com/news/2022/11/21/womens-volleyball-green-resigns-as-uaa-volleyball-coach.aspx], who she played for as early as high school in Nebraska. In this episode, Stacie talks about stepping into the shoes of her mentor, some of her favorite matches as an athlete and as a coach, and how her coaching philosophy builds better people out of players. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.   Access captions for this episode >> [https://youtu.be/Z4ylM9Xfji4]

16: Crewing on Shazam! Fury of the Gods and the guerilla movies made on campus w/ D.K. Johnston

Every year, millions of people crowd movie theaters around the world to watch the latest blockbusters starring beloved characters from Marvel and DC Comics. But journalism and public communications alumnus D.K. Johnston is one of the lucky few who get to watch them from behind the camera as they’re being made. After picking up a camcorder at 9 years old, D.K. has racked up dozens of production credits across Alaska, California and Georgia. He’s worked on everything from low-budget independent films, to Netflix reality shows, and multimillion-dollar Marvel content like Black Widow and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Most recently, he served as additional second assistant director on the upcoming Shazam! Fury of the Gods for DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures. In this episode, D.K. talks about his move to Hollywood, his advice for breaking into the movie industry, and the early days of Anchorage’s underground independent filmmaking scene. Seawolf Voices is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Google Podcasts, Audible and Amazon Music.   Access captions for this episode >> [https://youtu.be/p8_27Akfbmk]