What's Up, Jay?

Ahead of Banned Books Week 2021 Jay is joined by his former professor at Castleton University Mr. Bill Wiles. The duo discuss Mr. Bill's new course being offered titled "Banned Books" and why it is important to be educated on the subject of why certain books are contested or banned in the United States. The pair also discuss the events that took place on January 6th and how Mr. Bill was impacted by teaching remotely during that time. Follow Mr. Bill on Twitter [https://twitter.com/Professor_Ragoo]@Professor_Ragoo Check out what Banned Books Week 2021 [https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-2021-books-unite-us/?fbclid=IwAR2XdtNg4kkiLqcj772qjRnkoRHybn1tCu5tTnBkiQhqQKxVT8zhl8BEiOk] is all about! Banned Books Week 2021 takes place from September 26th through October 2nd. Follow Jay on Twitter [https://twitter.com/mullenjay02] @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/]

Former classmate and current friend Aris Sherwood stops by for this episode of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Aris and Jay worked together on the Castleton University student-run award-winning newspaper the Castleton Spartan. The duo discuss their shared experiences working on the paper, and Aris details what things are like in the present day as she takes up the role of Managing Editor. They discuss the recent Met Gala and fashion as a form of expression, and Aris discusses her creative endeavors. Follow Aris on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/arises.jpg/] Follow Aris' Brand on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/rebrandloading/] Follow Aris on Twitter [https://twitter.com/arisespdf]@arisespdf Follow Jay on Twitter [https://twitter.com/mullenjay02]@mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/]

Jay's younger brother Justin is coming along for the ride on this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Justin is a recent graduate of SUNY New Paltz who studied to become a Social Studies teacher. The duo discuss what it's like to go to school with the goal of becoming an educator. Justin details his fear of bats, his other dream professions and his take on music that has been released so far this year. Justin and Jay also talk about their acoustic music project "VS." where Justin sings while Jay plays guitar. Justin saw his two brothers going after their music dreams, and decided to go for it himself while bringing Jay on board. Follow Jay on Twitter [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWXJyxRAUNsfRymRHUNK0w]@mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/] Follow Justin and Jay's music on social media: VS. on Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VS-103599618672973/] VS. on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/weareversus2021/?utm_medium=copy_link&fbclid=IwAR07GXpyel7Nu18wKJYekft7P4VA8gQJ-wTNBc0PqP_08_dh3pRiHiPx06c] VS. on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@vstheband?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8C6xX6wOcc7uqiyvVIzV4a0S1KRkSr4%2B4CPSTE9%2FlpXdH0kebRAcogZEWfZcr%2FT9Ab%2FOyj%2BvAuExE3UwiGgA%3D&checksum=09a88003ba9cbbf56b6a1b13cfe7fa7ba8bd5ca82808f413b98b360091c0e781&language=en&sec_uid=MS4wLjABAAAACAO1OR4ud-PVc-xALPGgao6c9ZB8A1vIQN32KUI7wo0u7EtWkTHICdWIemkeHS5F&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAWO0giIma2Gf_s74wqEWbg8FiDjnWooI_z4R1BacWdD3QfSZXopG6OAZZMenprT46&share_app_id=1233&share_author_id=6993353896073217030&share_link_id=28B77F80-5ADF-4E5E-B77C-47509E3DE88D&tt_from=copy&u_code=df7e07g5f743k5&user_id=6888442314609607685&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy&source=h5_m&_r=1] VS. on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiWXJyxRAUNsfRymRHUNK0w]

Jay's riding solo for this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast to talk about mental health. Throughout his life Jay has prided himself in being the positive guy in the room, but he found it difficult to remain positive at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jay discusses the past 18 months of his life and his struggles with mental health. From having the end of his on-campus college experience ripped away from him to crashing his car to dealing with anxiety and stress. For this week's "Gut Reaction" segment Jay responds to several questions sent in by listeners of the show. Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram: @mullenjay02 www.nami.org

Jay's older brother James Mullen sits in for this episode of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. James is a musician and founding member of the alternative rock group Seize Atlantis based out of Glens Falls, New York. He has been writing songs ever since his high school days when he performed as the lead singer for a band called Last Minute. James started teaching himself the guitar after the band disbanded in order to create the songs that were in his head, and he has been writing songs ever since. The two brothers take a deep dive into James' musical journey from his early days all the way through to the present day. The pair also discuss Marvel's Netflix shows, including "Daredevil," and "Jessica Jones." They also answer a burning question for fans of the New York Mets. Who will go down as the more important player in Mets history: David Wright or Jacob deGrom?  Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/ Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullen_all_over/ Check out Seize Atlantis: https://www.sonicbids.com/band/seize-atlantis/?fbclid=IwAR3MzUHmKQY6X-RzrePfzrNpwHtICaYJcWbdLEJnQ3R9iDDqr6JjF3b_K-Q Follow Seize Atlantis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeizeAtlantis Follow Seize Atlantis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seizeatlantis/ Follow along with James' solo music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MullenMusic Follow James' NY Independent Music playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IL9f6XafCJIBqjAaq3Wjo?si=31b9670c5f1a45dc Stay up to date with this year's GEM Festival at the event's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/816894588932425 Check out James' solo music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6oLlZHsbX8C1EHsN86mNKr?si=nR_8ZcgkRPi9LR8yhljUlg&dl_branch=1 Check out James' solo music on Bandcamp: https://mullen.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=IwAR3QO5uyrthxrvJHGJ_PeRhqfMYmIkwQSYB5t1d5rZj9n5OOSkxIykd2fsU Check out Last Minute's music on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-701095063?fbclid=IwAR2RLiq-AuW_DfYHYE8Qb93oKG6X1RxTycpe731TQImlT1HeYn_X2g0nO9g