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Connor Greenwall:
Welcome back to the podcast. This week we interview Morgan Kubasko about her opinion piece on John McCain and current-day Republicans.
Ava Peguese:
We also discussed how food insecurity affects students and what the pitchfork pantry can do to help as a resource.
Connor Greenwall:
I'm Connor Greenwall.
Ava Peguese:
I'm Ava Peguese and this is State Press Play.
Connor Greenwall:
I'm here with Morgan Kubasko. Morgan is a senior at ASU studying journalism and mass communication. She is also the multimedia director at the State Press. Morgan, can you tell us a bit more about yourself?
Morgan Kubasko:
Hi, yes, so I'm a Tempe, Arizona native. I also have a minor in business and psychology and this is my seventh semester with The State Press. So I've been here since freshman year been here for a very long time and doing a lot of multimedia things.
Connor Greenwall:
Being from Arizona, what does John McCain mean to you?
Morgan Kubasko:
John McCain means a lot. So my dad was actually the Creative Director for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign when I was growing up, when I was like, kindergarten through like, third-ish grade and stuff like that. I was really a lot more deep into politics. I think a lot of other people my age, and I learned a lot about John McCain in that time, just kind of hearing about his policies and things like that. And so I kind of grew up with this idea of what politics was. And I think that now that I'm actually able to vote in a presidential campaign. I think it's interesting to like see how just politics in general has shifted, and how the Republican Party specifically has shifted from one that is more just holding conservative values and is still able to, you know, work across the aisle. I think one of the people I interviewed in the op-ed kind of talked about that, that that one of the key things about John McCain was that he was collaborative and that he was understanding other people's differences, and he, you know, didn't shy away from working with people he disagreed with. And I think that was something that was really important, and I think that's something that was really cool to be able to kind of grow up understanding and learning about. Because despite, you know, my own personal political beliefs and things like that, I think that it's always important to engage in dialog and talk with other people and hear them out and have them hear you out as well.
Connor Greenwall:
What about John McCain’s work stands out most to you?
Morgan Kubasko:
I think I would have to say definitely his collaboration. Think that the biggest thing that really stands out is his ability not just talk to other people, but to listen to them as well. I think that is something that is something that, just in general, in the political climate that we have today, is something that is lacking, and I think that's due to a lot of different things. But I think that the biggest thing that I have learned as I've kind of grown up is to take a little bit more time to listen to think about, is this the hill that I want to die on, and, like, go to bat for, like, every single opinion that I have, or, you know, are there more Are there better, more constructive ways to go about defending your opinion, defending your beliefs? And I think that, you know, acknowledging that is one of the biggest things, I think, is really important to take away from him.
To hear more from Morgan, please tune in to State Press Play.
READ MORE: Opinion: McCain made a career in public service, modern Republicans only serve themselves
Ava Peguese:
Hello listeners it's Ava. I’m here with Bailey Holmes, co-director of the Pitchfork Pantry. The Pitchfork Pantry is a student volunteer-led nonprofit under the ASU Foundation. It’s an amazing program and a hidden gem that not many students know about. Tell me Bailey, what is the Pitchfork Pantry and what do you guys do?
Bailey Holmes:
All right, so typically, what I say to people as my kind of spiel for tabling, or just in general, the pitchfork pantry is a student run organization on campus. We help provide food and other necessities to students and others in need. We provide things like fresh produce, non perishable items, canned foods, toiletries, sometimes clothing and even like feminine products as well and to really anyone on campus who needs it, we try to have multiple distributions in a month. We have weekly and monthly distributions, and they also are on all four campuses.
Ava Peguese:
Wow. What an amazing organization. I think that that's truly important. So how long has the pantry been open, and what kind of inspired its creation?
Bailey Holmes:
I have that exact answer, actually. So in 2016 we had a research study that found that there was prevalent rates of food insecurity across all four ASU campuses. So in response, the pitchfork pantry was founded and organized by ASU students. We for a while we were working once we got out of the Tempe dorm, we were doing distributions in a parking lot at the First United Methodist Church, because they're like, Yeah, you can use our parking lot. And we're like, this is awesome. This is so much space. But I think it was. There's even some kind of aspect of people's theses for that helped with that research study and getting that organization off the ground as well.
Ava Peguese:
So would you say that food insecurity is prevalent among students on our campus?
Bailey Holmes:
So actually, according to ASU data, one in every four students is experiencing some type of food insecurity. So that can range between high food insecurity, where that person is barely able to know when their next meal is. They're consistently having adequate food. They could be marginal food insecurity where the household has anxiety or problems about knowing when they'd be able to access adequate food, but the quality, variety and quantity were not substantially reduced. There's low food insecurity where the quality is reduced, variety and desirability of their diets has changed, but the quantity of food intake and normal eating patterns were not substantially disrupted. And then very low food insecurity as well, where at times, sometimes your eating patterns were disrupted and food intake was reduced because the household lacked the money or other resources or food so it kind of ranges about the type, but one in every four students is experiencing some type of food insecurity.
To hear more from Bailey, please tune in to State Press Play.
Connor Greenwall:
And that’s all for this week’s State Press Play. I’m Connor Greenwall.
Ava Peguese:
And I’m Ava Peguese. State Press Play is produced by our podcast desk editor, Kylie Saba. Our original music is by Ellie Willard and Jake LaRoux.
Connor Greenwall:
Special thanks to our managing team, Morgan Kubasko and Matthew Marengo.
Ava Peguese:
You can check out all these stories and more on statepress.com. See you next week.
