Listen to this episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!

For the past month, the world has been on pause due to the COVID-19 crisis. Because of the outbreak, all professional sports have been temporarily suspended. In this episode, we break down the impact of the coronavirus, the MLB in Arizona and “The Last Dance” documentary, along with some views on Michael Jordan against LeBron James as people.

On Sunday, April 19, ESPN will be debuting Part 1 and Part 2 of “The Last Dance.” Mark and Jair both discussed Michael Jordan and what they are expecting from the doc.

Mark and Jair also discussed Major League Baseball being played in Arizona and a potential plan for it to work. While the possibility is exciting, there are a lot of obstacles that come with going through with this plan, such as players, coaches and team staff having to be tested and in close proximity from place to place. Another issue is that players will be away from their families for a while.

Listen to the season two premiere of “Last Call” online!

There is an overheated wrestling practice room in the Drexel Athletic Center that, as an alumnus of the university, will forever hold a special place in my heart. If the walls could talk, it would tell the tale of two people, each non-wrestlers, sitting on the floor with two microphones and two drinks.

Both of them members of the media, both of them contributing on some level to society. Both of them with plans that would be thwarted by a danger far off in the distance. However, it was clear that bright days were ahead regardless, especially for my interviewee. Lexi Brooks, sitting with her Wawa Smoothie, was always going to be a great interview. I knew it from the start. Ever since ending the first season of “Last Call,” I knew that, if I was given the chance to do a second season, I would want her as a guest.

After all, the two of us had crossed paths so many times. First, in London, where we were both entranced not only by the sights and sounds, but also, the draw of working in multimedia. Hell, she even learned that she would begin work at NBC10 at NBC’s London Bureau. Not a bad way to start off a career.

A few months later, we would cross paths again, working side-by-side as reporters. The talent that I had sensed in London was now on full display, and it was undeniable! Lexi Brooks had the experience, knowledge, and most importantly, people skills necessary to make a massive impact in the field of journalism.

Not to mention, she is a pageant queen. Literally. 2019’s Miss Montgomery County, a title she still holds due to a pandemic that will not be named. She’s got the beauty, the talent, the smarts — everything needed to succeed.

However, none of those were the reason why I wanted to interview her. Those were just bonuses. As it has been with the five guests I’ve had on the podcast and numerous people I’ve talked to even without a live microphone, it was about learning more about the person. Seeing if there was more underneath the surface that not only I couldn’t see, but that others couldn’t either.

Lexi, on the surface, is kind, confident, compassionate and intelligent. Beneath all of that, however, is a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty about numerous aspects of her positive attributes that will equate success for her in the future, no matter what avenue she ends up going down.

It also speaks to how much she cares about others that she was able to do this interview. In between her busy schedule, including her job at NBC10 and preparing, at the time, for the upcoming Miss Philadelphia competition that has since been postponed, she had replied to my public Instagram call-out asking if she’d do the show with one simple response: “Let me know the time and place.” Can you say amazingly gracious? I sure can.

This episode, for me, was one of the most fun things I’ve ever done in my short career. Sitting on the floor, talking over drinks with a woman who I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for, she made the first episode of my final run as host of “Last Call” completely unforgettable for all the right reasons.

When Miss Philadelphia comes back, they better give her the crown and sash that she deserves, because honestly, she more than deserves it. Don’t believe me? Listen to this episode and learn for yourself.

Listen to the first episode of “Mark and Jair Explain Sports” online!

Listen to the season finale of “Last Call” online!

I am what people like to call “committed to my work.” If a guest is unable to come to me, whether it’s due to a personal matter or just more convenient, I am more than willing to go to the guest.

Case in point: Odellya Sohnis, Drexel University alumna and current yogi, who resides in Brooklyn, New York. After leaving the Triangle’s Staff Dinner early the previous evening, I got my mind and gear ready for the 7 a.m. bus to New York.

However, during that 90-minute bus ride, I was able to self-analyze and think about the past eight months since we had reacquainted.

It had been a weird time for me, as I had felt cut off from Drexel and, in fact, from the world. I had no one to talk with, my confidence was at an all-time low and my health was the worst it had been since my freshman year, due to inactivity and working in an office.

Odellya stepped up and got me through the process and, as motivation, gave me a draft of her in-progress self-help book, filled with the same thoughts that had manifested my mind.

With her tutelage and my blazing determination to never feel this way again, I got back to normal and, thankfully, I have stayed that way.

Despite reading her story, there was still much I didn’t know about Odellya. Why exactly had she felt the way she did when switching from the world of film to yoga? Was she different from the energetic yogi that I had seen in her classes at Yoga Break, the company which she founded? What was the basis for her current mentality?

These questions fueled me during the nearly three-hour trip. What followed was an hour-long leg workout so intense that, by the end of the first exercise, my legs were shaking like leaves.

It would take a week for my legs to return to normal.

If I wanted to end the process right there, I could have, because the workout perfectly summarized Odellya. Strong, loud, energetic and disciplined, but also extremely friendly, encouraging and patient, helping me out through numerous exercises when my legs could not take the shock.

However, I knew that this workout would be the easy part.

We conducted the interview in her home. With each question came an even greater understanding, and with each answer emerged a more detailed picture. It is one of my favorite interviews, as it was just the two of us with no possible distractions.

There was plenty of mental and physical heavy lifting throughout the process, but overall, it was those efforts that created not only a fantastic product but a memorable season finale.

Listen to this episode of “Last Call” online!

Before journalism, before acting, before anything, my first love was music. I remember growing up in Upper Saint Clair, falling asleep to Mozart, Beethoven and Bach, while also being exposed to genres including German house music, ’60s pop, disco, hard rock — you name it.

It was these musical experiences that got me through the toughest of times. Music has changed my life. As I got older, my taste expanded, and I learned about some of the greatest musicians to ever play; some are scarcely talked about, but all deserve a spot in history. And then, there are the artists who are up-and-coming, ones who write their own history and have the potential to forever change the game. To me, Hannah Krupa was an intersection of the two and, in a way, someone similar in their musical upbringing to myself.

Like me, Hannah grew up with a wide range of artists, including Elvis Presley, Annie Lennox, Sade, Eva Cassidy and Amy Winehouse.
These artists, combined with her early days as a singer in her grandfather’s Methodist church and her worldwide travels, created the style and persona seen today on stages such as the MilkBoy club and the HOT-BED gallery.

Hannah is a fantastic singer and songwriter, her deep and sultry voice acting like a fabled siren, lulling you in with sweet and dulcet tones. Aside from her own talent, she is also a bridge to the past.

You see, one of Hannah’s ancestors is music legend Gene Krupa, the man who, through his work with Benny Goodman on “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and battles with fellow drummer Buddy Rich, elevated the drum kit from the background to the main attraction. He would pave the way for personalities such as The Who’s Keith Moon, Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham and Rush’s Neil Peart.

And so, from the moment I woke up to the moment I ushered her to a rehearsal post-interview, I was thoroughly excited, ready to absorb all the stories that form this extraordinary artist. And, boy, it did not disappoint.

We discussed her mother’s horse farm in Central New Jersey, how her travels to places like London, Kyoto and Hong Kong influenced her work, her single “Andalusian Mares,” how her style has continuously evolved and how, even now, she’s trying to differentiate herself as a solo artist. The richness and vastness of the material was enough for me to continue with the conversation indefinitely. I almost wished that time could keep going.

I believe it was Billie Holliday who once said, “If I’m going to sing like someone else, then I don’t need to sing at all.” It’s clear that Hannah Krupa is her own voice, her own style, and her own person.

Listen to this episode of “Last Call” online!

There are people who think they can change minds, people who know they can change minds and, through constant effort, people who actively change lives. And then, there’s Ariel Kamen.

Through her work with the Drexel Autism Support Program (DASP), her constant writing efforts and training as a nurse with a neurology specialty, I knew that any conversation with Ariel would be highly multifaceted. Thus, entering the interview with zero expectations was a foregone conclusion.

However, there was one thing I knew: Ariel was very enthusiastic about our interview after mutually discussing it for weeks on end. The reason? I had seen Ariel in her natural environment as an activist, philosopher and writer. Yet, as a writer, reporter and interviewer myself, she hadn’t seen me in mine.

From moment one, even before pressing record, she continually asked questions, wondering what I was doing and why it was essential to the production, from the microphone setup to the plan when sitting to do the interview. The inquisitiveness was more than apparent, and it was that energy that made me optimistic what would transpire during her interview would be nothing short of golden.

When the microphones started recording, even though we had entered the world I was familiar with, it was almost as if traveling down the rabbit hole. Nothing around me seemed familiar as Ariel captivated me with numerous stories, such as her short tenure at Indiana University, how she ended up arriving at Drexel in the first place and her ongoing efforts in writing “A Black Whole.”

Not even my watch beeping with news about the impeachment inquiry could tear me away. Despite the depth of the interview and how much more I knew about Ariel as a result, I was still left with more questions than answers.

After completing “A Black Whole,” what does she plan for her writing career? Will she end it or continue, potentially creating something out of “I am” statements? What will she do as a nurse and neurologist in the future, and what future insights would she let loose to brighten more lives?

Those questions I cannot answer. However, the episode reveals answers all on their own, and all amount to the person that is Ariel Kamen.

Listen to this episode of “Last Call” online!

When thinking about my guest for this episode, my mind does not have to travel far. In fact, it goes back to my Intro to Political Science class on Pearlstein’s first floor in 2017’s Fall Quarter.

I remember it clearly: sitting in the front row watching Professor Rosenberg give his lecture, walking us through the concepts of oligarchy and democracy at a measured pace. Sitting to my left, a bespectacled, slender, fidgeting individual, always on the edge of flight, oblivious to the class events.

The feeling was mutual, because I didn’t know, at least from her computer screen, what was happening in her head. Regardless, I knew she was someone who took work ethic to a different level.

On that basis, I and Franchesca Alchanati, or Frankie, became good friends.

We connected through our love of culture and adventure. Through the years, we went to films together, studied at the University of Pennsylvania’s library, and planned small excursions during the little spare time she had. She was even a multiple-time guest on my other podcast, “Owlia’s Opinions,” as a panelist and an interviewee.

We had scheduled the follow-up interview for “Last Call” on Nov. 8 of last year, as I wanted to tape the episodes in chronological order of airdate.

However, we were forced to cancel last minute. And so, much like Frankie, I had to quickly improvise and adapt, creating an interview that was multiple shades of exciting and interesting.

That particular day, I had already finished taping another “Last Call” episode, waiting at Hagerty for Frankie’s arrival. All of a sudden, I received a phone call from her, letting me know she was on her way and running late due to coming straight from work.

True to character, she was frantic and panicking, heavily indecisive as to what drink she wanted. In the end, she picked a Trader Joe’s Sparkling Water. The rest, as they say, can be found in this episode.

Interestingly, despite everything I knew about Frankie, including her upbringing in Los Angeles and inspiration for studying architecture, there was so much I didn’t know, such as her ability to see the architecture in a building, no matter what the aesthetic. Although I thought I knew what to expect, there were plenty of surprises. Thus, it allowed for an interview that was equal parts familiar and strange yet wholly informative ⁠— one that helped further stabilize our unique dynamic and create a mutual understanding of the worlds we inhabited.

Listen to the first episode of “Last Call” online!

Two years ago, I sat in a dark classroom in the basement of University Crossings, about to watch my very first episode of DNews, Drexel University’s television newsmagazine. The executive producer at that time, Michelle McHugh, told us to pay close attention to the type of stories being broadcast to garner inspiration for our pieces.

However, the moment DNews’ anchor appeared on screen, I could only focus on him. The way he talked and presented each story showed such natural charisma and kindness that I wanted to learn more about him.

And, luckily, six months later, I got the opportunity when we teamed up as co-anchors. That tenure and subsequent friendship made me realize something: all that I saw on the camera was neither persona nor fabrication. Roy Aguilar was and is still the real deal as a reporter and person.

Funny, humble, intelligent and always ready to tell a story in the least likely of places, he is often the guy I look to when working on a project. If Roy was doing the piece, what would he do? How would that inform my own choice?

However, despite everything I knew about him (such as his love of food, the media, family and Philadelphia) there was still much I didn’t know. Things I wanted to learn about him that I felt would fundamentally make me understand him much better. And, after the interview, I really thought that I had reached that understanding.

In fact, even though this episode has been cut to a length of about 45 minutes, the full interview was 90 minutes of informative and entertaining conversation from the first second to the last.

Numerous stories stood out, including his social media misleading about a tattoo and starting Brazilian jiu-jitsu due to his father’s brutal honesty. These stories did not make it into the episode.

However, stories such as his start in journalism and interactions with the culinary world and food culture provided a level of humorous candor that only Roy is capable of.

This honesty and light-heartedness are what gives his work a unique stamp that no one can replicate. With each answer, he gave a more profound understanding, one that I miss greatly since Roy’s departure for Beijing.

His constant ability to challenge himself and learn more, not to mention his ambition, made him the perfect first guest for “Last Call” in my mind. He didn’t disappoint.

Getting to know him better was the first step on this road of understanding that I travelled with the rest of my guests, and, quite frankly, it was a beginning for the ages.

Sept. 11, 2001, no doubt, is one of the most tragic and historic days in American history. This day is the most damaging to modern Americans, for sure. Eighteen years after the Twin Towers came down, the Pentagon was attacked and Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, we still mourn the deaths of the nearly three thousand people lost.

The goals of Al-Qaeda, at least by their own admission, were numerous. However, the one cause that they never mentioned but was inferred by all: to divide and fracture America at its core, to sow hate and dissension, to strike fear into the hearts of not only Americans but also the world.

However, it seemed in the beginning, that the goal was in vain. America and the world seemed to unify in eliminating the Al-Qaeda threat, entering two wars in the name of 9/11. It changed the way we live, work and play in the world, with greater security measures, increased technological breakthroughs, and even a military operation that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, heavily decreasing the popularity and notoriety of the group. It seemed like we had won, vanquished the enemy with the power and unity of the United States was fully on display.

Or had we?

Don’t get me wrong, America did become unified, but, at the same time, many Americans became unified over one thing: a fear that the perpetrators, more specifically, Muslims, would attempt another attack. As such, since 2001, there has been increased Islamophobia, which was even a partial reason for starting the Second Gulf War in 2003 that left America bankrupt. “September 11” and Islamophobia became buzzwords in political speeches and rhetoric to justify actions that would have otherwise been unjustifiable, such as the Patriot Act and illegal, warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Administration.

When Barack Obama was elected President in 2008, it made a bad situation even worse. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge fan of President Obama, and I feel that his election represents a great period in American history, but the rhetoric around him and the political climate of the time needs to be understood to realize why his election was so catastrophic.

Throughout his entire campaign, mainly due to his race and his Kenyan heritage, the widespread rumor throughout the Republican Party that Barack Obama was a Muslim played into the already rampant Islamophobia, thus making his election the equivalent of the enemy becoming the most powerful person in the country. This partially created the modern-day nationalist and xenophobic Tea Party movement in the American right-wing.

Granted, there were politicians with level heads who refused to bow down to this paranoia, most notably former Senator John McCain during the 2008 campaign trail. However, this minority would quickly be stomped out with the 2010 midterm election, most of whom were Tea Party candidates.

And then came the election of Donald Trump, one of the men who started the Muslim suspicions against Obama in the first place by questioning his birth certificate. The amount of divisiveness he has spread can not go unsaid. After all, according to Gallup, America has not been this divided at any point in history since the end of the Civil War. However, a significant part of his campaign rhetoric was the incorporation of not only the infamous border wall, but also the “Muslim ban,” which he successfully implemented, forbidding people from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, all Muslim-majority countries, from entering the United States. It is important to note, however, that since 9/11 and even during 9/11, none of these countries had civilians who had launched attacks against the United States.

In 18 years, America went from a unified country, relatively free from fear and hatred, to one divided over religious freedoms and fear that Muslims will attack the United States again, even though they didn’t truly attack America in the first place. We are now so divided, our politics so deluded that, and I can’t believe I’m saying this: even in death, Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda got exactly what they wanted when 9/11 happened. Maybe not immediately, but eventually.

So, what can be done? It’s simple. We need to stop fighting internally and start focusing on who we are. It’s not about being an American, Iranian, Saudi Arabian, Muslim, Catholic, whatever you may be. It’s about the fact that, in this country, we are all human, all born free and equal, regardless of the color of our skin, our education, our gender, our sexuality or anything you can think of. We are all born with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

In the end, we are all human. So let’s start treating each other that way, shall we? Only then will we truly win.