Editorial

Behind The Mic: HogPod: The Show About Nothing

Alexis Camel

In a world where everything is at our fingertips, sometimes nothing is all you need. HogPod: The Show About Nothing is here to give you everything that you need

HogPod is hosted by freshmen Kameron Grant and Samantha Blanchard along with sophomore Connor Trees. Connor is the eldest, but the Television, Film and New Media Major shares an equally youthful exuberance with the rest of the group. The free-flowing, sometimes awkward, always enthusiastic hosts of the show have made improvements in every episode to date, but what is HogPod really about? 

Now, what does a radio show and podcast that is about nothing encompass?

Well, radio shows usually play music and speak on specific topics. You will be sure to hear some music on this program, but the hosts do not really know what music is just yet. Want to know for yourself? Check them out on Fridays at 4 pm and you can hear them shouting at each other, “I still don’t know what music is!”.

You don’t have to know much about something to enjoy it. They are learning as they go. Learning what music is, and also what their show is all about. The show’s name states it is about nothing, however, it is everything you need to enjoy yourself. 

In a time where our President is acting like a child in the public eye, it’s fun to take our mind off of things. HogPod is the perfect show for you to wind down your long work week with, and start the weekend off on a high note. 

Surely, a group of people this funny and witty would have a good story for how their show came to fruition. The funny thing is, that none of this was planned.

Each semester KCR hosts a new member meeting to allow students to join the station. These three met at said meeting, feeling a connection over their choice to join KCR’s video department. Confirmed as part of the video team, a veteran member asked Kameron if they were interested in having a radio show. Kameron hesitated at first, but upon realizing that there would be no harm, he decided to ask Connor and Samantha if they could do one together. 

The three Aztecs who were still basically strangers began the start of HogPod. Their first episode was their first real opportunity to sit down, learn each other’s names, and talk with each other void of distractions. Connor jokingly said, “During the first show I was just sitting there waiting for one of them to say the other person’s name for a bit.” It all worked out well for them though. Kameron said, “It was a cool experiment to stick these three people in a room, and you know it worked.” After a few rookie mistakes, things have become gradually easier for the group, allowing them to play less music and speak on more topics.

The team is more than the sum of its parts, yet these parts come together perfectly.

Samantha began her journalism career early when she had her own Instagram page where she took portraits and interviewed people before moving to SDSU. Kameron has a fascination with Edgar Wright films and hopes to achieve similar success. Swiss Army Man featuring Daniel Radcliffe encompasses the cinematic vision that Connor has. Connor and Kameron have both done their fair share of Youtube videos, and the three are all working together to create more quality content on-air and on camera. This show has only just begun, but the future is looking bright for these three. 

So, what do they talk about on the show about nothing? For starters, with Kameron and Connor both majoring in Television, Film and New Media, the three discuss cinema in various ways. Whether it be your favorite animated movie you forgot about, Over The Hedge, or Samantha confusing Jamie Foxx’s character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with George Lopez’s character from Shark Boy and Lava Girl, you’ll be sure to get a laugh out of the conversation. 

Joker just released in theaters and Connor was lucky enough to see it prior to their fourth episode on October 4th. Choosing to avoid spoilers but still keep the topic of conversation, the HogPod team created Guacin Phoenix, the critically acclaimed actor that is your favorite dips for your chips. Not getting exactly how they got there? Well, you need to check out their next show to see if he comes back into the conversation. 

Samantha is majoring in Journalism and Media Studies, and though the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been one of the number one news topics over the last decade, she is not a fan. Stating her disdain for the man who plays Spider-Man. “I don’t like Tom Holland he looks funny.” Kameron and Connor were so dumbfounded by her lack of MCU knowledge that they decided to explain all of the movies using none of the names of the actual superheroes. They certainly were not able to get all the way through the timeline, but it was something to hear them try.

They also have a reoccurring, invisible guest named Daniel. You can’t see him, nor can you hear him. He’s been very shy so far, but there is hope he’ll speak up one of these days. 

BIG NEWS BIG NEWS BIG NEWS!!!! HogPod is just getting started!

If you’re lucky enough to be tuned in for some Big News you’ll be happy you heard it here first. Each episode they let the listeners know of what big news is going on in the HogPod world, once even contemplating purchasing Kurt Cobain’s home. Unfortunately, it was out of their budget. 

Now with a quarter of a season under their belt, getting comfortable with their new school and show, this team is a family. They’re just like your favorite sitcom; you may not know what is going on all the time, but you know that you are going to enjoy whatever happens next. With the whole world in front of them, where to next? 

HogPod: The Show About Nothing
Photo by Alexis Camel
Written by: Alexis Camel
All photos, shot and edited by Alexis Camel.

Behind The Mic: Kyle Saunders

Alexis Camel

Unafraid to break the status quo, Kyle Saunders has made a name for himself as a family man, with his brothers, and as KCR’s Sports Director.

At first glance, a stranger may see KCR Sports Director Kyle Saunders’ flip flops and Pike fraternity polo and write him off to be like every other stereotypical white frat boy we’ve seen in movies like Animal House and Neighbors, but that could not be farther from the truth. 

Born and raised in Sacramento, California along with his young sister, Kyle spent a majority of his youth with his mother’s huge immediate family. Family values are the basis of the loving, caring, radiating aura that Saunders gives off wherever he roams. If you happen to see Saunders at any time on campus, you can feel the positive energy emitting from his being. 

With his father in and out of the picture, Saunders has always been grateful for the bonds he shares with his family.

He even goes so far as to say that he does not have friends, only family. This sentiment is something many people think they believe in, but it is the only truth Saunders knows. 

Growing up without much of a father figure, Saunders chose to fill that role himself and be that for his younger sister. Being overprotective at times, it caused some tension in their relationship during their teens. However, it paid off well as they now have a solid relationship that is as budding as ever. 

So, why would someone whose family means so much to them decide to leave their hometown and go to a school on the opposite end of the state? Simply for a fresh start and to add more people into his family. 

Saunders was on a recruiting trip to play basketball at UCSD and had some free time during his trip, so he decided to check out SDSU’s campus. Now, he was unsure if his academics were good enough to get him into the school, but after receiving an acceptance letter that doubt was gone forever. He found a new home and was excited to start a new family. 

Saunders played football, basketball, and golf throughout his high school career. Those teams gave him many of the friends he still has to this day, while also fostering a sense of community for him. You could say sports are a passion for Saunders, but a better assessment would be that the familial aspect of sports was something he always admired. 

Sports tend to instill a work ethic into athletes that often translates into other aspects of life. One thing very evident about Saunders is that he is not afraid to try new things and he will persist until he is successful. He even picked up surfing last May to start off his first summer in San Diego. With nothing but a goal and a foam board, Saunders kept trying and can now say, “I’m pretty nice.”

Now, even with the best work ethic, doubts still arise. Living hours away from your friends and family can be difficult when you’re a freshman that’s used to knowing everybody, that now does not really know anybody. On top of that, one of his closest high school instructors passed away from a surprising heart attack only a couple of weeks into the school year. However, that frustration and those doubts all went away one afternoon, in Chipotle. 

Sitting by himself, weeks out from KCR’s first meeting, Saunders was approached by two young men who were also rushing at the time and wanting to befriend Saunders. Austin Lemak was one of the two young men that approached him and they ended up becoming pledge brothers for SDSU’s Pike fraternity. Unfortunately, Lemak passed away this past February from Oral Cancer. Though their relationship was short-lived they felt like lifelong brothers. Lemak’s impact on Saunders is a testament to how meaningful any relationship can be no matter how long it lasts. It also helped him gain a whole new family through his fraternity brothers.

We all know the stigma behind fraternities, but Saunders proves that there’s more than what you see in the media.

Choosing to prioritize his individuality and not compromise his pride, Pike was the place for him. Working around his schedule played a big part, but the Miracle League of San Diego that the frat volunteers for made the final sale. Saturdays during the semester, members of Pike go out and assist children who are disabled in their own baseball league. They help the players hit and field the ball and hold their hands while running around the bases. Growing up with a cousin with autism, this meant a lot to Saunders. 

Photo Credit: Alexis Camel

Their charitable work sold Saunders, but he was also enamored in the foundation he was able to build. The fall of 2016 was his freshman year at state and his pledge class was the first to have an actual house on campus. Saunders had a vision and along with his brothers, brought it to fruition. This meant that he could and would play an integral part in creating a legacy for the fairly young fraternity.

Serving as Director of Programming while also having the top GPA of his house during his sophomore and junior year, Saunders found ways to make the most out of the money they had without having members pay exponential dues. His favorite memory of serving that position was PikeStock, a homemade, makeshift festival that opened its doors to SDSU students that were not even in the fraternity. Complete with LED lights, CO2 spray, it was one for the ages, to say the least.

Now frats are fun and all, but Saunders says, “There’s so much more to me and what I do than drinking plastic vodka on a Tuesday.”

KCR is one facet of his identity that he takes a lot of pride in. With his sports career now over he already knew he wanted to continue in the industry of sports through our own KCR after being sold during freshman orientation.

His first show was KT Sportstalk with Tony Zarate and it actually garnered him a Top Sports Show award in its first season. Shadowing the Sports Director at the time, Saunders wanted each and every opportunity to immerse himself in the Aztec world of sports. He has covered every sport on campus from Women’s Water Polo to Men’s Baseball. Writing, announcing, and whatever else the sports department offered the opportunity to do. The most interesting coverage he did was a women’s water polo game which he had never watched before but was utterly impressed by their competitiveness. “Head Coach Sydney Crawford is awesome, and it was intense man. They’re pulling hair, grabbing each other, scratching each other under the water, talking shit, it was super fun,” said Saunders.

After a full year in KCR, Saunders believed he was ready for the Sports Director position, but the new management at the time believed otherwise. Without the position, he had worked so hard for, he decided to take a step back and venture into sportswriting for The Daily Aztec. He enjoyed his time covering football on the sidelines as a beat reporter, but he figured out that writing was not as fun for him as what he had done with KCR. He came back the following semester and did his own sports talk show yet again.

This past January, Saunders finally got his shot at the Sports Director position. When handed the reins he was left with more problems than benefits. However, the networking king that is Kyle Saunders was able to use the connections he made before to reconnect relationships and gain the trust of the sports teams on campus. After only a semester on the job, he believes the department is doing well. “It’s a lot better. I think it’s a lot more transparent,” said Saunders.

Where does Saunders want to go next?

He’s discussed opportunities with the San Diego Padres and he dreams of being on Sportscenter, but all he wants to do is be happy and surround himself with good people. “I’d love to be crafting up highlights all day and interviewing athletes, that’d be so cool. Traveling with a team would be really cool. I won’t say no to anything at this point,” he goes on to say, “I’m just doing what makes me happy and surrounding myself with good people.”

Saunders is an example of what having strong values and a good work ethic can do to your life and to the lives of those you interact with. He will acquire his Bachelor’s in Journalism and Media Studies in May 2020, but he’s already found success in his own right. Saunders said, “Success would be, a happy group of people around me.” If you see him on campus you can see just how successful he is. A lifelong fan of the Sacramento Kings, Saunders, and his hometown team are both on the rise to the top.

Photo Credit: Alexis Camel
Written by: Alexis Camel