SUNY Oneonta Students Win NPR Award in Podcast Competition

A student-produced podcast examining the global banana industry and its human impact has earned national recognition for five SUNY Oneonta students.

"it all started with bananas," a podcast created by Leonella Abreu Garcia, Yanelyse Cruz, Hayley Garabitos, Katie Goris and Emily McDougall, received an honorable mention in the fifth annual NPR College Podcast Challenge. The competition drew approximately 200 entries from students in 31 states and the District of Columbia. Ten finalists and 35 honorable mentions were selected.

Over six months, the student team, made up of Exercise Science, Anthropology, Psychology, and Human Development and Family Studies majors, conducted background research before traveling to the Dominican Republic for a 13-day field reporting trip, accompanied by Philosophy Adjunct Professor Daniel Patrone. Students interviewed farmers, scientists, trade officials and community members, while collecting audio and visual materials to support the final production, as they investigated plant disease and farming practices in the banana industry. Their reporting takes listeners to the Dominican Republic, where the story expands beyond agriculture to explore colonialism, economic inequality and community resilience.

Full story: https://suny.oneonta.edu/news/students-win-npr-award-podcast-competition