YSU Penguin Productions Students: Learn, Accept, Improve

Ahmed Elkhafif, Kat Kritz and Allison Marado, Youngstown State students and leaders of Penguin Productions, which plans music events, are hanging tough. You can learn more about Penguin Productions here.

Allison – senior marketing major, Penguin Productions event lead

Ahmed – senior international business major, Penguin Productions business lead

Kat – senior journalism major, Penguin Productions outreach lead

What are some ways the Covid-19 outbreak has changed your student/work life?

Ahmed: Quarantine has been interesting so to speak. Online classes have been crazy. With everything being stacked for the rest of the semester, I have to make sure I stay on track and do my work on time. My phone’s calendar became my best friend and is helping me stay on track. It’s crazy and stressful but it’s manageable and I believe that we can do it.

How about your personal life?

Kat: I think personally my life has gotten a little boring, but yet a hundred times more stressful. Having no real routine has really affected my mental health, but I’ve been trying to pick up hobbies to help remedy that.

What steps are you taking to hang tough? More specifically what steps is Penguin Productions taking?

Allison: I have been researching options for careers and just generally planning a life to look forward to. I’ve been playing a lot of Animal Crossing and Katamari lately on my switch. I have also been playing my bass a bit more and getting better! Being able to take time and do the creative things I enjoy is helping me hang in there through this situation. Penguin Productions has continued meeting every week through video chat to continue planning Virtual Frenzy and brainstorming for the 2020-2021 school year. Our marketing lead made and passed out gift bags to our members to put a smile on their faces.

How can the community view/support Virtual Frenzy?

Ahmed: We are sad that we can’t celebrate together at our annual music and arts festival, Federal Frenzy, in downtown with all the bands and artists, but right now the best way to help us celebrate the event is by following us on social media. Follow @ysupenpro on Instagram for live interviews with artists, tune in to the live Virtual Frenzy on the YSU Penguin Productions Facebook Page, and keep the Frenzy going by listening to our Spotify and YouTube playlists.

What are some of the acts on Virtual Frenzy?

Kat: For our live acts on Facebook we’re going to have:
Friday – Shelby Olive @ 8pm and Dave Buker and the Historians @ 9pm

Saturday – Hayden Brooke @ 7pm, Nick Adduci @ 8pm and Frank Toncar @ 9pm

What advice are you sharing?

Allison: I think we have to understand the fact that sometimes things don’t always go as planned. All we can do is learn from it, accept it and use it to improve ourselves and our futures. While Covid-19 is unlike anything we’ve experienced before, all we can do is stay safe and informed, while preparing for anything that may come our way.