What Grinds Your Gears? CSULB Students Sound Off in Our Pop-Up Newsroom

Last week, our pop-up newsroom took over the upper quad at Cal State Long Beach, inviting students to stop by and share what is really "grindin' their gears." 

With just a whiteboard, a few markers, and an open mic-style setup, we asked one simple question, and the answers poured in.

From frustrations with construction and anger with ICE immigration enforcement actions, students weren’t shy about voicing frustrations that affect daily campus life. 

Others used the board to highlight other issues, including bad fast-food places, their hatred of phones, and their dislike of commuting to school. What started as a casual exercise turned into a real-time look at what matters most to the student community.

We moved from location to location as the rain started to slowly drizzle down making a bit of an issue for our whiteboard full of erasable ink. 

Working as a team made this project even more rewarding. Each of us took turns interviewing students, taking photos and videos, and collecting names while keeping the energy high.

Our team all put in amounts of work that fit together like puzzle pieces, each taking a part that we had strengths in.

I learned how spontaneous conversations can spark great story ideas and how listening is one of the most powerful tools a journalist has. Seeing students stop, read what others had written and add their own thoughts reminded me how journalism can build connection and dialogue.

This pop-up newsroom wasn’t just about collecting opinions; it was about creating a space for voices to be heard. 

It also gave me hands-on experience in community reporting, engagement and collaborative storytelling, which are skills that go far beyond the classroom.

In the end, this assignment was informative but also fun, being able to hang out with my peers and work on something together where we all put our full energy and devotion into. 

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