Ahead of Banned Books Week 2021 Jay is joined by his former professor at Castleton University Mr. Bill Wiles. The duo discuss Mr. Bill's new course being offered titled "Banned Books" and why it is important to be educated on the subject of why certain books are contested or banned in the United States. The pair also discuss the events that took place on January 6th and how Mr. Bill was impacted by teaching remotely during that time. Follow Mr. Bill on Twitter @Professor_Ragoo Check out what Banned Books Week 2021 is all about! Banned Books Week 2021 takes place from September 26th through October 2nd. Follow Jay on Twitter @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram

Former classmate and current friend Aris Sherwood stops by for this episode of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Aris and Jay worked together on the Castleton University student-run award-winning newspaper the Castleton Spartan. The duo discuss their shared experiences working on the paper, and Aris details what things are like in the present day as she takes up the role of Managing Editor. They discuss the recent Met Gala and fashion as a form of expression, and Aris discusses her creative endeavors.  Follow Aris on Instagram Follow Aris' Brand on Instagram  Follow Aris on Twitter @arisespdf  Follow Jay on Twitter @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram

Jay's younger brother Justin is coming along for the ride on this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Justin is a recent graduate of SUNY New Paltz who studied to become a Social Studies teacher. The duo discuss what it's like to go to school with the goal of becoming an educator. Justin details his fear of bats, his other dream professions and his take on music that has been released so far this year. Justin and Jay also talk about their acoustic music project "VS." where Justin sings while Jay plays guitar. Justin saw his two brothers going after their music dreams, and decided to go for it himself while bringing Jay on board.  Follow Jay on Twitter @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram  Follow Justin and Jay's music on social media: VS. on Facebook VS. on Instagram VS. on TikTok VS. on YouTube

Jay's riding solo for this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast to talk about mental health. Throughout his life Jay has prided himself in being the positive guy in the room, but he found it difficult to remain positive at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jay discusses the past 18 months of his life and his struggles with mental health. From having the end of his on-campus college experience ripped away from him to crashing his car to dealing with anxiety and stress. For this week's "Gut Reaction" segment Jay responds to several questions sent in by listeners of the show.  Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram: @mullenjay02 www.nami.org

Jay's older brother James Mullen sits in for this episode of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. James is a musician and founding member of the alternative rock group Seize Atlantis based out of Glens Falls, New York. He has been writing songs ever since his high school days when he performed as the lead singer for a band called Last Minute. James started teaching himself the guitar after the band disbanded in order to create the songs that were in his head, and he has been writing songs ever since. The two brothers take a deep dive into James' musical journey from his early days all the way through to the present day. The pair also discuss Marvel's Netflix shows, including "Daredevil," and "Jessica Jones." They also answer a burning question for fans of the New York Mets. Who will go down as the more important player in Mets history: David Wright or Jacob deGrom?  Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/ Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullen_all_over/ Check out Seize Atlantis: https://www.sonicbids.com/band/seize-atlantis/?fbclid=IwAR3MzUHmKQY6X-RzrePfzrNpwHtICaYJcWbdLEJnQ3R9iDDqr6JjF3b_K-Q Follow Seize Atlantis on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeizeAtlantis Follow Seize Atlantis on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seizeatlantis/ Follow along with James' solo music on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MullenMusic Follow James' NY Independent Music playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IL9f6XafCJIBqjAaq3Wjo?si=31b9670c5f1a45dc Stay up to date with this year's GEM Festival at the event's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/816894588932425 Check out James' solo music on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6oLlZHsbX8C1EHsN86mNKr?si=nR_8ZcgkRPi9LR8yhljUlg&dl_branch=1 Check out James' solo music on Bandcamp: https://mullen.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=IwAR3QO5uyrthxrvJHGJ_PeRhqfMYmIkwQSYB5t1d5rZj9n5OOSkxIykd2fsU Check out Last Minute's music on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-701095063?fbclid=IwAR2RLiq-AuW_DfYHYE8Qb93oKG6X1RxTycpe731TQImlT1HeYn_X2g0nO9g

Jay is joined by his former journalism professor at Castleton University and professional journalist Dave Blow for this episode of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Dave has been a professional journalist for 30 years and currently writes for the Post-Star in Glens Falls, New York on a freelance basis, while teaching full-time at Castleton. The pair talks about Dave's journalism career, and he goes into some of the stories and columns that he has written over the years. They discuss Dave's favorite Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox and the team's 2004 World Series run, and Dave talks about his latest book, "COVID Chronicles: College Students Navigate Pandemic Life."   Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/ Read some of Dave's published work: https://poststar.com/ You can purchase Dave's latest book at the links below. Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/books/covid-chronicles-college-students-navigate-pandemic-life/9781977239150 Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/covid-chronicles-david-blow/1139341660?ean=9781977239150 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/COVID-Chronicles-Students-Navigate-Pandemic/dp/1977239153/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=COVID+Chronicle&qid=1625784456&sr=8-2 Be sure to look for the book at any local bookstores in the Upstate New York/Vermont area. If you live around the Glens Falls, New York area you can reach out to Dave at [email protected] and he will supply a copy to you personally.  

Jay is joined by former classmate, former co-worker and friend Austin Crosier for this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. Austin is a professional journalist who currently writes for NYVT Media based in Granville, NY. They talk about their time together at Castleton University, their experiences working together for the school newspaper the Castleton Spartan and what they learned from their advisor and professor Dave Blow. Austin gives us a look back at his life as a football player, his experiences playing at Castleton University and an injury he sustained in 2018 that still impacts him to this day. The duo also discuss their shared passion for professional wrestling and who they would have rather seen break the Undertaker's undefeated streak at WrestleMania.  Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/ Read some of Austin's published work: https://nyvtmedia.com/category/news/granville-news/ Follow Austin on Twitter: @AustinCrosier Follow Austin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/austincrosier/

Jay is joined by his good friend Max Temple for this edition of the "What's Up, Jay?" podcast. The pair discuss their shared history as students at Castleton University, sharing memories from their time working together on the school newspaper the Castleton Spartan. Max tells the story of his collegiate wrestling career at Castleton University, detailing the highs and lows and what it takes to make it to the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Jay and Max discuss positivity and why it is so important to strive for a positive mindset. Max shares what the "Get Get Mindset" is and where it originated from. And just how good is "Spider-Man: No Way Home" actually going to be?  Follow Jay on Twitter: @mullenjay02 Follow Jay on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mullenjay02/  Follow Max on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getget_mindset/