Abstracts
“Student Media in a World of Change”
May 27, 2014
Location: Valley Library, Oregon State University. Watch Video | Download Transcript (PDF)
In her first interview, Davaz provides a brief overview of her background, the birth of her interest in digital culture and the path that she traveled from her upbringing in northern Idaho to her undergraduate education at OSU. From there she lends detailed insight into her work at the campus radio station, KBVR-FM, discussing the progression of her own work as well as the culture of the station, its technical infrastructure, and its forthcoming move to new quarters. Davaz also provides perspective on the local music scene in Corvallis.
Another major theme of the session is the decline in interest within the student body for the Beaver Yearbook and Davaz' aspirations for a new publication, Beaver's Digest, that will take its place. The interview concludes with Davaz answering questions about contemporary attitudes on campus, including her thoughts on issues of importance to students of the day as well as student perceptions of Oregon State University.
“A Year in the Life of Beaver's Digest”
May 21, 2015
Location: Valley Library, Oregon State University. Watch Video | Download Transcript (PDF)
The primary focus of Davaz's second interview, recorded almost exactly one year after her first, is the development and publication of the first issues of Beaver's Digest. In discussing this topic, Davaz provides an overview of the means by which the publication came into existence as a replacement for the Beaver Yearbook, and then outlines her process in recruiting a staff, refining the magazine's mission, and organizing the creation of content. She also notes the role played at Beaver's Digest by faculty advisers, lends her thoughts on the future of the publication, and provides insight into the personal growth that came out of the project, including improvements in her managerial skills.
The session then shifts gears to other topics, including Davaz's continuing involvement with college radio and her memories of the shuttering of KBVR-FM's original studio in Snell Hall. From there, Davaz shares her perspective on the newly opened Student Experience Center, the dynamics of student media as now organized under the umbrella of the Orange Media Network, and the broader culture of music that she has experienced in Corvallis.
As the interview nears its conclusion, Davaz speaks of her academic experience at OSU, with a particular emphasis on her work in the University Honors College and the evolution of her honors thesis. The session ends with Davaz's thoughts on student culture at Oregon State and her plans for her future following graduation.