Ben Novotny

Ben Novotny is an alumnus of California State University, Long Beach where he majored in Journalism and minored in American Studies. At CSULB Ben was a staff writer for The Union Weekly, the student-run campus newspaper and was actively involved with the school's TV production studio. Ben was a Contributing Writer for The Long Beach Post and the Long Beach Business Journal and has been a Youth Reporter at VoiceWaves for four years.

Posts by Ben Novotny:

PODCAST: American Indians’ Complex History with Thanksgiving

Nov. 20, 2017 / By and
Tags: , , ,

Gratitude is deep-seated in indigenous culture and a tragic history of events hasn’t changed that. “We can try to make thanksgiving everyday,” says American Indian Studies professor Deborah Sanchez.

PODCAST: Halloween Spooktacular 2017

Nov. 2, 2017 / By , , and
Tags: , , , , , ,

Listen to some youth's spooky stories... if you dare! They also discuss Halloween Traditions, the over-commercialization of Dia De Los Muertos, and The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror.

Persistent Gentrification in Long Beach Increases Student Homelessness and Debt

Oct. 23, 2017 / By
Tags: , , ,

“They’re working several jobs in order to make ends meet in addition to going to school. They come in hoping that financial aid will cover everything and they find out it will not.”

Ballot Measure Aims to Stem Rising Youth Homelessness in L.A.

Mar. 2, 2017 / By
Tags: , , ,

More youth are homeless now because of Los Angeles' rising cost of living. Can Measure H help?

‘I Met Barack’

Jan. 19, 2017 / By
Tags: ,

Locals and leaders share what meeting President Barack Obama was like.

We Are Still Here (Poem)

Jan. 4, 2017 / By
Tags: , ,

Youth Reporter Ben Novotny turns to art to comment on the nation's political landscape.

What a Clinton or Trump Presidency Could Mean for the Student Debt Crisis

Nov. 6, 2016 / By
Tags: , , , ,

Tuesday's vote will shape the landscape of student debt, now totaling over $1.3 trillion. CSULB students chime in.

CSULB Junior Takes On Islamophobia Before United Nations

Sep. 15, 2016 / By
Tags: , , ,

Growing Islamophobia inspired CSULB student Yasmeen Azam to jump at the chance to speak at the United Nations and go off-script to speak from the heart.

End of Life Act a ‘Comfort’ When Pain Becomes Unbearable

Jun. 13, 2016 / By
Tags: , ,

As of last week, the terminally ill have access to medical aid in dying. Some stakeholders are uneasy about the act.

Bill Looks to Enact Suicide Prevention Policies in CA Schools

May. 6, 2016 / By
Tags: , ,

Just a few months ago, I lost my uncle to suicide. Maybe I couldn’t save him, but a new bill on the horizon looks to save the lives of California students who may be contemplating the same fate.

Sen. Lara’s Proposal Addresses Climate Change Locally

Jan. 26, 2016 / By
Tags: , , ,

Residents of the working-class neighborhood of West Long Beach, bounded by the twin ports of Long Beach and L.A., are particularly vulnerable to emissions.

Why I Agree With The President’s Action on Gun Violence

Jan. 6, 2016 / By
Tags: , ,

"It makes me mad, that we live in a country where most of our representatives care more about scoring political points and winning the next election than keeping their constituents safe."