Shows
Pondering.Therapy (with guest: Ben Stolarz)In this episode, host Tyler Neffield brings on special guest Ben Stolarz to discuss his journey with therapy. They discuss types of therapy as well as common misconceptions about it. Ben gives his originals of therapy and what his journey has been like up to this point. They speak about therapy in college as well as how theater is responsible for a therapeutic outlet in their lives. Lastly, Ben gives advice on what someone who’s hesitant about therapy should think about and overall how therapy has improved his life. As always, thank you for listening, let us know wh...
2025-05-1557 min
Pondering.High School to College; Vegetable Club, Courting a Mate, Identity, New Pope (with guest: Sarah Dugan)In this episode, host Tyler Neffield brings on special guest Sarah Dugan. Being both from different backgrounds of high school and current juniors in college at Pitt, they talk about the transition from high school into college. They talk about various aspects regarding change of life and how structure and freedom changes. They also talk about making new friends in college and how that can progress. Throughout the episode, they give their own experiences on everything as they new reflect back on status, identity, and the “social ladder.” As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thou...
2025-05-0855 min
Pondering.Catching Up; Endless Broth, Tokyo, Ethan SlaterIn this episode, Ben Duong and Tyler Neffield are reunited on the podcast and they sure do have some catching up to do. They talk through what’s been going on in their lives through these past 3 months of being away from each other in school. Ben discusses his various adventures as well as a few fun stories along the way. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-12-2451 min
Pondering.Theatre (with guest: Virginia Keister)In this episode, host Tyler Neffield brings on special guest Virginia Keister, to talk about theatre. Virginia, a theatre arts major, talks about her experience with theatre and her inspirations for wanting to pursue theatre education. Together, we talk through our experiences in high school theatre eventually phasing into college theatre. Lastly, we discuss why this art is such a special thing yet so bittersweet. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-11-1350 min
Pondering.Coping Using Humor (with guest: Nolan DuBois)In this episode, host Tyler Neffield brings on special guest Nolan DuBois. Nolan speaks about coping with humor and jokes through his various past experiences in life. We talk about what might lead someone to cope using humor, the positives, the negatives, and several examples to go along. Lastly, we dive into if something like this is healthy and how should someone go about confronting their feelings. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-10-2649 min
Pondering.A Talk with the Girl I Liked (with guest: Meadow Lockwood)In this episode, host Tyler Neffield brings on special guest Meadow Lockwood. Full disclosure, Tyler used to like Meadow, so this episode is tea. They discuss various types of flirting and what the common traits can be. They also dive into the ideas of mixed signals and the fine line between friends and crushes. They also touch on aspects of physical attraction and the idea of being “conventionally attractive.” As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-10-221h 04
Pondering.Pictures; Why do we Feel the Need?In this episode, Tyler answers the question of; pictures; why do we feel the need? He starts by talking about the history of cameras and photos all the way up to the present day digital age. Tyler also discusses various reasons people take photos and the possible physiological reasons people do it. He also talks about the role social media has through photos, how it can be harmful, and gives his take on living in the moment vs. capturing the moment. Lastly he shares a heartfelt memory about a photo montage he grew up with. As always, thank you...
2024-09-1932 min
Pondering.Florida Man (with guest: Heidi Hagofsky)In this episode Ben and special Guest Heidi venture into the bizarre and funny world of “Florida Man.” But first, Ben and Heidi catch up with each other. Heidi tells stories about what she’s been up to since she last was on the podcast. Join Ben and Heidi as they discover what crazy antics Florida men get themselves into and all the wacky . As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-09-1236 min
Pondering.Breaking the Binary: Unisex Clothing (with host: Tyler Neffield)In this episode, Tyler takes you through the world of unisex clothing. He talks through the history and evolution of unisex clothing and how it has turned into what it is today. From firsthand experience of being a male who’s more in touch with his feminine side, he speaks on the his personal experience with unisex clothing and what he wears. He gives specific examples in color palettes, types of clothes, materials, and accessories that could help you diversify your closet. Tyler speaks on finding your identity through clothes and how at the end of the day, you sh...
2024-08-2228 min
Pondering.Growing Up (with host: Ben Duong)In this episode Ben does his first individual episode. Similar to Tyler’s episode Ben tries to make a solo episode by himself. Ben talks about simply just growing up. Ben gives a brief update with how his life has been going on and what he’s been up to. He then goes on to talk about topics on growing up, from things like how it’s not often talked about, to how hard it was for him. Join Ben as he gives his honest take and his own perspective on growing up. As always, thank you for listening, let us...
2024-08-1528 min
Pondering.A Talk on Social Media (with host: Tyler Neffield)This episode is the first of our new individual episodes where either Tyler or Ben will simply record the podcast just by themselves. In this episode hosted by Tyler, he talks about social media in general and dives into some frequently asked questions. Procrastination, negativity, and consumerism can all be a result of social media usage. Tyler lays out various strategies to prevent these negative habits and gives some insight into his personal journey with social media. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-08-0842 min
Pondering.Summer RecapHey, it's been a hot minute... Because of this, we decided to do a bit of a summer recap to let you all know what we've been up to. Through our chat, we dive deep into some topics such as how time seems to move fast and how after this summer, life is really starting for us. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-08-0137 min
Pondering.Our Favorite Memories TogetherIn this epsisode, we discuss a question we got last week reguarding our favorite memories with each other. Through our answers, we take a step back in time and ponder over our mnay fun adventures with each other. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-07-1822 min
Pondering.Q and AIn this epsisode, we answer the many questions we have gotten through Instagram and give our answers. Many of these questions involve what things are our "favorites" but a few provoke some deep discussion. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-07-1125 min
Pondering.Parenting Styles (with guest: Nico Huynh)In this episode we bring on special guest Nico Huynh and discuss various parenting styles. Through the episode we talk about how we were raised by our parents and how we see different styles through that. We also talk about how we might parent our future children and how that’s influenced by how we were raised. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-07-0453 min
Pondering.Our Take on Customer ServiceIn this episode we give our take on customer service. Because we both work in some form of customer service, we share both good and bad stories about our experience. Through this we talk about how sometimes it’s the little things that truly matter when working. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-06-2737 min
Pondering.Music TasteIn this episode we discuss our general music tastes in various genres and songs. We talk through how music taste can shape who you are but it also being important to not let it solely define you. We also explain the news surrounding JoJo Siwa and her new song. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-06-2036 min
Pondering.Core MemoriesIn this episode we recall our past core memories within our lives; both good and bad. We reflect on how these core memories shaped us into the people we are today. Through this process, we discuss how core memories as a whole affect our nostalgia, growth, mindset, and emotions. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-06-1341 min
Pondering.Do we Regret Anything?In this episode we answer the question about regretting things in our lives. We talk through momentous examples in our lives in which we regret things or maybe not regret things. A life filled with regret is a hard life to live so we encourage everyone to take those regrets and realize they’ve made you who you are! Yolo! As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-06-0629 min
Pondering.Forgiving and ForgettingIn this episode we discuss the topic of forgiving and forgetting offenses or grudges against people. We talk about experiences with this we’ve had in our own lives with our friends as well as give some analogies. Lastly, we explain the differences between how girls and how guys react to these situations of forgiveness. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-05-3048 min
Pondering.Do we Miss our Childhood?In this episode we discuss our childhoods and if we truly miss them. It might seem like a simple question but taking a closer look, it might remind us of a simpler time in our lives. We also discuss our own childhoods and how growing up, going to school, and what we did outside of school affected our childhoods. We deep dive into nostalgia and talk through various things that makes us and others nostalgic. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-05-2338 min
Pondering.Do you Need Future Plans?In this episode we talk about now only our future plans but future plans as a general topic. We debate whether or not you need future plans in your life. West also talk about the difference between how someone who plans day by day or plans ahead can affect lifestyles. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-05-1629 min
Pondering.What We've Been up toAfter a season break, Pondering returns with a new episode addressing what we have been up to during our time off! We talk about some future plans for the Podcast during our summer season as well as talking about what we will be doing this summer in our personal lives. And of course, one of our episodes would not be complete without side tangents so there are plenty of those! As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-05-0927 min
Pondering.Am I the Asshole?In this episode we read reddit stories pertaining to the tag "Am I the Asshole?" We give our thoughts on these various stories and decide if the person is in the wrong or has a valid point. Hopefully we provide you all with some thought for pondering as you listen to this episode. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-03-1531 min
Pondering.College Fashion (with guest: Julia Lotter)In this episode we once again bring on guest Julia Lotter where she has several questions that she poses to us about fashion. We talk about fashion influences today in college as well as our fashion in our younger days. We also incorperate how going to Catholic school influenced our fashion at an early age and carried into how we view fashion in college. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-03-0751 min
Pondering.Pet Peeves pt. 3 (Personal Habits and Preferences)In this episode we finish our trilogy of episodes on pet peeves as we conclude with personal habits and preferences. We discuss various pet peeves of ours and the viewers relating to habits and how they may impact our lives. We talk through these pet peeves and how they might apply to our life and tell a few stories along with the way. As always, thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-02-2930 min
Pondering.UnscriptedIn this special unscripted episode we literally do not have an agenda to base this episode off of. We consult Chat GPT and ask it to pose random questions about anything; life, news, or what's currently going on in our lives. Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-02-2245 min
Pondering.Valentine's DayPrior to recording this episode, we made calls to about a dozen friends, all in a relationship, and asked them the same three questions; why do you love them, what’s your favorite memory with them, and when did you know you loved them. In this special Valentine's Day episode, we talk through their answers and highlight similarities as well as unique their answers. Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-02-1546 min
Pondering.Pet Peeves pt. (Social Etiquette)In this episode we continue our trilogy of pet peeves as well as introduce video on our podcast (exclusive to Spotify)! We discuss various pet peeves of ours relating to social etiquette that get under our skin. We talk through these pet peeves and how they might apply to our life and maybe tell a few stories along with them. Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and keep up with us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-02-0838 min
Pondering.Are College Friends Forever? (with special guest Julia Lotter)In this episode we bring on special guest Julia Lotter who submitted the question, are college friends forever, to us a few months back. In this episode, we discuss this question as well as dive into situational friends, friends we want at our wedding, and true friends. We talk about friends in the context of high school, college, and our parents. Through this episode, we discover connections in the friendships in our lives that might shape us and how we feel about these friends being in our lives for years to come. Thank you for listening, let us know...
2024-02-011h 08
Pondering.Pet Peeves pt. 1 (Communications and Behaviors)Our pet peeves will consist of a trilogy of episodes in which we discuss one of three categories of our own pet peeves as well as submitted ones. In today’s episode, we discuss pet peeves within the category of communication and behavior. These peeves can include people who act too prideful, bad attitudes, etc… We discuss all of these as well as add personal stories to them and how they relate to us. Lastly we give some advice with these pet peeves that might prove insightful to you. Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and...
2024-01-2547 min
Pondering.Trusting OthersIn this episode we discuss various questions on trusting others. Would you trust your friends with very intimate things about yourself? Have you ever been burned by someone you thought you trusted? We answer these questions and apply our own life experiences on them to hopefully give some thoughtful advice. In addition, we go on some fun unrelated tangents at the end which is always fun for us! Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and follow us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-01-1857 min
Pondering."The Challenge Theory" (with special guest Bridget Howe)In this episode we bring on guest Bridget Howe who discusses her own idea of how friendships are formed that she calls “The Challenge Theory.” Through this theory, we discuss our personal experiences with this and how it has influenced the friends in our lives, especially in college. We talk about various obstacles in friendships and why some friendships work and why some don’t. Thank you to Bridget for coming on and sharing her idea and ethics of The Challenge Theory! Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and follow us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-01-1154 min
Pondering.New Year's ResolutionsIn this episode we discuss New Year’s resolutions and their impact. We begin by recounting our own highlights, lessons, and challenges from this past year. We explain why resolutions can make a positive impact on people despite all the obstacles. We
give tips on how to overcome various obstacles and the psychological aspect of getting started on your resolutions. Lastly, we explain how resolutions can attribute to a person’s growth and overall happiness. Thank you for listening, let us know what you thought, and follow us on all socials: @listenpondering
2024-01-041h 00
Pondering.Academic Validation (with guest Gage Sheffler)In this episode, we bring on our long-awaited guest Gage Sheffler to give us his take and experience on academic validation. Academic validation is something that so many students struggle with, especially with today’s standards. In this episode, we explain our past and present experiences with this topic and give our opinion on how people in society today can overcome this.
2023-12-2944 min
Pondering.Can Two People be JUST Friends?In this episode, we discuss aspects of the constantly asked question, can two people be just friends? We talk about our personal experiences with this topic and relate it to how we perceive it in our own lives. We discuss various perspectives within this subject such as the hormonal aspect, not acting on your thoughts, and losing friendships over it. We compare this situation to popular TV shows such as Friends and Seinfeld in which some characters end up together. Together, we bring our takes to this frequently asked question and attempt to give advice to those who may...
2023-12-2143 min
Pondering.Does Long Distance Even Work? (w/ guest Heidi Hagofsky)In today’s episode we discuss if long-distance actually works. Although we might not have the same experiences with long-distance, we give our different takes on it. We bring on special guest Heidi Hagofsky, who is currently in a long-distance relationship with Ben. Together they give their advice on their first-hand experiences with the matter. We give advice for people in long-distance relationships and discuss how you know if it’s for you. Thank you for listening and let us know what you thought! Also follow us on insta @listenpondering
2023-12-1455 min
Pondering.Moving on in Past Relationships (w/ guest Christopher Ireland)In this episode we talk about our past relationships, or present for Ben, and talk about what they have taught us and how to move on. This episode features special guest Christopher Ireland, who, like us, is also a student at the University of Pittsburgh. Chris brings an aspect to this episode in which he is still in the process of getting over his last relationship. Together we take a deep dive in our past and talk about our experiences with the relationships we've all had/have. We talk about how we can move forward with the knowledge we’ve...
2023-12-071h 16
Pondering.Our Future and Past SelvesIn this episode we take a gander until what we see and want in our future. We reflect back on our past selves and discuss what we would tell our past selves. We also discuss people who have greatly impacted our lives as well as have a little fun talking about embarrassing experiences. As always, thanks for listening, leave a comment if you like, and we will see you in next week’s episode!
2023-11-3041 min
Pondering.What We're Thankful forIn this Thanksgiving episode we talk about things that we are currently thankful for as well as past experiences that we’re thankful for that have shaped us into who we are today. We also dive into some eye-opening experiences that teach us and others to be more thankful. A reminder that we are thankful to all of YOU, the listeners whom this podcast is made for. As always, thank you for listening, leave a comment if you like, and we will catch you in next week’s episode!
2023-11-2340 min
Pondering.Our Hot TakesIn this week’s episode, we go through a list of our personal hot takes
on various topics. Some takes lead to profound discussions where others may just be how we feel about something. A reminder that these hot takes are just how we personally feel so if you disagree don’t be too offended, or leave us a comment! Disagreeing is what makes a hot take a hot take. As always, thanks for listening and be sure to check back for new episodes every Thursday!
2023-11-1643 min
Pondering.Siblings vs. Only ChildIn this week’s episode, we discuss the various pros and cons
between being an only child or having siblings. We reflect on how having or not having siblings has affected our childhood as well as our lives now. We debate how these aspects affected us and shaped us into who we are today. Join us today as we ponder.
2023-11-0937 min
Pondering.Relationship CultureIn this episode, we take a deep dive into relationship culture in today’s society. We discuss various questions about the beginnings of a relationship, then segway into topics within the
relationship itself such as the honeymoon phase, red flags, and green flags. As two teenagers with past and present experience in relationships, we give our take on these spiraling questions and give advice on how one might handle these posed questions. As always, thanks for listening, be sure to let us know what you think,
and email/comment if you have a question you want answered!
2023-11-0249 min
Pondering.Introductions; are we even qualified?In this episode we give ourselves some proper introductions and explain who we are and where we came from. We pose the question of what makes someone qualified for a podcast and if
we are even qualified. We take a look into our past experiences and why they might make us good hosts for this podcast as we take a leap into this new and exciting journey in our lives.
2023-10-2641 min