Students Take the Mic in MCPHS’s New ‘Off the Books’ Podcast

The new show is a behind-the-scenes look at student life, straight from the voices living it.

There’s a lot of laughter coming from a back corner room of the Henrietta DeBenedictis Library these days—the kind that signals something fun is happening.

That energy belongs to “Off the Books,” a new student-driven podcast that launched in February at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). The show pulls back the curtain on college life, tackling what students learn in class and the lessons no syllabus ever covers. The crew records and films in a retrofitted library space that co-producer Cristian Garcia affectionately calls “low-budget heaven.”

Managed and produced by Fanny Fellevik, Digital Content Manager in the Marketing and Communications department, “Off the Books” is hosted by Emily Obuseh, Health Psychology, Occupational Therapy, ’28, and Kyleigh Hill, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, ’28. Garcia, a first-year nursing student, handles editing and co-production.

From the opening moments, the tone is unmistakable. “Welcome to ‘Off the Books,’ where we talk about the things college teaches you—and doesn’t teach you,” Obuseh says in the debut episode, setting the stage for a fast-moving conversation filled with laughter and quick-fire humor.

The co-hosts click instantly, each with a natural gift of gab. Though they hadn’t met before the podcast, they bounce seamlessly off one another—finishing each other’s sentences, trading one-liners, and weaving in Gen Z slang, pop culture references, and the occasional “yippee-ki-yay.” Obuseh’s the comic; Hill’s the straight shooter—classic comedy duo energy.

“It’s just so natural with her,” Hill said after a recent recording. “I pick up where she leaves off.”

Obuseh agreed. “I talk to myself a lot, so I figured this was a good way to broaden my horizons,” she said, laughing. “I will talk your socks off.”

Originally, “Off the Books” was meant to have a single host. But that plan changed quickly.

“Emily was on board first,” Fellevik said. “But once I saw them together, the chemistry was undeniable. Making them co-hosts was an easy decision.”

'Keep it Snappy'

Behind the scenes, the setup is nothing fancy: two chairs, a green screen, a few lights, mics, three laptops, and a DIY control station. One laptop keeps time and flashes notes from Garcia, who calls out things like, “Let’s expand and back it up,” or “Recap. One sentence. No explaining. Keep it snappy.”

“Three, two, one—hot take,” he adds, as the hosts jump from organic chemistry to crowded elevators (“like sardines in a can,” Obuseh quips) to figuring out that not everyone makes a good study buddy (“Oh, get into it,” Hill prompts).

Season one has 10 episodes lined up, each 15 to 30 minutes, dropping weekly throughout the spring semester. The team is still ironing out technical kinks—from green-screen glare to equipment hiccups—but the informal, anything-goes vibe is the whole point.

“We’re hoping to show how fun this school can be,” Garcia said. “We want this podcast to be the best college media out there, something other schools can look at and think, 'We should do that.'”

The debut episode, "Surviving (and Thriving) in 2026," kicks off with the hosts slamming their books shut and tossing them aside playfully. Then it's straight into "Tiny Wins," a regular segment. Hill celebrates improving her sleep schedule, and Obuseh reveals she’s trying to be more mindful.

Other conversations cover student debt, ice skating on the Frog Pond, and a segment called “On the Road,” where the team heads out of the studio and onto campus, this time into the library stacks for a whispered “What’s in Your Bag?” moment. Obuseh, in a pink cowboy hat, interviews with a homemade mic made from a tongue depressor. Hill dumps out her bag—sunglasses, wallet with a ton of receipts, and hand sanitizer—"because I'm a type A personality," she jokes.

The episode ends with a study tip, but if you want to hear it, you'll have to tune in.

“Off the Books” is available for streaming on Spotify and YouTube.