Meet The Cauldron 2025-26 staff.

Managerial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Hannah Gates

Hannah Gates is the Editor-in-Chief of The Cauldron, now in her fifth year writing for a publication and her fourth year on staff. She is dedicated to amplifying student voices and spotlighting stories that matter to the Cleveland State community. A senior at Cleveland State University, Hannah is pursuing a degree in Political Science with a minor in Communications and a focus in Pre-Law. Beyond the newsroom, she serves as president of CSU’s NABJ Chapter and as a board member for A Place 4 Me, a nonprofit supporting young adults experiencing homelessness.

Managing Editor: Julia Srnec

Julia Srnec is a senior majoring in Linguistics, International Relations, and Spanish. She grew up in Minnesota and has loved getting to explore Cleveland alongside her studies. Outside of The Cauldron, Julia enjoys theater, travel, film, and fashion. This is her third year with The Cauldron and she looks forward to developing connections with CSU’s student community through her role as Managing Editor.

Editorial Team

News Editor: Mays Turabi

Mays Turabi is a senior double-majoring in Political Science and Spanish on a pre-law track. She began as a journalist working on the section editor team for The Cauldron her freshman year, and afterwards, served as Editor-in-Chief for three semesters (fall 2023 through fall 2024). A proud Palestinian-American, avid public speaker and trilingual, Mays plans to attend law school after graduation with the goal of becoming a trial attorney. Alongside The Cauldron, she finds joy in writing (surely, with a mug of coffee in hand) and runs her own freelance newsletter called “i want to throw myself away.” Mays excitedly returns to the role of News Editor for The Cauldron for her final semester, and looks forward to informing and empowering CSU students.

Arts & Entertainment Editor: EveLynne Bruening

EveLynne Bruening is a sophomore majoring in film and media arts. Before finding her focus behind the camera as a local filmmaker and photographer, she spent much of her time in theater. From sketchbooks and dress forms to stage performances, set design, sculpture and special effects makeup (SFX), she has explored nearly every corner of artistic expression. With her history in various forms of arts and entertainment, she hopes to bring you stories that celebrate student voices and the colorful corners created by Cleveland creatives.

Feature Editor: Kateryna Kopylchak

Kateryna Kopylchak is a senior majoring in Journalism & Promotional Communications. She is Ukrainian and fluent in English and Ukrainian. Outside of The Cauldron, she enjoys reading, rewatching her favorite shows, and hanging out with friends. Kateryna looks forward to writing interesting stories about and for students at CSU.

Multimedia Content Team

Multimedia News Journalist: Makenna Hughmanic

Makenna Hughmanic is a second-year film student with a strong passion for storytelling and creative writing. She received third place in Cleveland State’s Fade In: Short Screenplay Competition for her screenplay, Please Don’t Bury Me. As a Multimedia News Journalist, Makenna looks forward to keeping readers informed on current events with a special interest in social justice matters.

Multimedia Arts & Entertainment Journalist: Cory Conrad

Cory Conrad is a second-year student majoring in Film and Media Arts, as well as minoring in General Business. Cory enjoys spending time at the gym in between classes and creating different crocheted pieces in their free time. When they are not working on a story for the Cauldron they enjoy writing short fantasy stories and scripts.

Multimedia Feature Journalist: Gina Goggins

Gina Goggins is a sophomore majoring in Journalism and Promotional Communication while minoring in Sports & Entertainment Management and Digital Content Production. This is her second year with The Cauldron, and she looks forward to being able to continue keeping up with the campus community. Outside of The Cauldron, you can find her on Canva, at a sorority event or attending one of the many sports games in Cleveland (although it’s probably the Monsters).

Multimedia Feature Journalist: Ele Solovyov

Ele Solovyov is a first-year student majoring in Psychology with a minor in American Sign Language. She plans to get her doctorate and work with patients who have struggled with substance abuse disorder. In their free time, they like to go to live shows, watch 90s movies, go to the gym and spend time with their friends. She also enjoys theatre, both the audience and acting side of it. Ele has a passion for reading and writing and plans to write their own book after college. After being a manager on her high school’s yearbook team, she’s excited to write more stories and continue her love for journalism.

Multimedia Sports Journalist: Derek Williams

Derek Williams Jr. is a junior majoring in Journalism and Promotional Communications. This is his first year writing for The Cauldron, but he’s previously contributed to several publications around the Cleveland area. He also serves as Vice President of the CSU Association of Black Journalists. His love for sports and natural speaking ability have fueled his interest in sports broadcasting, reporting, and writing.

When he’s not writing, Derek enjoys cooking, gaming, and listening to music.

Graphic Designer: Taylor Lucas

Photographer: Olivia Stein

Olivia Stein is a second-year student at Cleveland State University studying journalism and public relations with minors in broadcasting and digital content production. In addition to The Cauldron, she is secretary for the CSU PRSSA and a fall intern at Ideastream Public Media. When not busy studying or taking photos for The Cauldron, Olivia enjoys watching all types of films and television shows, curating her Pinterest boards, and spending time with friends around campus. This is her second semester as a photographer for The Cauldron, and she is excited to continue capturing snapshots of campus.

Photographer: Matt Keyerleber

Returning to The Cauldron’s staff for a fifth consecutive year, Matt Keyerleber is a graduate student at CSU. He graduated with his bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering in spring 2024, and enjoys photographing CSU sports and on-campus events.