Matt Kliewer is a Humanities instructor at Austin Community College and a scholar in the field of Native American and global Indigenous literature, film and media.  Matt and I will lead a discussion following a screening of the Jim Jarmusch film Dead Man at the Austin Film Society’s cinema on November 13 at 7pm.  Here, we take the opportunity to discuss his field and work, and to see what it looks like in real time by discussing a different film–2013’s Rhymes for Young Ghouls, written and directed by Jeff Barnaby.  The film discussion comprises the second half of this interview, and delves into many of its plot points–spoilers lie ahead.

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Jason Epps is a faculty member in the Philosophy department at Austin Community College.   Jason is deeply interested in stoicism, an ancient movement that’s enjoyed a resurgence of popular interest in recent years.  He uses it as a vehicle for teaching philosophy as both as an intellectual discipline and a way of assessing how we choose to live. 

This discussion was recorded in November 2024, shortly after the publication of Jason's Op-Ed in the Austin American Statesman, a major daily newspaper in the area.  As you’ll hear, he felt compelled to address a form of criticism aimed at higher education that had emerged shortly after the presidential election.  This criticism took aim at the fact that some faculty at some higher ed institutions attempted to actively address distress that they perceive in their students surrounding the political moment, in some cases cancelling class meetings, allowing for extended deadlines on assignments, or pre-empting planned class activities to instead facilitate discussions of student concerns.

This kind of criticism bears consideration, because its target is not restricted to any particular political moment.  Interesting questions arise here:  To what extent, if any, should student fears about a given political or cultural event change the goings-on of the classroom?  Do instructional adaptations in the face of such events distract from the proper function of higher education?  What should an institution that is primarily aimed at teaching and learning do in response to the emotions that its students bring with them?

Today you’ll hear the perspective of a teacher who believes that, to borrow from the title of his own editorial, “We must support students with real fears.”

Allison Bumsted is a faculty member in the Humanities department at Austin Community College.  In addition to teaching multiple sections of the Introduction to Humanities course to dual credit students each semester, Allison is an active working scholar in her own right. 

As you’ll hear in this conversation, she began her own academic career as a student at ACC, ultimately following her curiosity all the way to Doctoral degree, and most recently to her first book published through the University Press of Mississipi.  The book is entitled “TeenSet, Teen Fan Magazines, and Rock Journalism”, and exemplifies a core commitment of Allison’s work as a teacher and scholar.  Namely, she invites us to take seriously what people value, regardless of whether the objects of value in question adhere to traditional conventions of ‘high culture’. 

During this interview you’ll hear her say that she wants her students to share a communal joy in learning, and this, of course, is what a thriving learning community is all about.  It’s my pleasure to share this conversation with Allison Bumsted—let’s dive in.

Matthew Daude has been a vital presence at Austin Community College for 35 years.  Here we discuss a few of the many roles he’s held, including Professor of Philosophy, Chair of the Philosophy Department, and Dean of Liberal Arts—a position he held for 10 years. 

Among other topics, we cover his approach to the philosophical discipline, his ongoing intellectual relationship with Aristotle, and his belief that "Liberal Arts Can Save the World".  As you’ll hear, he’s quite serious about this idea, and by the end of the episode, I wonder whether you might find yourself inclined to agree.