Class Talkers

Dave Geasey has been managing the Video Production facilities at SUNY Oneonta for nearly 35 years and he has noted some remarkable changes during that time. At the same time his mission remains consistent allowing students to learn the art and science of visual storytelling. He spoke with Media Lecturer Tim Welch

Gary Wickham an instructor of Digital Media at the State University of New York at Oneonta speaks with Tim Welch about the evolution of audio content from the days of radio broadcasting to streaming music. Both men are long-term members of the faculty in the department of Communications & Media.

SUNY Oneonta professor Rob Compton has studied the African country of Zimbabwe for more than 20 years. During that time, for former British colony known as Rhodesia has gone from the "Breadbasket of Africa" in the 20th century to one of the world's poorest economies in the 21st century. It's an amazing story of white colonialism, failed land reform and now hyper inflation. Dr. Compton is a frequent visitor to this land once known for its gold mines.

Dr. Rahul Rastogi for several years has been studying the phenomenon of Indian farmers killing themselves in ever increasing numbers. He attributes this tragedy to a variety of factors, the greatest of which is the inability to communicate the hopelessness they feel. Dr. Rastogi had a wide-ranging conversation about many elements of the world's most populous democracy with host Tim Welch.

Dr. Karen Stewart, a professor in the Communications & Media dept. at SUNY Oneonta is the guest this week on Class Talkers with Tim Welch. Karen has designed some innovative courses designed to learn about and with the 21st century media phenomenon commonly known as video games.

Dr. Theron Verdon is a professor of Communication Studies at SUNY Oneonta and is also a consultant to the U.S. military in the field of Jihadi rhetoric. This episode of Class Talkers is a conversation with host Tim Welch regarding the challenges that America faces in dealing with propaganda from Islamic political groups and Russian disinformation campaigns.

Nat Bouman has a degree in screen writing from Columbia University and has also spent time in various capacities on several film productions. Nat had a wide-ranging discussion about the movies with host Tim Welch which included classic films of the past, his student's excitement about telling stories with video and the explosion of the marketplace for digital storytelling created by streaming media.

Dr. Kristen Blinne of SUNY Oneonta's Communications & Media department talks with Tim Welch about her new book Yoga...A Remix. Yoga is has become a popular lifestyle fad in the USA, but it has roots in eastern religion and meditation which takes on added significance in the era of phone screen distraction.

History Professor Bill Simons of SUNY Oneonta is also the past president of the local chapter of United University Professions. That's the union that represents about 38,000 college employees, mostly faculty, around New York state. Professor Simons was interviewed by Tim Welch on a variety of subjects including the fading power of American labor unions.

Dean Elizabeth Dunn leads the School of Liberal Arts at SUNY Oneonta. She tells Tim Welch that the saturation of media in the 21st century including video games, social media, smart phones and the general screen economy present a challenge and an opportunity for teachers and students.