Conditionally Accepted

Olivia and Shelly analyze the first Democratic Debates and crown the winners of night one and two. But get sidetracked by me…

It’s been a minute, but Olivia and Shelly are back! Though they discuss their senior year and college plans most of the episode is centered on advice to current high schoolers on how to handle the insanity of the college application process.

Shelly is joined by Grace to discuss How Democracies Die a book by Harvard University political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt about how elected leaders can gradually subvert the democratic process to increase their power. How many authoritarian tendencies does President Trump possess and how well do the themes in the book connect to the United States’ current political situation? Listen and find out.

Olivia and Shelly discuss affirmative action in the college admissions process, focusing on the Harvard court case concerning alleged discrimination against Asians.

Shelly and is joined by a special guest, Grace, to review Bob Woodward’s Fear: Trump in the Whitehouse.

The 2018 midterms have come and gone; Olivia and Shelly discuss the results, ramifications and why it is so important for young people to stay informed.

Senior year is here, and so is application season. In this lighter episode, Olivia and Shelly discuss senior year, college applications and what the future holds.

Discussing delicate topics such as depression and suicide, though uncomfortable is absolutely necessary. We must remove the stigma that discussing mental and emotional health is unhelpful or that seeking help is shameful. Olivia and Shelly are joined by Dom and Nick to discuss how to identify warning signs in friends, how to appropriately discuss it, how to seek help for yourself or for a friend, and how to cope with the loss of a friend. Please share, and send any comments or questions to [email protected] If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, please talk to a friend, family member or mentor. You can also anonymously call 1-800-273-8255 or text 741741.

Sexual harassment and abuse has been simmering under the surface for centuries, but what happens when women decide to speak up about it? The #metoo and #timesup movements are started. In this episode, Olivia and Shelly discuss the movements and it impacts on the discussion surrounding sexual abuse.

With Shelly enjoying her break from the conservative south in Massachusetts, Olivia journeys on without her. Fortunately, we were able to interview the incredible Jen Briney from Congressional Dish. We discussed everyone’s favorite branch: the legislature. Although we focused on immigration, we touched on a wide variety of topics and Jen shared her reasons for optimism and what we all can do to bring about a better future.