Connections Podcast

The RocIDEA Connection is a new workshop series offering educational programming related to inclusivity, social justice, and more. The goal is to help community members – especially young professionals – gain a better understanding of the challenges affecting cities like Rochester and how to overcome them. This hour, we sit down with the series’ organizers to learn about what’s coming up this year, and we discuss this month’s topic, intersectional feminism . In studio: Mercedes Phelan ,

Next week, a group of citizens will travel to Albany to advocate for the Safe and Supportive Schools Bill. It’s part of a statewide effort known as the Schools Not Jails Lobby Day. This hour, we discuss their efforts, and what they hope to change. Our guests: Walida Monroe-Sims, supporter of Citizen Action of New York and parent of a student in the Rochester City School District Madeline Funchess, intern at Citizen Action of New York Natalie Sheppard , partner with Citizen Action of New Yor k

The Atlantic Monthly is reporting on what it calls a sex recession. According to research from the Centers for Disease Control, American teens and young adults are having less sex and launching their sex lives later than previous generations. Why? This hour, we break down the reasons and discuss how this so-called sex recession is affecting marriages, birthrates, and relationships. In studio: Dr. Pebble Kranz, M.D., sexual medicine specialist at the Rochester Center for Sexual Wellness Dan Rosen

Perhaps you’ve heard the term “ghosting” used in the context of dating or relationships – where a partner or potential date just disappears. The term is now being used in workplaces; economists are reporting that workers are ghosting their employers. Why are an increasing number of workers not showing up, quitting without notice, and blowing off interviews? Some researchers say the booming labor market is to blame; with so many jobs available, there’s something else around the corner. But some

Comedian Louis CK is back on stage, telling jokes, and he's making more enemies with his material. In a leaked set that he performed in December, Louis CK mocks school shooting survivors, and he mocks gender fluid individuals. Our guests will discuss the boundaries of comedy; how to push those boundaries; and when to offer space for someone to change. Our guests: Penny Sterling, storyteller Chris Thompson, comedian, engineer, and activist Malcolm Whitfield, comedian

Are high school and college students benefiting from too much grade inflation? Some admissions directors say yes. A Clemson University professor sent a note to his colleagues, advising them to stand by the grades they give, and not buckle to student pressure. He wrote, "Assigning a grade is the end of teaching a class, not the beginning of a negotiation.” We'll talk about when it is and is not appropriate to allow for re-dos, re-tests, re-writes. Our guests: Larry Frye, Head of School at The

Writing for The Intelligencer, journalist David Wallace Wells poses some questions for parents and prospective parents : whether it’s moral to reproduce in this climate; whether it’s responsible to have children; whether it is fair to the planet or, perhaps more important, to the children. He's talking about the impact of climate change on the psyche of parents, and whether a growing number of couples is deciding not to have children at all based on the direction of our civilization. It's a

The Seneca Park Zoo Society set out to find local businesses and organizations that are doing things differently to limit climate change. This is more than just changing the light bulbs or driving a Prius to work. The Zoo Society recently held its inaugural environmental innovation awards, and some of the winners are very visible (at least for those driving along route 104, where they'll find a massive windmill). Others are doing things quietly. We'll meet them: Bob Bechtold, president of Harbec

Fortnite is a worldwide phenomenon. Is it a problem? The New York Times recently published a piece about parents who feel like they're losing their sons to the massively popular game. There are many critics, who contend that modern gaming companies understand how to make their products addictive. And there are defenders who say that we should keep in mind the positive aspects of the game, which involves violence but no blood or gore, as well as a creative element for building. Our guests discuss

In October, one of the last independent news outlets in Russia was going to be shut down. Instead, the editor raised 22 million rubles in four days to pay the government's ostensible fine. On Connections, we sit down with a frequent guest who studies Russia and US-Russian relations. Professor Randy Stone is back from a trip to Russia, where he met with the editor of the New Times, as well as Sergei Kislyak, the former ambassador who has been in the center of recent investigations. Stone