Connections Podcast

The situation in Ukraine appears to be on a razor's edge, with many Ukrainians concerned about Russian aggression. We discuss what's happening on the ground, and we hear from the local Ukrainian community. Our guests: Randy Stone , director of the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies at the University of Rochester Olena Prokopovych , director of the political science program at Nazareth College Elena Dilai , associate professor of mathematics at Monroe Community College

Oumuamua is the strange, cigar-shaped space rock that hurtled through our interstellar neighborhood at high speed, then left as fast as it came. Scientists were baffled. What was it? What could have caused that rock to move in that fashion? Was it some wild explosion or event? This fall, scientists have floated a new possibility: it's aliens! Really, there is at least the possibility that this rock was an object created by an alien race. But how would they know? Can they track it? And then, what

There's a lot of talk about whether college students are too "coddled" these days. Our panel discusses whether the stereotypes match the reality, and whether a change in the culture of classrooms can be beneficial. We've had feedback from professors across the country, and we share that, too. In studio: Amy Guptill , professor of sociology at The College at Brockport Alysha Rios, junior at The College at Brockport

A documentary called "Back to Natural" explores the relationship between politics, hair, and racial identity in black communities. It will be screened later this week at The Little Theatre as part of the Black Cinema Series. The film’s director, a clinical psychologist, says her documentary is a call for healing in a society that polices black hair. She joins us to preview the film and discuss the natural hair movement and its history with our guests: Gillian Scott-Ward , Ph.D., director of

How are world events impacting travel and study abroad? The current political and social climate have led to calls for universities to stop sending students to countries like Iran. These critics say students face real threats in countries experiencing unrest, and it’s reckless for colleges to ignore them. At the same time, a new interactive travel map highlighting risk levels across the globe shows Iran is low risk, and as safe as the UK. This hour, we sit down with international travelers and

The Thanksgiving holiday is over, so what did you eat? Do you regret it? This hour, we sit down with experts in the nutrition field to discuss how to stay healthy, manage your diet, and engage in mindful eating during the holidays. We also talk about common misconceptions related to weight loss and nutrition. In studio: Dr. Tom Campbell , M.D., medical director of Highland Hospital's Weight Management and Lifestyle Center Emily Kyle , registered dietitian, certified dietitian/nutritionist, and

A local nonprofit group is speaking out about how to create more socioeconomic diversity in schools. This comes after a state grant largely failed to bring more suburban students into the Rochester City School District. This hour, we're joined by members of Great Schools for All to discuss their ideas for creating a community-wide approach to improving socioeconomic diversity, and the research behind the benefits of integrated schools. In studio: Don Pryor, member of the Great Schools for All

We sit down with Fatimat Reid , the first African American candidate in decades to win a Monroe County Family Court judgeship. Four candidates were in line for two seats on the Family Court bench, and it took an additional week to count all the ballots in the extremely close race. Reid, a Democrat, defeated Republican Nicole Bayly for the second seat (Republican Alecia Mazzo was also elected). Reid was born in New York City and moved to Nigeria as a child. She returned to the U.S. at age ten. As

How much do you know about hemp? The variety of the Cannabis sativa species is often mistaken for marijuana, but it’s very different. Researchers say hemp is among the world’s most useful plants, with more than 25,000 applications in the food, clothing, construction, and pharmaceutical fields. Leaders including Governor Cuomo say hemp could transform the way we live; he wants to make New York State the center of innovation for this emerging industry. This hour, we have a Hemp 101 class, of sorts

A group of newly elected Democrats joined protesters in Nancy Pelosi's office last week, staging a sit-in to call for more serious climate policy. Critics called this a case of the left attacking itself; supporters argue that Democratic leadership has failed to produce climate policy strong enough to make necessary changes. We discuss tactics and policy with a panel that includes: Robin Wilt , Brighton Town Board member and former Congressional candidate Sue Hughes-Smith, member of the