Connections Podcast

Weekend Connections is a collection of some of the most noteworthy moments from the week on Connections with Evan Dawson. This episode includes conversations about: Rochester's Climate Action Plan; Truth in comedy, with comedian Mike Birbiglia; How the Declaration of Independence and American history are taught in schools; Misconceptions about people who are blind, with Saudi disability rights activist Mohammed Saad.

Rochester City Council endorsed the city’s Climate Action Plan in May. The plan’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% from 2010 levels by 2030. We discussed the draft plan in November when the document was available for public comment. Now that the plan has been approved, members of local climate action groups say their input was not taken into full consideration. They want more information about how the plan will be enacted: How will programs be funded? Will the plan create jobs?

If you were designing the school day from scratch, what would the day look like? What would the classroom look like? Education expert Sir Ken Robinson says the education paradigm must be changed. He argues schools are organized along factory lines --with ringing bells, separate facilities, and standardized curricula. He says this limits students’ creativity, their learning capacity, and their academic performance. So how can we change how school days are modeled to maximize students’ potential?

Our Summer of Food series continues with Sarah Goodenough, owner of Kitchen Verde . As a college student in Boston, Goodenough fell into a pattern that’s familiar to many students -- eating Ramen Noodles and ordering from restaurants because it’s convenient. When she moved back to Rochester to begin nursing school, she weighed nearly 300 pounds and was experiencing a number of health issues, including the early stages of fatty liver disease. She was only 22 years old and was struggling to keep

VoteTilla is a celebration of the 100-year anniversary of woman suffrage in New York State. Boats will take a week-long journey on the Erie Canal, stopping at a number of cities from Clyde to Rochester, to commemorate the history of woman suffrage. Activities include reenactments of speeches by activists, films, a parade, and more. We talk about the celebrations and the history with our guests: Deborah Hughes , executive director of the Susan B. Anthony Museum and House Bruce Schwendy, co-chair

We have a conversation with comedian Mike Birbiglia. You may know his work on This American Life , or his films, Sleepwalk with Me and Don't Think Twice . Birbiglia is a comedian who not only makes you laugh, but also makes you think and feel. He's coming to Rochester this week , but first he's our guest as we talk about his sleep disorder, truth in comedy, and more. We also talk with local people in comedy about their craft and their goals while they are on stage. Our guests: Mike Birbiglia ,

How often do you use the Erie Canal? Do you visit for recreation? Do you use it to transport massive tanks for beer fermentation? Okay, maybe not the latter. But hey: it's the Erie Canal Bicentennial, which gives us a good reason to do two things. First, we have a frank discussion about the future of the canal -- who will use it, and how. Second, we explore the history. Wrapped up in this bicentennial is a series of events, which we also discuss. Our guests: Brian Stratton, director of the NYS

Remember that racist panel that became a public controversy two years ago -- the panel depicting so-called "pickaninny art" on the Dentzel Carousel in Charlotte? That panel was taken down, and it's going to have a permanent home at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. The goal is to use the panel to educate the community about the various forms of racism that deny the humanity of black children. But first, the panel will be displayed at events around the community as part of educational

An international disability rights activist known for his work in native Saudi Arabia is in Rochester. Mohammed Saad joins us to talk about his work to make a variety of every day life experiences more accessible for the visually impaired, including cooking, using technology, and event photography. He's our guest for the hour.

When NPR tweeted the entire Declaration of Independence, a small but vocal set of Twitter users thoughts it was offensive. They didn't know what they were reading, and thought it was an anti-Trump screed. So what are we teaching kids about the Declaration of Independence and American history? And why do immigrants fare so much better than American citizens on naturalization tests? We explore these questions with our guests: Evvy Fanning, local high school English teacher Samuel Bovard, 7th and