Connections Podcast

Why do so many of us have a negative perception about the town we grew up in? What could make that change? Studies show that negative self-image is a risk to our health. That extends to our view of our hometown or home region. So for a moment, let's appreciate the work of Chris Clemens , who created Exploring Upstate in 2014. It's a website that highlights the beautiful, the interesting, the downright good around us. We've asked Chris to share his journey on creating the site and his view of

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: Challenges faced by first-generation college students; The value of mindfulness in medicine; The documentary, Real Boy, about a transgender teen; This summer's total solar eclipse.

Grass-roots activism is gaining in popularity, particularly since last fall's elections. In Geneva, we meet the Geneva Women's Assembly and Tools for Social Change , which are engaged in a wide range of local and national politics. We're broadcasting live from our WEOS studio in Geneva. Our guests: Hannah Dickinson , member of the Geneva Women's Assembly, and director of the Writing and Enriched Curriculum Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges Jeremy Wattles , co-founder of Tools for

Hobart and William Smith Colleges President Mark Gearan is retiring. Gearan is the former director of the Peace Corps, and we ask for his thoughts on both the Clintons, and the current political climate in this country. We also discuss the cost of higher education, and how to make it more accessible. We're broadcasting live from our WEOS studio in Geneva.

NASA says it's time to "touch the sun." In 2018, the agency will send a spacecraft close to the sun's surface. NASA says the mission could help us understand some of the mysteries involving the star: why its atmosphere is hotter than its surface; what allows it to fling winds out at supersonic speeds; and more. Our guests walk us through the details and explain what they mean for the future of space research and travel. In studio: Brian Koberlein , senior lecturer of physics at RIT, and blogger

There's a lot going on in the local autism community: The U of R has the brand-new Levine Autism Clinic . On South Avenue, there are plans for the new Golisano Autism Center . And this weekend, national experts will be in town to give talks, run workshops, and help lead a conference on autism . So what does the latest research tell us? Our guests: Suzannah Iadarola , Ph.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at UR Medicine’s Golisano Children’s Hospital Chris Hilton, mother, and finance and

We loved the recent New York Times interviews with first-generation college students, who carve their own path. This is our chance to hear the experiences of first-generation students in our area: how they made it to college; how they're faring; their biggest challenges. Our guests: James Nguyen, St. John Fisher College class of 2019 Kimberly Statt, student at MCC Bernard Rodgers, RIT class of 2017

Have you ever felt like your doctor had no time for you? Or that, when you finally had time with a doc, you felt rushed and unheard? Dr. Ron Epstein's new book aims to change all of that. It's called Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity . But what is mindfulness in a medical setting? Dr. Epstein says that the best doctors have it, and it allows them to connect with their patients in meaningful, human contexts. That's the difference between drumming through a routine, and listening long

Torture. Sweeping police powers. Unlawful detention. Scandal at the highest level. We're talking about... Paris, roughly 340 years ago. In a remarkable new book , professor Holly Tucker tells the story of l'Affaire de les Poisons -- the Affair of the Poisons, which rocked France and put a target on King Louis XIV himself. Louis responded by appointing Paris' first police chief, who kept voluminous records. Tucker's story reads like fiction -- witches! Black Sabbaths! Poisonous powders slipped

We preview the documentary, Real Boy . It's the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a trans teenager undergoing a gender transition. While navigating the transition and a strained relationship with his family, Wallace connects with trans folk singer Joe Stevens, who takes Wallace under his wing. Wallace and Stevens are in Rochester for the film's screening at The Little Theatre and a musical performance at Geva Theatre Center, but first, they're our guests on Connections. In studio: Bennett