J. Walter Sterling is the new president of St. John’s College's Santa Fe campus. He assumed the role in July of 2024 after previously serving at the institution as dean and on the faculty. Sterling joins "Conversations Different" to discuss St. John’s unique curriculum focused on reading and discussing the Great Books. He also talks about the school's efforts to recruit in state and how St. John's is looking to expand its community connections as it celebrates 60 years in Santa Fe.

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It seems scams are ever-present in today's world, whether they show up in our email inbox, on our phone or in the mail. Julie Sakura, Division Director of Consumer Protection with the New Mexico Department of Justice, is working to make sure New Mexicans are informed about what scams are out there and how to keep your information safe. Sakura joins "Conversations Different" to talk about the main tactics scammers use, the most common types of scams, and what scams the state Department of Justice has been seeing recently. "If you’re being asked to give money in this really urgent way, it’s almost always a scam," Sakura says.

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On this week’s episode of "Conversations Different," host Inez Russell Gomez is joined by Bill Church, The New Mexican’s new executive editor, to discuss his connection with Santa Fe and what drew him to the position. Church talks about how he views his responsibility as an executive editor, the important relationship between the newspaper and the community, and touches on his vision for the future for the 175-year-old newspaper. The longtime newspaperman comes to the Land of Enchantment from North Carolina, where he most recently served as executive editor of The News & Observer in Raleigh. His newsroom leadership spans many U.S. cities including Austin; Salem, Ore.; and Sarasota, Fla.

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Jeanne Fair, Ph.D., is an infectious disease and climate scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory with an array of accomplishments in the science realm. In 2009, she was the lead analyst at the Department of Homeland Security’s modeling of the H1N1 influenza pandemic and also modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research and her interest in the field, spanning 30 plus years, is aimed at how stress impacts our immune systems, especially through wildlife and its ecology. Fair joins “Conversations Different” to talk about her work at the lab, the recent headlines concerning bird flu, and how we can all do our part to stay informed in understanding infectious diseases.  

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Denise Fort, professor emeritus at the University of New Mexico, is a Western water policy expert with an extensive background in environmental and natural resources law. Fort joins “Conversations Different” to discuss environmental and policy issues facing New Mexico’s water resources. She talks about the state’s 50-year water plan, the lack of legal protections for New Mexico’s water sources and the need to rethink how the state distributes its water. She also touches on the need to change the use of water in the state when it comes to agriculture.

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Diana Tarasiewicz is in her first year as director of nutrition services for Santa Fe Public Schools. A chef by training, Tarasiewicz previously served as culinary specialist and project coordinator at the New Mexico Public Education Department’s Student Success and Wellness Bureau. She joins "Conversations Different" to talk about the numbers behind school meals at Santa Fe Public Schools, the staffing challenges the district faces and how it works to overcome them, and how close the district is to complying with the Senate Bill 4. The bill places high priority on freshly cooked meals and locally grown foods at schools, and it has been met with harsh criticism by some administrators and nutrition officials who say the changes impose costly requirements. Tarasiewicz said the district is already well on its way to complying. 

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For the third straight year, the Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Community College will both host open houses on the same day. On Thursday, Sept. 19, the schools will welcome community members and prospective students on their campuses to showcase their facilities and highlight the programs they offer. Both schools will open their studios for art demonstrations and provide tours of their facilities. IAIA President Robert Martin and SFCC President Becky Rowley join "Conversations Different" to speak about all their schools have to offer and what to expect for the open houses at the campuses that are just a seven-minute drive from each other. 

SFCC's open house takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information can be found at https://www.sfcc.edu/iaia-sfcc-open-house-24/. 

IAIA's open house is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit https://iaia.edu/about/2024-iaia-open-house/.

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The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Site is by far the largest such site in New Mexico with estimates of more than 100,000 petroglyphs at the location. The site near the Rio Grande north of Española covers a patchwork of private land, as well as some Bureau of Land Management Land. Artist Katherine Wells purchased property on Mesa Prieta in the 1990s and soon discovered there were thousands of petroglyphs on her land. She started the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project in 1999 to document the remarkable cultural resources and to advocate for their preservation. Wells donated the majority of the property to The Archaeological Conservancy in 2007 to ensure its continued protection. Volunteers have helped record approximately 80,000 petroglyphs so far.

The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a two-day symposium Sept. 13-14 at Northern New Mexico College. Wells and Matthew Martinez, the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project’s executive director, join “Conversations Different” to talk about the people who left their mark on the rocks, share the impact the project has had for them and for others, and discuss how the organization has supported educational opportunities to teach local students about the significance of the site.

Learn more about the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project at www.mesaprietapetroglyphs.org.

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Court Appointed Special Advocates First Judicial District, known as CASA First, is an organization that supports and promotes volunteer advocacy so that children and youth who are trauma-impacted or system-involved can be safe, develop permanent connections and have the opportunity to thrive. CASA First volunteers offer a voice in and out of court for infants, children and youth who are currently in foster care in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. Executive Director Annie Rasquin, Program Support Specialist Grace Korthuis and board Vice President Veronica Krupnick join "Conversations Different" to explain the mission of CASA First, talk about the impact of the organization and its volunteers on local youth, spotlight CASA First's recruiting effort and talk about what it's been like being part of the organization. They also discuss Abrigo Advocates, who offer support for those who are not actively in the foster care system but have been impacted by trauma or have been system involved. To learn more about the organization and how to get involved, visit https://casafirst.org/. 

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Labor Day weekend 2024 kicks off Friday night with a major milestone for one of Santa Fe's biggest and most beloved annual events. The buildup for the 100th burning of Zozobra has been years in the making. Ray Sandoval, the event chair for the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, joins "Conversations Different" along with 9-year-old volunteer David Kesler to preview the big event. Sandoval talks about his early beginnings with the event and the promise he made as a teenager to Harold Gans, the longtime voice of Zozobra, to get Zozobra to its 100th burning. Sandoval shares some of the history of the event, talks about how it has grown and evolved over the years to keep the public's interest, offers an overview of the security that's needed to put on such a large-scale event, goes over some misconceptions about Zozobra, and teases what Old Man Gloom will look like this year.

To learn more about Zozobra and find ticket information, visit burnzozobra.com.

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