Coup de Pod

Mason and the Vice-Mayor of Charlottesville, Natalie Oschrin, tackle the issue of housing within the city, from the perspective of both students and city residents! Along the way, they discuss the history of the city's development, the relationship between UVA and Charlottesville city government, and how upcoming construction will affect both student and resident alike.

NOTE: Some audio on the interviewer's side is slightly muffled throughout the episode.

Cohost Mason sits down with Professor David Walsh to discuss the history of far-right conservatism and other themes from Walsh's new book, 'Taking America Back', in this episode.

In this episode, Gianna and Jaden dig into prison reform by discussing what’s broken, what’s working, and what real accountability could look like in the U.S. From mass incarceration to rehabilitation and reentry, they cut through tough rhetoric to ask who the system actually serves and what meaningful change demands. Bold, honest, and grounded in reality—this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.

Mason and Gianna recap the recent odd year election results, including the VA gov race, Mamdani’s campaign tactics, and the future Prop 50 promises, all while (mostly) managing to stay on topic!

In this week's episode, Cohosts Lily Bass and Jacob Rabin discuss the implications that AI will have in classrooms all throughout the educational world. They also discuss the broader scope: what does the future of AI mean for society, for our humanity? They bring on Professor Cara Ong Whaley, nationally recognized expert on democracy and elections, as well as current lecturer on a class solely focused on AI in politics. WIth her expertise, they dive into the big questions, how should AI be used in the classrooms? Should it be used at all? Will it be the downfall of the world as we know it, or is it exactly what we need to thrive?

https://gradual-disempowerment.ai/

In its hallmark episode of the semester, CDP on Grounds speaks to Dean Nicole Hall about the career center and the ever-daunting task of securing employment after college. From Career Fairs to Nepotism, this episode wastes no time discussing what is on nearly every UVA’s student’s mind regarding the job hunt.

The Coup de Pod international team returns for a discussion on the decision to drop the atomic bomb in World War II. Joined by Professor Robert Stolz, Jacob Rabin and Juan Salazar look at what the historical record says as well as how American perceptions have changed in the last 80 years. Were the bombs necessary to end the war? Listen in to learn more. Thank you to our researchers David Samy and Max Morrish.

In its first episode ever, the new Coup de Pod International team makes a poignant comparison between Nazi Germany and modern day Russia. Led by Jacob Rabin and Juan Salazar, the team talks to Professor William Hitchcock, an expert on both World Wars and the Cold War. What does he think about the similarities and differences between the two countries? Listen in to find out! Thank you to our researchers Michelle Nguyen, David Samy, and Max Morrish.

In this episode, Juls and Lily (CDP National Team) bring on Professor Wendte to talk about the language and culture behind political polarization in the United States. They discuss the utility of hateful rhetoric, first drafts of morality, male isolation, and much more. Professor Wendte provides thoughtful insight on how language shapes our perceptions of the “other,” an increasingly important topic in today’s polarized political landscape.