Coup de Pod

In their first episode since its rebrand to "Coup de'Pod", Alex and Kristin discuss the ongoing student-led "Divest" Movement and its implications for how the UVA endowment should be spent. Recently, the group has protested the University endowment's investment in companies that have supported Israel's actions against Palestine. The co-hosts interview an anonymous student from the Apartheid-Divest coalition who answers some of the questions and confusions that surround the situation. From staring contests with the eclipse to a controversial conversation within the University, this episode is packed with hot topics and interesting issues.

Jered and Juls tackle one of the most polarizing topics in America today: Universal Healthcare. Engaging in a spirited debate, they examine the ethical considerations, the contentious compromises involved, and gain valuable perspectives from Batten professor Sebastian Tello-Trillo, an expert in health economics and policy. His research focuses on the economic impacts of healthcare policies, providing a deep dive into the consequences and outcomes of universal healthcare.

Pop-culture hosts Lily Bass and Rebe Wahl discuss the Barbie movie, having the final conversation on the film and waving it goodbye. They ask questions like, was the movie even good? And did it do a good job of representing feminism? With harsh critiques and unlikely mutual understanding, the hosts flesh out the history of Barbie and the effects the movie had on the movie industry, and society.

Alex and Kristin sit down to discuss the state of the higher education system in the U.S. They hash out the implications of tuition increases, administrative bloat, curriculum choices, and think through what it might take to chart a better path forward for higher ed. Is the key to happiness taking an astronomy class and petitioning your local representative to provide funding for state schools?

National co-hosts Jered and Juls talk about the complicated topic of illegal immigration into the United States; particularly from the southern border. The pair dive into both the right and left takes on this ever important issue. Then, co-hosts Lily and Jered expand by interviewing Professor Amanda Frost, who is the director of the immigration law program at the University of Virginia School of Law. Frost has been published in The Atlantic, The New Republic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.