Democracy & Z

By Democracy and Me

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How many episodes does Democracy & Z have?

The podcast currently has 75 episodes available.

Democracy & Z episodes:

October 10, 2021Episode 48: Social Media: Is It Really That Bad?
With Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms facing new scrutiny on Capitol Hill, we thought it was time to ask ourselves, the real experts, how bad these digital life-support devices really are. Yeah, we know we all spend way too much time on our phones.
We know we’d be happier and healthier if we spent more time IRL with our friends and families, getting outdoors, pursuing our passions and hobbies, serving our communities, all that good stuff… but for most of us, if we want to have a social life, checking out of social media isn’t really an option.
So how can young users avoid the worst of it—the toxic lifestyle pressure, the cyberbullying, the disinformation that’s tearing society apart—while making the best of our online addictions?
We have thoughts.
The podcasters:
Cierra Britten, University of Cincinnati (host)
Robert Thikkurissy, University of Cincinnati, Transition & Access Program
Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.
Tasnim Saad, Aiken H.S.
Hafsah Daikho, Aiken H.S.
Conversation recorded on Zoom Oct. 10, 2021
More listening and learning:
Ari Shapiro talks with young people about social media on NPR’s All Things Considered
This New York Times’ Lesson of the Day features the Facebook whistleblowers’ testimony to Congress, and the fallout
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34min
September 08, 2021 Episode 46: Raised on Ashes: What the ‘War on Terrorism’ Did to Us
When did you first learn about 9/11? What about the war in Afghanistan that followed—how much did you know about all that, at least until the past few weeks, when the U.S. military’s final withdrawal from Kabul was all over the news?
We grew up in a world defined by these tragic events, but most young Americans have only a vague understanding of the so-called War on Terrorism, and very little sense of the human costs of this 20-year conflict. In this episode, we talk with a Xavier University student who grew up in Afghanistan—his father was an interpreter assisting U.S. forces—and who still has loved ones in the devastated homeland now controlled by the Taliban.
We all have different perspectives on the tragic aftermath of 9/11, and different ideas about what might come next. But with improved safety, education, and understanding, we all hope to see a better world rising from the ashes.
The podcasters:
Harnoor Mann (host), University of CincinnatiMohammad Admadzai, Xavier UniversityJoyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S.Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.
Learn more:
WVXU reporter Ann Thompson spoke with Mohammad Admadzai as the U.S. was pulling forces out of Afghanistan. Click here to read that story.
Click here for Tana Weingartner’s story on fostering better education and understanding around the 9/11 anniversary, with tips from the Council on American-Islamic Relations and links to resource guides specifically for parents and educators.
Click here for NPR’s extensive coverage of the 20-year aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, featuring a wide range of perspectives, and culminating with a special Morning Edition program to be broadcast this Saturday, Sept. 11, 8 a.m. to noon on WVXU and other member stations.
Want to better understand and support students like our podcasters, whose families are impacted and displaced by international conflicts? Check out our blog post on Welcoming Week, Sept. 10-19, a national effort to celebrate the contributions and cultures of newcomers to the United States, and to build more inclusive communities around them.
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30min
May 12, 2021 Episode 39: Would You Pinky-Swear a Politician?
Inspired by our professional mentors over at the WVXU newsroom and their ongoing Trust in Local Government series, not to mention all those Cincinnati City Hall corruption scandals we’ve been hearing about, we decided to pose the question ourselves: How much do we really trust the people elected to represent us? What makes public officials more or less trustworthy, and how can we promote transparency, accountability, and ethical behavior at all levels?
Listen up as we consider whether personal integrity and politics can ever go hand-in-hand.
The podcasters:
Jean Pateman, Talawanda H.S. (host)Jordan Polk, University of CincinnatiNico Luginbill, Walnut Hills H.S.Alex Bentley, University of Cincinnati, Transition & Access ProgramJoyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S.Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.
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27min
April 18, 2021 Episode 37: GenWars! Where Do We Stand in the Culture Clash?
With every new generation in America, it seems, there comes another generation gap: typically, idealistic young people push for social and political change, while more conservative elders push back.
We see this familiar struggle playing out with Generation Z on a wide range of issues, but in different ways than in the past, thanks to demographic shifts, the pervasiveness of social media, and other seismic changes of the new millennium: “This generation lined up with almost a breaking point in society with a lot of different things, whether it’s environmental justice and environmental protection, gun control, minority rights,” says Democracy & Me intern Jordan Polk. “We’re understanding and grasping as we’re growing older, that if we don’t do something now, it could be really terrible.” Sure, but… why can’t we all do a better job listening and learning across the generations, for everyone’s benefit?
How do we end these endless culture wars and start working on real peace and prosperity—for the young, the old, and the generations to come? Listen up.
The podcasters:
Jean Pateman, Talawanda H.S. (host)Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S.Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.Brennan Jones, Finneytown H.S.Jordan Polk, University of CincinnatiNico Luginbill, Walnut Hills H.S.
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30min
April 15, 2021 Episode 36: Never Again. Again.
You know the drill: Active shooter on campus. Lockdown. Lights out. Huddle quietly on the floor in a corner with your classmates and wait… and wait… for someone, anyone, to do something about the epidemic of gun violence in the United States, which claims way too many young lives.
President Biden insists that the era of “thoughts and prayers” is over—but after all this time, and all this trauma, can we really expect action on gun control from our elected leaders? And are the steps they’re talking about really going to make our schools and neighborhoods safer?
For this episode, we welcome three student activists pushing for stricter gun laws here in Ohio, along with stronger efforts to address some of the root causes of armed violence. “This is an issue that affects all of us,” says Ethan Nichols, of Ohio Students for Gun Legislation, “and it is a public health crisis.”
The podcasters:
Joyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S. (co-host)Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S. (co-host)Brennan Jones, Finneytown H.S.Jordan Polk, University of CincinnatiAlex Bentley, University of Cincinnati/Transitions & Access ProgramZach Maaieh, Ottawa Hills H.S., Toledo, Students Demand ActionCordelia Van der Veer, Toledo Technology Academy, Students Demand ActionEthan Nichols, Xavier University, Ohio Students for Gun Legislation
Podcast originally recorded Sunday, April 11, 2021, via Zoom.
Episode illustration photo:
On February 19, 2018, high school students from across the Washington, D.C. area held a “lie-in” in front of the White House to protest for stricter gun control laws. Photo by Joseph Gruber/Shutterstock
Learn more:
NPR: Biden's Executive Actions On Gun Control: How Effective Might They Be?
New York Times: Can New Gun Violence Research Find a Path Around the Political Stalemate?
Everytown: The Impact of Gun Violence on Children and Teens
Education Week: School Shootings This Year: How Many and Where
1A: How Gun Violence Affects American Children
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36min
April 09, 2021 Episode 35: Can We Heal the Planet from Environmental Racism?
Heading into Earth Day (officially, April 22), we’re digging into our own backyard, talking about how the various ecologies of Cincinnati affect everyone’s health, for better or worse. Special guest Bob Hyland, a local expert on environmental justice, explains why racism and privilege have so much to do with the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, the green spaces we have access to, and the global-warming consequences we suffer.
He also tells us what PFAS are, and why we should worry about them. But it’s not all gloom and doom for planet Earth; listen up and learn how you can be part the healing.
The podcasters:
Harnoor Mann (host), University of CincinnatiBob Hyland, Associate Professor, University of CincinnatiJoyeuse Muhorakeye, Aiken H.S.Brennan Jones, Finneytown H.S.Enock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.Alex Bentley, University of Cincinnati/Transitions & Access ProgramAnne Stevenson, University of Cincinnati/Transitions & Access Program
Podcast originally recorded Sunday, March 28, 2021, via Zoom.
Further listening:
WVXU: Environmental Justice Is On The Minds Of These Teens Planting Trees In Lower Price Hill
WVXU: A Brief History Of How Racism Shaped Interstate Highways
WVXU: Study Examining Link Between Air Pollution And Child Mental Health
Here’s a link to the eco-advocacy group Health in Harmony, mentioned in the podcast by Harnoor.
And here’s a link to Jordan Polk’s article on the recent Environmental Justice Advocacy Summit at the University of Cincinnati: https://www.democracyandme.org/hidden-poisons-a-report-on-the-environmental-justice-advocacy-symposium/
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33min
March 29, 2021 Episode 34: The Radical Youth Rabbit Hole
When you hear the phrase “radicalized youth,” what image comes to mind? Kinda depends on your politics: wherever we stand on the left-to-right spectrum, we usually worry about violent extremism coming from somewhere else.
Sure, some of our own ideas might be a little out-there, but… hold on… maybe we’ve been radicalized, and we don’t even know it yet! Yikes. Things have definitely gotten more intense now that we’re all living on the Internet*.
In this episode, we talk about where, how and why youth radicalization happens, and how to fix the worst of it, while sharing some of our own experiences down those dark online rabbit holes.
Joyeuse Muhorakeye (host), Aiken H.S.Brennan Jones, Finneytown H.S.Nandini Likki, The Seven Hills SchoolEnock Sadiki, Aiken H.S.Alex Bentley, University of Cincinnati/Transitions & Access ProgramJordan Shaw, Cincinnati School for Creative and Performing Arts
Podcast originally recorded Sunday, March 7, 2021, via Zoom.
*Nathan Taylor Pemberton wrote about Gen Z radicals and their online spaces in The New Yorker; organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations are sounding alarms too, as in this op-ed for Newsweek. And for a more hopeful outlook, here’s a great NPR profile by Hannah Allam of two “young radicals”—one on the left, one on the right—who turned out to be distant cousins, were able to have respectful conversations on tough issues, and became friends.
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21min
March 17, 2021 Episode 33: HERstory: Celebrating Women, Known and Unknown
It’s March, a.k.a. Women’s History Month, so… we have thoughts. As much as we revere the mostly unsung sheroes of the past (like the ones [...]
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30min
March 08, 2021 Episode 32: The Divided States of America
Was our nation ever truly “united”? What does that word even mean, when you’re talking about a country as diverse and as historically complex as [...]
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35min
March 01, 2021 Episode 31: Fluke Skywalker: A Force for Good
“The galaxy is experiencing a time of great hardship. Both Illness and plight run rampant across the terrestrial planet of EARTH. In an attempt to [...]
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42min

FAQs about Democracy & Z:

How many episodes does Democracy & Z have?

The podcast currently has 75 episodes available.