Melissa Kaplan and Ami Ewald, LCC’s Information Literacy Librarian, co-host Topsy Turvy, a Galaxy Forum series about conspiracy theories, misinformation, and how to navigate it all. David Siwik joins to talk about conspiracy theories and how they take hold with particular focus on Pres. John F Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, over 60 years ago.

Email: Melissa Kaplan

Email: Ami Ewald

Email: David Siwik

Website: Google News

Website: News Literacy Project

Melissa Kaplan and Ami Ewald, LCC’s Information Literacy Librarian, co-host Topsy Turvy, a Galaxy Forum series about conspiracy theories, misinformation, and how to navigate it all. In part 2 of our conversation with Michael Kohon, LCC Journalism and English professor, we talk about how news organizations decide what to headline, the difference between pundits and journalists, and helpful tips for consuming the news.

Email: Melissa Kaplan

Email: Ami Ewald

Email: Michael Kohon

Website: Google News

Website: Pink Slime Journalism

Website: News Literacy Project

Melissa Kaplan and Ami Ewald, LCC’s Information Literacy Librarian, co-host Topsy Turvy, a Galaxy Forum series about conspiracy theories, misinformation, and how to navigate it all. With guest Michael Kohon, LCC Journalism and English professor, this episode explores journalistic standards and who sets them, fake news outlets and pink slime journalism, and how to separate fact from fake.

Email: Melissa Kaplan

Email: Ami Ewald

Michael Kohon

Website: Google News

Website: Pink Slime Journalism

Website: News Literacy Project

This episode delves into the intricate world of polling, exploring how surveys are conducted and their significance in shaping public understanding and decision-making. Co-hosts Melissa Kaplan and Ami Ewald are joined by Bernie Porn, founding principal of EPIC-MRA, who shares insights from his extensive experience in survey research, particularly in Michigan. 

Email: Melissa Kaplan 

Email: Ami Ewald

Email: Bernie Porn

Website: EPIC-MRA

Co-host Ami Ewald joins Melissa Kaplan for Topsy Turvy, a new GXF series about conspiracy theories, misinformation, and how to navigate it all. With guest Michael Stratton, psychotherapist, this episode explores some of the psychology that can lead to conspiracy thinking.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Museum’s interim director and senior curator Steven L. Bridges and LCC alum Charles Moore, an art curator, collector, author and world marathon runner are guests. The Broad’s current exhibit, Resistance Training: Arts, Sports and Civil Rights, and Moore’s latest book, Apropos of Running, converge at the intersection of art, athletics and social justice.

Email: Charles Moore

Website: Charles Moore

Website: Apropos of Running

Email: Steven L. Bridges

Website: The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum

Website: Resistance Training exhibit and brochure

Chad Swan-Badgero and Barb Whitney, arts education leaders in Michigan, discuss the state of the arts and education in K12 schools, higher education, and the larger community throughout the state. Swan-Badgero, a former LCC Theatre adjunct, is Arts Education Program Manager with the Michigan Arts and Culture Council. Whitney, an artist and educator, is the Engagement and Funds Strategist with the Michigan Arts Education and Instruction Assessment Project.

Barb Whitney: Email

Website: Barb Whitney Art

Website: Michigan Arts Education and Instruction Assessment Project (MAEIA)                   

Chad Swan-Badgero: Email

Website: Michigan Arts and Culture Council

LCC performing arts instructor Lauren Mudry and Everett High School dance director Clara Martinez discuss their passion for teaching, how they as leaders hope to advance the arts in Michigan, and the Michigan Arts and Culture Council’s Rising Leaders and other programs that provide leadership education to aspiring arts professionals.

Email: Lauren Mudry

Website: Lauren Mudry

Email: Clara Martinez

LinkedIn: Clara Martinez

Website: Michigan Arts and Culture Council Rising Leaders

Musician/community leader Mikeyy Austin has been creating inclusive spaces to build community and celebrate diverse cultures since he was an LCC business student. We talk about his latest efforts with Dr. Toni Glasscoe, LCC’s Associate Vice President for External Affairs, Development and K-12 Operations.

Email: Dr. Toni Glasscoe

Website: LCC Community Engagement

Website: LCC External Affairs

Email: Mikeyy Austin

Webiste: Our Space (517)

Website: Mikeyy Austin Music

Facebook: Mikeyy Austin Music

Emmy-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez started his creative studies in the LCC Theatre Program, not knowing it’d form a foundation for his eventual work in documentaries. After a visit to LCC’s Acting for the Camera class, Rudy joined me and LCC Theatre Prof. Andy Callis to talk about filmmaking, story-telling and finding one’s creative path in the world.

Rudy Valdez is a Michigan-raised, New York City-based filmmaker committed to creating social, cultural, and political stories through a cinematic and meaningful lens. An alum of LCC's Theatre Studio Program, Rudy got his start in film as a camera operator on the Peabody Award-winning Sundance series Brick City. He then shot and directed a true passion project, The Sentence (HBO), winning a Primetime Emmy and a Sundance Film Festival Audience Award among others. Recent projects include Breakaway (ESPN) and We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (Netflix), as well as currently directing the definitive feature documentary of Carlos Santana. http://www.rudyvaldez.com/

Andy Callis is a Theatre director and professor at LCC since 1999 where he’s taught hundreds of students, and directed dozens of plays, in the community and professionally. He holds a M.F.A. in Directing from Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he was founding Artistic Director of ShawChicago, earning Chicago Reader Critics Choice awards. A multi-instrumentalist, Andy leads the band Atomic B00gal00, and performs with various area bands on keyboards and accordion.

Website: Rudy Valdez

Website: The Rudy Valdez Scholarship at LCC

Twitter: The Reel Rudy V.

Email: Andy Callis

Website: LCC Theatre and Dance

Facebook: LCC Performing Arts