In honor of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics coming to a close, this episode with Xixi, a Tokyo resident who immigrated from China, explores an insider's take on the games. Torn between continuing or postponing the event, Japan and the world faced hard decisions thanks to the global pandemic; however, despite all the concerns, the Olympics were still held this year, but at what cost, both literally and metaphorically. This entire recording was done originally in mandarin, so please understand that it is merely a rough translation of our conversation. 

In this rerun of a discussion hosted by the National Organization of Women (NOW), Judith, Sophia, Amy, and Selma discuss their unique experiences in the midst of COVID-19 with a focus on the mental health struggles in this tumultuous time. You can find the full discussion without any cuts to hear their entire stories and additional discussions on the NOW Youtube channel here. For more information on NOW, a grassroots activist group nationwide, you can find details about the organization and join their email subscription for more events like this panel at their website: https://now.org/about/

In this episode, Nikki Householder takes us step by step through her journey on the "yes train" to successfully beginning a small art class and tutoring business in the midst of COVID-19's mayhem. You can find her student's artwork on display and some on sale in Wilmette's Central Station Coffee and Tea until late July. For information on her art, follow her Instagram account, @nikhouseart, and for more details and information on her tutoring program, contact her directly through [email protected].

To celebrate the Pfizer vaccine getting approval for ages 12 and up, I interviewed a couple of my schoolmates to see how they reacted to the vaccine and what they hope they can do with their new immunity! Disclaimer: No person in the episode is an expert in any medical or pathological field. For more information from professionals please read and refer to this website.

In the mid-90's, a group of students at the University of Virginia decided to take a vow of silence for the entire day of classes before breaking silence at the end in a protest. This national event has now spread across the country, allowing students, who ask for permission ahead of time, to stay silent in school. Raising awareness to the often diminished LGBTQ+ community, it calls attention to the constant need to improve ourselves and surroundings to be more welcoming to everyone's differences. In this episode, I interviewed 2 allies who participated to discuss how the "Day of Silence" went for them personally.

Resource: https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/day-of-silence/

Today, I talk to another fellow Asian American about his thoughts on recent events that target the Asian community and personal stories on growing up as Asian American. In discussing being a part of the "model minority," we'll breakdown the truth behind the academic pressure, tiger parenting, and more.

Research: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/03/17/us/shooting-atlanta-acworth

Support Stop Asian Hate: https://www.stopasianhate.info/ 

Today we will have an interview with Dr. Yi Cai, a pediatric nephrologist that works in a children hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan and usually works with and treats children with kidney problem. We will be talking to him about vaccine for children and teenagers and what it would be like to get a vaccine. We will also be talking about the coronavirus pandemic in general as well.

In this episode, we delve into the complex education gap in our country, specifically in CPS. With Mr. Woolums, who has experience all over academics, we discuss what differentiates a private, charter, and public school and why they form an hierarchical system. Poverty is a well-known evil, but are you as knowledgeable about the driving force that perpetuates the problem? To answer these questions, I guess you'll just have to listen.

Resources:

https://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/education

https://www.epi.org/publication/education-inequalities-at-the-school-starting-gate/

Today we talk to Ben, a teacher turned game editor, about his experience in making a complete 360 in his career. Shout out to all the gamers out there. For those considering a future in the gaming industry, this episode breaks down the behind-the-scenes: is it all fun and games? Disclaimer, our guest does not live in the states so there may be some technical differences that do not translate across.