Random Acts of Knowledge

Jamie Snow is in prison, convicted in 2001 for the 1991 shooting of a gas station attendant, William Little, in Bloomington, IL.

For the last several years, a diverse group of people who learned the details of Snow’s case and found troubling elements in his trial have been advocating for his release.

In this episode, Snow’s daughter and a former juror on the trial of a co-defendant are joined by an advocate who has devoted years of her life to freeing Snow.

They discuss the irregularities they uncovered in the investigation and prosecution of Jamie Snow and the personal impact the case has had on their lives.

View the transcript here.

In an age with long-form videogaming, the appeal of Dungeons & Dragons might not seem apparent to some.  But unleashing creativity and storytelling with a little teamwork and a handful of dice takes players to places not found on video screens.

An instructor who introduces prospective game players to the role-playing game talks about what drew her to D&D and explains what is needed to get started creating adventures from nearly nothing.

View the episode transcript here.

What does the story of Medusa have to do with the Me Too movement?  How does the Hercules depicted by Disney differ from the hero celebrated in 900 BCE?

Heartland Community College Outstanding Faculty of the Year Tom McCulley is teaching Greek Mythology not only to college students but also to adult learners and middle school kids.  He says that the stories of ancient Greece resonate in surprising ways to a modern audience.

View the episode transcript here.

Dual Credit programs, such as the College NOW program at Heartland Community College, offer not only an early opportunity for students in high school to gain college credits, but they also offer a pathway for students to transform their lives.

Three high-achieving students who were selected in the COUNTRY Financial Scholars program discuss how access to early college set them up for success.

View the episode transcript here.

Ronnie Carrasquillo spent nearly half a century in prison.  Sentenced in 1977, Carrasquillo first sought parole in 1984 and went before the board over 30 times before finally gaining release in October of 2023.

Carrasquillo talks about his initial sentence of 200-600 years, growing up in prison, and his multiple appearances before the parole board.

View the episode transcript here.

In May 29, 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave the keynote address at a political convention in Bloomington, IL.  His remarks were called, by his law partner William Herndon, “the grand effort of Lincoln’s Life.”  Today, no written copy of this speech exists.  And some differ on what it was Lincoln said.

Historian Bill Kemp discusses the "lost speech" and offers up some theories as to how it got that way.

View the transcript here.

The recent rise of electric vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla and Rivian has shown there is a market for transportation that does not rely as heavily on fossil fuel. 

But despite the buzz around today’s electric cars and trucks, the concept is far from new.

Bill Kemp with the McLean County Museum of History discusses a history of the electric vehicle that goes back to the early 1900s, and an overlooked moment in 1959 when a consumer electric car went into production… in the same town where Rivian would manufacture electric vehicles 60 years later.

View the transcript here.

Artist and activist Jessica McGhee was devastated to a community garden she and others had cultivated in their neighborhood was removed without much explanation. 

Unable to create a new garden, she funneled her energy into the creation of art projects using discarded items such as plastic, wire, and bottles.  Using these materials she has created the exhibit 'An Unblighted Area' which is on display at Heartland Community College until October 11, 2024.

View the transcript here.

The impact of the criminal justice system on an individual extends far beyond the sentenced punishment for a crime.

Beria Hampton, an ambassador for the Illinois Prison Project, discusses how her upbringing and environment left her ill prepared for how criminal charges (which she eventually beat), and incarceration would upend her life.

View the transcript here.

Heartland Community College Health Sciences Faculty discuss how a service learning trip to South Africa opened their eyes to the differences in health care around the world.

Health Sciences students at Heartland can register for a 10-day program in Cape Town, South Africa.  The program provides 3 credits of Service Learning 101.

View the transcript here.