Elizabeth Davis has been the president of Furman University for almost seven years. In this episode, we go in depth about what The Furman Advantage is, how our school has improved at serving every student, and where we might be headed in the future. She also shares some advice for how graduating seniors can navigate institutions.

Book Recommendations:

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Educated by Tara Westover

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Elise Dudley and Charlie Lott, two senior sustainability science majors, join the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion of sustainability and climate issues, both on the global and national levels and on our own campus.

Recommended Reading:

Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth

Lucky Planet by David Waltham

Fossil Capital by Andreas Malm

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan

Civil Eats

Also Recommended: Go to Furman Engaged. And be wise about how you spend your money.

After briefly checking in with current SGA president Griffin Mills (0:00-11:03), I talk with SGA president-elect Asha Marie about her vision for justice and inclusion on campus and what SGA does, is, and can be (11:04-44:03). This episode is a must-listen for anyone who cares about student life and campus culture.

Recommendations/Resources:

• For Some Students, It's a Choice Between Textbooks and Eating (The Paladin). Asha's article about low-income students and textbooks.
• The Case for Reparations (The Atlantic). This 2014 longform article by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a legend of the genre and one of the most important and influential works of journalism of the last decade. There's a reason Coates received a Genius grant. This took him two years to write, and it takes a while to read, but it is worth your time over the long Easter weekend.
• Bluets, a collection of poetry by Maggie Nelson.

Jessica Taylor is an alumna of Furman University and The Paladin and has held several jobs in political journalism, including at NPR, Politico and The Hill. She is currently the Senate and Governors Editor at the Cook Political Report and is the first woman to be a senior author for the Almanac of American Politics. In this episode, we talk about her experience leading The Paladin through a tumultuous time on campus, the state of journalism as a profession, how Cook does political analysis, and what the 2020 election has taught us about polling and American politics, including the contentious Graham-Harrison Senate contest.

References and Resources:

Margin of Error: Lessons From 2020 Polling (Cook Political Report / University of Chicago event)

The Almanac of American Politics

The Cook Political Report. Interested in a student discount subscription to Cook ($75/year)? Contact [email protected]. 

NPR Politics Podcast

Wicked Game Podcast

Knox White has served as the Mayor of Greenville since 1995. In this episode, we discuss Greenville's identity and how the city has changed over the years. Over the course of his time as Mayor, he has played a key role in planning and executing the projects that have made the city what it is today, including Falls Park, Fluor Field, the Poinsett Hotel, and Unity Park, which is set to open next spring. Despite both political and policy challenges — public opinion was initially recalcitrant about Falls Park, and the city has gone from having a lack of quality housing to a lack of affordable housing — Knox White has made improving his hometown his life's work.

Recommendations:

• Reimagining Greenville, a book Mayor White co-authored with former Greenville News reporter John Boyanoski
• The history of Greenville, as told by the city's public art projects

David Trone represents Maryland's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has also had a successful career in business and is a member of the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Furman University. We cover a lot of issues in this conversation, including addiction, mental health, criminal justice, access to broadband, money in politics, and the state of our country's political parties in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection. 

Resources and Recommendations:

A well-rounded, liberal arts education at Furman, with special shoutouts to the Riley Institute and the Politics & International Affairs Department.

C-SPAN

Educate yourself and get involved in issues that you care about.

Chandra Dillard is the Director of Community Relations at Furman and a member of the SC House of Representatives serving District 23. Prior to her election to the SC House in 2009, she served for nine years on Greenville's City Council. In this episode, we discuss state and local politics, bipartisan governance, current challenges facing our city and state, how Greenville has changed over the last two decades, and how Furman students can become better connected with the Greenville community.

Resources:

Chandra Dillard

Greenville Today Newsletter

Greenville News Online

City of Greenville e-Newsletter

The Riley Institute

The Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities

Institute for the Advancement of Community (IACH)

Heller Service Corps

In this first episode of Red, White, Blue, & Purple, I talk to global health researcher and Furman alum Kate Causey. We discuss the challenges of trying to model the spread of COVID-19, the disruptions to routine childhood immunizations that have come with the pandemic, the need for equity and efficiency in vaccine distribution, and the lack of public trust in science that has made dealing with this crisis more difficult.

Correction: people living in correctional facilities are included as a priority in Washington state's vaccination plan and are scheduled to be eligible beginning in April, as discussed in this article. Thanks to Kate Causey for fact-checking her own comment.

Resources:

The New CDC Chief Rochelle Walensky's Pledge on Public Health

IHME COVID-19 Projections for the United States

New York Times Coronavirus Tracker. According to this tracker, "at least 1 in 11 people who live in Greenville County have been infected, and at least 1 in 838 have died" since the beginning of the pandemic.

SC Department of Health and Environmental Control: COVID-19. The Greenville County Health Department does not have its own website; South Carolina's public health messaging related to COVID-19 can be found here.

COVID-19 resources for King County, WA