Tartan Talks

It was a frightening time in 1690s Colonial Massachusetts – especially in Salem Town and Salem Village. In addition to frequent attacks from Native Americans, smallpox epidemics and religious intolerance, Salem was afflicted by one of the most legendary tragedies in American history: witchcraft.

The Salem Witch Trials led to the execution of nearly 20 individuals living in Salem, and the arrests of more than 150. How did this happen so quickly? Was there evidence of witchcraft, or is this all just a hysterical mess?

Dr. Jerra Jenrette, who teaches American history at Edinboro University, digs into the history and myths of the Salem Witch Trials and offers some explanations for how such a tragedy could have occurred... And if history could possibly repeat itself.

Spooky. Haunted. Dark. Eerie.

Those are some of the adjectives we in the United States might use to describe Halloween and the end of October. But in Mexico – and to Mexican-Americans – it's almost the complete opposite.

Dia de los Muertos is the annual celebration that coincides with Halloween and the Christian celebration of All Saints Day. Families and friends gather on this multi-day holiday to pray for an remember their lost loved ones.

Edinboro University student Nathalia Perez-Torres and Academic Success Coordinator Brenda Abreu-Baker agree that the festive, colorful holiday is important to those who share Mexican heritage. Learn more about the holiday and what it means to Latino students and staff at Edinboro.

It's October! That means we're celebrating beer.

But we're not just sitting back and sipping on a cold one. We're going to learn about the processes and science behind brewing and fermentation, why it's important to have a fundamental knowledge of chemistry to be an expert and why IPAs are overrated (Calm down, beer folks. It's just one professor's opinion).

Today on "Tartan Talks" we spoke with Edinboro University professor Dr. N. Gabriel Armatas, who teaches chemistry and is the founding member of Edinboro's Fermentation Sciences program. He'll talk about why chemistry is important to all aspects of the kitchen – from brewing the best pint of ale to making your own pickles and sauerkraut.

To learn more about Fermentation Science at Edinboro University, visit https://www.edinboro.edu/fermentation.

We're going live here at Tartan Talks!

A few years ago, Edinboro University developed the "Uncomfortable Conversations" series to series to engage in meaningful, civil discourse on timely, often sensitive, issues that are shaping the national dialogue. AKA: Here's a perfect opportunity to bring Edinboro's academic discourse to the masses through this podcast.

On Sept. 15 – Constitution Day – a panel of experts from Edinboro and the Erie region came together to discuss the Electoral College: What is it? Is it still relevant? If we wanted to change it, would it be easy?

This is a little longer episode than you're used to, because the live audience asked incredible questions and our political experts are extremely knowledgeable. So before the next election – or maybe this weekend – check out the first live show from Tartan Talks.

The woman’s severed head lay in the woods, 10 yards off a rural road. Her mouth was open. Her eyes were closed. Her hair was gray and fluffy.

A teenager spotted her about half past noon on Dec. 12, 2014. Moments later, police say, the boy called 911. “I found a human head,” he calmly told the operator.

Today, almost three years after the discovery, the woman’s identity remains a mystery.

Authorities haven’t determined how or when she died, her age, why she was decapitated, or how her head came to rest off Mason Road in this town of 12,000 not far from Pittsburgh.

Despite an initial flurry of tips, police say they have no suspects. But they do have a leading theory.

They believe the head may have been severed by a so-called body broker – someone who sells body parts from a cadaver donated to science.

“She was dismembered professionally,” said Michelle Vitali, professor at Edinboro University.

(Source: Reuters Investigates.)

Can't get enough of the spirit of the Scots? Here's a bonus episode with Edinboro University student – and bagpipe expert – Mia Harvey, who takes us through the theory and practice of this instrument, and how she it became a major part of her life. Enjoy!

Edinboro University – home of the Fighting Scots. But why?

The original Edinboro establishment was surveyed by Scotsman and Williamsport native William Culbertson and Alexander Hamilton (no, not THAT Alexander Hamilton, but a 3rd cousin) surveyed the area in 1796, with Culbertson returning the following year to settle around Lake Conneauttee – a Native American name meaning “Land of the Living Snowflake.”

According to Russell Vance’s “A Portrait of Edinboro,” Edinboro was originally called “Washington,” after General (and later President) George Washington, who defeated French troops at Presque Isle and LeBeouf. But Culbertson’s wife, nicknamed Granny Randolph, noted that there was already a Washington, Pa., and suggested “Edinboro,” after Edinburgh, Scotland, the home of William’s ancestors.

We sat down with Edinboro professor Dr. Tim Thompson to chat about our Scottish roots and the upcoming Highland Games & Scottish Festival this month.

A crew of literary bandits that came of age in the 1950s, the Beat Generation abandoned traditional American values and cultural norms. These writers of the 1950s practiced sexual liberation, experimented with drug use, dug into jazz musicians like Billie Holiday and Thelonious Monk and objected mainstream materialism.

Although most literary fans immediately recognize names like Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsburg, Edinboro University professor Dr. Mary Paniccia Carden believes we need to focus more on names like Diane di Prima, Ruth Weiss and Hettie Jones.

In her new book, “Women Writers of the Beat Era: Autobiography and Intertextuality,” In this inaugural episode of Tartan Talks, Dr. Carden explores how these women play a significant role in this literary movement and how their text and lifestyles are often overlooked by the literary elite – and the American public.

Welcome to Tartan Talks, a podcast from Edinboro University. Each month, we’ll take a look at the individuals who make Edinboro an exciting, diverse and profound place to discover your passions.

We’ll learn about faculty, staff and students – beyond the classroom walls, beyond the lecture halls, beyond this campus.

Following our initial release in September, Tartan Talks will be published twice each month, with a special holiday program in December.

Listen to Tartan Talks on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you listen to podcasts. Check us out online at www.edinboro.edu/tartantalks.