Through the Gates at IU

Dr. Douglas Hofstadter has researched, written, discovered and created many things - his expertise runs from cognitive science to literature, to language, and to art.

His 1979 book Goedel, Escher, Bach became a classic in the popular understanding of the workings of our brain. Professor Hofstadter has since written many things - some playful inquiries, some piercing meditations, some all at once. Since 1977, he has held a professorship at IU that started in computer science and has spanned many departments.

Dean Shanahan, Professor Elaine Monaghan and Producer Violet Baron sat down with Professor Hofstadter to hear his take on his writings, and on using musings on language to take on life.

When IDS reporter Lexi Haskell came back to campus after a summer of strict quarantine with her family, she knew there was some level of risk. But when she caught COVID and quarantined in her dorm, she got to thinking: am I just another dumb college kid who got infected, or is there something more going on here?

This question was at the heart of her popular column for the IDS this fall, and it got a lot of buzz around IU and beyond it. Elaine Monaghan and Violet Baron speak with Lexi about the column, her experience, and her feelings now that she’s on the other side.

IU alumnus Bob Shanks passed away last month, and in his honor we bring you Part 2 to a conversation from 2016, when Shanks returned to the Media School to accept a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Host Jim Shanahan talked with Shanks about his triumphs and tragedies in the pressure-cooker comedy scene in New York, and

what it was like to produce the classic prank show "Candid Camera." We also hear about the decision to pause entertainment during national emergencies like the Kennedy assassination, and when the show must go on. This is the second in a two-part series.

The 2020 election will likely be on our minds for some time. But how did we get here? Dean Shanahan speaks with Harry Yan and Christopher Torres-Lugo, two graduate students who are researching election interference.

Yan and Lugo work at IU’s Observatory on Social Media, known familiarly as OSoMe, or “awesome.” The three discuss detecting bots, online election narratives, how the field is becoming more polarized— and what we might learn from it all.

IU alumnus Bob Shanks made his name as a New York television producer, helping to launch shows like “Good Morning America” and “20/20.” He passed away this month, and in his honor we bring you a conversation from 2016, when Shanks returned to the Media School to accept a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Host Jim Shanahan talked with Shanks about his path to New York from Lebanon, Indiana. We hear how he parlayed proximity into a seat at the table, moving from waiting on executives to calling the shots at some of New York’s most well-known shows. This is Part 1 of a 2-part series.

With the world changing by the minute, mental health support is more important than ever... but the way counseling happens is changing too. Elaine Monaghan and Violet Baron talk to the Center for Human Growth's Director Lynn Gilman and Co-Assistant Director Lauren Adams about its unique model as a counseling center fully staffed by graduate students. They also talk about how the counseling center is navigating the pandemic, and what might carry over even once we return to "normal."

As we head into the election in a rapidly changing country, we can see the ways that liberal politics are giving way to more radical policies around the world. Dean Shanahan and Professor of Practice Elaine Monaghan speak with Michael Weinman, Professor of Philosophy at Bard College Berlin, about his new coedited volume, “The Emergence of Illiberalism: Understanding a Global Phenomenon.” The trio discuss how we can understand trends away from liberal policies and politics, and what we might expect to replace them.

In our first episode of Season 6, The Media School's Dean Jim Shanahan sits down with Hussein Banai, assistant professor at the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

Banai's new book, "Hidden Liberalism

Burdened Visions of Progress in Modern Iran," describes the ways that liberal political ideals appear in the country, and what their influence might mean for Iran's future.

The two discuss the book, modern Iran's political sphere, and how it may affect international relations in the future.

In this episode, host Elaine Monaghan sits down with Indiana University professor of psychology Tom James.

James is one of the founders of "Advocates and Allies for Equity", which runs auxiliary to the Center of Excellence for Women and Technology. Advocates and Allies focuses their work on educating themselves, and other men, about gender equity through workshops dedicated to removing unconscious bias and promoting awareness of gender discrimination.

James' background in psychology gives him unique insight into these biases, and he discusses how, even beyond gender discrimination, we all carry these biases with us and how we can work to be better.

This week, Tiny Dorm Concert directors Linnea Holt, Natalie Almanza, and Eric Ashby chat about the start of the brand, all the work that goes into their videos, and the skills they've learned along the way. 

Check out one of TDC's nearly 20 videos at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCda2MNtPEquk1KRZ4ZlZ6Fg 

Special thanks to Matixando for letting us record their warmup and pre-show conversation--stay tuned for their Tiny Dorm Concert!