2020 has been a challenging year for everyone around the world, to say the least. A raging pandemic, political chaos, civil unrest and climate catastrophes are all contributing to major stress on mental health.

In this episode, we talk with Debbie Bruckner, senior director of student wellness at the University of Calgary's Student Wellness Centre. Ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10, Debbie discusses some of the problems and challenges we're all facing, warning signs to watch out for, and what we can do to take care of our mental wellness.  

Have an idea for a future episode? Email [email protected].

Orange Shirt Day is a day to acknowledge the intergenerational trauma of residential schools, as well as taking steps toward healing and reconciliation. It symbolizes the story of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, whose brand-new orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at a residential school, when she was just six years old.  

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Yvonne Poitras Pratt, a Métis scholar who specializes in Indigenous education. Yvonne gives us some of the background on Orange Shirt Day and how this event can help spark broader conversations about Canada's history with Indigenous peoples and the brutal legacy of residential schools.  

Have an idea for a future episode? Email [email protected].

The fight against institutional and systemic racism is at a fever pitch, with a growing movement to expose and eradicate anti-Black, anti-Indigenous and other forms of racism in all of our public institutions.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Malinda Smith, UCalgary’s new — and first — vice-provost of equity, diversity and inclusion, about how systemic racism manifests itself, the role that higher education can play in fighting racism, and what each of us can do in our everyday lives to make the world more equitable.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email [email protected].

As the COVID-19 pandemic carries on, wearing a mask has become a hot-button issue, especially in areas where it's mandatory. For some people, the issue of wearing masks has become politicized to the point that it's a symbol of their identity and political leanings.

While we know that wearing a mask helps slow down the spread of the coronavirus, and some people are wearing them willingly, others are fiercely resistant.

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Cara MacInnis, a social psychologist in our Department of Psychology, about peoples' attitudes towards wearing masks and why it's such a divisive issue.

Have an idea for a future episode? Email [email protected].

The podcast where we sit down with UCalgary professors, researchers and experts to get the answers to five questions submitted by you. Have you ever wondered why face masks are such an emotional issue, or why it's important for a university to promote diversity and inclusion, or what "margin of error" in opinion polling actually means? Well, we can answer that.