withgoodreason

The Legacy of FDR

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:22:17 +0000

An entire generation of Americans grew up knowing no other president than Franklin Roosevelt, who served four terms and led them through the Depression and World War II. Pulitzer Prize winning FDR biographer David Kennedy (Stanford University) gives a spellbinding account of this ebullient man of constant cheer who crafted the New Deal and the social security system. Kennedy and University of Virginia political scientist Sid Milkis spoke at a recent conference held by the Center for American Studies at Christopher Newport University. Also featured: Faiths of the Founding Fathers. Europeans who traveled to the thirteen colonies brought countless strains of Christianity with them, and the freedom of the wild frontier allowed many new sects and congregations to flourish. David Holmes (College of William and Mary) gives us insights into the religious beliefs of the founding fathers.

The Opera Singer

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:08:57 +0000

John Aler made his operatic debut in 1977 as Ernesto in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. Since then, he’s performed in some of the greatest opera houses in the world and has won four Grammys for his classical recordings. Aler shares his thoughts on voice and the future of singing. Also featured: It’s Mozart meets the Clash. A musicologist draws on the heavy metal and grunge of her youth to take classical music where it’s never been before. Plus: The sonic frenzy of a laptop orchestra. And: How to approach a piece of music written by someone else. We’ll also speak with a researcher at the forefront of positive psychology.

Butterfly in the Typewriter

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:34:08 +0000

Butterfly in the Typewriter by withgoodreason

Rainbows On Demand

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:12:22 +0000

Rainbows On Demand by withgoodreason

Giddy-up: A Therapy for Autism

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:00:32 +0000

Giddy-up: A Therapy for Autism by withgoodreason

Do The Math

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:51:17 +0000

Do The Math by withgoodreason

Dead Zones and Fly Fishing

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:49:15 +0000

Dead Zones and Fly Fishing by withgoodreason

Not Your Mother's Shop Class

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:20:04 +0000

Shop class 20 years ago meant hacksaws and hammers, but the shop class of 2013 is about teaching innovation and creation through computer programming, 3D printers, and maybe even Legos. A leader in this new kind of education teaches kids how to program LED lights to customize clothing. Also featured: Not all students have access to technology education. It seems many minority students are left out of computer science class. And: What exactly is the difference between science and technology? Plus: A report on technology being developed by Zewe Serpell that will let computers read the facial expressions of children and give them encouragement when they are discouraged or bored.

Equal Time

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 20:31:06 +0000

Equal Time by withgoodreason

Goodnight Moon

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:51:30 +0000

First published in 1947, Goodnight Moon has become one of the most popular books for young children. Yet the book’s author, Margaret Wise Brown, always wanted to write for adults. With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby tells the story of Brown’s life, from Hollins College to her tragic early death. Also featured: Opened after the ravages of World War II, the International Youth Library in Munich was an effort to introduce Germany’s children to the literature of other cultures to promote understanding. It’s now the largest repository of children’s literature in the world. And: With busy schedules and media-soaked lives, have our children lost their ability to engage in moment-by-moment experiences?

Red Ink

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:56:13 +0000

A common historical myth is that Native Americans were an “oral people” and did not engage in literacy. In his new book Red Ink: Native Americans Picking Up the Pen in the Colonial Period, Drew Lopenzina (Old Dominion University) argues that Native Americans early on acquired the skills of reading and writing. Also featured: In the movies, the American frontier is a lawless place. But historian Turk McCleskey (Virginia Military Institute) studied 18th-century court records and found that the first settlers of Virginia’s frontier actually took the law very seriously. And: We have a sense of what early America looked like, but Bonnie Gordon and Emily Gale (University of Virginia) ask: What did it sound like? From bawdy tavern songs to tunes commenting on Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings, Gordon and Gale are uncovering the soundscape of early America.

The Case for Coffee

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:19:27 +0000

Call it java, brew, mud, the a.m. savior, or just coffee. Many people can’t conceive of starting their day without their dose of caffeine. Lisa Pawloski of George Mason University is a part of team of researchers who say coffee may reduce the risk of liver disease. Also featured: Some of us are more apt to succumb to a calorie-rich Frappuccino over a simple cup of coffee. But Niels Christensen (Radford University) says there are ways to avoid unhealthy decisions and strengthen your willpower. And: People who are addicted to drugs tend to choose instant gratification, without thinking of the long term costs. Warren K. Bickel (Virginia Tech) is looking at ways of curbing addiction by increasing the value of future rewards in the minds of addicts.

2013- The Year of the Stink Bug

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:30:33 +0000

2013 is predicted to be a record year in terms of stink bug population in the U.S. Entomologist Ames Herbert (Virginia Tech) is looking at ways to control this voracious insect, which has caused millions of dollars in crop damage. Also featured: Want to rid your backyard of mosquitoes? Justin Anderson of Radford University conducted an experiment to see if coffee would do just that. And: In 1816, volcanic eruptions caused unusually low temperatures around the world. That same year—known as “the Year Without a Summer”—Mary Shelley wrote the classic scary novel Frankenstein after being forced indoors during a vacation because of the weather. Callan Bentley (Northern Virginia Community College) discusses the effects geological events have had on human culture.

Feminists Intense Mothers

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 17:14:07 +0000

Feminists tend to be thought of as “anti-motherhood.” But psychologist (and mom) Miriam Liss (University of Mary Washington) says feminists are actually more likely than non-feminists to be intense mothers who practice parenting techniques like co-sleeping, breastfeeding, and carrying a child in a body sling. Also featured: To some, being funny at work might seem counterproductive. But John Morreall (College of William and Mary), past president of the International Society for Humor Studies, says many industries, including health care, have begun to appreciate the benefits of humor in the workplace. And: Near the end of his life, the great Renaissance artist Michelangelo burned most of his drawings. Of the masterpieces that remain, 25 are now on a rare, two-stop tour in America. The exhibition’s curator John Spike (College of William & Mary) gives With Good Reason producer Kelley Libby a guided tour.

Gospel Roots show

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:30:19 +0000

The Gospel Roots of Rock and Roll (February 16, 2013) Sister Rosetta Tharpe attained great popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings that were a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and early rock and roll. She became the first superstar of gospel music and was an early influence on Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Johnny Cash. Chris Kjorness (Longwood University) plays some of her groundbreaking recordings and talks about her legacy. Also featured: The Broadway musical has often taken up southern themes, from Show Boat and Porgy and Bess in the first half of the twentieth century to Memphis, which hit the Broadway stage in 2009. For all their popularity, Gary Richards (University of Mary Washington) argues that these musicals nevertheless tend to have a negative view of the South and don’t reflect its diversity today.

Edna the Engineer show

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 19:13:21 +0000

In 2009, fewer than 2% of physical science degrees—like physics and chemistry—went to African-Americans. Considering African-Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers are shockingly low. And they’re getting even lower. In the second episode of our ongoing series about STEM education, we ask: what does a scientist look like? Short, tall, black, brown, male or female? We talk to Lindsey Kraatz, Sam Lake, Daniel Maxey, and Stephanie Salisbury about their outreach project at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. We also hear about what might be keeping American girls out of laboratories, and Laura Puaca (Christopher Newport University) explains the WWII history of Edna the Engineer.

Why Stem Matters

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:36:52 +0000

To boost performance in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), the White House has launched an “Educate to Innovate” campaign, and it even held the first White House Science Fair. In this series on STEM education in America, With Good Reason is asking national policy experts, educators, and innovators why STEM matters and why women and minorities are being targeted. We talk with Linda Rosen (Change the Equation) about changing how we teach, Robert Tai (University of Virginia) about the origins of the acronym S-T-E-M, Leanna Giancarlo (University of Mary Washington) on the “mad scientist” stereotype, and Sevan Terzian (University of Florida), who says it all begins with—what else?—Sputnik.

Faiths of the Postwar Presidents

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:01:12 +0000

National interest in the spiritual practices and beliefs of our presidents is as strong as ever. In his new book, The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents, David Holmes (College of William and Mary) looks at the role of religion in the lives of the twelve presidents who have served since the end of World War II. He also shares little-known anecdotes, such as Dwight Eisenhower’s effort to conceal his family’s Jehovah’s Witness background. Also featured: When Abraham Lincoln drew his last breath, his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, famously said “Now he belongs to the ages.” Allen Guelzo (Gettysburg University) says the ages haven’t always been kind to the reputation of our 16th president. Guelzo, the author of eight books on Lincoln, delivered the keynote address at Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies.

Brigham Young American Moses

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:18:50 +0000

Brigham Young was a rough-hewn transient from New York whose life was electrified by the Mormon faith. He married more than 50 women, and transformed a barren desert into his vision of the Kingdom of God. In his new biography Brigham Young: Pioneer Prophet, John Turner (George Mason University) explores Young’s thirty-year battle with the U.S Government for the control of Utah, his polygamous marriages, and his role in the massacre of settlers who came out west. Also featured: Since 1950, the South has undergone the most dramatic political transformation of any region in the United States. In their new book Quentin Kidd (Christopher Newport University) and co-author Irwin Morris show how the once solid Democratic-South is now overwhelmingly Republican, and African Americans are now voting at levels comparable to those of whites.

Dialing Through the Years

withgoodreason@virginia.edu (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 20:59:12 +0000

If the inventor of radio had not been so stubborn, perhaps 1,600 souls would not have perished when the Titanic sank in the icy Atlantic 100 years ago. Bill Kovarik (Radford University) looks at the history of radio and its effects on American politics and popular culture. Also featured: Local sports segments have been a mainstay on television news for decades, but they might be disappearing. Former sportscaster Jeff Halliday (Longwood University) recently surveyed network-affiliated TV sports personnel across the country and found a bleak picture—one that includes fewer jobs, reduced air time, and lots of anxiety.