Free Food For Thought

On this week's episode, Sophie and Baron sat down to chat with Naomi Bagdonas, an alumna of CMC, lecturer at Stanford, and author of Humor, Seriously. In this episode we discussed Naomi's journey from the consulting world to comedy, the importance of humor in serious settings, and advice for how to navigate difficult professional and personal situations.

How do psychedelics fit into the field of neuroscience and mental health research? We find the answers to this question and more in this week’s episode of Free Food For Thought. Nathan and Daenerys sit down with Dr. Daniel Kelly to explore the fascinating research being done on the macrodosing of psychedelic substances as a promising alternative form of mental health treatment. Hear Dr. Kelly share his research, insights, and more - all in this episode.

For the inaugural episode of Free Food for Thought this school year, Daenerys Pineda and Simon Gilbert sat down with Professor Sameer Pandya of University of California Santa Barbara. Over the course of the interview, they discussed his recent book Members Only, representation of the diverse experiences of Asian-Americans, and his writing process.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Sophie sits down with Professor Megan Gallagher, Professor of Literature at CMC and Assistant Director of CMC's Center for Writing and Public Discourse. Professor Gallagher discusses the role of current events in teaching, as well as the marvels of GenZ and TikTok.

In this episode, Sabrina and Hans sit down with Valerie Tiberius, a professor of philosophy at the University of Minnesota. Tiberius shares her experiences about getting into philosophy, how she came about her research on values and well-being, and offers her perspective about human nature and relationships.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Daenerys sits down with Professor JoAnne Ferguson, the coach of Pomona-Pitzer’s softball team. Coach Ferguson talks about how she develops her P.E. classes and gives us tips to help us thrive in our virtual world.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Nathan sits down with Professor Chloe Martinez to discuss her experiences as a scholar, poet, and educator navigating through this pandemic. Hear her thoughts on the topics of poetry, time management, and South Asian religions, and more.

In this episode, Nathan and Daenerys speak with Gabrielle Calvocoressi, an accomplished poet and professor at UNC Chapel Hill. Calvocoressi discusses several impactful experiences during their formative years, the body positivity/neutrality movement, self-care, and the American experience, amongst other topics. Hear Calvocoressi share their thoughts on these informative topics in consideration with the difficulties that emerged from the ongoing pandemic.

In this episode of the Professor Series, Nathan sits down with Professor Kenneth P. Miller to discuss Miller’s life, his most recent book, and the experiences and insights he's gained being a professor at CMC.

Live from the Ath, Tori and Anna speak with CMC alumna Candace Valenzuela '06, former candidate for Texas's 24th congressional district. Valenzuela discusses her path to the campaign trail, her experiences trying to make her campaign staff reflect the district they were serving, and things that are making her hopeful during this tumultuous time. She also shares many pieces of advice for our listeners, from how to constructively participate in politics to how she overcomes self-doubt.

Sabrina and Sophie speak with Dr. Stefanie Johnson, a researcher and professor at University of Colorado, Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Dr. Johnson has coined the term "inclusify," a term that defines inclusion as an action item. Dr. Johnson shares her experiences getting into the Diversity and Inclusion field and how she works to make diversity and inclusion a higher priority.

Adhi and Simon speak with Graham Lee Brewer, editor for Indigenous Affairs at High Country News and board member of the Native American Journalists Association. He shares how his reporting gives a platform to Indigenous voices and what the journalism industry can do to become more inclusive

Maya and Olivia sit down with Eli Slaslow, a reporter for the Washington Post and author of Rising out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist. He discusses his path as a journalist, how his stories impact him and how he wants his stories to impact others, and how we as a country can change for the better through exposing ourselves to stories about those that are different from us.

In this week's episode, Sophie and Olivia sit down with Dr. O'Connor to discuss the overwhelming presence of misinformation and disinformation in today's world. Dr. O'Connor shares how her career led her to studying misinformation, dispels fake news myths, discusses the impact of misinformation on the COVID-19 pandemic, and gives tips on how everyone can catch fake news that they may come across.

In this episode, Tori and Adhi speak with Cary Aspinwall, a Dallas-based staff writer for The Marshall Project and Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Local Reporting. She discusses the triumphs and challenges in local journalism and offers wisdom to students interested in the field.

How does "curiosity" help you overcome addictions and how do we overcome our inner-skeptic? Dr. Jud Brewer sat down with Sabrina and Sophie to talk about mindfulness as an alternative psychiatric solution, his personal journey entering this field of work, and his “five finger breathing” technique.

In the latest episode of Free Food for Thought, Sabrina and Simon sit down with Katherine Mangu-Ward, the Editor-in-Chief of Reason Magazine. Their discussion covers a wide range of topics, including Mangu-Ward’s career trajectory, how she navigates the rapidly shifting field of journalism, and the future of libertarianism.

Debra Tolchinsky sheds light on her documentary project, “True Memories and Other Falsehoods,” her interest in the human memory, and her career as a documentary filmmaker.

Koss and Seth sit down with Alex Kotlowitz, former staff writer of The Wall Street Journal and critically acclaimed author of An American Summer: Love and Death in Chicago. They discuss his journey from working on a cattle ranch to the Emmy winner he is today, his approach to journalism and his drive to share the stories of a segregated society.

Seth and Maya sit down with former District Judge for the Southern District of New York, Katherine Forrest, to discuss the use of Artificial Intelligence in the courtroom.