Fordham Conversations

Early in the morning of November 16th 1989 a group of soldiers entered a Catholic college campus in San Salvador and forced six Jesuit priests from their beds. They then shot and killed them along with their housekeeper and her daughter. It all happened during the decade long civil war that ravaged El Salvador. The murders provoked international outrage. We are joined by three guests to discuss the massacre, the priests' mission and their legacy. - Dr Michael Lee- Associate Professor of Theology at Fordham - Dr. Jim McCartin- Associate Professor and Director of Fordham Center on Religion and   Culture - Father Neil Connolly- Pastor at Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church Music featured: Apocolyptica- Nothing Else Matters Apocolyptica- One

Suicide is a delicate health issue. When it comes to men who think about it, attempt it or actually commit suicide, addressing the issue has especially unique challenges.    The latest statistics report more women than men attempt suicide, but more men actually succeed at killing themselves, and at a growing rate.  In honor of National Suicide Prevention Week, we  examine the issue of male suicide.    We hear about a mental health and suicide prevention campaign that tackles the somber issue of suicide with a smile. Jarrod Hindman is Director of the Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention. His group partnered with others in developing the Man Therapy Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Campaign. We sat down with a Jeanette Mason, who helplessly watched as her boyfriend jump to his death. Last we talked with Fordham University Professor Daniel Coleman. His research examines gender stereotypes and the link between masculinity and mental health.    

On this week's Fordham Conversations, Host Rob Palazzolo discusses the ethics of controversial end-of-life issues with Doctor Charles Camosy. This Notre Dame Grad is a Theology professor at Fordham and a bioethicist. Also, Fordham Conversations producer Megan Connor walks around Times Square to find out what tourists and everyday New Yorkers think about physician assisted suicide.

This week on NFL Friday we had our weekly Jets and Giants talk, discussed Thursday night football and previewed this weekend's upcoming games. Also, we were joined by WFUV alum and current TV announcer for the NFL on CBS, Spero Dedes.   

This week, Chris Williams finds out more about things that scare us and why they scare us. Jim Faro, co-creator of the haunted attraction Blood Manor, talks about designing a haunted house, his love of horror, and how to hire a demon on Craigslist. Then, Fordham University professor Dean McKay talks about studying disgust and a virtual reality experiement designed to help people overcome their phobias.  

On this week's Fordham Conversations we're peeking behind the curtain and looking into the life of theatre.  We will hear from Fordham's very own Kevin Smith Kirkwood. Kirkwood is currently an actor on the Tony award winning musical "Kinky Boots". He is also the proud co-founder of Fordham University's notorious all-male acapella group: The Fordham Ramblers. He'll share some behind the scenes stories and the inspiration behind his career.  We also hear from the Acting Director of Fordham's London Dramatic Academy Kathryn Pogson. She'll discuss the program and some unconventional ways to train young theater performers. 

Michael Nebrich threw for six touchdowns, Chase Edmonds passed the 1,000 yard plateau for the season, nine Rams scored points, and Sam Ajala and Tebucky Jones, Jr. finished near 200 yards receiving in a 60-22 Fordham (6-1) drubbing of Penn (0-4).

This week we discuss how designs and development can be done in an environmental way-- while still fulfilling our present and future demands. We have a panel of experts weighing in technologies that promote sustainable energy and eco-friendly designs all around the world. That's the idea behind The Annual Sustainable Energy and Design Conference at The Bronx Community College on Oct 16th and 17th. The panel includes: Aaron Socha (FCRH '01)- Director: Center for Sustainable Energy Mark Cupkovic- Vice President, Security and Operations at the New York Botanical Jonathan Trent- Director of OMEGA Global Initiative Greg Bruce-  Executive Manager, Integrated Sustainability Services Department at Townsville City Council.

Professor, Author and Shakespearean scholar Mary Bly discusses Shakespeare and Pop Culture.

There are hundreds of thousand missing persons in the FBI’s database.  For many people, the methods of finding their lost loved ones are as mysterious as their disappearances. On today’s Fordham Conversations we hear from Privacy and Information Consultant Bob Gellman.  He discusses some of the legal and ethical challenges in searching for missing people. Gellman is  a Senior Fellow, Center on Law and Information Policy, Fordham University School of Law 2012-13. WFUV’s Rob Palazzolo also talks to Dr. Arnita Fowler. Her son went missing almost 20 years ago, and due to a lack of resources for locating missing adults and a bureaucratic mess, she didn’t recover his body from Hart Island for 4 years. Fowler has been trying to reform the system for locating missing persons in the New York.

What can the autobiography of an 18th century ex-slave teach us about self-reliance?  John Bugg talks about the Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano.  Then, Fr. Terrance Klein fleshes out what he means when he says the soul itself is narrative. 

This week Chris Williams talks to people who, in one way or another, have gone back to college. Cira Vernazza, director of Fordham University's College at 60 program, talks about how the university has special classes designed for people 60 and older. Three of the students in the program (Judy Bowman, Timothy Kiehn, and Peg Smith-Loeb) discuss the benefits of taking college courses after retirement. Then, Taylor Harris talks about moving back to her alma mater and her McSweeney's column "Big Mom on Campus: Raising 2 Kids in a College Dorm." 

This week, we're talking about comedy with members of Fordham Experimental Theater. Ryan Creamer, Amanda Pell, and Jeff Sharkey tell us what it's like to perform comedy, what makes them laugh, and their different styles. Several FET students produced a comedy show "Do You Get It?" that's currently airing on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network.

Often we hear that beauty comes from within, but it turns out the way you look can affect how other people react to you, for better and for worse. Daniel Hamermesh, author of Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful, dissects how attractive people fare better economically. Then, Fordham professors Laura Gonzalez and Yuliya Komarova talk about their research with online social lending and why being more attractive could hurt when it comes to securing a loan. 

Sexist? Formulaic? Harmless guilty pleasure? What are your assumptions about romance novels? On this week's show we're digging into the stereotypes and critiques of the romance genre. Author Eloisa James weighs in and talks about how the tides are changing for writers and readers in the genre. 

This week’s show is all about food and how it’s more than just a source of energy. Food can shape our bodies, identity, and culture. Jonathon Appels teaches a class at Fordham called ‘You Are What You Eat: The Anthropology of Food.’ He talks about the lack of discourse around food culture, and his own experience with food. Also, Emma Boast (program director at the Museum of Food and Drink) talks about a project aimed at opening a museum dedicated to food in New York City.

This week on Fordham Conversations we look at Ecology in the Concrete Jungle. Fordham Ecology graduate student William Haffey talks about  testing the effectiveness of bird friendly glass.  Urban Ecologist and Fordham PhD Candidate Jason Aloisio discusses why City's are usually warmer than other areas and how to decrease your carbon footprint.

This week’s show tackles some of life’s big questions (Why are we here? Where do we go when we die?) by looking at three different systems of knowledge (magic, science, and religion). Katia Yuguis is a doctoral student in the Sociology/Anthropology department at Fordham University. She teaches a class called “Magic, Science, and Religion” and discusses why all three are important, and why we shouldn’t be dismissive of any one of them.

This week on Fordham Conversations we hear from Human Rights attorney Almudena Bernabeu. She has prosecuted some of the worst perpetrators of crimes against humanity as an International Attorney and Transitional Justice Program Director for The Center for Justice and Accountability. Almudena was also in the documentary How To Nail A Dictator and was on Time Magazine's list of the 100 Most Influential People. 

New York Harbor has a long history that starts way back in the 1600s. It’s home to all kinds of species and wildlife, but throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the harbor was filled with trash and sewage sending the harbor on a downward trajectory. But now, it’s making a comeback and things are looking better. Today on the show we’re talking to John Waldman. He’s the author of Heartbeats in the Muck: The History, Sea Life, and Environment of New York Harbor which is now available from Fordham University Press. Also on the show, WFUV's Kris Venezia has a story about how New York's waterways can be used for transportation.