Fordham Conversations

Do you know who's watching you? This week, Fordham Conversations is all about spies and surveillance. WFUV's Connor Ryan reports on NYC's surveillance cameras and how some people feel their privacy is being invaded. Then, Chris Williams talks to Spy Store NYC owner Bob Leonard about different types of spying equipment and the reasons for using them. Fordham University professor Al Auster discusses how spies have been portrayed in film, and how that differs from actual espionage. 

The sunny season encourages people to  pack their bags and take off on summer trips. On this week's Fordham Conversations, we’ll look back at past interviews with guests who’ve traveled "Beyond the Tri-State. Renato Frison rode from Bronxville to Brazil on his motorcycle. Filmmakers Jeff Azize  and Michael Campo discuss their trip to Peru to take care of abused orphans. Fordham Professor Robin Andersen discusses ecotourism in Curacao.

WFUV's Claudia Morell talks about school bullying and teen suicide with Loyola High School English and Philosophy teacher Christian Gregory and Fordham University Psychology Professor Doctor Peggy Andover. Mr. Gregory completed a cross country bike tour to raise awareness about the problems of bullying. And, Doctor Andover is a cognitive behavioral psychologist whose research focusses on the risk factors and differences between non-suicidal  self-injury (NSSI) and attempted suicide."

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike just won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play. Chris Williams talks to one of the play's producers, John Johnson, who graduated Fordham in 2002. Johnson talks about what theater-goers can expect from the play, his responsibilities as a producer, and how he became interested in theater. 

Every quarter WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign examines an issue that’s important to you. This time we are delving into the need to combat mental health stereotypes with University of Southern California Law Professor Elyn Saks.  She discusses how she became an Ivy League grad, legal scholar, endowed professor all while coping with schizophrenia. 

Host Robin Shannon talks with Fordham University’s  Julianny Gomez and Dr. Aimee Cox about the term “Ratchet.”  Julianny’s research examines how the derogatory term has been adopted as a way for young African Americans to police, embarrass and degrade one another.

Joseph Kelly is a Fordham University alum from the International Political Economy and Development program or (IPED). He’s been working with the Catholic Relief Services and was recently awarded Fordham’s Swanstrom-Baerwald (Swan-strum, BEAR-wald) Award.  It recognizes members of the Fordham community for their commitment to the service of faith and the promotion of justice.

WFUV’s Claudia Morell talks with ABC News veteran Sam Donaldson. He was awarded the WFUV Charles Osgood Lifetime Achievement Award in Broadcast Journalism for 2013. Donaldson is known best for his time as ABC’s White House Correspondent for Presidents Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. Donaldson also covered numerous historical events such as the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iran-Contra Affair, and President Clinton’s impeachment. He’s anchored several shows, including World News Sunday and Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer. Donaldson wrote a book about his early career and time covering the White House called “Hold On, Mr. President!” where he defends and explains what some have called an aggressive style of reporting. During the interview Donaldson discusses his time in Washington, and examines how news has evolved with the rise of Internet and the 24-hour-news cycle.

Graduating seniors are heading into the next phase of their lives.  While, many high school graduates are transitioning to college, some college graduates are gearing up for their careers.  On this week's Fordham Conversations we hear from Msgr. Joseph Quinn, Vice President of Mission and Ministry at Fordham University.  We'll discuss how Fordham's Living the Mission campaign can help prepare this generation, for leadership in a global society

Spring is finally here, and for most of us that’s probably a breath of fresh air.  There’s not only a change in the temperature but a change in people’s moods.  Most of us have heard about the winter blues, but do you know where the saying comes from?  Every year, millions of Americans suffer from mild to severe cases of the winter blues, a condition known as seasonal affective disorder, or what’s commonly referred to as SAD.  On this week's Fordham Conversations, WFUV's Katie Fisher is joined by Fordham University Professor of Chemistry Joan Roberts who's an expert on SAD.  Dr. Robert's talks about the cause of seasonal depression and the powerful impact light has on health.

Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive storm of the 2012 hurricane season. It was also the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Monday marks six-months since the Superstorm struck our area.  On this week's Fordham Conversations we hear from Fordham alum Kendra Newkirk.  A few days after moving into her new house in Queens, Sandy hit, washing away almost everything Kendra owned. We talk with Kendra just after the storm hit and again a-half-a year later.  But first we also hear from Fordham Professor Mark Naison. He spearheaded an outreach effort to help Kendra recover from Sandy's wrath. 

Fordham graduate student and WFUV reporter Jake Neher has a conversation with '50s and '60s pop icon Dion DiMucci. Records like "A Teenager in Love," "Runaround Sue," and "The Wanderer" made Dion one of the most popular pre-British Invasion artists in the world. He will talk about his upbringing in the Fordham section of the Bronx, the corner of Belmont and 187th - now called the "Doo Wop Corner" - where he and his group The Belmonts polished some of their early hits, and racial tensions between Bronx-area Doo Wop groups.

The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as "a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin."  But members of a boarding school for dyslexic students in Dutchess County, New York don’t use the term “disability.”   They prefer to call it a “way to learn differently.”  On this week’s Fordham Conversations we discuss the issue of dyslexia with three people who have first-hand knowledge of the condition. Kevin Pendergast is the Headmaster of the Kildonan School, a boarding school that empowers students with dyslexia. Dave Flink is the Executive Director of Eye-to-Eye, a national grass roots mentoring program. August Hunt is in his senior year at Kildonan.

Most football fans know the success story of Coach Vince Lombardi’s days with Green Bay and Coach Tom Landry’s days with Dallas.  But what may not be as well known are the details of their shared relationship. That is until now. WFUV’s Ricky Cibrano and Kyle Kesses sit down with Author Ernie Palladino to discuss his book Lombardi and Landry: How Two of Pro Football’s Greatest Coaches Launched their Legends and Changed the Game Forever. 

American Catholic religious sisters have had a dramatic impact on the Catholic church. From building parochial schools to pioneering higher education for women, Catholic sisters have expanded their ministries since the Second Vatican Council’s called for renewal in the 1960s. Recently Fordham university hosted a panel discussion that examined how the sisters’ ministry has changed the face of the church and what they are called to do today. On this week's Fordham Conversations, we hear excerpts form "Call and Response": How American Catholic Sisters Shaped the Church Since Vatican 2.

WFUV’s Strike a Chord campaign is examining the need for more emergency housing during times of crisis.  Housing is just one of the major challenges that remain for Haiti, following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the Caribbean country in 2010.  Fordham Professor Dr. Marciana Popescu knows firsthand about the struggles facing the people of Haiti.  She designed a course that takes Fordham students to different countries, where they receive on-site disaster-aid experience.  On this week’s Fordham Conversations, Dr. Popescu shares her observations from one of her many trips to Haiti.

 2013 marks the bicentennial anniversary of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Pride and Prejudice. Since its publication 200 years ago, the gravitas of Austen's second book carries has obtained status as an international phenomenon.  WFUV’s Katie Fisher sits down with Fordham University Professor and Jane Austen expert, Susan Greenfield for a candid discussion about the history of Austen’s career, her importance in the literary world, and the impact her writing has in contemporary culture.

In the post-civil war south, many freed slaves relied on self-help groups known as benevolent societies to  bury their dead.  In a new documentary titled “The Contradictions of Fair Hope” we look at the evolution of one particular Alabama society called "Fair Hope", and why its survival is arguably a struggle between heaven and hell.   On this week’s Fordham Conversations, WFUV’s Robin Shannon talks with the films Executive Producer and Co-Director S. Epatha Merkerson and Cultural Anthropologist and Fordham Professor Aimee Cox.

Fordham University recently launched a burial database project for enslaved African American.  It allows anyone to submit locations they suspect may be the site of an unmarked grave of slaves. On this week’s Fordham Conversations we hear from Sandra Arnold, the Founding Director of The Burial Database Project of Enslaved African Americans and Staff Member with Fordham’s Department of African and African American Studies.  "We also hear from Dr. Michael Blakey, Professor of Anthropology at William & Mary College and Former Director of the African Burial Ground Project in New York City, and a current adviser to the Burial Database Project of  Enslaved African Americans."

In a job market that’s improved but still bleak, a top notch résumé, cover letter and strong interviewing skills are essential.  But there’s another way to become the brand of choice for a company. On this week’s Fordham Conversations, Fordham Professor Steve Horowitz discusses the principles of Public Relations and how job-seekers can make themselves more appealing to potential employers through branding.  We also hear from Fordham students Lauren Hutt and Katherine Graham, who went through their own self discovery process to uncover their personal brand.