Duality

In the season finale, Edward and Izzy look back at all of the previous episodes through a new lens: good and evil. This duality provides a single thread throughout our understanding of the world and of our podcast. Let's take a closer look.

As “follow your passion” becomes conventional wisdom, some argue that pragmatism will take you further. But the choice is not as simple when privilege comes into play. The conversation about following your heart to a career is one worth having, but wealth inequality plays a role that cannot be ignored. Mike Rowe's video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVEuPmVAb8oCal Newport's article:https://hbr.org/2012/09/solving-gen-ys-passion-problem

Emma Lazarus' poem The New Colossus inscribed on the Statue of Liberty and H.W. Brands' book American Colossus about titans of industry at the turn of the 20th century interpret the strength of our nation in two completely different ways. However, the conflict in these two narratives - and in our country - is the same. 

The Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis have a striking similarity. They force us to ask the question: am I willing to change my behavior for someone else? This week on Duality, we discuss the intersection of these two issues. This moment must be a reckoning.

College admissions are not fair. We can agree that systemic racism has caused inequity in higher education, but how we should respond isn't as clear. As universities across the country strive for diversity, legal battles over affirmative action deserve a closer look. What comes next?

A public apology can change the narrative around any controversy: for better or worse. To understand these crucial moments for celebrities, politicians, and corporations, we have to look inward. How do we know what warrants an apology?Link to OB video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNsUZGvLnMYLink to Black Lives Matter website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/Antiracism resources: https://medium.com/wake-up-call/a-detailed-list-of-anti-racism-resources-a34b259a3eea

The murder of Kitty Genovese and an outbreak in Belgium seem incongruous. They aren't. This week's discussion looks at the history of sociogenic illness, the bystander effect, and how the two intersect. Recommended resources for continued engagement with the Black Lives Matter movement: 30 Day #DoTheWork Course @rachel.cargle; support Black Trans people at theokraproject.com.

In light of recent events, Duality presents a special episode this week. Marshall Mabry IV and Jeffrey Cornelius are artists and activists who join the podcast this week to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the pursuit of racial equity in the theatre and across America. 

A witness in a courtroom swears to tell not just the truth, but the whole truth. In other parts of life, however, we get to be selective in the elements of a story we share. When we look for dualities in the real world, we are faced with complex stories. But are there times when a simple narrative is better? Using the stories of Matthew Shepard and Chanel Miller, we discuss how introducing confounding details both creates a nuanced understanding of an event and runs the risk of undermining its power.

Amid the Covid-19 crisis, the world is grappling with priorities in a new way. Out of all the institutions facing the real life duality between economics and public health, colleges and universities might have it the hardest. Our discussion takes a student perspective on two remarkably different responses to the pandemic: Boston University and Purdue University. Both are leading the way for the fall of 2020, but who should we follow?

Throughout history, we have been notoriously bad at jumping to conclusions. On the first ever Duality podcast, we juxtapose the red scare of the 1950s and the cancel culture of the social media age. From James Charles and Anne Hale to Dave Chapelle and Helen Keller, there's no doubt that history collides with the present on this issue. What lesson should we learn?

Our world is full of questions and contradictions. How should universities respond to the Covid-19 Crisis? What can Senator Joseph McCarthy teach us about the YouTuber James Charles? Why is it that a tampon brand can figure out a public apology, but our elected officials can't? Should acknowledging Matthew Sheppard's privilege change the way we view his story? Join us. Duality premieres May 22.