Macalester Big Questions

On the latest Macalester Big Questions Podcast, Professor James Dawes and Rachel Youngeun Rostad '15 discuss with President Suzanne Rivera the big question, "What happened to human rights?" Their conversation took place in March, 2021 during a live event.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

How are white parents talking about racism with their children? Professor Cari Gillen-O'Neel discusses this big question, and shares insight into research with President Suzanne Rivera.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Can art inspire action? Professor John Kim and Quito Ziegler '98 discuss this big question in conversation with President Suzanne Rivera during a live event in April, 2021.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Is the status of human rights as a political priority and a moral imperative in jeopardy? Professor Wendy Weber answers this in conversation with President Suzanne Rivera on this episode of Macalester Big Questions.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Professor William Hart and Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman '81 discuss the big question, "How does religion influence contemporary politics?" on this episode. This conversation was recorded during a live event with President Suzanne Rivera in January, 2021.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

How can art spur societal change? Professor Tia-Simone Gardner discusses this Big Question with President Suzanne Rivera. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Professor Lesley Lavery and Professor Brian Lozenski discuss with President Suzanne Rivera the big question, "Will the pandemic make K-12 education more equitable?"  This conversation was part of a live event recorded in February, 2021.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

This Macalester Big Questions episode features Rev. Kelly Stone, Macalester College chaplain and associate dean, speaking with President Suzanne Rivera about the role of rituals during uncertain times. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

This Macalester Big Questions episode features Professor Eric Carter and Dr. James Ochi '80 P'12 discussing what life after the COVID-19 pandemic might look like. President Suzanne Rivera led the discussion during a live Big Questions event held virtually in early December, 2020. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Recorded shortly before the November 3 presidential election, this episode features Professor Adrienne Christiansen and Jane Zimmerman '84 discussing with President Suzanne Rivera what they thought the world would look like on November 4.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Sam Asarnow sits down with President Suzanne Rivera to discuss the Big Question: "What is our obligation to each other during COVID?" Dr. Asarnow is an assistant professor of philosophy who teaches and writes about ethics and the philosophy of action.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Andrew Latham sits down with President Suzanne Rivera to discuss the Big Question: "What can the next U.S. president do to advance our relationship with China?" Dr. Latham is a professor of political science at Macalester who teaches and writes about the U.S.-China relationship.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Roopali Phadke and Katie Clifford, an alum from the Class of 2009 and now a postdoctoral fellow with the US Geological Survey sit down with President Brian Rosenberg. In front of a live audience in Denver, Colorado, the conversation centered on the big question: Will the rivers run dry?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Music Professor Michael McGaghie and Dance Instructor Patricia Brown sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Los Angeles, California. Their discussion seeks to answer the question: Can embracing the arts reconnect our common humanity?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Andrew Beveridge and Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, from the Class of 2001 and now the Vice President of Marketing at Doordash sit down with President Brian Rosenberg. Their discussion, recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco, California, answers the big question: Can social media be used for good?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Marjorie Trueblood, Dean of Multicultural Life, and Donna Maeda, Dean of the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship, talk in conversation with Patricia King from the Macalester Class of 1972. Their discussion, which took place in front of a live audience in Ann Arbor, Michigan, looks to answer the question: Why isn’t inclusion enough?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, CNN's chief legal analyst and New Yorker staff writer Jeffrey Toobin sits down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in New York City. In a wide-ranging conversation, they explore this question: Should the Supreme Court be the most important issue in any presidential election?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, alumni Barbara Phillips, from the Class of 1971, and Melvin Collins, from the Class of 1975, speak about the college's Expanded Educational Opportunities program with President Brian Rosenberg. The EEO program was in place from 1969 to 1974 and was designed to help the college live into its commitment to multiculturalism with full scholarships for students from diverse populations that historically had not been represented at Macalester.Learn more about the EEO program: Shaping a Better Macalester: EEO at 50 Years.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Donnie Brooks, Director of Athletics, and B. Todd Jones '79, the NFL's Chief Disciplinary Officer, sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Philadelphia, PA. Their conversation looks to answer the question: Does activism belong in athletics?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Andrea Kaston Tange, chair of the English Department and director of digital liberal arts, sits down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Portland, OR. Their discussion examines the question: Do the humanities matter?Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Adrienne Christiansen and alum Minh Ta from the Class of 1997 sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Washington D.C. Through their discussion they delve into the big question: Is democracy worth saving?Adrienne Christiansen is an Associate Professor for Political Science at Macalester, and alum Minh Ta is a Vice President with the Carlyle Group.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Kate Ryan Reiling, Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Mindy Deardurff, Dean of Career Exploration, sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in San Francisco. Through their conversation Kate, a 2000 alum, and Mindy talk about the way they’ve developed their respective roles, and how their departments co-exist in a liberal arts setting. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Professor Duchess Harris sits down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Washington, D.C. Their conversation focuses on the #MeToo movement, its intersections with race and class, and who owns the narrative.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Marlon James, associate professor of English and writer-in-residence, sits down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in New York City. Their conversation explores if it’s possible to write a story without being political.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Provost Karine Moe sits down with Felix Friedt, professor of economics, and Altay Israfil, an independent strategic advisor from the Class of 1998, in front of a live audience in London. They discuss economic nationalism through various news items, including: Brexit, the NAFTA reboot, and the US and China trade war. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, President Brian Rosenberg sits down with Julie Dolan, professor of political science, and Paru Shah, former assistant professor of political science, in front of a live audience in Chicago. Their discussion happened the day after the November 2018 mid-term elections, and reflects on the election results.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Bill Moseley, professor of geography, and Julia Morgan, a researcher from the Class of 2017, sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience in Seattle, WA. They discuss the complexities of feeding the planet, and how even a simple meal involves issues of economics, politics, technology, climate change, and distribution.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Cláudia Tatinge Nascimento, chair and professor of theater and dance, and Sarah Bellamy, visiting assistant professor, sit down with President Brian Rosenberg in front of a live audience on Macalester's Saint Paul campus. They talk about the power of performance to enact social change, and how artists can help us reexamine the meanings of equity and inclusion in society. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Ethan Levin '20 sits down with President Brian Rosenberg. Ethan, a defensive lineman on the college football team, shares how he has worked with sports teams to combat sexual violence. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Cuauhtemoc Cruz Herrera, from the Class of 2018, sits down with President Brian Rosenberg. Their conversation explores immigration and opportunities, and answers the question: what would you say to people who are suspicious of immigration or want to put up walls between countries?Cuauhtemoc is the founder of Integración-Matemática, a mathematics teaching program in Mexico. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, alumna Emily Nadel from the Class of 2018 talks with President Brian Rosenberg. Their discussion touches on how college changes a person, building communities online, and reflections on the notion of doubt as a part of understanding differences.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Karen Saxe sits down with President Brian Rosenberg to discuss her work with the census in Minnesota, and the mathematics behind redistricting. Saxe is the DeWitt Wallace Professor Emerita in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science, and now the Director of the Office of Government Relations at the American Mathematical Society.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Kamil Ali talks with President Brian Rosenberg to discuss the value of welcoming the other, and how getting to know someone from a different community or culture can shape your perspective. Kamil is from the Class of 2018.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Kiante Miles, from the Class of 2020, sits down with President Brian Rosenberg. Kiante -- a poet, a computer science major, and a defensive back on the football team -- talks about healing your inner community and the power of sharing creativity. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Myhana Kerr shares her perspectives on navigating college with President Brian Rosenberg. Kerr, from the Class of 2018, reflects on learning within an international community, language and the term “people of color.”Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Rev. Kelly Stone, Macalester’s Chaplain and the Associate Dean of the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, speaks with President Brian Roseneberg about the college’s past, meeting students’ needs, and thinking of campus as a laboratory for exploring differences.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Blair Cha '20 talks with President Brian Rosenberg about what it takes to be a leader: at Macalester, in the community, and as a woman. Blair is the president of Macalester College Student Government and is a mathematics and applied statistics major.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, alumni Fred Swaniker talks with President Brian Rosenberg about the history of Africans -- like Kofi Annan -- in shaping the world, and the potential for global leadership among youth across the continent. Swaniker is a native of Ghana, and a co-founder of the African Leadership Academy.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, author Tim O'Brien from the Class of 1968 speaks with President Brian Rosenberg. In their discussion they talk about the complexities of the world, embracing uncertainty, and avoiding absolutism. The talk was recorded in October 2017 when O’Brien was on campus to interview fellow author Marlon James. Tim O'Brien is the author of several works including Going After Cacciato, The Things They Carried, and If I Die in a Combat Zone. He has an upcoming memoir scheduled for release in October titled Dad's Maybe Book.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, we share a conversation President Brian Rosenberg had with Kofi Annan on May 8, 2018. Annan was on campus for the renaming of the Kofi Annan Institute for Global Citizenship in recognition of Annan’s global leadership and dedication to peace. Kofi Annan was founding chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, a 2001 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and a 1961 graduate of Macalester College. Annan passed away on August 18, 2018.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

On this episode of Macalester Big Questions, Donna Lee, Vice President for Student Affairs, talks about building an inclusive community out of a diverse group of students with President Brian Rosenberg. In this conversation, Lee talks about building an inclusive community out of a diverse group of students. She reminds us that this work is a process and takes a concerted effort across campus.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Author Marlon James, a professor and writer in residence at Macalester, talks with President Brian Rosenberg in this episode. Their conversation covers novels as political statements, and reflections by Marlon, a Man Booker Prize-winning writer, about his status as a U.S. resident and how deportation factors into his work.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Professor Kristi Curry Rogers reflects on what we can learn from fossils with President Brian Rosenberg. The conversation moves from prehistory to the present as Rogers, a paleontologist, shares what role humans can play in the future of our planet.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Professor Andrew Latham discusses conservative political thought with President Brian Rosenberg in this episode. Latham shares how the classes he created for Macalester shape a liberal arts experience at a school with a progressive reputation. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Athletic Director Donnie Brooks talks with President Brian Rosenberg in this episode of Macalester Big Questions. Donnie shares how Macalester approaches student-athlete mental health so that they can succeed as students, athletes, and people. Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)

Professor Duchess Harris, Chair of the American Studies Department talks with President Brian Rosenberg about the #MeToo movement. In the conversation about the Me Too movement and sexism, Duchess focuses on the intersection of race, class, and gender.Support the show (https://secure.macalester.edu/giving/)