Three (Un)wise Women

This episode has been a LONG time coming. Empathy, compassion, and forgiveness: can't very well scroll through Instagram without at least one of these words popping up. What do these words mean to us? Is becoming a more empathetic and compassionate society possible, or are we being young and naive? Does being empathetic make you a pushover, or is there another side to the coin that people aren't seeing? For our final episode of season two, we discuss why these concepts are crucial for growth minded people, and most importantly, whether being empathetic is ultimately a power or a weakness. 

In celebration of our one year  milestone that occurred on May 21st, we have a very special, extra long episode for you. The "Friends" special isn't the only reunion you can look forward to because this week we're joined by some of our incredible guests from the past two seasons as we share some laughs, some serious talk about the state of our world, and some nostalgia for where we started and where we are now. Listen now for this one-of-a-kind (Un)wise celebration!

From Khloé Kardashian to Lizzo - the debate over who the body positivity is really here to serve is brought into question again. Plus size vs petite. Fat girls vs mid-size girls. Normal bodies vs Instagram. While discussing our own experiences with weight and body image, this week we unpack all the good and bad with body positivity.  

At this point, we hope most people know that climate change is real, and after all the nature docs that have come out in recent years - terrifying. But no matter how much we all try to do our part, is progress actually being made? Is there anything more that we individuals can do, or are we all just hoping that corporations and governments wise up sometime soon? In this episode, we’re joined by environmental educator, Jill Grime, and Sunrise Movement organizer, Naina Agarwal-Hardin to help make sense of the climate change movement.

COVID-19, women’s safety, and racism: all relevant, hot button, and incredibly important issues to have been dominating headlines this past year. But let’s be honest - nothing we’re seeing in the news today is new. As much as this pandemic has forced society to continue focusing on these issues, is anything really all that different? Do you also feel like you’re just screaming into a void? Tune into this episode and check out what we have to say! 

If you saw our last #wisdomwednesday - then you already know that this week we’re talking about concepts or words we think have lost their meaning through overuse. Mental health, cultural appropriation, and apology: all important in theory, but what should they really mean? Tune in to hear what we have to say.

In the spirit of a childhood classic, today’s episode is all about debunking some classic myths about college. Do you need to go Greek to have a vibrant social life? Is graduating the most important thing? Are you forever alone if you don’t have a romantic relationship in college? To help us debunk some of these myths, we are joined by our friends and current undergrads from UMass Amherst - Hiren Gugnani, Sahil Vyas, Anjali Patel, and Meher Gandhi! Tune in for some light hearted, but very real life talk about all things college.

How many of you have been asked: “So, tell me about yourself?” Whether it be on social media, interviews, or first dates - we’re all part of this culture of constantly having to sell ourselves with a unique, eye-catching narrative that we’re all inevitably judged on. In this episode, we decided to take the power back in our personal narratives and really take a moment to reflect on our true origin stories. Where did we start? How did we become who we are? What are those defining experiences of our lives?

Mo’ Division, Mo’ Problems. I don’t know about you guys, but even as we head into this new administration, there are still many huge, looming questions about the state of our union. Is the Republican party going to become the party of Trump? What does free speech look like in the digital age? How is Biden going to serve all Americans when we’re so divided? We sat down with two seasoned, political operatives, Rufus Gifford and Adi Sathi, to get both the Democratic and Republican perspective on the state of our union. If you’ve ever wondered what the other side could possibly be thinking - tune in and find out!

New year, new season, still (un)wise - but slightly upgraded. So much has gone down during our hiatus - new jobs, puppies, attempted coups trying to disrupt the peaceful transition of power. We decided to recap and unpack it all for our first episode of season 2!

The air is getting colder, nights are getting longer, and the fall foliage is coming through the treetops - all signs that summer has officially passed. Playtime is over and that means application seasons have started and the anxiety has set in. Whether you’re trying to land your dream job or get into your dream school, application cycles seem to always harp on our feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness. In this episode, we unpack our imposter syndromes: where they come from, how they manifest, and our journey in figuring out how to cope.

Regardless of our own personal taste, representation in the media plays a huge role in how our communities are seen, heard, and understood not just by ourselves, but by others. From the stereotypical caricatures we saw growing up to the exclusionary nature of mainstream media, we have all experienced the everyday impact of these narratives. In this episode, we invited Armaan Gupta, aka Kahani, and Akaash Yadav to help us make sense of the current state of South Asian representation in the media. With Armaan’s experience in the music industry as both an artist and founder of the New York-based record label NONRESIDENT and Akaash’s experience as an actor and founder of Fry Cook Productions, we hope you can gain some insight on what it will take to achieve quality representation.

Nine months into 2020, and it already feels like this year’s theme is loss. From Kobe Bryant, John Lewis, and Naya Rivera, to now Chadwick Boseman - this year has been defined by the tragic losses of so many heroes. This episode is dedicated to reflecting on the lives of these amazing individuals, as well as exploring what makes a hero? What does a healthy relationship with a hero look like? And above all - why do we need heroes?

With less than 5 days until the Senate primary election here in Massachusetts, this nail-biter is about to come to an end. The two candidates, incumbent Senator Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, have had a tough time differentiating themselves as both claim to be progressive, Washington-outsiders who are ready to lead the Democratic Party into a new age. To help us make sense of this election, we sat down with Peter Jones, a senior at UMass Amherst and former Kennedy intern, and Yaju Tuladhar, also a senior at UMass and Ed Markey campaign fellow. We hope this episode can serve as a resource to those currently undecided on this important race. DISCLAIMER: This episode does not endorse any candidate in this election, and is not intended to sway listeners in favor of either candidate. It is intended for purely informational purposes. Nothing said in this episode is representative of or directly comes from the official campaigns of Senator Markey and Rep. Kennedy. These are purely our own thoughts and opinions.

An essential part of growing up is finding your identity, and by extension, your “purpose” in life. Yet, as we get older and the societal pressures start to mount, it feels as though we're cogs in an already well-oiled machine. Which begs the question: is there such thing as destiny? And if there is, how are we supposed to find it when society doesn’t give us a space to do so? In this episode, the three of us sit down to explore our own ideas about individualism, destiny, and life’s purpose.

Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s be real for a second - dating sucks. With all the confusion and frustrations surrounding the modern dating world, us cohosts are pretty much ready to throw in the towel and call an Indian matchmaker. But before we totally give up all hope, we decided to speak to an expert first - life and relationship coach, Varsha Mathur (@coachingbyvarsha). As a renowned life coach who has been featured in publications like Brown Girl Magazine, Varsha’s goal is to help people figure out what they really want from their dating experiences, and how to go about manifesting it into reality. We hope this conversation can give you some valuable insight- just like it did for us!

Artists and creators have always held a special place in our hearts. They possess the ability to take our experiences and emotions and put it into beautiful sounds, breathtaking visuals, and so much more. So what happens when your favorite artists are exposed for their problematic behavior? Do you immediately cancel them and never look back? Are you able to separate the art from the artists? Or do they become a secret guilty pleasure? On this episode musical artists, Taha the Phoenix and Dezmond Dane, sit down with us to discuss how we can all become more conscious as both consumers and creators.

From Brett Kavanaugh to the gender wage gap - the sad reality of being a woman is that no matter how much we raise our voices, our society is still confused as to what exactly women want. So once again, we’re talking about what women need to feel truly equal, respected, and secure. In this episode, we’re joined by our brother, Nikhil Pallikonda, who helps shed light on the steps men can take to do a better job of actively listening when the women in their lives speak up. Hopefully, this episode can serve as a tool for our male listeners who are serious about being an ally to women.

From our gorgeous temples, to our delicious cuisines, all the way to our ancient art forms, us Desi-Americans have imported and preserved many aspects of our rich culture. Unfortunately, even from thousands of miles away, we also actively uphold the caste system. Although many South Asians claim to be far removed from the caste system, it is evident that it still affects us in many ways. Whether it be friendships, relationships, religion, or even community building, caste continues to divide us. In this episode, we are joined by our friends, Vivek Gudipati and Rahul Bulusu, to talk about the origins of caste and how it continues to be a part of our lives. We believe conversations like this one are the first steps towards eliminating caste and rebuilding our community for the better.

There’s no doubt that this pandemic has permanently affected our social lives. As the U.S. slowly begins to open up, we’re forced into circumstances where we have to pick and choose who we keep up with, and which relationships we maintain. But in our opinion, that’s just another part of growing up. In this episode, we discuss friendships, our journey in curating our chosen family, and what we’ve learned about ourselves through our relationships.

There is a common misconception within the Desi community that mental health issues are only real if manifested in tangible, medicalized symptoms. However, the recent death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has shown how so much of mental health is unseen. In this episode we hope to show that mental health is a crucial part of individual and community health. Joining our discussion we have the passionate ladies from UMass MannMukhti, Diya Antony and Taeko Gupta. We think it is high time the Desi community opens its eyes to the reality of mental health and therapeutic healing processes.

When it comes to health and fitness in the age of information, it’s as important to track misinformation on the internet as it is to track your macros. For instance, did you know that body positivity was just one element of the larger Fat Acceptance Movement of the 1960s? The point of the movement was to help people love their bodies despite widespread discrimination. Now that the body positivity has become commercialized and looped into the self-love and wellness movements, it has shed its practical goals in favor of an advocacy that we think is putting people’s health and well-being in danger.

Whether you call it your “Monthly Visitor,” “Aunt Flow,” or “Shark Week” - Ladies, you know what time it is. Menstruation is a HUGE part of our development as women, yet it remains an incredibly taboo topic in Desi culture. Tonight we unpack the Desi community’s approach to women’s health and how our society’s view of menstruation connects to broader issues regarding sexism and gender discrimination.NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.Clip taken from The Cosby Show (Season 7, Episode 9).

As millions take to the streets to protest racial injustice in this country, now more than ever, it is important for the Asian community to get off the sidelines and join the fight. This episode debunks the model minority myth - exposing its problematic history and role in perpetuating racial injustice. We are happy to be joined by our friends Lucie Soares, Shaurya Shetty, and Steven Turner-Parker. We hope their perspectives will not only shed light on what it is like to be Black in America, but also how we can do our part to support the Black community in a meaningful way. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. Clip taken from the film The Great Debaters (2007).

We know, we know - everything we hear these days is about COVID-19. But, as three college seniors whose spring semester plans consisted of traveling the world, dancing the weekends away, and making lifelong memories, our lives were suddenly uprooted. We went from planning our spring break adventures, to sitting in our living rooms watching a 20-minute virtual commencement ceremony. Not to mention, our class is entering the worst job market since the Great Depression. Although we are grateful for all the efforts made to honor the Class of 2020, we needed some real closure. This episode is the ribbon to tie up those loose ends from the abrupt interruption of COVID-19.