ZoomUni

We're back and better than ever!  This week, Samantha Whitley joins the show to discuss a strange graduation season and how the class of 2021 and 2020 experienced their respective senior years. At 22 minutes, we discuss study away at Furman, how its changing, and why students, parents & alumni should make their voice heard before its too late. 

This week the crew is joined by Drs. Ben and Jenna Storey. The Storeys are professors of political philosophy at Furman, directors of the Tocqueville Fellows Program, and authors of the new book: Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment. We discuss how they came to write a book on restlessness, what Montaigne, Pascal, and Rousseau think about human happiness, and the way that Tocqueville might help us live vertically in a horizontal world. 

This week the crew is joined by Dr. Brandon Inabinet, an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Furman who helped lead the Seeking Abraham Project. We discussed how the Seeking Abraham Report got started, the challenges it faced in exploring Furman's past, and the recommendations it made that are changing Furman's present including the recent unveiling of the Joseph Vaughn Plaza. 

This week, we examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges to the mental health of college students. We sit down with Tom Baez and and Allyson Brathwaite-Gardner, Director and Associate Director of Furman's Counseling Center, to discuss the difficulties students face, the resources available to them, and how students can access the help they need.

This week, the crew is joined by Beth Bleed '13. Bleed is a doctor currently working towards her pediatric intensivist specialty. We discuss how the pandemic has impacted her work, affected the medical field more broadly, and potentially changed practices for good. 

The Horsemen are back and better than ever. This week, we take on vaccines and geopolitics. We discuss whether colleges like Furman should require the COVID-19 vaccines, assess the United States' vaccine rollout so far, and look at what's going on with the rest of the world regarding the pandemic. We also ponder whether the United States, the EU, and our allies should approach China as a rival, partner, or both. 

Nate Hochman is a senior at Colorado College studying political philosophy. He is also an accomplished writer, with work published in City Journal, National Review, and The Spectator USA. This week, he joins the crew to discuss the liberal arts' last stand. We ask what liberal education is, examine how it is under attack, and think about what can be done to save it. 

Anna Sugg has worked at the intersection of politics and media ever since she graduated from Furman University in 2012. This week, she joins the crew to share her experiences and discuss how the media has changed over the past decade. We explore the undercurrents that were changing the media long before the 2016 election and examine how Trump's presidency accelerated some of those trends. 

Andy Lewis, Lead Teaching Pastor at Mitchell Road PCA, joins the show to discuss the state of the white evangelical church, the division his congregation faced during the BLM protests and 2020 election, and how the church has a mission much greater than any political party.

The Horsemen are back and better than ever. This week, we take on culture. We discuss whether a liberal spirit really dominates American institutions, if the left is simply better at "culture" than the right, why some attempts at conservative culture make us cringe, and what good conservative culture might actually look like.

China expert Dr. Kate Kaup joins the crew to discuss China and its role in the world. We cover how the Chinese Communist Party treats ethnic minorities, the Middle Kingdom mentality and China's geopolitical ambitions, and the future of US-China relations.

The crew takes a break from politics to discuss the challenges COVID-19 has created for campus communities around the country. We reflect on the unique difficulties that the class of 2021 will experience in transitioning into the world after college and ask what leaders can learn about liberal education from our current moment. 

"The Horsemen'' in reference to Revelation, is a new mini-series that features four Paladins past & present who are interested in politics and attempting to make sense of our current moment, which seems semi-apocalyptic far too often. This week, the focus was on impeachment, polarization, America’s institutions, and what we can about our current predicament.

Rev. J.P. Sibley is a Furman alum and church planter in his hometown, Orangeburg, SC, with a deep passion for racial reconciliation and unity in the church. He joins the crew to discuss how institutions-- like the Presbyterian Church in America and Furman University--can and should grapple with racism in the past and present. 

The crew is joined by State Department veteran Larry Richter. We discuss how the US posture and position on the world stage has evolved over Larry's 30+ year career, how the China challenge informs US policy, and how the State Department facilitates US foreign policy and protects American interests.

Price St. Clair, Opinions Editor for The Paladin Newspaper and Host of the brand new Red, White, Blue, & Purple Podcast which examines politics and policy from a Furman perspective, joins the crew to discuss his new show, COVID-19 policy on campus this spring, and how the Furman community should address political polarization in the student body.

We invite Sam Whitley from the Coalition for Good Governance to return to the podcast and reflect on how the Georgia senatorial elections turned out earlier this month. We discuss the details of election integrity in Georgia, the dynamics that led to a Democratic victory, and what actions are needed to reestablish bipartisan faith in the electoral system.

The crew sits down with Associate Vice President for Student Life and Furman's COVID-19 czar, Jason Cassidy, for a conversation on how the administration is adjusting its policies to meet the challenges of a new semester. We discuss Furman's plan for students to return to campus, how new metrics will allow for more policy flexibility, solving the all-important problem of quarantine space, and (of course) vaccines. 

In the wake of yesterday's riots on Capitol Hill, the crew is joined by Former Democratic Congressman, Dan Lipinski, who served eight terms as the U.S. Representative for Illinois' 3rd congressional district, and Professor Danielle Vinson, who teaches Politics and International Affairs at Furman.  We discuss the state of democracy in America today and the underlying causes of the current moment's chaos. We also, in earnest, discuss how things might change for the better, and what role the Furman community might play in that process.

Dr. Nelsen and I break down what we learned from the fall and what we are looking forward to this spring. We cover everything from campus and COVID-19 to Trump and China. It is a great conversation. Thanks for listening. We will be back in the new year with more!

Today, Georgia politics is American politics. With that in mind, this week Sam Whitley, a research analyst at the Coalition for Good Governance (CGG), joins the show. CGG has been advocating for better election security in Georgia since 2018. Over the past two years, and especially in the last few weeks, the politics of election security has changed dramatically, but Sam and the CGG's message has remained consistent and clear: Georgia needs a better, more secure election system.

Nick Consonery '05 is the Director of Global Markets Research at Eurasia Group, the premier political risk advisory firm in the world. He joins the show to discuss the recent election, upcoming runoffs in Georgia, and US-China relations in a Biden administration.  *apologies in advance for background noise*      

The ZoomUni Crew looks back and reflects on a fall semester that tested the Furman community. We discuss what we learned, where we failed, where we succeeded, and what that means for the future.

John Bleed ('17), a Senior Policy Advisor at the Confederation of British Industry and an avid fan of the US Men's National soccer team, joins the show for a lively discussion about the 2020 election, American institutions, party realignment, and the prospect for a new generation of gifted youngsters to lift American men's soccer to new heights.

Bob Inglis, former Republican Congressman from South Carolina's 4th District, joins the show to say, "I want my party back!" We discuss the election, what comes next, and the future of the Republican party after Trump.     

Kevin Sanders, a Politics & International Affairs major at Furman, and Caleb Roberson, President of the Furman Conservative Society, join the show to discuss the upcoming election. Featuring views from all sides of the political aisle, this episode highlights that while people disagree about politics, they can still find common ground.

Alex Stubb has been Prime Minister of Finland, Vice President of the European Investment Bank, and a candidate for President of the European Commission. Today, he is the Director of the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.  This week, Alex joins the crew to discuss the way higher education has responded to COVID-19 in Europe, how Brussels views the upcoming US elections, and where Europe stands geopolitically in a post-COVID-19 world.

Dr. Nelsen and I are joined by Furman Politics & International Affairs professors Dr. Jim Guth and Dr. Brittany Arsiniega for a lively discussion about the Supreme Court, ACB's nomination, and the challenges facing American institutions. 

A deep dive into the social, cultural, and political climate surrounding discussions of racial justice at Furman.  We sit down with junior Asha Marie, one of Furman's most prominent student leaders on issues of diversity and inclusion, to discuss how Furman is addressing its past and what that means for current students. 

What does the future of study away look like? Will it ever be the same? These are the questions we are taking on this week with the Director and Assistant Director of Furman’s Study Away Center, Nancy Georgiev and Ben Efrid respectively, as well as the Executive US Director of EPA Internships, a company that helps facilitate students study abroad experiences in Europe. 

College students are loud on social media and in the streets, but will they vote? It is a campus question, but it could have huge consequences for the November election. The crew sits down with Furman Politics & International Affairs professor, Dr. David Fleming, to discuss the Dins Vote organization, a student group that promotes and facilitates student voting on campus each election season.  Next, we make a stop in Ann Arbor with Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Daily (the University of Michigan's student newspaper), Lizzie Lawrence, to discuss student voting in a swing state and the political climate on campus this fall.

We sit down with Anthony Herrera, the Founding Executive Director of Furman Innovation and Entrepreneurship, to discuss how COVID-19 disrupted the college business model and what higher education needs to be doing right now to get ready for a turbulent future. 

Thursday, Sept. 3, Furman announced mandatory tests for all students on-campus after off-campus parties led to an outbreak with a nearly 60% positivity rate. The next day, Friday, Sept. 4, the University tested 1,254 students and on Monday, Sept. 7 announced that a total of three students tested positive for COVID-19, for a positivity rate of 0.24%. Sophomores and Juniors are slated to come back this weekend. We welcome all of the good news, but the question remains, where do we go from here? 

In this episode we sit down with leaders from Furman University and Howard University to discuss how racial justice is taking shape on campus this fall and explore the differences between PWIs (predominantly white institutions) and HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities).

Check out this special episode of ZoomUni where we check in with Furman's neighbor, Bob Jones University, a Christian, liberal arts school.  In this brief interview, we explore how Bob Jones has responded to COVID-19 and how its unique campus culture has affected its approach.   

Early Aug. 27, Furman announced that the administration placed 53 students in quarantine due to potential exposure from parties at the former Kappa Alpha Fraternity house over the weekend of Aug. 22. In light of the announcement, we sit down with Connie Carson, Furman's VP for Student Life, to discuss the implications of these events for the fall semester, the capacity of students to adapt and change their behavior, and the administration's commitment to keeping students on campus.   

As usual, Greek Life today finds itself at the crossroads of several major issues on campus. From the abolish Greek life movement and calls for racial justice to COVID-19 response, fraternities and sororities around the country have found themselves once again at the center of controversy on campus.  In this episode, we sit down with my younger brother, Ian Myers, a Sigma Nu at Northwestern University, Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Griesbach and Photo Editor Hannah Saad from the University of Alabama's "The Crimson White," and finally Luke Allcock, Furman's former IFC President to discuss all things Greek.  

Quick check-in with Furman QB Hamp Sisson to touch base on how the football team and other fall athletes are responding to the SOCON's decision to cancel fall sports.

The threat of COVID-19 on campus may cause conferences around the country to cancel college athletics this fall. We sit down with Furman QB Hamp Sisson and guard Alex Hunter to discuss how they are approaching their upcoming seasons. Plus, we check in with Jack West, Editor in Chief of the Auburn Plainsman, to learn a bit more about where Auburn and the SEC stand on football this fall. 

COVID-19 response and coming back to campus safely this fall with Furman University's Dr. Jason Cassidy and Dr. John Wheeler.