JD is out next week, so we dug into the archives to re-air some of our favorite recent shows. Have a great week!
MONDAY: Magazine
Its been one year since Lourdes Garcia Navarro reported from the uprising in Libya. We’ll talk with NPR’s Middle East Correspondent about her dangerous life of a correspondent in conflict zones. We’ll also hear from Gene Likens – an environmental pioneer who led research into acid rain that resulted in policy change in the 1980s. Now, he’s talking climate change – and we’ll talk with Gregory Tate – the artistic director of Hartford’s Hartbeat Ensemble is battling lung cancer – and blogging about it.
TUESDAY: Scraping the Sky (rebroadcast)
A hundred years ago,the tallest building in the world was 700 feet. Today, the record is2,000 feet taller than that…and this trend isn’t slowing down. Skyscrapers have gone from being merely “tall” to “supertall.” Seven of the world’s ten tallest skyscrapers were built since the turn of the millennium. The tallest building in Connecticut isHartford’s City Place, which is tiny by the world’s standards. Today, we talk about building, working and living in these buildings that seem more like space scrapers than skyscrapers. We’ll be joined by Kate Ascher…she wrote The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper. She explores these “cathedrals of commerce,” which have become more than just office buildings. We’ll also hear from New Haven based architect César Pelli. He designed the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, which were the tallest buildings in the world…for six years.
WEDNESDAY: Adult Ed for Teens (rebroadcast)
Thousands of teens are leaving traditional high school in Connecticut and opting for adult education programs instead. These programs have more flexible hours and fewer requirements for graduation, allowing students – in some cases – to finish school more quickly. But there are complicated reasons why some teens are taking this opportunity. One is that some low-performing students – or those with troubled pasts – are being “pushed out” of the traditional school system…and there aren’t always spaces in “alternative” schools. Today, where we live, we’ll follow up on our WNPR series about kids who are leaving the school system, but not necessarily “dropping out”. We’ll talk about a report that shined light on a population of “invisible students.” And, we’ll take a look at what kind of education teens are getting when they opt for classes meant for adults. Are they getting the same opportunities as their peers? We’ll also look at a new, national model for adult ed.
THURSDAY: Labeling Blacks in the Media (rebroadcast)
The media perception of African-Americans has shifted dramatically since the 18th century. That’s what Southern Connecticut State University professor Frank Harris found out in his latest research. He looked at old editions of The Hartford Courant and saw an evolution of labels…from “Negro” to “Colored” to “Afro-American” to “African-American.” But has the tone of the coverage evolved with the changing names? Today, where we live, we’ll talk with Professor Harris, along with Connecticut College history professor David Canton, and Carole Bell will join us to discuss blacks and contemporary media.
FRIDAY: Where We Live Alone (rebroadcast)
In the 1950s, less than a quarter of American adults were single. Today – that number is up to about half. But when we say “single” – we mean not part of a couple. A different – and slightly antique-sounding term – “singleton” means people who live by themselves. That number is up to some 31 million Americans. Eric Klinenberg’s new book Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone explores the phenomenon that has taken root across the country – but has special attraction in cities like New York. We’ll talk about why more people are choosing to live by themselves – and what that means for the way we all live, work and play. Are you happy living alone? Or is it not all that it’s cracked up to be?
