Episodes

Bob Hildreth on Student Debt

Over 44 million people in the US have student debt, according to the Federal Reserve. The class of 2017 owes, on average, nearly $30,000 in student loans, according to the Institute for College Access and Success. This kind of debt can be a huge weight on young college graduates. So what can you do when student loans are the "new normal"?

Dr. Bacevich and the Niebuhrian Critique of American Power

Professor Emeritus Andrew Bacevich, a veteran of the Vietnam and Gulf wars, has spent his academic career writing about American imperialism. He gave a well-regarded university lecture in 2007 about the "illusions of managing history," arguing for the contemporary relevance of 20th c. theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. In this episode we explore his career and intellectual evolution. He articulates a rather profound dissent to the employment of American military power, and discusses how Niebuhr's The Irony of American History impacted his worldview.

William McKeen on Hunter S. Thompson

William McKeen is the a professor of journalism and author of 7 books, one of which includes "Outlaw Journalist," a biography of gonzo journalism maverick Hunter S. Thompson. McKeen helps paint the broader picture of Hunter S. Thompson from his childhood, the beginning of his career, into his later years. Here he discusses not just who Hunter S. Thompson was to the world, how he contributed to literature and journalism, but who Hunter Thompson was to himself. We try to make sense of Thompson’s story, a rebel and lifelong political dissident, a walking contradiction—gun-toting, America-loving, yet fiercely, wildly on the side of liberal reform in the 60s and 70s.

Lawrence O'Donnell on the 1968 Election

Lawrence O'Donnell is the host of MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell and the author of the new book Playing With Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics. We speak with him about his book, the enduring relevance of that election and its effect upon modern day journalism. Mr. O'Donnell is also the author the 1983 book Deadly Force: The True Story of How a Badge Can Become a License to Kill, a writer and producer of the TV drama West Wing and former Capitol Hill aide to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

Brother Larry Part 2: Protestantization of Confucianism

In the first part of our conversation with Brother Larry, University Chaplain for Community Life, we discussed the phenomenon of protestantization. Here we look at the case study of Confucianism that he addresses in his work. First, we take you through a crash course on the development of its ideas. Then, we talk about how protestantization may change the tradition. We also briefly address other religious traditions in the latter part of this discussion.

Brother Larry Part 1: Protestantization

Lawrence Whitney, better known on campus as Brother Larry, is the University Chaplain for Community Life. His academic work is in comparative theology, focusing on Christianity and Confucianism. In this episode we discuss Protestantization, a phenomenon that affects non-native traditions within democratic-capitalist societies. This episode takes us through the historical development of Protestantism and Protestantization. Part II in the series will address the case study of Confucianism––first, we will look at its historical development in China and East Asia, then how it might change in a Protestant context.

A Veteran's Transformation: The Story of Steven J. Mandile

Steven J. Mandile is an Iraq war veteran who was injured at the age of 27. He came home with Traumatic Brain Injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a spinal cord injury. He couldn't find help in the army medical system, and the Veterans Administration prescribed him 57 drugs over 5 years, including 9 opiates. He found his way out when he found cannabis, which allowed him to get off powerful opiates like fentanyl.

This is story of transformation. Listen to hear how Mr. Mandile became an activist, sleeping outside of the State House and rallying communities to support legal cannabis. He has founded Veterans Alternative Healing Inc. and is working to make sure veterans and communities of color have access to the legal market, and access to the business side of the industry as well.

WBUR's Meghna Chakrabarti

Radio Boston host Meghna Chakrabarti's career has coincided with one of the most fast-paced periods of change in the journalism industry. She began her career in the years where the post-9/11 world took shape, and has since seen field transform as it adapts to new media. On this episode, we talk with her about making decisions in the modern newsroom, about how she discovered her craft, and how one can begin to make sense of the information landscape. We would like to extend a thank you Ms. Chakrabarti for sharing her time with us. We encourage you to tune in to 90.9 or go to WBUR's website to find Radio Boston and other programs.

BU's 30 Under 30: Me Too, Part 2

“BU’s 30 Under 30” is a Boston University bi-weekly podcast featuring a panel of the brightest Boston-area scholars under the age of thirty (30). Panelists represent a wide array of disciplines and specialties, and offer insightful, relevant, and in-depth analysis of current events, politics, education and community life within a 30-minute timeframe. Presented by the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and co-hosted by Kristal Castro and Julian Cook.

Foreign Aid as Enforcement Power

What do we get for our foreign aid money? Even the cynic can admit that some part of our foreign aid is given to ease human suffering, but we also must consider the power foreign aid projects over the recipient nation states and how it advances US national interests. We sat down with Professor Henry Pascoe, an american professor at IE (Instituto Empresa) in Madrid, to discuss his work on how foreign aid works as an informal enforcement mechanism for international counterterrorism treaties. We look at the logic of states entering these agreements and the strategies recipient and donor states employ to get what they want out of these interactions.

Just Cannabis Regulation

Legal cannabis is soon to come to Massachusetts, but ensuring the launch goes well is key to its success. We sat down with Dr. Marion McNabb (SPH '17) who started the Cannabis Community Care and Research Network (C3RN) to advocate on Beacon Hill and in municipalities around the state. We discuss her work, social disparities, research licenses, small cannabis businesses. opioid treatment and more.

BU's 30 Under 30: Me Too, Part 1

“BU’s 30 Under 30” is a Boston University bi-weekly podcast featuring a panel of the brightest Boston-area scholars under the age of thirty (30). Panelists represent a wide array of disciplines and specialties, and offer insightful, relevant, and in-depth analysis of current events, politics, education and community life within a 30-minute timeframe. Presented by the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground and co-hosted by Kristal Castro and Julian Cook.

Current Affairs Magazine Part 2

Part 2 of Patrick's talk with Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief of Current Affairs Magazine, a publication dedicated to staying true to "what actually affects people." Here, Nathan and Patrick discuss the shortcomings of other print media such as the New Yorker and the Economist, before venturing more broadly into the purposes and aims of writing (political or otherwise) in contemporary times.

Spanish Regional Nationalisms and Political Strategies — Part 2

This discussion is the second segment of an episode with Professor Oscar Martinez-Tapia Nebrija University and IE [Instituto Empresa] in Madrid. Here we move from regional nationalisms in Spain to a broader look at how populism is shaping western democracies, and how habits of life are changing with modernization. The episode drifts nicely from how the central Spanish government is dealing with Catalonia into a broad social commentary that sums up our time with professor Martinez-Tapia. Our thanks to him for his time.

Spanish Regional Nationalisms and Political Strategies — Part 1

We sit down with Professor Oscar Martinez-Tapia of Nebrija University and IE [Instituto Empresa] in Madrid to discuss his work on political party formation in two of Spain's autonomous regions––Basque Country, also referred to as País Vasco in the episode, and Catalunya. The discussion, geared towards American listeners, will trace the history of the nationalist sentiment and political party formation, then turn to the current strategies of nationalist politicians. It will look comparatively at the two cases. This is the first segment of our discussion with Professor Martinez, the latter of which will be published separately and look at populism in Spain more broadly.

Current Affairs Magazine Part 1

Part one of Patrick's phone call with Current Affairs magazine editor in chief Nathan J Robinson. Here they discuss the recent state of the media and the problems and responsibilities Nathan and Current Affairs are trying to solve in the portrayal of current events.

Washington DC Series — 9 Episodes

The capitol, more so than anywhere else, houses the widest array of people in different professions, with different areas of expertise and––most importantly––who have different worldviews. We hope to use that intellectual and experiential capital to generate thought-provoking content in a broad range of subject matter.

Experiential Education Part 2

A continuation from part 1. Erin sat down with Professor Hutch Hutchinson to dig deeper into experiential education. They focus on the history of summer camp and its role in breaking apart barriers - just the beginning of all that Hutch can discuss on outdoor education. Be prepared to be bewildered by him.

Experiential Education Part 1

After working with Professor Hutch Hutchinson during BU Orientation this summer, Kobe and Erin sat down with him to dig deep into experiential education. The Common Ground program, in which new students use GPS mapping to explore the city, visit historical sites, and get to know each other, is built upon these principles. Although one of the key components of experiential education is outdoor education, principles from summer camp, high ropes courses, backpacking trips, and outdoor teambuilding retreats are applicable in all settings, for all groups of people.

Peace Corps Adventures at Middle Age

Team members Erin and Patrick met Diane Gallagher, the Nursing Archivist at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center. We learned that not only did she serve in the Peace Corps in Cape Verde when she was 53, but won the Lillian Carter Award from President Jimmy Carter and has met with Michelle Obama.

Her book, Lure of Service (now on the shelves of the Howard Thurman Center), is an entertaining memoir of her time in Cape Verde - the projects she worked on, who she loved, and what she learned from the Cape Verdeans. A New York City native, Diane now is a host mother for Harvard's international student program and continues to be involved with the Peace Corps. We sat down and chatted about her beliefs on whining, grit, learning about other cultures, caring for people, humility, and what BU means when it says we need to be global citizens. We hope you enjoy her insight and jaw-dropping stories as much as we did.​

Nadeem Mazen and Community Politics

Nadeem Mazen is a two term city councilor in Cambridge, as well as an entrepreneur and community organizer. In this conversation we discuss issues of education and housing in Cambridge, along with civic engagement, money in politics and more. Due to a self-imposed term limit, he plans to leave the council after this term, but will continue working on community issues through JetPac Inc. a non-profit aimed to train and equip Muslims and people from other underrepresented communities to run for office.

LGBTQ Youth Homelessness

Erin and Kobe spoke with Mike DeSocio, COM '17, who published a photojournalism piece on LGBTQ youth homelessness for his Senior Keystone Project at BU. His story traces the path of Liniste, a trans youth in Boston who has had her share of encounters with both shelters and advocacy groups.

Student Labor Action Project

Thread members Mac and Varsha talked with Marwa Sayed and Matt Thacker about their revitalizing of SLAP, the Student Labor Action Project, which serves as a solidarity movement to support the workers at Boston University. They discuss the different groups and unions they've worked with, and how they're seeking to grow the group from here.

Chicago's History Episode 2: The Political Machine

Continuing our conversation with Reverend Julian Cook, we discuss the political machine of Chicago, and the political history behind former major Harold Washington and activist Jesse Jackson.

North Korea and Asia Pacific Security

Naomi Carolan, an undergraduate international relations student, has an extracurricular interest the North Korea. Matthias and Kobe sat down with her to discuss recent developments in the region and larger geopolitical issues as well.

Turkey's Referendum in Context

Dr. Houchang Chehabi, professor of international relations at BU, was in Turkey during the failed coup attempt last summer. We wanted to sit down with him after April 16th's referendum, in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan codified and consolidated dictatorial powers. We discuss Dr. Chehabi's experience in Turkey, the political trajectory of President Erdogan, and the international impact of this sea change in Turkish politics.

Chicago's History Episode 1: MLK and Civil Rights

Chicago has come up frequently in the national political conversation, mostly to serve as a negative example for everything that’s wrong with the country and society today. Matthias sat down with Reverend Julian Cook for the first episode of a series on Chicago’s history from 1966 to present day. This episode focuses on the social conditions that motivated MLK JR to take the Civil Rights movement to Chicago, the turbulence of the sixties, and Chicago as an economic hub amongst other things.

Confucianism Series, Episode 3: Dr. Bin Song (Continued)

A continuation from episode 2.

Dr. Bin Song is pursuing a second PhD in religious studies. He has a deep knowledge of the Confucian tradition, which we draw on for Parts 2 and 3 of this series. Here, we discuss the compatibility of Confucian values with Western societies, Confucianism in 20th C. China, and what Confucianism has to say about education.

Confucianism Series, Episode 2: Dr. Bin Song

Dr. Bin Song is pursuing a second PhD in religious studies. He has a deep knowledge of the Confucian tradition, which we draw on for Parts 2 and 3 of this series. Here, we discuss the compatibility of Confucian values with Western societies, Confucianism in 20th C. China, and what Confucianism has to say about education.

Confucianism Series, Episode 1: Boston Confucianism with Dr. Neville

Boston Confucianism, which argues for the applicability of Confucian values globally, rather than just in East Asia, is an intellectual movement pioneered by Dr. Robert Neville (former Dean of Marsh Chapel and the School of Theology; currently a professor of Philosophy, Religion and Theology at BU). Here, we discuss the inception of Boston Confucianism and the many potential points of contact between Confucianism and the west.

Edge of Activism

In a spontaneous moment, Mac, Matthias and Kobe find themselves in a room with some of today's biggest activists and ask them one important question. Then the activists take the mic. Spin this Thread to unwind their wisdom.

One BU Gala

We sat down with Luis Castro and Sophie Brandigham to discuss the One BU gala held this Saturday April 8th. Enclosed is a description of the event, we hope you enjoy the interview and attend the gala.

Bob Dylan

Team members Kobe and Evan sit down with literary scholar and BU professor Sir Christopher Ricks to discuss the works of Bob Dylan. They ask Sir Christopher Ricks about topics in his book, Dylan's Visions of Sin, and go into deep analysis of several of Dylan's songs. Bob Dylan is known for his socially-charged music of the 1960s, and notably was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016.

Beyond Vietnam

Today, on the 50th anniversary of MLK’s historic “Beyond Vietnam” address, The Common Thread podcast is re-releasing a segment of our very first episode. On April 4th of last year, we looked at the radicalism of MLK between 1965 and 1968. This segment concerns the context of the "Beyond Vietnam" speech, its content and its fallout.

If you’d like to listen to more of our MLK content beyond this segment, you can scroll down in our archive to the very first episode. The segment you hear here is from 22 to 35 minutes in.

Urban Planning in NYC

When considering major issues like housing affordability and gentrification, it is the challenge of the city planner to recognize the fine line between furthering economic development and preserving historically cultural and ethnic communities and institutions. On a trip to New York, fellow team member Varsha got to sit down with Purnima Kapur, the Executive Director of City Planning of New York City, where they discussed the city's current policy addressing these issues as well as other resolutions in resiliency and sustainability. Spin this thread to hear insights from the woman behind the development of one of the world's biggest cities.

French Presidential Election

On this episode we sit down with two Parisians to discuss the import of the upcoming French presidential election. Spin this Thread to learn about the candidates, the issues, and why this election is a major test for the post-WWII international order.

The Need and Potential for Conservative Climate Action

Recently, the Climate Leadership Council brought together some prominent establishment conservatives––including several former cabinet officials––to release a novel plan to combat climate change: "The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends". This prompted us to sit down with James Baldwin, a lecturer in the Earth and Environment Department at Boston University. We discuss his ongoing research, explore the range of possible outcomes for the species and analyze this plan in its political context.

Oscars Roundtable

Four Thread team members, Lucas, Varsha, Elliot and Kobe, sit down with Annalise Lamberty, a BU filmmaker, and Elliot Masters, an actor from Emerson, to break down this year's best picture nominees.

Summer in Palestine

This episode features a conversation with recent Boston University graduate Maya Gazhal, who shares his experiences and perspectives about spending a summer in Palestine as an activist, teacher and IT guy. Given how controversial and charged the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is, we approached this episode with the intent of understanding why one of our peers would go to Palestine and what he observed while he was there. We hope you find it interesting, as we did. The views articulated in this interview are those of the speaker and are not representative of the opinions of the Common Thread Podcast and Howard Thurman Center