The Humanities District

Book Talk with Jennifer Murvin

Today we welcome Jennifer Murvin back to the podcast. Jennifer is assistant professor of English at Missouri State and owner of Pagination Bookshop in Springfield. The shop is celebrating its 5th birthday this year! We talk about highs and lows from the past 5 years and look to the future.

The Community Focus Report with Jonathan Groves

Today's guest is Dr. Jonathan Groves, Professor of Communication and Department Chair of Communication at Drury University. In today's conversation we talk about Jonathan's class, "Communication and Civic Engagement." We talk about the Community Focus Report, which Jonathan has facilitated since 2016. And we talk about KDRU, Springfield's community radio, live from Drury University. The Humanities District is a podcast about creativity and community. Host Jay Howard talks to academics a...

Post-Truth Truth with Heather Walters

What is a pedagogy of truth? Read a transcript of this episode on Substack here. Heather Walters is a senior instructor of Communication. Today we talk about two of her books: Understanding Argumentation in a Post-Truth World, and Communication Ethics: Promoting Truth, Responsibility, and Civil Discourse in a Polarized Age.

How a serial plagiarist tried to sneak into Moon City Review

Stop the presses! A conversation with professor Mike Czyzniejewski. Read a transcript of this episode on Substack here. Our topic today: The ongoing plagiarism scandal that hit literary magazines around the country. To learn more, I spoke with Professor Mike Czyzniejewski, editor of Moon City Review, Missouri State’s literary journal. Mike is a returning champion on the podcast: We spoke about Moon City Review back in March 2022. Mike teaches a Small Press Production class which focuses o...

The Dark Archives with Tracie Gieselman France

Episode transcripts are now available on Substack! Tracie Gieselman France is an archivist at Meyer Library University Archives and Special Collections. In this conversation, Tracie sheds light on the marvelous surprises that await you in the university archives. We also discuss the book "Creating Family Archives: A Step-by-Step Guide to Saving Your Memories for Future Generations" by Margot Note. To view the collections online, check out the special collections website. And for more fr...

A message from Jay

Here's the link to the Jay's Podcast Feedback Survey! --> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeDtxohoFTQvqiXqTUYtd_4jK0dTX7yUt3p6sixE3ByJW5HDQ/viewform?usp=sf_link ~ ~ ~ We did it! 16 episodes in a 16 week semester. Woot woot! Happy finals week, happy holidays, and merry end of the semester! I'll be taking a production break over Christmas, and I'll be re-branding the podcast again in the Spring as I continue to refine the show's focus. Please take the survey and share your though...

Best SGF Restaurants of 2023 – food writing with Tessa Cooper

Tessa Cooper is a freelance lifestyle writer. Her work appears in places such as 417 Magazine (Sign up for Tessa’s Table Talk Newsletter!), Apartment Therapy, and The Spruce⁠. Tessa and I discussed our top picks for our favorite categories on 417 Magazine’s annual “Best of” ballot. – Everything from best patio, to best sandwich, to best cocktail. Do you agree with my and Tessa’s picks? Tessa is 2016 Missouri State graduate who studied Public Relations and Design, is my guest for episode 15...

Maybe Scar was the good guy? – Talking History with Dr. Djene Bajalan

Introducing Dr. Bajalan Dr. Djene Bajalan is associate professor of history at Missouri State University. ~ Talking History Djene is co-host of Talking History, a radio program and podcast created by KSMU. Each month, Dr. Bajalan and Patrick Needham speak with historians and scholars about the ideas, people, and events that have shaped our world. (https://www.ksmu.org/podcast/talking-history). You can hear the program on the radio on Thursdays, or tune in on the website to hear the radi...

The Everything Bagel Beat - Trending Topics with Greta Cross

Today’s guest is Greta Cross, 2023 Missouri Press Association Young Journalist of the Year. A graduate of MSU’s journalism program, Greta was the editor-in-chief of the Standard during her time at Missouri State, and is now the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. In today’s conversation we talk about how trending topics is the everything bagel beat, and we talk about the “strange, weird, glorious place” that is Springfield, Missouri. Greta is currently developing a 5 e...

Behind the Bylines - Making the News(paper) with Jack Dimond

Today’s guest is Jack Diamond, senior instructor in the CMJF department and advisor of the student newspaper, the Standard.  Check out the Standard’s website here --> https://www.the-standard.org/ Note especially their email newsletter. They also have student-run podcasts! Jack and I discuss: A student newspaper’s role in campus community. The impact of COVID on campus and on the Standard, The history of Standard and how its operations have changed over time, The now-defunct MSU reade...

American Horror Story - Joel Coltharp

Happy Halloween! In honor of spooky season, our topic today is horror. American horror fiction, that is! ENG 355 is a variable topics class in the English department, and it's one of the classes taught by today's guest - Joel Coltharp, instructor in the English Department at Missouri State University. We talk about gothic horror, weird horror, cosmic horror, monsters, body horror, psychological horror, supernatural horror, and much more. Joel is also the fiction editor at Moon City Review...

Me and Karma Vibe like That - Dr. Stephen Berkwitz

Dr. Stephen Berkwitz is department head of the Languages, Cultures and Religions at Missouri State. He is also an expert in religious studies with a special focus on South Asian religions. He teaches classes including Buddhism, Yoga and Meditation, and Theories of Religion – a class he developed. We talk about comparative religion, Buddhism, and the Four Noble Truths. I pose questions on religious topics ranging from jet skis to beer styles, and Stephen deftly addresses them all. As a Buddh...

The Difference Between a Passion and a Hobby - Filmmaking with Jon Mabee

To those of you listening from the MSU campus community, happy Midterm!! We have Thursday and Friday off this week for Fall Break. The podcast will be taking time off for fall break too, so we’ll be back Monday the 23rd with a brand new conversation. This week my guest is Jon Mabee, Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film. Jon’s many classes include Fundamentals Media Production, Principles of Cinematography, and special topics classes including Ad...

A Framework for Equitable and Inclusive Teaching - Dr. Amy Knowles

Today’s guest is Dr. Amy Knowles, assistant clinical professor in the department of English and the interim director of English education. Amy works with preservice teachers, which are students studying education in a content area, in this case English Language Arts, who have degree requirements that include practicums and student teaching that they must meet in order to be certified. I ask Amy what sort of challenges PSTs face and how they learn to navigate them. Amy and I talk about the ...

Kings, Queens, and Nation States: Chess Club and Political Science with Nick Beatty

Nick Beatty is an instructor and academic advisor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. In today's episode, Nick and I chat about two central topics: political science (from international relations to political efficacy) and chess club (from chess strategy to chess scholarships). In the episode intro, I mention a bunch of upcoming things. Here are the links to those things: MSU Public Affairs Conference schedule. I mention the upcoming virtual panel plenary session with D...

Artificial Intelligence Goes to School - Stacy Rice

Stacy Rice is Senior Instructional Designer in the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning (FCTL) at Missouri State University. On January 18, 2023, the FCTL blog posted a piece by Stacy about artificial intelligence and its role in education: ⁠FCTL Blog post: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Its Impact on the Classroom⁠ Stacy's post was the first of its kind that I found. At the time, I had only just discovered ChatbotGPT, and I wondered whether my students were using it or not. Today, ...

Updates from the Dean - Fall 2023 Edition

It's such a joy to speak with Dr. Shawn Wahl, the Dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. Jay Howard and Dean Wahl talk about Tent Theater, the John Goodman Amphitheater, The Reynolds Scholarship, the completion of the Grant Street Underpass, upcoming college celebrations, the new college's footprint on campus and throughout the community, marching band, and the recent announcement of the largest one-time gift in Missouri State history to support the constructio...

Cinephile, Collector, and Content Creator: Keeping up with Nathan Jones.

Who is the film person in your life? Personally, I know a bunch of film buffs, but only one of them has a Youtube channel! This week I talk to Nathan Jones about his Youtube journey. Nathan currently has 3.27K subscribers on Youtube and 550 videos on his channel. In my book, that's a pretty big deal. He's collected more than 4,000 Blu-Rays---around 1,200 of which he hasn't yet seen. Specifically Blu-Rays with Nathan Jones https://www.youtube.com/@blu-rayswithnathanjones Nathan is an RCAS...

The Springfield Way - Dr. Alan Tinkler

Dr. Alan Tinkler is an associate professor and assistant department head in the Department of English at Missouri State University. We talk about a new summer internship program called The Springfield Way. The Springfield Way is a paid summer internship program. Summer 2023 was its first run. There were 14 students who each did 100 hours of service with a community partner using skills that are specific to the students discipline. The internships were designed by the community partners to ...

Sisyphus Lives - Dr. William Harwood

Dr. William Harwood is an assistant professor of philosophy at Missouri State University. We talk about data ethics, the trolley problem, and much more. The trolley problem stuff starts at around 1:02:10 in the episode. Thoughts on this episode? Weigh in on Facebook! --> https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094909736350&mibextid=ZbWKwL Do you have an idea about who/what we should feature on an upcoming episode? Contact Jay at [email protected]

Making CASH Podcast Trailer

Welcome to Making CASH. We're coming back from the summer hiatus with a new name and a new look. When the semester starts, new episodes will drop weekly on Mondays (instead of monthly like before.) Making CASH is an independent podcast. This podcast started in 2021 under the name "RCOAL Conversations." Today, the podcast's mission remains the same: To bring you fascinating conversations with professors, graduates, and community members working in the Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities.

Academic Realignment, Part 2

The podcast relaunch survey: https://forms.gle/pjDo3DdPnWyGjh7QA The town hall: https://youtu.be/OzdyPIlLEww Well, we knew academic realignment was coming, and now that it's here, Dean Wahl stops by the podcast to break it all down.

Shawn Wahl: Academic Realignment

Dr. Wahl explains the academic realignment processes that are currently underway at Missouri State University. We chat about data collection, the blending of colleges, and beyond. Programs and timelines and Bears, oh my!

Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk: U-Turn in Education

Dr. Elizabeth Dudash-Buskirk is Associate Professor in Communication. We talk about an organization called U-Turn in Education which is against the banning of books. Conversation condensed. Got an idea for an episode? Let me know! Season 3 planning is now in progress.

Sarah Wilcoxon: Humanities, Vol. 2

Sarah is an associate professor of dance at MSU. We chat about her involvement in Humanities, volume 2: an exhibit at the Springfield Art Museum. We also talk about the Spring Dance Concert, and this episode features a shout-out from the COM department about the Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase. SGF Art Museum: https://sgfmuseum.org/266/Humanities-Vol-2

Deidre Argyle: Sculpture Walk Springfield

Deidre is associate professor of sculpture at MSU and is on the board of Sculpture Walk Springfield. Deidre's website: It Is What It Was Sculpture Walk Sign up for "Visiting Artists, Designers and Scholars Series: Public Sculpture Symposium: Concept, Material and Placemaking"

Shannon Wooden: Public Affairs Conference

Dr. Wooden is a professor in the department of English, literature program coordinator, disability studies coordinator, and the current provost fellow for public affairs. The public affairs conference is Sept 20-22!

Shawn Wahl: Highlights from the Dean

Dr. Wahl reflects on the summer and highlights exciting events coming in the fall 2022 semester. Go Bears! ~ RCOAL Conversations Shoutout: 2022 Recognition of Institutional Excellence in Media https://beaweb.org/festival/2022-school-rankings/

Joy Millana: Color Theory

Joy is a filmmaker, producer, and assistant professor in the department of Media, Journalism, and Film. She teaches many classes including color theory. Have you ever wondered how a film gets national distribution? Wonder no more! Joy answers this question and many others from her own experience.

President Clif Smart: Showcase Sensations

Missouri State University President Clif Smart talks to Megan Grissom about the job of a university president, why communication skills are important for professionals in all occupations, and more. This is a re-broadcast of episode 3 of Showcase Sensations, a podcast by MSU student and COM major Megan Grissom. You can find Megan's awesome podcast here: anchor.fm/vspss

Deana Butcher: Public Speaking Showcase

Deana and I discuss the Vicki Stanton Public Speaking Showcase! We also talk about project based learning, Effective Listening, and Leadership in Practice.

Emlyn Johnson: Arts in the Community

Emlyn is a flutist, composer, and an instructor in the department of music. We talk about her class, Arts in the Community, as well as many other exciting projects. ~ Video of Adaptation Variations by Takuma Itoh, from American Wild Ensemble's Hawaii 2020 program https://youtu.be/MWrxzasGjMc ~ Video of Pezzettino by Daniel Pesca, performed by Emlyn Johnson and Daniel Ketter. https://youtu.be/d3e3uQOLFNk ~ Emlyn also co-hosts "The New Music Listening Club" podcast. https://www.newmusi...

Mike Czyzniejewski: Moon City Review

Mike is associate professor in the department of English at Missouri State. He's the editor of Moon City Review, the coordinator of the creative writing program, and a darn fine storyteller.

Kyle Thomas: Laboratory Theatre Company

Dr. Thomas discusses MSU's student-led theatre company and how anyone can get involved. We talk about medieval drama and compare notes on the book/recent HBO series, Station Eleven. The Teaching Drama Podcast The Theatre History Professor YouTube  Twitter

Azaria Hogans: kNOwBOX dance

Azaria is assistant professor of dance at MSU. We discuss the digital dance company of which she is a part as well as the best places to find dance in Springfield and beyond.

Holly Holladay: The Judy Awards

Dr. Holladay discusses the Judy Awards, 'ungrading,' and media analysis and criticism. We discover we're both Ted Lasso fans.

Shawn Wahl: Highlights from the Dean 2022

Jay and Shawn celebrate year two of the podcast and look forward to great things to come in RCOAL in 2022.

Kristin Harper: The Heroic Quest

Dr. Harper has created a Study Collection of replica artifacts using a curriculum innovation mini-grant to bring the ancient past to life.

Michael Frizell: The Bear CLAW

Michael discusses the history of the Center for Learning and Writing. We discuss the power of having a daily writing practice, and we discuss Michael's authorship of graphic novels.

Deb Larson: Reality TV

Dr. Larson takes us behind the scenes of the award winning reality TV show "Show-Me Chefs," the upcoming escape-room themed reality show "Co-Op," and other productions that she and her students have worked on.

Meg Wagler: MIDxMIDWST Mural Festival

Meg discusses the new arts and culture festival coming to downtown Springfield.

Stephen Spates: The Bear Cave

Dr. Spates discusses some of his classes, including organizational communication, communication strategies for recruitment in organizations, communication and diversity in the workplace, and many more! (Also, we mention the fuse podcast in our conversation, on which Dr. Spates was a guest. Shoutout to fuseconversations.org/podcast)

Shawn Wahl: End of Semester Updates

Here are the links from today's conversation: missouristate.edu/developingplan/ and tenttheatre.missouristate.edu/schedule.htm

Antoinette Barffour: French Film Festival

Antoinette shares the story behind bringing the Tournées film festival to Missouri State. Shawn shares updates.

Lisa Brescia: 'Working' the Musical

Lisa shares her Broadway experience and expertise with students in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Lisa Brescia: Directing the Musical 'Working'

Lisa shares her Broadway experience and expertise with students in the Department of Theatre and Dance.

Shauna Smith: Slow Viewing

Facilitated by Shauna Smith, Slow Viewing is a practice of collaborative interpretation taking place in Brick City Galleries.

Jen Murvin: Pagination Bookshop

Jen talks about the connections between Pagination and the college, and Shawn discusses the phenomenon of anticipated grieving.

Making CASH (Trailer)

The Humanities District (Trailer)