This has been an incredibly divisive year in the U.S., amid a contentious presidential election, and major global conflicts like the Israel/Hamas war, that has led to many protests across the country, including on college campuses this spring.
It can be difficult to have productive conversations about these complex issues, but one local university program is taking a proactive approach through open dialogue that they hope fosters understanding among their students.
At Kent State University, students are learning to be mediators in the School of Peace and Conflict, with the hope that they will spark real change in their communities by developing the skills to bring people together, even those they disagree with.
With college students now back in class, we'll start Thursday's "Sound of Ideas" by talking more about this program, and whether this approach is making students feel heard.
Later in this program, our "Get to NEO a Leader" gives us a chance to talk to mayors and city managers in communities large and small, about the places they lead. The idea is to help connect listeners to places they may know nothing about. Today, we'll meet the mayor of South Russell Village, a small community on the western edge of Geauga County, home to a little under 4,000 residents. The village is a mix of a rural and suburban community.
Later in this hour, we'll get to know some of Ideastream's summer interns, including our own intern who helped produced many segments for the "Sound of Ideas."
Guests:
-Neil Cooper, Ph.D., Director of The School of Peace and Conflict Studies, Kent State University
-Karen Cunningham, Professor of The School of Peace and Conflict Studies
-William Koons, Mayor, South Russell
-Nora Igelnik, Sound of Ideas Intern
-Graeme Grady, WCLV Intern
-Shatara Jordan, Digital Content Intern
