Airing This Month

Romans in Iraq: Is History Repeating Itself? (Apr. 29 - May 5)

In 114 AD, the Roman Empire invaded the land of Parthia , the area where Iraq is now situated. After an easy victory, the Roman were soon immersed in fighting an insurgency they had not prepared for. Historian Rose Mary Sheldon (VMI) says there are lessons we can learn.

Also: The study of the Arabic language is one of the fastest growing disciplines in higher education today. Arabic studies Professor Khadija Bentouhami (VMI) and Cadet Brian Kerrebrock, who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq , talk about the cultural meanings of words in Arabic that may not be easily translatable into English.

 

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Sudoku: The Puzzle That Ate The World (May 6-12)

Dubbed the crack-cocaine of puzzles, sudoku has taken the world by storm in just a few short years. The grid-based numbers puzzle has clearly reached cultural critical mass with the publication of Sudoku for Dummies. Mathematician Laura Taalman (JMU) is obsessed by sudoku which she describes as “muggle math.” It doesn’t take arithmetic to solve the puzzles, but it does take logic…and a lot of patience.

Also: psychologist Andrew Velkey (CNU) describes the foraging behavior of men and women drivers searching for parking spaces. There are the “perchers” and then there are the “soarers.”

To print a Soduko puzzle, click here!

Edgeless Cities (May 13-19)

The Virginia legislature is currently deadlocked over how to address the transportation crisis in the Commonwealth. Urban planner Robert Lang (VT) says it’s time to re-frame our thinking about cities and suburban sprawl and proposes we integrate massive geographic areas that have common transportation and economic issues in order to better address future growth issues. He’s dubbed these “Megapolitan Areas.”

Also: we’ll explore the pros and cons of controversial wind turbines in rural Virginia and elsewhere with two scientists, Rick Webb (UVa) and Jonathan Miles (JMU).

The Crooked Road (May 20-26)

“The Crooked Road” is Virginia’s Musical Heritage Trail. It runs from the Eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the coalfields of deep Southwest Virginia and seeks to honor and celebrate the old-time bluegrass and mountain gospel music. Jon Lohman (Virginia Folklife Program) will play CD recordings and offer commentary about some of the Commonwealth’s newest and most talented tradition bearers.

Also: Cooking, quilting, and church-going are just some of the everyday activities that women in Appalachia use to teach literacy to their children Amy Clark (UVa-Wise) says just because this education doesn’t take place in the classroom, doesn’t mean it has less value.

To buy the CDs featured on today's show, visit the online VFH store.

When Bad Things Happen to Good Companies (May 27 - June 2)

Most executives worth their year-end bonuses can manage a company through a crisis. But how many can transform a threat to the organization and make it an opportunity to become stronger? This is the essence of crisis leadership. Business professor Erika James (Batten Institute, UVa) and Center for Crisis Leadership President Larry Smith (Batten Institute Fellow, UVa) argue that managing a crisis is more than just damage control. They offer scenarios where effective leaders anticipate crises and develop thoughtful responses to them.