Current Programs / Broadcast Times / Show Archive / Contact us

September 2003

First Week (September 6 through September 12) Alternative Health is a Healthy Alternative

Twenty years ago, seeking health care through acupuncture, meditation or another alternative therapy would have been almost unheard of in the United States. These days, it's a big business and Americans spend billions of dollars on therapies such as Reiki, osteopathy and homeopathy. Alternative therapies are becoming complementary therapies. Ellen Birx (RU) is the author of Healing Zen: Awakening to a Life of Wholeness and Compassion While Caring for Yourself and Others. Nursing instructor Ginny Weisz (RU) is a Reiki master who teaches courses on alternative therapies. Mary Ann Noble (GMU) says it is important to be aware of the potential for fraud.

Second Week (September 13 through September 19) Violence and Forgiveness

Is it possible to forgive someone who has committed evil acts against you? Many people who study conflict resolution say forgiveness is the key to repairing a fractured society. But, will Palestinians and Israelis ever forgive each other for a decades-long history of aggression and violence? And what about injuries done inside of a marriage? Marc Gopin (GMU) and Everett Worthington (VCU) discuss what's required for people to forgive. Also featured: What is the nature of violence? Many scholars are beginning to dissect what it means to be violent, and how to overcome its powerful effects. Roberta Culbertson is the director of the Institute on Violence and Survival at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Third Week (September 20 through September 26) The Masters of Jazz

Jazz is the true American art form, an amalgam of African American blues, ragtime, and marching band music. When it came together in New Orleans more than a hundred years ago, jazz broke from the western tradition of writing music down on paper before performing it. Performers like Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and John Coltrane blew out music in their own style. Bill Brown (CNU) and Jeff Decker (UVA) are performers and professors of music. Tune in for their delightful demonstration of some of the signature techniques of the masters of jazz. Also featured: Tammie Willis recently received her master's in music composition from Virginia Commonwealth University, despite being profoundly deaf. Bill Eldridge (VCU) is one of her instructors.

Fourth Week (September 27 through October 3) Race and Admissions

In 1935, Alice Jackson Stuart was the first African American to apply to the University of Virginia. When she was denied admission., she questioned the decision and the NAACP threatened a lawsuit which led to the creation of a separate graduate school for blacks at Virginia State University. It took until 1950 for a black person to be admitted to UVa, and today Stuart's papers are being donated to the school's library. In the sixties, many public schools initiated affirmative action programs to boost minority enrollment. Are these programs still necessary? Hayward Farrar (VT) and Peter Wallenstein (VT) discuss how the nation's higher education system was desegregated.

For listings of past shows visit the WGR Archive