2025 is here! And with the new year, comes new changes for Brain Waves. The show now airs only on Mondays from 4-5 PM to allow for TWO Initiative Spotlights a month.
And though the cold still hasn’t died down, Brain Waves has been heating up for the last three months. Here’s the highlights from November, December, and January:
Geography in Pop Culture
Zaiah discusses the relationship between film and popular geography concepts. Plus, why settings are so important when it comes to filmmaking!
Climate & Necropolitics
Zaiah dives deep into the science of climate change, what necropolitics is, and how these two concepts relate.
Bluegrass & Environmental Studies w/ Tripp Sponseller
Senior Tripp Sponseller, President of the Bluegrass Music Club at USC, talks about the genre’s revitalization in recent years and more on his environmental studies.
Initiative Spotlight #3: RA’s and RHA w/ Dan Colascione
Director of Residence Life, Dan Colascione, talks USC Next and the culture he’s building with his RA’s. Plus, the importance of the Residence Hall Association for residents!
Learn more about USC Next here!
Geographic Information Systems
Zaiah geeks out about GIS software and it’s varied uses in supply chain, conservation efforts, and more.
Oceanography w/ Audrey Harrison
Sophomore Audrey Harrison and Zaiah sit down and discuss the fascinating mysteries of the ocean and the importance of “place”.
Initiative Spotlight #4: Where Am I? w/ Michael Mewborne
Director of the South Carolina Geographic Alliance and PhD student Michael Mewborne discuss the importance of geography education in K-12 schools and the opportunities that the organization provides teachers. Also, a quick view into his graduate research on food trucks!
Learn more about the South Carolina Geographic Alliance here!
Initiative Spotlight #5: St. Pat’s in Five Points w/ Dave Britt
Chairman of the St. Pat’s in Five Points Festival, Dave Britt, talks about this year’s band line-up and all that goes into making Columbia’s biggest event of the year.
Learn more about the festival here!
Make sure to be on the lookout for the next Initiative Spotlight on February 10th and be sure to check out the official podcast on https://www.wusc.fm/page/brain-waves, in addition to all major streaming platforms.
Hi! I love music.