Archive for March, 2005

Memory/7,000 Junipers/Dougherty

Thursday, March 24th, 2005

Memory: There’s something about spring, the sudden abundance of fragrances perhaps, that causes people to linger in the past. Experts believe that, of the five senses, the olfactory sense is most connected to memory. A traveling exhibition called “Memory” is on display at The Museum of Life and Science in Durham through May 1, 2005 and this Sunday night CNN will air a special called “On Memory.” Fayetteville electrical engineer and four-time U.S. Memoriad champion Scott Hagwood is featured on the CNN special. Hagwood joins host Melinda Penkava, Cecil Charles of the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke and Asheville-based novelist Tommy Hays for a discussion about memory — how it works, how we depend on it, and what happens when it slips away. Tommy Hays’ new book, “The Pleasure Was Mine” (St. Martin’s Press/2005) chronicles a husband’s attempt to care for his Alzheimers-stricken wife while creating new memories with his grandson. Listener Call-in. (40:00)

7000 Junipers: Five years ago on the first day of spring, volunteers got up at dawn to begin planting juniper seedlings in Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge. The planting was part of a project to create a natural art installation in the wildlife refuge, inspired by the works of German artist Joseph Beuys. This year, the last seedling was planted, and many of the original seedlings have grown into trees. Host Melinda Penkava talks with organizer Feather Phillips, executive director of Pocosin Arts, about what the project will eventually look like. (6:00)

Weekend Look Ahead: Earth Artist Patrick Dougherty joins host Melinda Penkava for a conversation about his current installation at the NC Museum of art in Raleigh. (10:00)

Memory
Weekend

Slush Funds/Hoops On Film

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005

Slush Funds: Leaders in the NC General Assembly, including House Speaker Jim Black, have used discretionary funding to pay for special projects in their districts. Host Melinda Penkava speaks with WUNC reporter Laura Leslie about the developing story. Other guests include: Mike Munger, professor of political science at Duke University; and Bob Orr, executive director of the North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law. Listener Call-In. (42:00)

Hoops On Film: With the NCAA Tournament on the minds of any self-respecting North Carolinian, host Melinda Penkava asks our resident movie expert Matt Pennachi about the best basketball films. His picks include He Got Game, Finding Forrester, and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Matt Pennachi is the director of operations at the Carolina Theatre in Durham. (17:30)

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Small Magazines

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2005

Magazine Industry: Media conglomerates continue to expand and local coverage is harder to find, but there is still one place where the little guy is holding his own: niche publishing. Host Melinda Penkava holds a roundtable discussion with the editors of four magazines based in North Carolina: Chris Phillips, editor and publisher of Backstreets; Jon Phillips, editor and co-founder of Bookmarks; Taj Forer, co-editor of Daylight; and Julie Bradford, editor of All About Beer. Listener call-in. (53:00)

Enforcing the Dresscode: Regular commentator Kenneth Dobyns describes the rather awkward position he is put in as a teacher in the Johnston County School system having to enforce the dress code. (6:00)

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Kudzu

Monday, March 21st, 2005

Melinda Penkava hosts a conversation on the origins, the eradication, and the celebration of kudzu, the rapidly growing weed that has captured the imagination of many people in the South. Guests include: David Orr, professor of entomology at NC State University; Doug Marlette, author of
the comic strip “Kudzu”; Jean Marie Luginbuhl, associate professor in crop science and animal science at NC State; and Edith and Henry Edwards, owners of Kudzu Cow Farm in Rutherfordton, NC. Listener Call In. (59:00)

Note: This program originally aired in July, 2004.

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Wasting Work-time

Friday, March 18th, 2005

State Senator Andrew Brock has introduced a pair of bills in the North Carolina Legislature that would take games off of state computers and limit employees’ personal internet usage. Some say this would increase workers’ productivity, while others contend such measures create a bad work environment, ultimately lowering productivity. Host Melinda Penkava talks with Senator Brock (R-Davie County); David Russo, chief people officer at PeopleClick; Curt Coffman, global practice leader for the Gallup Organization’s Workplace Management Practice; and John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray, Christmas, Inc. of Chicago. Listener Call-in. (59:00)

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