Do you know where your food comes from? Whether it is the food we are getting at a grocery store, farmer’s market, restaurant, or our backyard, understanding the way food is produced and the larger systems it is a part of can help us fight for more sustainable and equitable access to food. Scholar and dedicated food educator Jon Garfunkel talks with guest host Mair Allen about the ways that acts like reclaiming public spaces for gardening, having conversations with local food providers, and volunteering to help to feed your community can help us understand and correct problems in the food systems we currently depend on—both locally and globally.
S2 E4: Leadership Is Worth Studying—And Reforming
generosity, and mutual aid are regular features. In both her life as a writer and in her role as chair of Antioch’s Creative Writing MFA program, Victoria embodies these qualities, which together she calls “literary citizenship.” And she inspires her students to do the same. In this conversation we explore what being a good literary citizen means to Victoria, how this ethos has influenced her own work and career, and how building a more inclusive writing community benefits everyone.
S2 E3: Envisioning a Writing World Full of Good Literary Citizens with Victoria Chang
generosity, and mutual aid are regular features. In both her life as a writer and in her role as chair of Antioch’s Creative Writing MFA program, Victoria embodies these qualities, which together she calls “literary citizenship.” And she inspires her students to do the same. In this conversation we explore what being a good literary citizen means to Victoria, how this ethos has influenced her own work and career, and how building a more inclusive writing community benefits everyone.
S2 E2: To Heal Our Communities, We Need to Explore the Unconscious Mind
Psychologist and teacher Dr. Monqiue Bowen believes that the benefits of psychoanalysis extend far beyond the healing and personal growth that can come from exploring one’s subconsciousness. In a country built on whiteness and systemic racism, the act of analyzing unconscious thoughts and behaviors can provides an opportunity for community healing across communities. Having a safe space to have these conversations is essential. In this conversation, Dr. Bowen discusses how therapy can be a place of healing not only for the patient but also for the therapist—and for the community at large.
S2 E1: To Reopen Schools, Teachers Took Their Students Outside. Should They Stay There?
With Season Two kicking off in just one week, the Seed Field Podcast team wanted to take a look back at some of the knowledge our guests shared in Season One. Over these Outdoor learning was an educational trend that took off when the pandemic made the indoors unsafe. Now, many students and teachers have experienced the benefits of this way of learning. Will students ever want to go back inside? And should they? To find out, we had a conversation with two Antioch faculty, Ellen Doris and Liza Lowe, who specialize in place-based and nature-based education. They talk about the many benefits of outdoor education and share some great tips for those interested in creating safe and fun outdoor experiences for their students.
Big Idea: Lessons from Season One of the Seed Field Podcast
With Season Two kicking off in just one week, the Seed Field Podcast team wanted to take a look back at some of the knowledge our guests shared in Season One. Over these twelve episodes, we had conversations with Antiochians representing all six of our campuses and across disciplines including education, mental health, environmental studies, leadership, and more. In this episode, host Jasper Nighthawk and producer Lauren Instenes play their favorite clips, ranging from advice for navigating mental health during a pandemic to how to decolonize our communities and workplaces. We hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane—and don’t forget to join us next week for the start of Season Two!
S1 E12: Reflect, Act, Repeat. How Cycles of Inquiry Help Us Challenge Dominant Narratives
Mapmaking? Birdwatching? Political activism? Dr. Sue Woehrlin sees in each of these activities the importance of narrative—and she teaches her students to see and master these narratives. Stories are the way we make sense of the world, so it’s important for us to understand the stories of our cultures, our communities, and ourselves. Dr. Woehrlin joins the Seed Field Podcast for the final episode of our first season to discuss ways of studying and questioning the stories around us. Through a fascinating conversation about maps, birds, and narrative, we explore ways that changemakers can take back control of the stories being told, reimagining the world, and work to make it more just.
S1 E11: A World in Crisis Calls for Conscious and Courageous Leadership
As the world faces many serious problems, from climate change to global health crises, we need leaders who serve humanity in a conscious and courageous way. This week’s guest host, Dr. Y. Falami Devoe, is joined by leadership scholar Dr. Aqeel Tirmizi to discuss what steps we can take as individuals and communities to train and develop the kinds of leadership we want to see in the world.
S1 E10: To Have Just Classrooms, We Must Decolonize and Reimagine Our Disciplines
For this episode we talk with two members of the Social Justice Pedagogy Committee in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, Cathy Lounsbury and Syntia Santos Dietz, about the insights they have gained from starting this process, why engaging in these kinds of dialogues is so important, and how others might undertake similar work.
S1 E9: How Affirmation Helps Queer Youth Thrive Despite Ongoing Discrimination
As Pride Month comes to an end, we discuss the continued need for LGBTQ+ activism, the challenges facing youth today, and ways to radicalize pride in the fight for social justice with Cynthia Ruffin, the director of COLORS LGBTQ Youth Counseling. As director of this free therapy service, Cynthia has great insight into how these young people continue to experience discrimination and trauma in our country, and she urges us to find new ways to show up for the LGBTQ+ community.
S1 E8: Why Antioch’s Chancellor Believes Universities Must Build and Protect Democracy
In this episode, Antioch’s Chancellor, William Groves, discusses the vital role he believes higher education plays in building and maintaining democracy through educating voters and taking thoughtful stands on social injustices.
S1 E7: To Challenge Dominant Narratives, Activist Memory Workers Reclaim History
Kirsten Grimstad discusses the importance of holding ourselves and our countries accountable for past harm – and of promoting reparations and healing in the present.