The Clarke Forum For Contemporary Issues

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews Norma Kawelokū Wong, Zen Master, Native Hawaiian, and political strategist. Norma reflects on the methods and lessons she has gained through years of bridging divide and fostering collaboration. Looking ahead, she shares her perspective on how evolving technology and communication are shaping the future, as well as her personal response to the d...

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews David L. McMahan, Professor of Religious Studies at Franklin & Marshall College. Spanning ancient Buddhist scripture to the present day, McMahan explores how Buddhism has evolved over centuries into its many contemporary forms. He discusses how his personal interest in the subject led him to a career in academia, as well as how he approache...

Student Project Manager Ian Chavez ’28 interviews Matthew Turpin, a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institute and former director for China on the U.S. National Security Council. They discuss the current U.S.-China relationship and explore the challenges to cooperation between the two superpowers. The interview explores the economic, political, and military factors that complicate the relationship a...

Student Project Manager Charlotte Minnick ’28 interviews Elaine McMillion Sheldon, filmmaker and director of the 2023 film King Coal. McMillion Sheldon discusses her history of filmmaking, the process of creating King Coal, and some behind-the-scenes insight on the film. She shares her experiences with sharing others’ stories, as well as how this film tells her own. Lastly, McMillion Sheldon...

Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ’27 interviews David Sulzer, accomplished neuroscientist and musician visiting from Columbia University. They discuss music, its effects on human culture and how it’s perceived by non-human species, alongside the future of music with the rise of artificial intelligence. Read more

Sarah Nance, assistant professor of integrated practice at Binghamton University, SUNY, discusses her art and how she integrates all kinds of data into her art. She also muses on the creative process specifically how being an interdisciplinary artist affects her process. The interview also touches on her experience at the 2051 Munich Climate Conference and advice she would give to young artists. T...

Student Project Manager Isa Mester ’26 interviews Seyla Benhabib, renowned philosopher and legal scholar. In the conversation, Benhabib reflects on the current global state of refugee law and examines the challenges facing the postwar international order. She explores the deep connection between philosophy and law, emphasizing how legal categories shape our understanding of justice and human right...

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Dr. Phoebe R. Stubblefield, director of the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory at the University of Florida and lead forensic anthropologist in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Investigation. Born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Stubblefield recognizes the importance of community participation in the investigation; with familial ties t...

In this interview, Joshua Tucker, co-director of the Center for Social Media and Politics, professor of politics at New York University and director of the Jordan Center for Advanced Study of Russia, dives into his motivations for research at the intersection of social media and politics. He also addresses the methodological challenges of this type of research, particularly how to get data, and hi...

Student Project Manager and Co-Supervisor Layla Ilarraza ’26 interviews Hannah Beckler, award winning investigative reporter for Business Insider. Beckler discusses her work on “The True Cost of Data Centers” series which follows the increasing rise of hyperscale data centers throughout the United States. The interview also touches on the lack of transparency in the construction of data cent...

Student Project Manager Maggie Maston ’28 interviews Dr. Saher Selod, author and director of research for the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. Dr. Selod discusses the intersections of race and religion as well as her research on Muslims and surveillance. She shares her experience with interviewing Muslims and how it has shaped her thought on racialization. Finally, Dr. Selod br...

In this interview, Jaclyn Corin, survivor of the 2018 Parkland shooting and executive director of March For Our Lives, discusses the process of founding March for Our Lives with her classmates from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She gives insight into the organization’s recent structural changes as well as advice on navigating ongoing challenges in the shrinking federal landscape of gun con...

Andrew K. Ankamah Jr. (The Accountability Initiative) and Larren Wells (Students Demand Action, Pittsburgh Chapter) discuss how they got involved in the gun violence prevention movement. Ankamah explains how community engagement can function as a form of gun violence prevention and speaks to the value of college readiness workshops that The Accountability Initiative’s Temple chapter has cond...

Student Project Manager and Co-Supervisor Layla Ilarraza ’26 interviews Dr. Judith Grisel, neuroscientist and a professor of psychology at Bucknell University, and author of the book “Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction.” Dr. Grisel discusses the brain’s role in studying addiction, the many pathways to addiction, and how we as a country and community...

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Juliana Tafur Juliana, director of UC Berkley’s Greater Good Science Center’s Bridging Differences program. Tafur was inspired by the polarization and “othering” she witnessed during the 2016 U.S. presidential election to start the List(e)n Courageously Movement and help individuals bridge political and cultural divides. Tafur discusses tools...

Shayna Herzfeld ‘25, student project co-supervisor, interviews Professor of Linguistics and Translation, Amélie Josselin-Leray from the University of Toulouse, Jean Jaurès. During this conversation, they discuss the process of translation and the ways in which it has changed over time. In the past several decades, translation technology has experienced rapid growth, especially in the realm of arti...

Clarke Forum Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ’27 sits down with Dr. Jacqueline Pfeffer Merrill, director of the Campus Free Expression Project to discuss the importance of free speech in higher education institutions. Pfeffer Merrill brings real world experience to describe the current need for constructive discourse among young adults, spotlighting Dickinson’s own program &#...

Student Project Manager Noah Salsich ’25 interviews Michael Kotutwa Johnson, a 250 th generation Hopi dry farmer and an assistant professor of Indigenous resilience at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment. In this interview, Kotutwa Johnson talks about the importance of Indigenous recognition, as well as comments on modern sustainable agricultural techniques...

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Dr. Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Dr. McNutt shares her thoughts on the rise of scientific misinformation and disinformation and discusses how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can exacerbate, but also combat, the spread of false information. As a geophysicist, Dr. McNutt describes her experience integrating t...

Student project manager Kylie De La Cruz ’27 interviews Sarah Niebler, associate professor of political science at Dickinson College. Professor Niebler shares her thoughts on the 2024 U.S. presidential election and discusses trends in political behavior, election processes, and political science scholarship. She describes how media and emotionality have shaped American politics, and comments on th...

In this interview, student co-supervisor Georgia Schaefer-Brown ’25, talks with Pascaline Dupas, development economist and professor at Princeton University, who discusses her specific areas of research: health, education, and access to financial tools, and describes how exploring the interconnectedness of these issues originally drew her to this field. The interview also covers how differen...

Dr. Robin Darling Young, professor of church history at the Catholic University of America, discusses her translation process, the role of Western scholars in the Middle East, her journey to her area of expertise, and misconceptions about Gnosticism. She also highlights the importance of differing interpretations of ancient texts and of studying topics that arouse your curiosity. The interview is...

Dr. Carlos Vargas-Ramos, adjust associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, and director for public policy, external and media relations, and development at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, is interviewed by Student Project Manager Layla Ilarraza ‘26. Dr. Vargas-Ramos sits down to discuss the historical and contemporary politics surrounding Puerto Rico’s...

Manu Meel, CEO of BridgeUSA, shares his thoughts on political division, how bridging differences can be achieved in communities, and the importance of the 2024 Presidential Election. He is interviewed by Student Project Manager Supasinee Siripun ‘27. Read more

Student Project Manager Ella Layton ’26 interviews Katherine Gressel, curator at the Old Stone House & Washington Park in Brooklyn, about the art exhibition Picturing the Constitution. Gressel discusses the important role of artists when interpreting the Constitution and other political documents such as the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court case. She talks about the value of working with Constit...