Many Voices, One Call Podcast
What is Many Voices, One Call?
It is the podcast you did not know you wanted! It is a space for courageous, honest, open, and unscripted conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, teaching, learning, and all the other things that move us. It is where students, faculty, staff, leadership and community guests reinvent higher education one episode at a time.
Joining us for this conversation are TRIO Academic Learning Specialist Maura Davis, and the students Lonny Davenport (Communication Concentration), and Wesley Rush (Business Concentration).
Note to listeners: We originally expected to be joined by Kirk Winans, who teaches the course “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” at Hudson Valley Community College and who has extensive experience teaching foundational aspects of AI technology to non-specialists. Kirk was unable to join us due to family matters, but he reviewed the recorded episode and provided a guest commentary.
The views voiced on this episode reflect the lived experiences and uncensored opinions of the guests; they do not necessarily capture the full diversity of attitudes within a larger community, nor do they express an official view of SUNY Schenectady.
Please join student host Alexandre Lumbala for his first solo podcast moderation on these fascinating topics. Alexandre's partners in this discussion are SUNY Schenectady County Community College students Jennah Kegler, Amarianna Canteen, Victoria Morris, Sovereign Strickland, Emanuel Joseph, and Wesley Rush. They are joined by special guest of honor, President of the college Dr. Steady Moono.
The views voiced on this episode reflect the lived experiences and uncensored opinions of the guests; they do not necessarily capture the full diversity of attitudes within a larger community, nor do they express an official view of SUNY Schenectady.
On October 7, the Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas (an acronym for the Arabic name of “Islamic Resistance Movement”) launched a brutal invasion of Israel. Attacking kibbutzim and other Israeli settlements, Hamas fighters killed about 1,200 people, wounding thousands, and taking around 150 Jewish hostages. A day later, Israel attacked the Palestinian territory of Gaza with the goal of destroying Hamas. At the time of this writing, an estimate of 10,000 to 18,000 Palestinians have died, most of whom are reported as civilian deaths; medical care is at the brink of collapse, and food insecurity is rampant.
This conflict seems remote and not a natural fit for this podcast. Undeniably, however, it has entered our communities, classrooms, SUNY campuses, and other colleges nearby. Palestinian, Arab, Muslim, and Jewish students report experiencing hate speech, intimidation, harassment, and even assault. Both antisemitism and Islamophobia are on the rise, tempers are flaring, biases spreading, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to have a dialogue across differences.
SUNY Schenectady County Community College is standing firmly against antisemitism, Islamophobia, and discrimination of any form, and for this episode, cohosts Alexandre Lumbala and Dr. Babette Faehmel took this statement to heart. We invited several guests who are all familiar with the region, to dialogue with us and each other and we are incredibly grateful for all of those who agreed, or who helped us find partners for this conversation.
Please join us for a difficult and painful, albeit sincere dialogue about historic hurts and present anguish – all in search of a just, dignified way forward. Our guests are Paula Weiss - co-founder and leader of the Children at the Well interfaith youth storytelling program and member of the Woodstock Jewish Congregation; Dr. Ahmad Abu-Hakmeh – a Muslim Palestinian American and member of the Greater Albany Muslim Community; Rabbi Matthew Cutler of the Congregation Gates of Heaven; and Cooper Patschureck – a student in SUNY Schenectady’s Communication Concentration and aspiring journalist.
We usually remove pauses from our recordings. For this episode, however, we decided to leave them in. We pause to listen and to process. In a conversation about a topic of this gravity, pauses are necessary and meaningful.
Please Note: This episode includes content that listeners might find distressing. If you or anyone around you experiences emotional distress while listening, please pause or stop and take care of yourself and your loved ones first. If you are a listener in the US, you can call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org for support.
Want to find out more or get involved? The following organizations (which were mentioned in the podcast) consist of Palestinians and Jewish Israelis working together for a new future:
The views voiced on this episode reflect the lived experiences and uncensored opinions of the guests; they do not necessarily capture the full diversity of attitudes within a larger community, nor do they express an official view of SUNY Schenectady.
Since its days as a Dutch settlement in the midst of Mohawk country, Schenectady has been a place where different cultures met upon one another. One of the most recent examples for such a meeting of diverse peoples is the arrival of large numbers of Guyanese and Guyanese-Americans who moved here from either New York City's Richmond Hill district in Queens, or from Guyana itself, in the early 2000s.
But what do we actually know about our Guyanese neighbors? On this episode, co-hosts Alexandre Lumbala and Dr. Babette Faehmel are joined by SUNY Schenectady students Deviyani Singh, Varsha Gopilall, and Parsram Pernanand, and by SUNY Albany University's Dr. Alejandra Bronfman, Professor in the Department of Latin American, Caribbean & U.S. Latino Studies, to learn more. You are invited to join us in this conversation that at times took us into rather unexpected territory.
Please note: The views voiced on this episode reflect the lived experiences and uncensored opinions of the guests; they do not necessarily capture the full diversity of attitudes within a larger community, nor do they express an official view of SUNY Schenectady.
Want to learn more? Research on the Guyanese community in Schenectady is still rather scarce. But for one in-depth look at the impact of these communities on Schenectady and the Capital District, see Tyler Bellick; Michael Barton; Samantha Friedman; and Matthew Douglas, "Guyanese Immigration, Homeownership, and Crime in Schenectady, NY: 2000–2017. City & Community, October 08, 2022.
On this episode, new (!) student co-host Alexandre Lumbala and Dr. Babette Faehmel discuss the significance of A.I. for education with an impressive panel of guests! From SUNY Albany's AI+ Initiative, we are joined by Dr. George Berg, Associate Professor of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity; Dr. Justin Curry, Associate Professor of Math and Statistics; Dr. Alessandra Buccella, Assistant Professor of Philosophy; and Dr. Rukhsana Ahmed Associate Professor for Communication. In addition, we will hear from SUNY Schenectady's very own Professor of Cybersecurity Keion Clinton, and Director of Library Services, Jackie Keleher.
The recording of this episode was possible thanks to the School of Music’s - and in particular Sten Isachsen’s – continuing generous support with the technical details. Music students Luke Bremer, Jacob DeVoe, Jean-Vierre Williams-Burpee, Rowan Breen and Evan Curcio helped with editing, mixing, and recording. Heather Meaney, Karen Tanski, and Jessica McHugh Green deserve credit for promoting the podcast, and the SUNY Schenectady Foundation for its financial support. Last but not least, we want to thank Vice President of Academic Affairs Mark Meachem and College President Steady Moono for supporting our work.
The recording and editing of the podcast was possible thanks to Sten Isachsen and the School of Music. A special thanks goes to Rowan Breen and Jean-Vierre Williams-Burpee for help with recording and editing of this episode. Further thanks go to the SUNY Schenectady Foundation for financial support, the ReaCh Initiative Leadership team, the Student Mentoring Program, the Student Government Association, and the Student Activities Advisor.
For tickets to the “March to End Fossil Fuel” and to learn more about the Capital Region Climate Network, go to https://www.nyclimate.org/capitalareaclimatenewtwork
To learn more about “New York Renews” – “a coalition of over 360 environmental, justice, faith, labor, and community groups … and the force behind the nation’s most progressive climate law,” go to: https://www.nyrenews.org/
To learn more about “Climate Can't Wait” – a “collaborative of organizations that have joined together to demand that the New York State legislature and the governor take urgent and bold action on climate,” go to: https://www.climatecantwait.org/
For a couple of years now, legislators in a number of states have proposed - and at
times passed - legislation aimed at restricting what topics and subjects should be
allowed in K-12 history classes. Many of these efforts are aimed at controlling how
much students should be permitted to learn about so called “divisive concepts”: race/racism,
the history of sexuality, or LGBTQIA+ experiences. Recently, the state of Florida
attempted to extend these efforts to regulate academic freedom into higher education,
and although a federal appeals court, in March 2023, declared the "Stop W.O.K.E. Act"
unconstitutional, many educators and academic freedom advocates fear for the future
of honest classroom discussion and research.
For this first student-produced and moderated episode of Many Voices, One Call, history
concentration majors Grace, Alexa, Roman and Jessabelle interviewed educator and equity
advocate Thearse McCalmon, Professor of History Dr. Dean Bennett, SUNY Schenectady
student and former history teacher Joseph Berlant, as well as William Ernst and Michael
Asbury with the organization Braver Angels about what the current debate on teachable topics in history might mean for learning,
teaching, and academic speech.
The recording and editing of the podcast was possible thanks to Connor Raab and Sten Isachsen at the School of Music. Heather Meaney, Karen Tanski, and Jessica McHugh Green deserve credit for promoting the podcast. We are grateful for the SUNY Schenectady Foundation's continuing financial support. Further thanks go to the School of Music, the Division of Liberal Arts, and the REACH Initiative at SUNY Schenectady.
This has been a project for the course HIS 250-01: Topics in History: The American Revolution, at SUNY Schenectady (Spring 2023)
Podcast artwork created by Alexa Powers.
In April 2022 the Mohonasen Senior High School’s track and field team took a stand against racial bias. When they learned that fellow students of color, especially Black athletes, were unfairly targeted under a New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) policy banning hair adornments, Zionna Perez-Tucker, Bonnieta Supaul and Zoe Miller-Graham took action.
Join host Babette Faehmel, Professor of History, and this episode’s co-host Tiombe
Farley, Interim EOP Director, to get the inside scoop about how a small group of determined
students, with support of their Coach Bill Sherman and other allies, changed institutional
policies by standing together and refusing to back down – even at the risk of forfeiting
a chance to win.
We were joined in the studio by Zionna Perez-Tucker, Bonnieta Supaul, Zoe Miller-Graham,
and Bill Sherman! It was a special honor!
For over a year now, teams of SUNY Schenectady faculty, staff, and administrators, have been meeting to research and discuss key topics in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. On this episode, join host Babette Faehmel, Professor in the Division of Liberal Arts, to learn about important insights from these professional development teams.
This episode features Tiombe Farley, Director of the Educational Opportunity Program,
and lead of the team “Allyship,” and the co-leads of the team “Racial Equity,” Dawn
Jones, Assistant Director of Career Services, and Michelle Ragucci, Director of Academic
Services.
For our earlier conversation about “Microaggressions” and “Decolonizing the Syllabus”
please see episode one of Season 2!
For a literature guide created by our wonderful librarians at the Begley Learning
Commons see the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion page!
If you are a current student at SUNY Schenectady and interested in co-hosting, please
contact Dr. Babette Faehmel at faehmeb@sunysccc.edu.
Nationally, about one in every four community college students is a parent. Most of
them are single mothers, and more than half are women of color. Compared to their
non-parenting peers, these students are performing exceptionally well. Student parents
are more likely to have a GPA of 3.5 or higher than students without dependents --
an accomplishment especially remarkable if one considers that they have on average
only 10 hours left for sleep and homework, once class, work, and childcare is done.
Student parents are also, unfortunately, nearly twice as likely to leave college without
completing their degrees.
In this episode, host Babette Faehmel is joined by student parents Amira Singletary
and Amira Tracy Stevens-Salih, to discuss what students with small children need to
succeed and complete college. Special guests of honor are the smallest members of
the Singletary family, Aliyah, Ameen, and Amillian.
For further information and statistics, see:
- "Busy with Purpose: Lessons for Education and Policy Leaders from Returning Student Parents." Contreras-Mendez, Susana; Cruse, Lindsey Reichlin – Institute for Women's Policy Research, 2021
- Did You know? A narrated Power Point presentation about Financial Aid for Student Parents, by Mark Bessette, Assistant Dean of Financial Aid & Access
For information on the Integrated Laboratory Preschool at SUNY Schenectady, visit the Preschool website and see below:
- The process to enroll is:
- Call 518-381-1455 and speak with Justina, the Head Teacher,
- Schedule a visit, and
- complete application paperwork.
- The hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- The MONTHLY rates are:
- Student FT - $500 (now eligible for DSS)
- Staff - $600
- Community - $700 (now eligible for DSS)
- Part time All (4 hours or less a day) - $300
Special thanks to Tamara B. Calhoun, M.S. Ed., Tenured Professor, Early Childhood
Education; Mark Bessette, Assistant Dean of Financial Aid & Access; and Stacy M. McIlduff,
Vice President of Development & External Affairs.
If you are a current student at SUNY Schenectady and interested in co-hosting, please
contact Dr. Babette Faehmel at faehmeb@sunysccc.edu.
Join host Professor Babette Faehmel and student cohosts Val and Zia for a discussion
of what real inclusion means for LGBTQI+ and Trans* students, of what makes a space
a truly safe one for non-binary people, and of how to be an effective ally.
Val and Zia are the President and the Vice President, respectively, of SUNY Schenectady's
Pride Alliance. They are joined by Pride Alliance advisors Jacquie Keleher, Director
of Library Services, and Mykha'el Wilson, Accounting Instructor in the Division of
Business, Criminal Justice and Law, as well as Justice Dazzle, Transgender Activist,
Poet, and author.
The theme for Black History Month 2022 is “Health and Wellness.” On this episode, hosts Jennifer Malave and Babette Faehmel are joined by Lakeia Bowman, Associate Director of Workforce Wellness, SEAT Center; Carol Maimone, Medical Coding and Billing Instructor, SUNY Schenectady; Marcus Henderson, graduate of the SUNY Schenectady Community Health Worker Program; and Marla Corpus, Student in the Belanger School of Nursing at Ellis Hospital. Together, they discuss the important role of diversity and equity in STEM education and preparation of the health care workforce.
To connect with Marcus Henderson and/or CEK RN Consulting, call 518-334-2254 or by email at info@cekrnconsultinginc.org.
For information about the Community Health Worker Certificate Program at SUNY Schenectady, contact the program coordinator Michelle Kraines, Workforce Development and Community Education, at healthcare@sunysccc.edu and visit the Community Health Worker webpage.
For information about SUNY Schenectady’s partnership with the Belanger School of Nursing at Ellis and the Nursing A.S. please visit the Nursing partnership webpage or contact Sharon Smalls, Division Secretary, Math, Science, Technology and Health, at smallsk@sunysccc.edu or by calling 518-381-1267.
For over a year now, teams of SUNY Schenectady faculty, staff, and administrators, have been meeting to research and discuss key topics in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. On this episode, join hosts Jennifer Malave, recent SUNY Schenectady graduate, and Babette Faehmel, Professor in the Division of Liberal Arts, to learn about important insights from the work of two of these professional development teams.
This episode features the leads and contributing members of the teams “Microaggressions”
and “Decolonizing the Syllabus” Alicia Richardson, Interim Chief Diversity Officer,
Rae Doyle, Professor of Communication in the Division of Liberal Arts, and Dr. Maggie
McLellan Zabielski from the Division of Math Science and Technology. Stay tuned for
a follow up episode with the leads and members of the teams working on “Allyship”
and “Racial Equity” later on in the season.
Books mentioned in this episode include:
- Kendi, Ibram X, How to Be an Antiracist (New York: One World, 2019)
- Emdin, Christopher, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood ... and the Rest of Y'all Too: Reality Pedagogy and Urban Education. (Boston: Beacon Press, 2017)
International students and English Language Learners struggle with many of the same
issues as all our students, and benefit from the same supports. Some of their experiences,
needs, and strengths, however, are unique! In this episode, co-hosts Jennifer and
Babette are joined by students Nittaya Casey, Sara Nava, and Davie Penid, to talk
about living in two worlds at once, culture clash, home sickness, and the challenge
of focusing on assignment deadlines when loved ones at home are suffering electricity
blackouts or even military coups. They also discuss what professors and staff ought
to know about International students and English Language Learners to help them reach
their full potential.
A special thanks goes to guest contributor Donna Corbisiero, Associate Professor of
English and faculty advisor of the International/English Language Learners Club, who
proposed the topic. Our regular contributor Dr. Imari Shaw, Assistant Professor in
the Math, Science, Technology, and Health Division helped in the planning and production
of this episode. As always, the School of Music, and most especially Assistant Professor
Sten Isachsen, made possible the recording and editing of this episode.
The concept of neurodiversity is based on the idea that our brains are just as diverse
as our cultures and languages, and that this diversity is not something we should
see as a deficit or pathology. In this episode, co-hosts Jennifer and Babette are
joined by guests Janine Kruiswijk, Executive Director of the Autism Society of the
Greater Capital Region, NY, and SUNY Schenectady's Susanna Adams, Coordinator of ADA
Transition Services, and Kim Otis, Associate Professor in the School of Hotel, Culinary
Arts and Tourism. The team will discuss what neurodiverse students need and want,
to feel they belong, are seen, and set up for success.
SUNY Schenectady HCAT student Melissa Deal assisted in the production of this episode.
School of Music students Dawson Betrand, Michaela Staie, and David MacLeod helped
us to record and edit this episode.
Please feel free to consult the Autism Society of the Greater Capital Region's website for further information on the topic.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion, is a stated moral imperative at SUNY Schenectady,
but there are also clear economic benefits. In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Babette
are joined by featured guests Jason Benitez, Vice President, Talent, Diversity and
Inclusion at the Capital Region Chamber, Student Senator Sara Nava, and regular contributor
Dr. Imari Shaw, Assistant Professor in the Math, Science, Technology, and Health Division,
to discuss how local businesses and organizations have adopted DE&I practices and
about what institutions of higher education can learn from the corporate world's efforts
to recruit and retain a diverse workforce.
Many Voices, One Call is sponsored by our friends Key Bank: helping students at SUNY Schenectady unlock their possibilities for more than 25
years!
School of Music students Dawson Bertrand and Michaela Staie made possible the recording
and editing of this episode.
How do you create an environment where diverse students, faculty and staff feel they
belong, are appreciated, and can not only persist, but thrive? In this “Spotlight”
episode, Interim Chief Diversity Officer Alicia Richardson talks about her role, what
she learned as a teacher, on “Academic twitter,” and as an advocate for diverse students,
faculty, and staff.
Many Voices, One Call is sponsored by our friends Key Bank: helping students at SUNY Schenectady unlock their possibilities for more than 25
years!
School of Music students Andrew Gluck, Dawson Bertrand, David MacLeod, and Michaela
Staie made possible the recording and editing of this episode.
Vaccine hesitancy is real and it is not necessarily based on politics, or misinformation. Informed skepticism is part of science literacy and important for navigation of a complex world. But as we currently see on the topic of COVID vaccines, access to reliable information and research skills are not equitably distributed amongst all of us! In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Babette are joined by Dr. Imari Shaw, Assistant Professor in the Math, Science, Technology, and Health Division at SUNY Schenectady; information literacy expert and librarian Caroline Buff; Damonni Farley, director of community outreach for the Schenectady City School District; and students Lindsay Feulner and Jaiwattie Mentor, to discuss the reasons behind COVID vaccine hesitancy, and how public health ultimately depends on our willingness to work for a common good without resorting to patronizing messaging or shameing tactics.
How did School of Music (SOM) faculty and students respond and adapt creatively to the COVID crisis? What does the future of classical music education at SUNY Schenectady look like under the new Strategic Plan? In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Babette talk with current and former SOM faculty, alumni, and new Dean Dr. Christopher Brellochs, about innovative approaches to teaching at a time of crisis, and their vision for enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion in a discipline long seen as narrowly focused on the works of Western European composers and styles. The episode also introduces the newest project of Mark Evans and Brett Wery at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute in New Hampshire, where they were joined by SOM graduates and emerging artists Areli Mendoza-Pannone and Robert Frazier.
Only 10% of all professionals working in Higher Education identify as Black or African American. In episode 2 of Many Voices, One Call, co-hosts Jennifer (SGA President) and Babette (History Professor) talk with their guests, College President Dr. Steady Moono; Professors Dr. Imari Shaw and Keion Clinton; and Damonni Farley, Founder of Common Thread Consultants and member of the college's Board of Trustees, about how they, as Black professionals operate in spaces in which "whiteness" is often not just the numerical, but cultural, norm.
In Season 1, episode 1, co-hosts Jennifer (SGA President) and Babette (History Professor) talk with guests Destany and Adam (students), as well as Imari and Rae (faculty) about "One Year of Pandemic Learning."