Smart Talk

Three-part education documentary series airs this week

2019-08-26T07:02:47Z

WITF will air a three-part education documentary series on August 26, 27, and 28. Smart Talk will return on Thursday, August 29.

Monday, August 26

Under a Watchful Eye: How colleges are tracking students to boost graduation - Reporter Jill Barshay of the Hechinger Report teams up with APM Reports to examine the growing use of predictive analytics to get more students across the finish line and deliver more revenue to school - and how that's reshaping the college experience.

Tuesday, August 27

Students on the Move: Keeping uprooted kids in school - This documentary focuses on two groups who often change addresses - homeless kids and children of migrant farm workers - and explores efforts to help these students do well in school.

Wednesday, August 28

At a Loss for Words: What's wrong with how schools teach reading - This documentary - a follow-up to last year's "Hard Words: Why aren't kids being taught to read?" - investigates where the idea comes from, why it holds on, and how it harms kids.

Finding your family's military roots

2019-08-23T08:23:35Z

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, August 23, 2019:

More Americans are researching their family histories than ever before. Often, they want to learn about an ancestor's military service.

Where did they serve and for how long? What units did they fight with and, perhaps, were they awarded any commendations or medals for their service?

The U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle is one of the best resources in the country for researching military history. Authors of widely read books on military history have researched their work in the USAHEC archives.

The archives include over 400,000 books, featuring strategic leadership, landpower, and military history. There are also unit histories from the U.S. and from several nations in both world wars, which can be quite helpful when researching a family members military service.

The USAHEC also is home to an artifact collection totaling 70,000 objects, including over 40,000 that are searchable online, with more being added daily.

On Friday's Smart Talk the guests will use the example of Corporal Clarence Patton - a relative of Smart Talk host Scott LaMar -- to demonstrate the type of information and sources USAHEC can provide. Corporal Patton served with the 25th Reconnaissance Squadron, 4th Armored Division during World War II. Corporal Patton was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross - the nation's second highest military honor for actions he took in battle, but was killed two weeks later.

Joining Smart Talk to reveal their research findings are Geoffrey Mangelsdorf, the USAHEC Director, Richard Baker, senior research historian, USAHEC, and Lindsay Strehl, USAHEC outreach coordinator.

Clarence Patton and brother Paul Howett

Richard Baker, Lindsay Strehl, and Geoffrey Mangelsdorf

Planning for end-of-life and HippoCamp for writers

2019-08-22T08:10:57Z

What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, August 22, 2019:

Talking about death and dying is difficult. It becomes exponentially more difficult when death is near, and decisions need to be made during a very emotional and stressful time.

Planning for end-of-life care is about deciding now how you want to be cared for during the final hours or days of life. Or in the case of a terminal illness, how that care should proceed as the disease progresses and you are unable to convey your wishes.

To clearly, and legally, establish wishes for end-of-life care there are advance directives. These are legal documents that define who will speak for you and is entrusted to make health care decisions when you cannot make them yourself. A Living Will describes the kind of life-sustaining treatment you do or don't want in case you unable to tell a doctor yourself. A Durable Power of Attorney for health care allows you to name a person who will make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself.

The best way to plan for the end-of-life it to have the difficult conversations before they are medically necessary.

Appearing on Smart Talk to share a new planning tool for end-of-life decisions are Dr. Vipul Bhatia, MD, Wellspan Health Medical Director, Continuing Care Services, Roberta Geidner, Horizon/Advance Care Planning Coordinator, WellSpan Health and Mac Brillhart, Esq., Stock and Leader Attorneys at Law and York County Bar Association member.

Resources mentioned by our guests include: Your Life Wishes, WellSpan Horizon Planning, and The Conversation Project.

Mac Brillhart, Dr. Vipul Bhatia, and Roberta Geidner

Also, Journalist Jacki Lyden has seen mental illness, war, the destruction caused by terrorism and fashion up close. She's written and reported on all those topics and much more throughout her 40-year career at NPR. Lyden served as a foreign correspondent for NPR in Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and other places overseas.

Her 1999 memoir -- Daughter of the Queen of Sheba -- describes growing up with her bipolar mother.

Jacki Lyden will appear at Lancaster-based Hippocampus Magazine's Conference for Creative Nonfiction Writers this weekend where she'll talk about journalism and nonfiction writing at a time when journalist are often under fire.

Lyden joins us on Smart Talk Thursday to share her experiences at NPR and as a writer and storyteller.

Hippocampus Magazine is an online publication written for writers, by writers. Each issue features memoir excerpts, personal essays, and reviews by creative nonfiction writers.

For a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare, check out WITF's Transforming Health, a partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross.

NPR journalist Jacki Lyden (Doby Photography/NPR)

Is PA's parole system working?/Kids and the Battle of Gettysburg

2019-08-21T08:07:35Z

What to look for on Smart Talk, Wednesday, August 21, 2019:

Five men paroled from Pennsylvania prisons are accused of killing six people during a two-month period earlier this year. Two of the murders involved children. None of the cases are related.

A state correction officer association is calling on the state legislature to investigate the parole system that freed the inmates accused of the murders. They believe the parole system has problems, mainly caused by changes made by the Department of Corrections.

The Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole usually decides whether an inmate is released after serving at least a minimum sentence. However, once released, agents from the Department of Corrections supervise the parolees.

At the same time, bipartisan legislation has been introduced that would shorten probation terms and limit punishments for probation violations. Under probation, a person found guilty of a crime is released from custody. But that person must be supervised by a probation officer and comply with court-ordered rules. Requirements can include attending meetings with a probation officer, passing drug tests, or getting treated for substance use. Probationers can go to jail if they break a rule.

Appearing on Wednesday's Smart Talk to discuss these issues is Pennsylvania's Secretary of Corrections, John Wetzel.

Secretary John Wetzel

Also, when author Gregory Christianson realized his son didn't understand much about local civil war history, he decided that needed to change.

He wrote the book "Gettysburg: Kids Who Did the Impossible!" to educate young people, like his son, about  kids who played a role in the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg.

Christianson joins  us on Wednesday's Smart Talk  to discuss children during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Greg Christianson

Pennsylvania's war with invasive species

2019-08-20T08:42:16Z

Northern Snakehead. Photo courtesy of the PA Fish and Boat Commission (Joe Perillo, Philadelphia Water Department)

What to look for on Smart Talk, Tuesday, August 20, 2019:

Pennsylvania is at war against invasive species.

Animals with names like the Asian Carp, Northern Snakehead and the Spotted Lanternfly are in the crosshairs. In large numbers they cause enormous amounts of damage, both financially and biologically.

In fact, the U.S. spends more than $120 billion on invasive species every year. Pennsylvania is fighting a significant number of invasive species, in and along waterways and agricultural sites.

Aquatic invasive species, like Zebra Mussels and the New Zealand Mudsnail, are animals that have been introduced into waterways in which they don't live naturally. Their presence can have a harmful effect on not just the ecosystem, but on the animals that live there.

The Spotted Lanternfly is native to parts of Asia and it was identified for the first time in the United States in Berks County, Pa, in 2014. Since then, the pest has spread to a multicounty area in southeastern Pennsylvania, and is threatening forest and agricultural crops.

Can Pennsylvania win the fight against invasive species, or is this a losing battle? (See information about Pennsylvania's endangered species)

Appearing on Smart Talk to discuss safeguarding the state's waterways and agricultural interests are Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Chris Urban, Chief, Natural Diversity Section, of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and Heather Leach, Penn State Extension, Spotted Lanternfly associate.

Chris Urban and Tim Schaeffer

Heather Leach

Helping the economically fragile / Pain and politics in America

2019-08-19T08:45:58Z

What to look for on Smart Talk, Monday, August 19, 2019:

A strong economy is characterized by steady growth, low unemployment and little inflation.

Everyone benefits during a strong economy, right?

Not everyone, according to top economic leaders. The trickle down of current economic prosperity has not reached all Americans. There are plenty who fall into the category of "Economically Fragile People" - individuals who, while employed, may not enjoy access to life's basic necessities.

A local business leader believes that recruiting and retaining these individuals is critical for any organization to succeed.

In fact, she says there is a clear economic benefit for employers who care about the quality of life of the economically fragile and establish policies to reinforce this.

Appearing on Smart Talk is Teresa D. Miller, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and author Sharon Ryan, CEO of Dasher Services, Inc. Ryan co-wrote a book with Cynthia Tolsma called, The Talent Pool: How to Find and Keep Dedicated People While Making a Lasting Impact. David Black of the Harrisburg Regional Chamber also appears on the program to discuss the benefit their approach yields for employers.

Sharon Ryan and David Black

Secretary Teresa Miller

Also, the American dream is the ideal that opportunity is available to every American and prosperity and success are achieved through hard work.

Sociologist and author Jennifer Silva believes the dream's promise is "withering away." That addiction, joblessness and family dysfunction are the reason.

Jennifer Silva joins Smart Talk to discuss her book We're Still Here: Pain and Politics in the Heart of America, and how race and class are colliding in rural America.

Jennifer Silva

Smart Talk road trip to the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

2019-08-16T08:22:40Z

Photo courtesy of the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

What to look for on Smart Talk, Friday, August 16, 2019:

The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival takes the stage this weekend in beautiful Adams County. The festival is well-known among music lovers for presenting top-notch Bluegrass music and as a place featuring entertainment for the entire family.

Smart Talk broadcasts from the Granite Hill Camping resort for a look at Pennsylvania's long legacy of musical storytelling and Bluegrass tradition. There is also a discussion and preview of the new Ken Burns Country Music series.

In the series, PBS filmmaker Ken Burns explores the history of a uniquely American Art form: country music. From its deep and tangled roots in ballads, blues and hymns performed in small settings, to its worldwide popularity, Burns highlights how country music evolved over the course of the 20th century, as it eventually emerged to become "America's music." Burn's series premieres on WITF TV September 15 at 8pm.

Scott LaMar with Joe Cornett and Cyndie Winkelmann, Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival organizers, Friday, August 16, 2019. (photo Lisa Wardle)

Scott LaMar with members of the band Colebrook Road, Friday, August 16, 2019, at the site of the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. (Photo Lisa Wardle) Listen to Colebrook Road on WITF Music.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children/The Violence Project

2019-08-15T08:25:17Z

Children focus on a learning activity at the WITF "Back to School Bash" event on August 11, 2019, at the Clipper Magazine Stadium, Lancaster, Pa. Photo by Joanne Cassaro. A Ready, Set, Explore educational event is scheduled for Saturday, August 17, 2019, in Harrisburg, Pa. RSVP to "Explore the Magic of Learning with Princess Presto."

What to look for on Smart Talk, Thursday, August 15, 2019:

The needs of each child are unique and vary based on factors like home life, household income and education level.

Programs across the state are working to identify and address the unique needs of Pennsylvania's kids.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a statewide, independent, non-partisan and non-profit organization. It works to advocate for the health, education and well-being of children in the commonwealth.

For example, PPC encouraged state legislators to make kids a top priority in their latest budget. Governor Wolf signed the 2019-20 budget into law on June 28 and it includes increases for early learning, K-12 educations and health care programs that benefit children.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss their advocacy and programs serving PA kids is Kari King, president and CEO of PPC.

Kari King

Also, mass shooters from the past 50 years all have four commonalities. That's according to The Violence Project -- a think tank that has assembled comprehensive research on mass shootings in America. The project is partially funded by the National Institute of Justice and includes a thorough database of more than 150 mass shootings dating back to 1966.

What shooters have in common are they all experienced childhood trauma, had an identifiable crisis point before the shooting, studied the actions of other shooters and had a means to carry out their plans.

Researchers examine not only the background of the shooter but every aspect of their personal history, relationships, the community, and the social climate where the events occurred. Their findings are then disseminated and evaluated for policies and prevention strategies.

Appearing on Thursday's Smart Talk to talk about what the data shows about mass shooters is Dr. Jillian Peterson, PhD, co-founder of The Violence Project and a psychologist and professor of criminology at Hamline University in Minnesota.

Stryker Combat Team Iraq anniversary and Stop blaming mental illness for mass shootings

2019-08-14T08:06:40Z

Members of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, in Iraq circa 2009. Photo credit Sgt. 1^st Class Doug Roles, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 14, 2019:

Pennsylvania's 28^th Infantry Division of the National Guard has a long and storied past. The Division battle lineage dates to military campaigns during the Civil War and to the present-day conflict in Iraq.

The "Iron Division" was also the first, and only, National Guard unit to field the Stryker Combat Vehicle as part of the Army's reorganization in the early 2000's.

Ten years ago, the 56^th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 28^th Infantry Division deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. WITF went along with a journalist embedded in the unit to file reports from the field.

Appearing on Smart Talk is former WITF journalist Scott Detrow to reflect on the anniversary and experience. Detrow is currently a political correspondent for NPR. He covers the 2020 presidential campaign and co-hosts the NPR Politics Podcast.

Retired Col. Marc Ferraro, Former 56^th Stryker Brigade Commander, and Maj. Lois Mendoza, Commander 1st Battalion, 108th Field Artillery Regiment, 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team are also in the studio to share their perspective on the historic deployment.

Retired Col. Marc Ferraro and Maj. Lois Mendoza

Former WITF reporter Scott Detrow interviewing a member of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, in Iraq circa 2009. Photo credit Sgt. 1^st Class Doug Roles, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania National Guard.

Also, the recent mass shootings in Ohio and Texas have renewed calls for greater attention on individuals with mental illnesses. Some Pennsylvania lawmakers say that any new gun control efforts must include an investment in mental health treatment and screening.

Mental health professionals, however, say that people with mental illness are being unfairly cast as the perpetrators. They point out that a history of violence and substance abuse are much more accurate predictors of future violence than a mental health diagnosis.

Joining Smart Talk to discuss the issue are Transforming Health reporter Brett Sholtis and Dr. John "Jack" Rozel, MD, Medical Director, Resolve Crisis Services and President, American Association for Emergency Psychiatry.

For more on mental health screening plus a deeper look at the changing tide of healthcare--check out WITF's Transforming Health. A partnership of WITF, WellSpan Health and Capital Blue Cross.

Brett Sholtis and Dr. John "Jack" Rozel, MD

Is artificial intelligence affecting the job market?

2019-08-13T08:53:02Z

This is a rebroadcast of a Smart Talk show that originally aired on February 20, 2019

The term Artificial Intelligence elicits images of cyborgs and terminators; human-like robots intent on pursuing death and destruction. Hollywood representations distort what AI really is and the technological achievements that scientists are making.

AI is the theory and development of computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Some of these tasks may include visual and speech recognition and some lower level decision-making.

The AI field began in earnest in the mid-1950's, and in recent years has achieved remarkable growth and technological development.

Recent news articles are making dire predictions about the impact AI will have on certain career fields.

Are the predictions truth or hype?

Appearing on Smart Talk to talk about how AI will affect jobs is Stephen Herzenberg, executive director, Keystone Research Center, John McElligott, CEO of York Exponential, and Dr. Vasant Honavar, Penn State AI Research Lab Director and Chair of Information Sciences and Technology

Stephen Herzenberg and John McElligott

Professor Vasant Honavar

Franklin & Marshall poll gauges voter satisfaction

2019-08-12T08:24:18Z

What to look for on Smart Talk Monday, August 12, 2019:

The most recent Franklin and Marshall College poll finds that Pennsylvania voters are generally satisfied with how things are going in the state, and their personal lives.

Keystone voters also agree on several key issues; overhaul the state tax framework and get rid of the current property tax system. They also agree on how and who should pay for community police coverage.

Contrast this with how the electorate feels about the direction of the country and there is a little less optimism. The sentiment is split along party lines.

There are a few surprises in the poll results, as well. Like, the approval ratings for President Trump and which Democratic candidates top the survey.

Franklin and Marshall College political analyst and pollster Dr. G. Terry Madonna appears on Monday's Smart Talk to discuss the poll results and provide perspective.

Election coverage on WITF is supported by the law firm of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

Dr. G. Terry Madonna

Americans are going broke getting an education

2019-08-09T08:08:56Z

What to look for on Smart Talk Friday, August 9, 2019:

College student debt in the U.S. has been labeled a crisis, as the amount of outstanding loan balances exceed $1.5 trillion.

Solving the crisis, however, is not so simple.

A few of the presidential candidates advocate for the cancellation of all student debt and free college for everyone. Others offer a more measured approach that target specific demographics.

The one thing they all agree on is that something needs to be done to lift the crushing weight of financial burden from the backs of a generation of Americans.

Pennsylvania college graduates have an average of debt when they leave school of more than $36,000 -- the highest in the country. More than two-thirds -- 67% -- of students leaving Pennsylvania schools have student debt. That's the fifth highest total in the nation.

How can student debt be managed? Why is a college education so expensive and are Americans getting their money's worth?

Appearing on Friday's Smart Talk to put the issues into perspective are Dr. Eric Barron, the President of Penn State University, Dr. John Sygielski, President of Harrisburg Area Community College, Kim Kenawell-Hoffecker, Avantra Family Wealth and Rory McPhillips, 2017 Drexel University graduate.

Dr. John Sygielski and Kim Kenawell-Hoffecker

Bullying in the Age of Smart Phones and Bras Across the Bridge

2019-08-08T08:18:59Z

What to look for on Smart Talk Thursday, August 8, 2019:

Bullying, like many things, is increasingly more complicated in the digital era. It used to be that kids could find respite from bullying behavior at home or once school let out.

Now, because of social media and pervasive smart phone use, there is often no rest from the harassment.

Cyber bullying can range from posting mean or hurtful images to online threats. There are even extreme examples of encouraging suicide and violence.

What can be done to safeguard kids from bullying in the era of smart phones?

Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania General Assembly mandated the creation of an anonymous reporting system to give students a way to report signs of classmates who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others. This system is called Safe2Say Something and it has garnered more than 23,000 tips since it began in January.

Appearing on Smart Talk to talk about research findings on this topic is Patch.com Deputy National Editor Beth Dalbey.

Also, five years ago, the Feel Your Boobies Foundation came up with a unique idea to create maximum visual impact in their mission to promote breast health.

The Bras Across the Bridge event in Harrisburg is a fundraiser to promote both college and minority outreach. The fifth annual event is Saturday, August 10.

Joining Smart Talk is Leigh Hurst, Founder and Executive Director of the Feel Your Boobies Foundation to talk about the event and the organizations efforts to reach young women.

What advancements are being made in HIV treatments?/Proposed law on Amish horses

2019-08-07T12:00:49Z

What to look for on Smart Talk Wednesday, August 7, 2019:

More than one million Americans are living with the HIV virus. Thirty-six thousand of them are Pennsylvanians. There are about a thousand new HIV diagnoses every year in Pennsylvania.

Not everyone who contracts the HIV virus develops AIDS and AIDS is no longer always fatal as it once was.

That's due to the treatments developed over the years through research.

That research has progressed to the point where there's the potential for HIV virus to be eliminated from the body completely. In other words -- a cure.

However, one out of seven people living with HIV don't know they are infected with the HIV virus. That's why testing is important so those people can be treated.

On Wednesday's Smart Talk, we discuss advancements in HIV treatment and HIV awareness with our guests Patricia Fonzi, President and CEO at the Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania and Dr. Adam Lake, a family physician at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Also, a proposed ordinance that would require horses to wear a device to collect manure and rubber horseshoes when pulling the buggies of Old Order Amish has been been put on hold for the time being in Washington Township, Lycoming County. Township supervisers say they had gotten complaints about manure on roads presenting a health hazard and that normal metal horseshoes damaged roads.

The attorney representing the Amish -- Clifford Rieders -- appears on Wednesday's Smart Talk.

Dr. Adam Lake and Patricia Fonzi

After weekend shootings: Gun restrictions-what works?/Hate crimes in PA

2019-08-06T07:53:11Z

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, August 6, 2019:

Many Americans and lawmakers are demanding that something be done to prevent mass shootings like the ones in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio over the weekend. Thirty-one people died in those two incidents and dozens of others were wounded and injured.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf released a statement saying he supports the U.S. Congress to vote and pass legislation that would require universal background checks on all commercial firearm purchases. The bill was approved by the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives earlier this year but hasn't been voted on in the Republican majority Senate. Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey blames Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for holding up the vote.

Wolf also said he would like to see a ban on assault-style weapons and more attention paid to white nationalists.

The alleged shooter in El Paso reportedly said he wanted to shoot Latinos.

On Tuesday's Smart Talk, we're joined by Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research and Chad Lassiter, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Dr. Cassandra Crifasi, PhD, and Chad Dion Lassiter