This week, the Vermont Edition team members are highlighting a few of their favorite interviews and stories from the last year; digging through our archives to bring you the can’t-miss content of 2015.
Today’s selections come to us from host Jane Lindholm.
Cartoons and Culture
This segment sprung from the attack on the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, in Jan. 2015. In May, Charlie Hebdo won a PEN Courage award in New York City. This was also around the same time that a security guard was shot when 2 people opened fire at a "Draw Muhammad" contest in Texas. Those two suspects were then killed.
We invited three Vermont cartoonists to come on the program to talk about satire, cartooning, and free speech.
Why highlight this segment?
It seems like months later, this is still an issue that we're thinking about and dealing with.
Jane’s Interview With A Bear
In February, I went out with Fish and Wildlife department to check on some hibernating bears that they've started monitoring to better understand how bears deal with wind power developments.
The study, which will continue this winter, tracks the movements of bears to better understand what effect the turbines have on where the bears choose to live.
Why highlight this segment?
This is one of my favorite field experiences of the year. This winter the bears aren't all hibernating yet, but by the end of last winter they were safely ensconced in their dens, especially the females with cubs. So we checked on a mother bear named Medley, and her cub, as they slept the winter away on Searsburg Mountain. I even had a brief opportunity to interview a charming, albeit microphone-shy (i.e. sedated,) cub.
Laughing Babies
There are few things in life that are guaranteed to make you smile: puppies, butterflies and laughing babies!
But where do infants develop that ability to laugh or to identify what is funny? And how do they learn to make grown ups laugh?
In March, we talked to psychology professor Gina Mireault, who heads up the Infant Laughter Project at Johnson State College. The project explores the under-researched world of baby humor!
Why highlight this segment?
This one is a must listen: I dare you not to smile when you hear that laughing baby!
