The Center for English as a Second Language organized a discussion and viewing of the 2012 Vice Presidential debate, which gave students an opportunity to practice conversation and express their political opinions. In this podcast, students share some political insight, comparisons to politics in their home countries, and reactions to the debate. View the photos from this event here.

This podcast was produced by Cheyenne Hohman. 

Owsley County is the first site for Homegrown Kentucky, a farm-to-school project developed by University of Kentucky students Ben Smith, Adam Meredith, Luke McAnally, Patrick Johnson and Ben Norton. Ideally, this model will be applied to other schools across Kentucky, making Kentucky schools more self-sufficient while offering students and community members an opportunity to learn and practice agricultural skills.

What can we tell about future elections by observing the past? Political scientist Stephen Voss gives us a few examples from past elections - and analyzes some recent developments - in order to articulate the ways that electoral votes can slide from one place to another and disrupt the electoral trends of the past. From population shifts to industrial boom and bust, the United States is in a state of change, and so are its Presidential elections. 

The UK Political Science department chose someone with experience and a solid educational background to present a topical seminar on local government: former Lexington Mayor Jim Newberry. This semester, he's showing students how local governments work by bringing in guest speakers each week from various local governments around the region. Students facilitate the discussions, and experts impart their knowledge and experience to the course.

John Brown served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for more than two decades. He served in many capacities, including as a serology examiner, special agent, investigator, and was program manager for the development of the National DNA Indexing System. In this podcast, Brown describes some of his work with the Bureau and how taking chemistry courses at UK gave a solid foundation for the career path he chose. 

This podcast was produced by Stephen Gordinier. 

By the time this year's Presidential election rolls around, many voters will be as turned off as they are excited. Why? The constant presence of political ads that saturate almost every nook and cranny of the media market. But what makes these ads possible? The answer is the incredible influx of money into modern politics that is used to bludgeon as often as it is to persuade and inform voters.

The fluids we drink can hold cultural and historical significance -- but what about the way they affect our physiology? A new course, A&S 100-024, The Science Behind What We Drink, is professor Rita Basuray’s fusion of the two.

From capitalism to transhumanism, the modern world is rife with uncertainty about the nature of society, ethical issues that surround technology, and places where the humanities and sciences intersect. The Philosophy and Modern Life series seeks to explore those issues throughout the fall. David Bradshaw from the Department of Philosophy gives a run-down of this semester's offerings. 

For many, moving to a new place is part of the college experience - but at UK, students can take a class that connects them to many community organizations and civic institutions. Community 101 is a course designed to help incoming students get their bearings in Lexington, Kentucky. Guest lecturers come to class frequently, and students get to engage with the local organization of their choice for a final project.