Conversations in Color

08/07/2022

🎂🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our very own Amy Renshaw Author! 🎉🎂

She has been ESSENTIAL to the growth and production of Conversations In Color this past year! We would not have achieved what we did without her, and we are so grateful!

If you see her, help us wish her the very best day ever! 🎁

06/03/2022

🚨FINAL EPISODE OF SEASON 2🚨

S2E18: “The Confluence of Protected Speech & Legislation”

In this Season 2 finale of CIC, we discussed the idea of protected speech, how that speech is defined by law, and factors that complicate legislation regarding the First Amendment. Eau Claire’s Deputy City Attorney Douglas Hoffer shared his unique perspective on the topic, explaining how speech laws can be tricky to legislate and are something the courts continue to grapple with. Hoffer also explained how the advent of the internet and social media has further complicated things and skewed how we define terms like “true threat.” Ultimately, Hoffer expressed that our nation has always seen the value in the free exchange of ideas, and we accept the challenge of navigating those waters.

Douglas Hoffer is Eau Claire’s Deputy City Attorney and has spent over 12 years mastering his practice since his graduation from Marquette Law School. Hoffer belongs to the American Bar Association, the Wisconsin Bar Association, and the Eau Claire Bar Association.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/nj4LUe0eDwo

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

🎥 Justin Andersen

06/01/2022

☀️⛱CIC is going on SUMMER VACATION! 🍉🌴

But don’t worry…we have one final episode in Season 2 going live TOMORROW!

CIC was joined by Deputy City Attorney Douglas Hoffer to discuss protected speech and the First Amendment through the unique lens of a longtime lawyer.

Stay tuned! 👀

05/20/2022

🎉🎉EPISODE TIME🎉🎉

S2E17: “What S*x Education Ought To Be, Feat. OB-GYN”

In this week’s episode of CIC, we discussed s*x education in schools as well as how current instruction may be lacking. Our special guest, Eau Claire OB-GYN Jennifer Bantz joined us to offer her unique perspective as a professional in the medical field who specializes in reproduction and childbirth. She explained how public schools in Wisconsin currently do not teach comprehensive s*x education. In her opinion, s*x education needs to be age appropriate and factual, meaning certain topics would be introduced at different grade levels when applicable. Ultimately, the goal is for our children to lead as safe and healthy of lives as possible.

Jennifer Bantz has been in her field of work for over 20 years. She practices as an OB-GYN within the Mayo Clinic Health System, including the locations in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/LY2_787sBpc

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireU

🎥 Justin Andersen

05/06/2022

NEW EPISODE: We’re celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month!!🇱🇦🇯🇵🇻🇳🇰🇷🇮🇩🇵🇭🇮🇳🇵🇰

S2E16: “Talking With Members of our Hmong Community About AAPI Heritage Month”

This week’s episode of CIC welcomed three members of Eau Claire’s Hmong community—Thomas Xiong, Caitlin Lee, and Blia Schwahn. They shared their perspectives on what it’s like growing up in Eau Claire as Hmong people trying to navigate “fitting in” while also preserving and celebrating their culture. The trio also explained how the experiences of the younger generations differ immensely from their older family members whose language and customs came naturally and didn’t have to be taught and preserved in the same manner. Our guests also shed light on how Eau Claire has grown (and in which ways it’s still lacking) over the last several decades and what efforts have been made to make its Hmong population feel right at home.

Thomas Xiong grew up in Eau Claire and owns the Amerasian Food Plus grocery store. Caitlin Lee is the Equal Opportunities Specialist at UW—Eau Claire and serves in the Office of Affirmative Action. Blia Schwahn works in the Eau Claire Area School District as a community liaison to bridge the relationships between the school and families. She has lived in Eau Claire for 41 years.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/N4QFW_8TC0c

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

🎥 Justin Andersen

04/29/2022

🚨NEW EPISODE ALERT🚨

S2E15: “Elected Officials Navigate Threats of Violence”

Representative Jodi Emerson and Eau Claire Deputy Chief Derek Thomas sat down with CIC to share their experiences with threats of violence. They discussed how these threats and other forms of intimidation are becoming all too common among politicians and other elected officials, and suggested a number of factors that could be contributing to today’s heightened climate. Our guests ultimately expressed that protecting elected officials and preserving their livelihoods remains the biggest priority.

Jodi Emerson is a Representative for District 91 in the Wisconsin State Assembly. She has been a representative for over three years and holds a position in the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, among others. Deputy Sheriff Derek Thomas has over 22 years of experience in law enforcement, serving 18 of those years in Eau Claire in a variety of positions. Derek also served in the United States Marine Corps.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/GUT1NhHHpTU

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

🎥 Justin Andersen

04/18/2022

Come to CultureFest at UW-Eau Claire on Sunday, and create art for racial justice with the Chippewa Valley Community Postcard Project!

We are kicking off our project!! Please join us at the UW-Eau Claire CultureFest on Sunday, April 24th, 2022 from 12-4 pm. Come and learn about our project and all the culture we have in the Chippewa Valley!

04/01/2022

📚 ✏️ NEW EPISODE ALERT 💡 🚌

S2E14: “Processing With School Board Members”

Three sitting ECASD board members joined the show to share their feelings on the recent rising tensions days before the election. They express their thoughts and process through the mission and values of Eau Claire school district through their lens. Ultimately, the guests want to prioritize the importance community by focusing on what matters to everyone: our kids and their education, safety, and opportunity to thrive.

The three guests on this CIC panel included Tim Nordin, Marquell Johnson, and Erica Zerr. Nordin is the current ECASD Board President. He formerly taught as a high school science teacher in Iowa and received his PhD in education before moving to Eau Claire in 2015 with wife and two kids. In addition to his position on the ECASD Board, Johnson is a kinesiology department professor and Director of Rehabilitation Science at UW-Eau Claire. He has also curated physical fitness and recreation programs for students and families with disabilities. Like Nordin, Johnson also has two kids in the district. Zerr is a ECASD Board Member and Partnership Consultant at CESA10. She is also a wife and mom and considers herself an early childhood educator at heart.

Our three guests shared their thoughts from their perspective as fellow parents and Eau Claire community members.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/X8kZfjRK7Fk
Published 03/31/2022

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

🎥 Justin Andersen
📷 Sheng Elizabeth Lor

03/29/2022

Behind the scenes for tonight's episode of Conversations In Color...

Sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Converge Radio

📷: Sheng Elizabeth Lor

03/25/2022

🚨NEW EPISODE ALERT🚨

S2E13: “School Board Meetings are Getting out of Hand”

In the latest installment of Conversations in Color, three friends sat down to discuss their impressions of a recent ECASD school board meeting. Board members and attendees at the meeting examined where gender identity, safe spaces for children, and equity intertwine in the context of public schooling. The three women also shared their ideas on finding a balance between the psychological safety of children and the will of their parents.

The three women in this conversation are, from left to right, Dr. Selika Ducksworth-Lawton, a history professor at UW-Eau Claire; Rev. Julianne Lepp, Senior Minister at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Eau Claire; and Chris Hambuch-Boyle, a former educator and ECASD school board member. Hambuch-Boyle is also an organizer within the Wisconsin Public Edication Network.

✨FULL EPISODE HERE✨
https://youtu.be/235XrrLuIcU

Big thank you to our sponsors:
SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar
Pablo Center at the Confluence
Converge Radio
Uniting Bridges
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

🎥 Justin Andersen
📷 Sheng Elizabeth Lor