South China Sea, Award-Winning Soundtrack, Work Martyrs

Prospect of War in South China Sea Guest: Eric Hyer, PhD, Professor of Political Science and Asian Studies at BYU, Author of “The Pragmatic Dragon: China’s Grand Strategy and Boundary Settlements” Tension in the South China Sea isn’t on the front page today but it could very quickly end up back there before long. The South China Sea is a crucial shipping channel between Asia and the rest of the world. And in the last year, China has been dredging to build up tiny islands there, claiming them as Chinese territory and installing military gear and landing strips for planes. That has angered other countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines which also border the South China Sea and make their own claims to the islands. Last week an international court of arbitration ruled that China is out of line in claiming virtually the entire South China Sea as its own.  Writing an Award-Winning Soundtrack Guest: Jordan Kamalu, Recent BYU Graduate in Commercial Music, Winner of a Student Emmy for Music – Composition at the 2016 College Television Awards for the Film “Papa” In the movies, you can’t have a love story without a soundtrack. The attraction, the tension—will the lovers get together or not? —and the kiss, when the lovers finally overcome the obstacles in their way—all of it is underscored with music in the movies. A romance wouldn’t be as romantic without the music. Why Work Martyrs are Only Hurting Themselves Guest: Katie Denis, Senior Project Manager Project: Time Off  One of the first things we want to know when we take a new job is how many vacation days we get, right? There’s something satisfying about knowing you’ve got a couple of weeks of paid time off to look forward to. But more than half of American workers left vacation days unused last year. Just left the time on the table – and a big chunk of those days were lost completely because they couldn’t be rolled over to the next year or banked for an emergency. That’s according to a study funded by a travel industry group called Project: Time Off.  City Life Increases Mental Health Risks for Kids Guest: Candice Odgers, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology and Public Policy at Duke, Senior Associate Director at Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy Children who grow up in cities are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia in adulthood compared to kids who grow up in rural areas. That’s a stunning, but well-documented finding. The question is, why? A study of more than two-thousand twins in England sheds offers some clues.  Why Dual-Language Immersion is So Popular Guests: Chantal Thompson, Teaching Professor of French Studies at BYU, Tester and Trainer for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; Heidi Foss, Parent with Student in Dual-Immersion Program; Lillian Foss, 3rd Grade French Dual-Immersion Student Language immersion classes give children the chance to become practically fluent in a second language. These programs are growing in popularity across the nation – sometimes students have to wait on long waiting lists to get into the courses.  Ghostbusters & The Secret Life of Pets Guest: Rod Gustafson, Film Reviewer at ParentPreviews.com  The Ghostbusters are back in theaters and critics seem to have liked the movie pretty well – despite all the public outcry about it featuring women in the lead roles. Seeking a Cure for HIV Guests: Mike Alder, BYU’s Technology Transfer Office; Greg Burton, PhD Professor of Biochemistry at BYU; Matthew Ollerton, BYU Graduate Student Decades of research have succeeded in treatments that mean HIV/AIDS is no longer a terminal disease. People with access to the right medication live with it as a chronic condition, rather than a death sentence. And yet, a cure for HIV/AIDS has remained elusive.  Last week, the National Institutes of Health awarded 30-million in grants to make progress toward a cure for HIV/AIDS. Among the recipients is a team of researchers from 18 different universities and medical sites.