Many involved in education say that what happens to a child before entering kindergarten can have profound effects on the rest of the child's academic career. This discussion takes a look at what is being done in mid-Missouri and elsewhere to help children get off to a good start.

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Panelists:
Jack Jensen, director of First Chance for Children and former assistant superintendent for elementary education at Columbia Public schools
Wayne Mayfield, senior research analyst at MU’s Center for Family Policy & Research
Mernell King, early childhood programs director for Central Missouri Community Access; also runs the Early Head Start and Head Start programs for the region (joining by phone)
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As the legal battle slowly continues over federal financing of embryonic stem cell research, the science itself is advancing quickly. In this discussion we take an inside look at some of the stem cell research going in university labs right here in Columbia and elsewhere in Missouri.

TO VIEW THE RESEARCH LAB VIDEO CLIP SHOWN DURING THE DISCUSSION, CLICK HERE.
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Panelists:
Philip Peters, Ruth L. Hulston Professor of Law at MU
R. Michael Roberts, Curators' Professor of Animal Science and Biochemistry at MU and member of the National Academy of Sciences
Steven Teitelbaum, Messing Professor of Pathology & Immunology at Washington University in St. Louis (joining the program by phone)
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A string of recent suicides has prompted nationwide concern over bullying of gay teens. In this discussion, we explore what the climate is like for gay teenagers growing up here in mid-Missouri.

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Panelists:
Christy Hutton, therapist who works with LGBT college students in Columbia
Megan Lee, board member for Prism, a group that supports LGBTQ youth in mid-Missouri
Yuki White, Moberly Area Community College student who grew up in Columbia and experienced bullying in middle and high school
Dan Savage, Seattle-based syndicated columnist and creator of the "It Gets Better" video project (joining the program by phone)
Richard Blount, founder of Open Door Ministries (joining the program by phone, not pictured)
Related links:
The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention advocacy group and suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth
Coverage of Columbia’s candlelight vigil for the suicides on October 20 (from the Columbia Missourian)
Coverage of Spirit Day, organized by GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) -- Students at both Hickman High and Rock Bridge formally participated. (from the Columbia Missourian)
Young and Gay in Real America (four-part series by The Washington Post, published in 2004)
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In preparation for Tuesday's voting, we take an across the board look at this election season -- including the highly contested U.S. Senate race in Missouri. We talk about how national trends have filtered down into politics in Missouri and have affected voter attitudes, political advertising and the democratic process.

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Panelists:
George Kennedy, professor emeritus of the Missouri School of Journalism, and columnist and former managing editor at the Columbia Missourian
Marvin Overby, professor and Frederick A. Middlebush Chair in Political Science at MU
Phill Brooks, director of the State Government Reporting Program at the Missouri School of Journalism (joining the program by phone)
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