_Panelists:
Bradd Anderson, Missouri 4-H youth development specialist
Meg Ladd, ParentLink program manager
Jen Reeves, associate professor, Missouri School of Journalism
Scott Steinberg, author of "The Modern Parents Guidebook to Kids and Video Games" (joining the program by phone)

_The University of Missouri football team recently landed the nation’s top high school recruit. But before he even announced his official intent to attend the school, crowds inside the Mizzou Arena were already chanting his initials. We look at the buzz and behind-the-scenes efforts surrounding Mizzou's star football catch and explore the growing celebrification of college athletes.

_Studio panelists:
Greg Bowers, sports editor Columbia Missourian; and associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism
Ben Frederickson, former intern and freelance reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Karen Mitchell, assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism
Joining us by phone:
Bruce Feldman, CBS sports columnist/commentator and author of "Swing Your Sword" and "Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting"
Dave Ridpath, assistant professor of sport administration, Ohio University

_With the fourth installment of the "Twilight" film series currently in theaters, we take another critical look at the teen vampire phenomenon. Does this latest film deliberately promote a socially conservative agenda, as some critics argue? Or, are the story line and fan frenzy simply the lifeblood of a Gothic literary tradition that will not die after hundreds of years?

_Panelists:
Elizabeth Behm-Morawitz, assistant professor of communication at the University of Missouri and one of three co-editors of the book “Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media and the Vampire Franchise.”
Elizabeth Chang, associate professor of English at the University of Missouri

_With the holidays at hand, many of us will take time to appreciate and reflect on what we have. But what does it mean to be truly grateful in the modern world? How can parents instill a sense of gratitude in their children? And how do expressions of gratitude affect each of us as an individual and as a community?

Panelists:
John Battaglia, pastor of the Christian Chapel Church
Robert Johnson, professor of philosophy at the University of Missouri
Sharon Dunski Vermont, pediatrician and author of "The Gratitude Experiment"
_

For many adults, navigating the murky waters of child-rearing can be among the most challenging parts of life. How do you balance freedom with discipline? How much responsibility is too much? And, importantly, how do you know when you're on the right track and doing a good job of it? In this discussion, which coincides with Columbia's "Week of the Parenting Journey," our panel of experts take your questions and discuss a six-part approach to effective parenting.

Panelists:
H. Wallace Goddard, professor of family life at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension
Jack Jensen, executive director, First Chance for Children
Darin Preis, executive director, Central Missouri Community Action

The Hot Summer Nights Music Festival has returned to Columbia this year. We explore some of the music on offer and also find out what this means for the ongoing saga of the troubled Missouri Theatre.

Panelists:
Carole Sue DeLaite, co-president, Missouri Symphony Society board of directors
Carlann Evans, violinist
Kirk Trevor, music director, Missouri Symphony
 Orchestra

A persistent difference in test scores among students from various racial or socio-economic groups has become a central point in discussion about education nationwide. Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Chris Belcher says he wants the Columbia school district to be one of the first in the country to solve this problem of an "achievement gap," and he's reaching out to the community to improve student performance from outside the school walls. In this conversation, we look at what exactly needs fixing, and how Belcher and others believe the community can help.

Panelists:
Chris Belcher, superintendent, Columbia Public Schools
Steve Calloway, president, Minority Men’s Network
Sarah Horn, reporter, Columbia Missourian (joining the program by phone)

From ragtime to swing to fusion and funk, jazz music has a rich heritage. In this discussion we find out what’s happening with jazz music in mid-Missouri – both as performance and as part of music education.

Panelists:
Jon Poses, executive director of the “We Always Swing” Jazz Series
Arthur White, director of jazz studies and assistant professor, University of Missouri School of Music
Steve Williams, former band director and current Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education consultant for fine arts, health and physical education, and driver education