My team and I have been exploring the possibility of launching a podcast. Without getting into much detail, the podcast would focus on identifying ideas and trends that people should know about… things that are also likely to impact how we prepare students for the future. I’m not yet sure we are going to launch this venture. It’s a lot of work to do it right and I’m not convinced we are as interesting as we think we are. But I have committed part of my summer to creating a demo or two and getting some expert feedback to see if this is an idea worth pursuing.
The team likes a new challenge. So, ideas for segments have been flying back and forth, usually over Fuzzy’s tacos. This week I blurted out “Chickens in the Backyard! Is that really a thing? What does that tell us about where society and business are heading?” I admit this was a bit of a reaction to once having had a neighbor who had chickens and perhaps more annoyingly, roosters in the backyard. It may also have been top of mind given a recent trip to Kauai– chickens own that island.
My idea was met with immediate skepticism and ridicule…. development people, I learned, can be especially harsh. I defended my idea, noting that chickens in the backyard are on the increase, that they defy economic logic, that everyone knows eggs come in nice cartons in two rows–even the free-range chicken egg variety. Surely, something else must be going on… That whatever it is, it must be fundamental (not just a property tax gimmick like cows) and that we should devote a segment to getting to the bottom of it.
The team was unmoved. So I am appealing to you, my blog readers to help me out here. Is something fundamental going on? Would it make a good 15 minute podcast? Do you have a take on this? If so, leave a comment to this blog post. If I like your take, I’ll buy you lunch and offer you a guest spot on the podcast demo. Call it a surprise contest. Enter. Win. And help me prove my team wrong. You never know when knowing a grateful Dean could come in handy.
Paul Jarley, Dean 