In his parting words as president of the U of Missouri, Timothy Wolfe said "this is not the way change should come about," referring to protests following months of racial tension that gripped the flagship Columbia campus; with speculation that IS planted a bomb on the ill-fated Russian jet plane, what changes may be made to travel security for the U.S.? And Larry Mantle hosts a live discussion on what L.A. can do to ensure another successful Olympic games, should the opportunity arise in 2024
Resignation of University of Missouri president quells hunger, football team strike
Timothy Wolfe, the president of University of Missouri system has resigned today after months of racial tension that has gripped its flagship Columbia campus.
In light of a series of racial incidents on campus, a student last week started a hunger strike that eventually led to 30 players of its football team, the Missouri Tigers, to threaten to sit out of the season unless Wolfe resigns.
The move by the group of football players would have cost the school $1 million per game unplayed.
Wolfe’s resignation comes amid a wave of protests happening on the campus of Yale University, where students have charged administrators for not doing enough to make the Ivy League school a more hospitable place for minority students.
Guests:
Aaron Reiss, Missouri football beat writer for the Columbia Missourian
Scott Jaschik, an editor at Inside Higher Ed, a publication devoted to covering college education. One of his latest stories look at simmering racial tension at both the University of Missouri and at Yale University
What the Russian jet plane explosion means for the future of travel
An explosion can be heard on the black box recording from the Russian passenger jet that crashed in the Sinai desert Monday, analysts say.
While the U.S. has not confirmed the explosion, the crash left 224 dead and countless travelers stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
With speculation that a bomb planted by IS was responsible for the crash, inspectors in the Egyptian resort city are likely to look into how security may have been compromised and what can be done to prevent future breaches. British vacation packages may be on hold until next July which could mean a major blow to Egypt’s economy.
What does the crash of Airbus A321-200 mean for the rest of the world’s security measures? How will travel be affected, especially now that the holiday season is upon us?
Guests:
Brian Michael Jenkins, Senior Advisor to the President of the RAND Corporation, one of the nation's leading experts on terrorism and homeland security
Brett Snyder, airline industry expert and author/founder of "The Cranky Flier blog" and "The Cranky Concierge" air travel assistance service. He’s held many jobs in the airline industry, including in operations, sales, pricing, and planning
Michael L. Barr, senior instructor at USC Aviation Safety Programs
1984 to 2024: Lessons learned from the last Olympics
It has been said that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
If the 2024 Summer Olympics are awarded to Los Angeles, repeating history wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are widely considered the most successful games of all time, and now the city is once again vying for the Games, along with Paris, Hamburg, Rome, and Budapest.
The decision on where the 2024 Summer Olympics will be held isn’t slated to come out until late 2017, which leaves Los Angeles with plenty of time to figure out what went right, what went wrong, and what can be learned from the ’84 Games if the International Olympic Committee chooses L.A. for 2024. 1984 was the first time in history that the government didn’t supply funding for the Olympics - local businessman Peter Ueberroth created and led an organizing committee that sought to fund the games through private donors, corporate sponsorships, and television deals.
Despite concerns about venues, finances, and the L.A. landscape’s ability to handle the influx of people, the games went off without a hitch, L.A. got some great face time on a national stage, Ueberroth was named TIME Magazine’s ‘Man of the Year,’ and the Games generated a surplus of over $200 million dollars. Part of that was used to create the LA84 Foundation, which is still using the money to help fund local youth sports today.
The 1984 Olympics weren’t a success for Los Angeles just because of the profit they turned. L.A. proved to the rest of the world that smart logistics planning and financial foresight could, indeed, make for a great Olympic experience that not only showcases the host city on a global stage, but also creates a lasting impact on the city’s culture and urban core.
On November 5, Larry Mantle and a distinguished panel of guests, all of whom had a hand in the success of the 1984 Games, sat down to discuss what the city learned from the 1984 Olympics and how it can apply those lessons if the IOC calls its name for the 2024 Games.
The UCLA Department of History will be hosting "L.A. 2024 and the Lessons of Olympic Past" as part of their "WHY HISTORY MATTERS" series on Tuesday, November 17 at 6 p.m. Click here for more information.
Find us on Twitter at @KPCCforum and @AirTalk and join the conversation using the hashtag #LA2024
Guests:
Anita L. DeFrantz, President of LA84 Foundation and current member of the IOC Executive Board
Rich Llewellyn, Chief Legal Counsel for the Office of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti
Jeff Millman, Chief Communications Officer of LA24
Barry Sanders, Chair of Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games
Herb Wesson, L.A. City Council President
Zev Yaroslavsky, former L.A. County Supervisor