Critical Currents - The Podcast
Democracy thrives on open dialogue, diverse perspectives, and the courage to engage across differences. As we bear witness to social, political, and cultural ruptures that threaten to pull us apart, how can we still find common ground? How can we truly listen to each other and nurture our sense of solidarity?
Critical Currents explores the discourses, movements, and cultural shifts shaping democratic life and collective action today. In an era of uncertainty, this podcast cultivates thoughtful dialogue and a deeper understanding of the forces that bind—and divide—us.
Season One: Bridging the Gap
Our first season, Bridging the Gap, leans into moments of tension and shared experience, breaking down barriers through incisive conversations with leading voices like Lynne Thompson, Rosecrans Baldwin, and Lois Rosson.
Hosted by a dynamic group of undergraduate students—Dani Taylor, a UCLA student pursuing a B.A. in English and History; Stella Horns, a Political Science and Narrative Studies major at USC; and Ziyan Xie, completing a dual degree in Cognitive Science and European Languages and Transcultural Studies at UCLA—Critical Currents offers a fresh, inquisitive perspective on the pressing issues of our time.
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Meet the podcast hosts
Dani Taylor is an honors student at the University of California, Los Angeles pursuing dual degrees in English and History. She is passionate about public service and engaging with her community. As a Resident Assistant and a Lead Program Supervisor at the UCLA Black Bruin Resource Center, Dani develops programs that are intended to help foster student success. She is also an Staff Member for the UCLA Daily Bruin, where she writes opinion columns about political and social issues impacting students and the broader Los Angeles community.
Stella Horns is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Narrative Studies at USC and will be graduating Summer 2025. They are particularly interested in the intersection of those two fields: how stories shape our political reality and sense of self, and how political actors can use storytelling to get what they want. Their work has received the Mohamed el Beih Paper Prize and has been published by Outstanding Academic Papers by Students, Scribe, and the USC Global Policy Institute.
Ziyan Xie is pursuing dual degrees in Cognitive Science and German Studies at UCLA. He has a deep fascination with language, learning, judgment, and human connection. As a research fellow at the UCLA Connection Lab, he is developing software that reimagines interpersonal relationships on the Internet through poetry. In Spring 2025, he will be teaching an undergraduate seminar at UCLA aimed at fostering transcultural discussions on our sociotechnical history and reality through digital gaming.
Critical Currents is a podcast production by Wende Museum, Thomas Mann House & dublab.
