In Session: A Tulane Journal Podcast
The Tulane Journal of Policy and Political Economy is proud to release the first season of 'In Session,' a podcast focused on deep diving into complex and global issues. Our first season focuses on the ethics and inter-workings of the pharmaceutical industry, and features expert researchers and practitioners from within the field.
Season 3 of In Session is now out on Spotify and Youtube
Disclaimer: The Tulane Journal of Policy and Political Economy is a nonpartisan undergraduate research publication. The views and opinions expressed by the hosts and guests on this podcast do not necessarily reflect those of the Journal, its editors, or affiliated institutions.
Season 3 Episode 1: How Free is Free Speech on Campus?
In our season premiere, hosts Mary Ochiai, Audrey Andel, and Kyrsten Thompson dive into one of the most fiercely contested issues in higher education today: How Free Is Free Speech on Campus? From the historic 1964 Berkeley Free Speech Movement to local lunch counter sit-ins in Louisiana, college campuses have long served as vital battlegrounds for political expression. However, as recent protests ignite intense debates over safety, institutional control, and legal rights, we ask whether the window for acceptable student speech is narrowing.
To break down the history, the law, and the realities on the ground, we sit down with three expert voices: Lindsey Ruhl, former breaking news editor-in-chief of The Tulane Hullabaloo, Bruce Hamilton, Director of Tulane Law School’s First Amendment Clinic, and William Most, civil rights attorney specializing in protest rights.
Together, they explore how the rules shift between public and private universities, the historical evolution of student activism in Louisiana, and what happens when administrative authority collide with democratic dissent.
Season 3 Episode 2: Beyond the Bayou Walls: Louisiana's Pipeline of Immigration Prisons
Episode 2 uncovers Louisiana's transformation into a central hub for ICE immigration detention. Hosted by Mary Ochiai, Audrey Andel, and Kyrsten Thompson, the episode explores the complex intersection of carceral infrastructure, political alignment, and the economic incentives driving private prison companies and rural towns to profit from federal contracts. Featuring expert insight from Aaron Moseley-Saldívar of the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI), the narrative sheds light on the severe human rights concerns inside remote facilities—such as overcrowding and systemic neglect—while examining the legal barriers to due process and the controversial expansion of the system through initiatives like "Louisiana Lockup" at Angola prison.