Burn Your Draft

Burn Your Draft
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“Burn Your Draft” is a podcast exploring the year-long senior thesis experience at Reed College, an independent liberal arts and sciences college in Portland, Oregon. Each episode showcases a senior or recent graduate and interviews them about their thesis: what is it, why did they do it, and what comes next. This podcast is a joint production of Reed students, staff, and alumni, and was made possible by a gift from Seth Paskin '90. New episodes released every other week during the academic year. Episodes may contain explicit language and may deal with sensitive topics. The views, information, or opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Reed College.

  1. #76: What Makes a Good Birth? with Liz Organ '24, Anthropology

    2월 6일

    #76: What Makes a Good Birth? with Liz Organ '24, Anthropology

    The idea for Liz Organ's thesis, "The Makings of a Good Birth," emerged from a moment of doubt about career paths and a deep frustration with how often women are ignored in the birthing process. What began as a casual discovery of the differences between doulas and midwives, and whether this could be a potential career path, turned into an interview-based anthropology project examining how birth is experienced, remembered, and shaped by culture, history, and power. Drawing on conversations with nine people, the thesis traces the evolution of American birthing culture, and explores different anthropological birth care models and individuals' personal experience with the medical system. In this episode, Liz also reflects on the challenges of researching a highly specialized topic without a dedicated advisor in medical anthropology, and on learning to let interviews guide the research. Tune in for reflections on centering people's stories, the rewards of interviewing family and friends, and why education, autonomy, and support are ultimately essential to a good birth. Reed community members can read Liz's thesis, “The Makings of a Good Birth” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/b7703bac-4430-4f18-8dd1-81c531de2836 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    32분
  2. #75: Aquaculture Adaptations with Hannah Goodman ’24, Sociology

    2025. 12. 11.

    #75: Aquaculture Adaptations with Hannah Goodman ’24, Sociology

    In this episode, we hear from Hannah, a sociology major whose thesis journey crossed disciplines but always circled back to climate change. Her project draws on eighteen interviews with oyster farmers working along Maine's coastline—one of the fastest-warming in the world. Starting with a question about gender divides between different fishing methods, Hannah found herself pulled toward climate justice and the ways aquaculture communities adapt through strong networks, shared knowledge, and community-driven problem-solving. Tune in for insights into interdisciplinary research, the behind-the-scenes of an interview-heavy project, the tangible impacts a Reed thesis can have, and of course what Hannah really thinks about oysters. Reed community members can read Hannah's thesis, “Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Maine Oyster Aquaculture” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/9e08adc0-f53b-489e-bd35-12cb21d7dae1 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    31분
  3. #74: Writing the Weird with Claire Navratil ‘25, English

    2025. 11. 26.

    #74: Writing the Weird with Claire Navratil ‘25, English

    In today’s episode, our producer Ace sits down with Claire, an English major with a creative writing concentration, to discuss weird fiction, the Reed library—and what may or may not lie beneath it—and the complexities of being a college student in the modern era. The elevator pitch of Claire’s creative writing thesis? Imagine a college that eats people, complete with a student reporter chasing the truth, a dash of ritual sacrifice, and a healthy helping of moral ambiguity. You won’t want to miss Ace and Claire’s conversation about how literary subgenres can critique capitalism, the difficulty of self-imposed deadlines, the importance of romanticizing one’s life, and the idea that sometimes you have to be the one to go looking for the answers that they don’t want you to find. Reed community members can read Claire’s thesis, “To Reap What is Sown” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/38514f29-e0e5-4d9e-b436-2f8b007d4665 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    34분
  4. #73: Afterlives of the American Frontier Myth with Henry Kendrick '24, English

    2025. 10. 16.

    #73: Afterlives of the American Frontier Myth with Henry Kendrick '24, English

    In this episode, we hear from Henry, an English major whose thesis journey took a few unexpected turns: from exploring Pacific Northwest regionalism to diving deep into the world of literary naturalism. Henry unpacks how authors Jack London and Frank Norris challenged historian Frederick Jackson Turner’s “frontier myth,” reimagining the American frontier not as a vanished landscape but as an evolving cultural, economic, and imaginative force. Tune in to hear about survival narratives, Social Darwinist ideas, and what happens when you have to scrap half your thesis to start again (spoiler: it’s not fun, but it’s worth it). Henry reflects on the highs and frustrations of the Reed thesis process, the art of negotiating with an advisor, and the unexpected joy of discovering how to make seemingly unrelated ideas work together. Reed community members can read Henry’s thesis, “Naturalist Afterlives of the Frontier Myth” online in the Electronic Thesis Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/917eb624-f94d-453a-9638-4975c6123d5f Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    31분
  5. #72: A Vacant Walmart in Albuquerque with Arianna Aguirre '24, Anthropology

    2025. 10. 03.

    #72: A Vacant Walmart in Albuquerque with Arianna Aguirre '24, Anthropology

    Arianna focused on the impacts of the closure of a Walmart in her hometown of Albuquerque for her thesis in the anthropology department. She also tells us about how Reed College's Anthropology Student Fund helped to support her research, and how her thesis adviser helped her re-work her initial thesis ideas using a concept from environmental anthropology. Reed community members can read Arianna's thesis, “One Albuquerque? Crime, Security, and Dispossession in Albuquerque’s Sacrifice Zone” online in the Electronic Theses Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/ef189f1b-bd01-4124-a2fa-b3921222eea8 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    28분
  6. #71: Bags of Chemistry with Amelie Andreas '24, Biochem and Molecular Biology

    2025. 09. 18.

    #71: Bags of Chemistry with Amelie Andreas '24, Biochem and Molecular Biology

    Amelie started out in the biology department at Reed because she wanted to study bacteria and living things, but then she got a chance to start learning from the biochemists on the faculty. They helped her build the bridge from chemistry to life, which led her to switch her major from biology to biochemistry and molecular biology. Amelie was also the second student producer for Burn Your Draft, working with us from 2021–22, and it was a delight to get to talk to her. Reed community members can read Amelie's thesis, “MntR: The Mastermind of Manganese Ion Homeostasis” online in the Electronic Theses Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/9e05e465-0d21-4fb0-9de1-e6d4d2bf1349 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    29분
  7. #70: Value of a Tony with Emma Bramson '23, Economics

    2025. 08. 29.

    #70: Value of a Tony with Emma Bramson '23, Economics

    Emma's economics department thesis explored the effect that Tony awards have on the consumer demand for Broadway shows. Reed community members can read Emma's thesis, “'It's All About the Green': The Tony Award's Effect on Broadway Show Demand” online in the Electronic Theses Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/2ec90330-430a-417d-ad4b-b724611a5c60 Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    29분
  8. #69: Inventing the Future with Ocean Chamberlain '23, Comparative Literature

    2025. 08. 15.

    #69: Inventing the Future with Ocean Chamberlain '23, Comparative Literature

    We're back for the 2025–26 school year after taking a hiatus last spring. Today, Ocean shares his thesis experience with us which was focused on studying writers from the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, especially Édouard Glissant, and tells us why he thinks poetry and art is important. Ace Lackey '27, our new student producer, produced this episode for us. Welcome to the podcast Ace! Reed community members can read Ocean's thesis, “ rhizophora” online in the Electronic Theses Archive: https://rdc.reed.edu/i/ba4917ec-7250-448e-976a-ac001f5b3edc Explore more interviews with Reed College alumni on our website: reed.edu/burnyourdraft

    26분
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“Burn Your Draft” is a podcast exploring the year-long senior thesis experience at Reed College, an independent liberal arts and sciences college in Portland, Oregon. Each episode showcases a senior or recent graduate and interviews them about their thesis: what is it, why did they do it, and what comes next. This podcast is a joint production of Reed students, staff, and alumni, and was made possible by a gift from Seth Paskin '90. New episodes released every other week during the academic year. Episodes may contain explicit language and may deal with sensitive topics. The views, information, or opinions expressed on this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of Reed College.

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  • 제작진
    Burn Your Draft
  • 방송 연도
    2020년 - 2026년
  • 에피소드
    82
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    Burn Your Draft