Jesse King

On this week's 51%, we hear from author Brianne Brinker, assistant athletic director at Union College, about her experience coming out and transitioning as a transgender woman in 2019. Brinker says “skating out of the vault” has allowed her to be her most confident self, and she considers finding herself to be her greatest accomplishment. Brinker reflects on her experience in her new book Skating Out of the Vault: A Trans Woman’s Escape from the Game of Masculinity.

On this week's 51%, we look back on some of our favorite conversations from 2025: Dr. Heather Hirsch discusses the FDA’s decision to remove “black box” warning labels from hormonal therapies used to treat symptoms of menopause; Planned Parenthood President Alexis McGill Johnson explains how President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” blocks Medicaid funding for its clinics; and former CIA intelligence officer Christina Hillsberg makes the case for why women make better spies.

Olivia Dreizen Howell is the co-founder and CEO of Fresh Starts Registry, a registry service for the newly single.

On this week’s 51%, WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke speaks with actress and comedian Cecily Strong about her role in the new off-Broadway production of What Happened Was… in New York City. We also chat with writer Lori Carlson-Hijuelos, wife of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Oscar Hijuelos, about how they supported and pushed each other creatively during their 15-year marriage. WAMC’s Sajina Shrestha also meets an up-and-coming Albany, New York band showcasing the softer center of the hardcore rock scene.

Launching this fall, DU’s new bachelor’s degree offers flexible degree pathways and hands-on research to prepare students for the kinds of careers alumni are already pursuing in this fast-growing, high-impact field.

Students were invited to reconnect with their inner child and experience the benefits of play firsthand at a recent pop-up event on DU’s Campus Green.

DU’s Time Attack Racing club is gaining on its goal of competing in the “Race to the Clouds” at Pikes Peak in 2027.

The upcoming Newman Center Presents season at DU’s Robert & Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts boasts something for everyone, from jazz and bluegrass to family shows and Broadway favorites.

DU’s student racing club took a detour from its goal of racing at Pikes Peak to tackle one of Red Bull’s wackiest events.

Awarded one of the nation’s most prestigious scholarships for future environmental leaders, the environmental science and history major plans to pursue a career in water rights, sustainability, and policy.