Roberta Salmi, Metro Atlanta Teachers, Noam Pikelny, Hackathon, and Ice Cream Festival

First, for years, we’ve seen gorillas come to life on the screen, in everything from “Planet of the Apes,” to “Congo,” and “The Jungle Book.” But these cinematic portrayals aren’t all that accurate. University of Georgia anthropology professor Roberta Salmi is on a mission to change Hollywood’s depiction of gorillas. We talk with her about studying their behavior, and working as a consultant on the new film, “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

Next, this week marks the beginning of school for many districts in Metro Atlanta. But as of mid-June, there were 1,400 vacancies in schools across the city. DeKalb County alone lost 900 teachers at the end of last school year. We talk about the teacher shortage and Atlanta’s retention problems with Maureen Downey, Education Reporter for the Atlanta Journal Constitution; and Richard Ingersoll, Professor of Education and Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Then, the banjo has many moods in the hands of Noam Pikelny. He’s best known as a founding member and Banjo player for the Punch Brothers, who perform at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens this weekend. The Chicago native has been performing since a very young age, and recently released his first full solo album “Universal Favorite.” Pikelny spoke with GPB’s Trevor Young in advance of a performance at The Earl in Atlanta in March. 

Next, Clark Atlanta University this week welcomes its incoming freshman class in a way never done before-- with hacking. A six-hour technical marathon is open to as many as a thousand students. They’ll collaborate to code and come up with technical innovations that could change the world. The event is being labeled as the largest hackathon at a historically black college and university. We talk with two of the organizers, Jerica Richardson and Daniel Santos of the Atlanta-based group, Hackout Ninja.

Finally, ice cream. Two little words that can attract a lot of people, especially when it’s hot outside. A festival in Atlanta recently celebrated summer’s quintessential dessert with family events and vendors offering more flavors than we can name. G-P-B intern Candace Spates sends us a postcard from the Atlanta Ice Cream Festival at Piedmont Park.

Tags: Ice Cream Festival  Hackathon  Atlanta Teachers  Roberta Salmi  Noam Pikelny  OST Full Show  Atlanta  Georgia