State scraps Regents exam requirement. What does it mean for students?

12:00: State scraps Regents exam requirement. What does it mean for students?

1:00: Special rebroadcast: Author Kyle Semmel on his debut novel, 'The Book of Losman'

The New York State Board of Regents voted this week to eliminate Regents exams as a graduation requirement. The move has stirred debate, with some leaders in higher education saying that the exams were never a good use of students’ time. Meanwhile, critics say they worry that the state is lowering its standards. What went into the decision? And what do the changes mean for students and educators? We welcome two members of the New York State Board of Regents. In studio:

• Adrian Hale, New York State Regent
• Wade Norwood, New York State Regent

Then in our second hour, we continue our series of special rebroadcasts with authors about some of the most interesting books we've had on the show. In this episode, we talk with local author and translator Kyle Semmel about his debut novel, “The Book of Losman." The novel follows Daniel Losman, an American working as a book translator in Copenhagen who goes to great lengths to cure his Tourette syndrome. The work is fiction, but Semmel says some pieces of the story are true to his own life. We talk with Semmel about the book and his craft. Our guest:

• Kyle Semmel, author of "The Book of Losman"

"Connections" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.