Tuesday, September 3
9:45 - 10:30 a.m. | "Coffee and Conversation," ICL Social Committee [ICL], ***Cat Cavern*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE Come early to share summer stories and meet new members. Coffee and tea are provided by the ICL Social Committee. |
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | "Opening Day Kick-Off," Opening Session [ICL], ***Cat Cavern*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE We continue our opening morning with comments from our Executive Director, Sally Schriver, followed by introduction of our new members by the Co-Chairs of Membership Services, Barbara McReal and Vernelle Judy. |
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | "Minority Consciousness, Belonging, and Engagement with Others: Examples from Oregon Jewish History," Ellen Eisenberg [Anne Bowden], ***Cat Cavern*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE The disproportionate Jewish role in the American Civil Rights Movement is well documented. The complex reasons for this will be discussed by Professor Eisenberg and include considerations of minority consciousness, strong collective memory and aspects of Jewish security and insecurity which may have shaped responses. She will use several examples from Oregon Jewish history. |
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | "Video Presentation: TED talk - A (not so scientific) experiment on laughter," Anthony McCarten [Dru Johnson], Kaneko Auditorium Anthony McCarten tells the Munich audience four jokes in an attempt to conduct a (not so) scientific experiment into the role of laughter as facilitator of conversations and uniter of people. |
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "The President of Willamette University will present "Vision and Future"," Dr. Stephen Thorsett [Anne Bowden], Kaneko Auditorium President Thorsett acquired his current position on July 1, 2011. He is an internationally recognized astrophysicist who brings to Willamette more than two decades of experience as a scholar, teacher and academic leader. His research focused on radio pulsars and stars in the later evolution: white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. |
Thursday, September 5
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "Literary Potpourri," Ed Bender, Karen Bender, Jeanette Flaming, Jan Svingen, Henrietta Griffitts [Susan Lee ], Kaneko Auditorium
Members will discuss some favorite books. Jan Svingen will present "The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts" by Joshua Hammer. Ed Bender will present "Amos: To Ride A dead Horse" by Stanley Gordon West. Jeanette Flaming will present "The Book of Hope" by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu Henrietta Griffitts will present "Devil in the Grove" by Gilbert King. |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "Video Presentation: Connections," James Burke [Bill Foster], Kaneko Auditorium Connections series "Volume 1: The Trigger Effect - The roots of our dependence on complex technological Networks" and "Volume 2: Death in the Morning - How testing gold's purity changed history". |
Tuesday, September 10
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "Great Decisions: "American Foreign Policy" and "State of the State Department"," Bob Muir, Eric Reif [Janette Flaming], ***Cone Chapel*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE We will be covering 2 chapters this morning. "American foreign policy in 2019: a framework for analysis" will be presented by Bob Muir. The purpose of this framework is to offer a larger context for each issue. This introductory chapter is rather new to Great Decisions, but is very important for examining each topic. "State of the State Department" will be presented by Eric Reif. "During the Trump administration, the usual ways of conducting diplomacy has been upended. Many positions in the State Department have never been filled, and meetings with foreign leaders such as Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin have been undertaken with little advanced planning. What effect are these changes having now, and how will they affect ongoing relationships between the United States and its allies and adversaries?" |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "Developing As a Painter," Corrine Dietz [Jinx Brandt], ***Cone Chapel*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE I am influenced by color, community and technology. This visual conversation will explore a timeline of my work as an artist in conjunction with the development of a modern paint system within the collective life. I draw authenticity to my work from several experiences: from the studio filled with pigments, mediums, gels and grounds to the traveled landscape of our emotional and physical world, entrenched with current events. My practice includes collaborating with my contemporaries, teaching, in depth trainings and the residencies that build my resilience. I continue to explore the intuitive nature of laying paint on a surface. The interaction of color in my recent paintings reference the world as I feel it. |
Thursday, September 12
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | "Antarctica, Nature's Refrigerator," Lester Reed [Mark Kasoff], Kaneko Auditorium In today's presentation, Lester will provide information on the earth's most remote and inhospitable continent, Antarctica. In spite of its frigid climate, this land, uninhabited by humans, is of vital importance to the world's weather and supports some of the globe's most unique creatures. Lester will provide a look at Antarctica's formation, history, and wildlife, as well as the human impact and the future of world's refrigerator. |
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | "Video Presentation: TED talk - Everyday Moments Caught in Time," Billy Collins [Dru Johnson], Kaneko Auditorium Combining dry wit with artistic depth, Billy Collins shares a project in which several of his poems were turned into delightful, animated films. Five of them are included in this wonderfully entertaining lecture---and don't miss the hilarious final poem! |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.. | "Video Presentation: Great Courses - Scientific Wonder of Birds," Wayne Wallace, GwenEllyn Anderson [TBA], Kaneko Auditorium This presentation is from the "Scientific Wonder of Birds" from The Great Courses. "Wayne Wallace will present "Burning Bright: Avian Adaptations for Flight". GwenEllyn Anderson will be presenting "Bird Brains: Tool Wielders and Snack Stealers". Wayne Wallace has been a member since 2015 and spent his career in Medical Technology. GwenEllyn Anderson has been a member since 2017 and spent her career in Higher Education. |
Tuesday, September 17
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "Spotlight on the Salem Theater Network," Theater Symposium [Deborah Ehlers], Kaneko Auditorium The theater community is thriving in Salem and neighboring communities! Come and hear from representatives from the Salem Theater Network, an alliance of twelve theater organizations in the Mid-Willamette Valley, who will discuss their history, collaboration, and upcoming season's offerings. |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "¿ì»îÊÓƵ Potpourri," Joan Robinson, Janet Adkins, Don Gallagher, Arthur Hill [Don Gallagher], Kaneko Auditorium
Presenters include: Joan Robinson - "Downs Syndrome". Janet Adkins - "Fish Tales". Don Gallagher - "Attacks on ¿ì»îÊÓƵ". Arthur Hill - "Post Apollo - where does human space flight go from here?" - Reading material: PDF |
Thursday, September 19
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "The Value of Light Festivals to their Communities," Jeff Schnabel [Jinx Brandt], Kaneko Auditorium Light is used throughout world cultures and locales to celebrate, remember, purify, and enrich. This presentation will document many of these light-based festivals and highlight our own regional event, the Portland Winter Light Festival. We will explore how nighttime is transformed and humans are engaged by these temporary installations of fire and light. |
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | "Video Presentation: How Music and Mathematics Relate," Professor David Kung [Bill Foster], Kaneko Auditorium The first of a series of lectures entitled: "Overtones - Symphony in a Single Note". |
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "Video Presentation: Black Hole Mysteries of the Universe," NOVA Documentary [Dru Johnson], Kaneko Auditorium A NOVA documentary on the phenomenon known as Black Holes. |
Tuesday, September 24
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "Children of the Oregon Trail," Tom Marsh [Don Taylor], ***Cone Chapel*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE This presentation is about the children of the Oregon Trail - who they were, their families, and the challenges and dangers they faced. Tom Marsh will provide excerpts from about a half a dozen Trail diaries. Tom's inspiration came from a mural at the Salem Capitol of a little blonde hair girl walking with the pioneers. This led to a published book and research paper. |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "Progress Report: Willamette Academy," Emilio Solano [Dru Johnson], ***Cone Chapel*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE After graduating from Willamette in 2009 with a BA in History and American Ethnic Studies, Emilo Solano was accepted into the Teach for America Corps and relocated to Los Angeles. He brings with him experience as a former teacher, and has served as assistant principal at Camino Nuevo Charter Academy, dean of students at the Inglewood Middle Charter Academy, and as a corps member advisor and school director for Teach For America summer Institute. |
Thursday, September 26
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | "'Lazarus' Ecology in Zena Forest: Challenges in Land Management," Karen Arabas [Anne Bowden], ***Cat Cavern*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE Dr. Arabas will tell the story of how Willamette University acquired Zena Forest, a 300-acre windfall of oak-prairie habitat in the Eola Hills. She will describe how over more than a decade, hundreds of students, staff and faculty have collaborated in restoration ecology and sustainable forestry activities at the property. Few universities can boast of having an outdoor "laboratory" where students not only study hands-on what causes habitats to disappear but even more important are challenged to devise and implement actions to bring them back to life. Karen Arabas, Professor of Environmental ¿ì»îÊÓƵ, earned degrees from Wesleyan University and Pennsylvania State University. Her research looks at the roles that human and natural disturbances play on forest ecosystems. Using the tools of tree-ring analysis plus historical ecology, her multi-year research in central Oregon forests have revealed the impact of forest fragmentation, climate change, fires, insect infestation and humans have had on forest destruction. She has secured a grant of $188,000 to support restoration that has resulted in hundreds of students, faculty and staff pitching in to bring Zena back to life. Her teaching mantra is clear: To foster hope for the future, students must understand and care about the consequences of human actions in the natural world. |
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. | "Human Trafficking," Jim Moiso [Phil Sperl], ***Cat Cavern*** NOTE CHANGE IN VENUE In this Session, Jim Moiso will tell about the reality of juvenile sex trafficking near us. Through video, presentation and discussion, we will explore why this is so present in our state, how children get involved, who traffickers are, the nature of buyers, and ways we can join with others both to assist victims and to help prevent others from being trafficked. |