Previous Offerings
FALL 2023
Lloyd International Honors College Annual Lecture & Conversation, 2023
The Independent Voter: Can we get Beyond Partisanship?
Dr. Thom Reilly, Jacqueline Salit, Dr. Omar Ali
Tuesday, September 12, 6:00-7:30 pm, Eastern U.S. Time
HONORS COLLOQUIA STUDENTS come to the event at the EUC Auditorium
Independent voters—the 40–50 percent of Americans who reject identification with either of the two major parties or with any party—are increasing in number and impact. Independents (or non-aligned voters) are determining the outcome of major elections and upending some of the long-held categories around how electoral politics is discussed and organized. This presentation and conversation is led by the authors of the recently published study, The Independent Voter. In their book they argue that independents are a potential engine for a transformation of US democracy.
Join Dr. Thom Reilly, professor in the School of Public Affairs and Co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University. Jacqueline Salit, president of Independent Voting and Co-director of the Center for an Independent and Sustainable Democracy at Arizona State University, and Dr. Omar H. Ali is Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and professor of African-American political history at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, as they share some of the history and current ways in which independents have served as catalyst for democracy and political reform. There will be time for questions and comments.
Grassroots Political Theatre in Pakistan
Mohamed Waseem
Saturday, September 23, 6:30 pm, Pakistan Standard Time 9:30 am, Eastern U.S. Time
A conversation between Mohammed Waseem, founder and director of the Interactive Resource Center based in Lahore, Pakistan and Dr. Dan Friedman, artistic director emeritus in New York City. In 2000, Waseem, already a veteran of political street theatre, began traveling from village to village in the Pakistani countryside organizing local people, mostly peasants, into theatre troupes—250 of them over the next ten years. “I start with non-actors,” says Waseem. “Never did I audition anyone. … I believe that If you are human, you can perform. Whatever the forms, the knowledge and the skills the community has, we work with that.” His work has subsequently expanded into citizen journalism, video, and television. This is a rare opportunity to learn directly from a global pioneer of performance activism.
There Goes the Sun…
Two Solar Eclipses Coming to the Americas
Dr. Nicholas Gross
Saturday, October 7, 2:00 pm Eastern U.S. Time
Ever want to see a Solar Eclipse? In the next year, there will be an opportunity to view two Solar Eclipses in U.S., Mexico, Central America and parts of South America. The first will be this Fall on Saturday, October 14th, 2023, and the second in the Spring, on April 8th, 2024. This class Dr. Nick Gross, a physicist at Boston University, will review what happens during a solar and lunar eclipse, why eclipses only happen at particular times, and how you can view the eclipse safely.
Fun with Philosophy
Chris Helm
Saturday, October 14, 2:00 pm, Eastern U.S. Time
Philosophizing is too important to leave to the official philosophers! It should be part of all our lives. Remember when you were a child and constantly asked questions? Never stop. And never accept “It’s just the way things are,” as an answer to anything! Join Chris Helm, a member of the East Side Institute’s faculty and a long-time leader of its Developmental Philosophy Group, in creating a playful philosophical conversation. This workshop provides experience in how to question everything—and why that’s important to living a full life.
How to Start Your Own Podcast
Desire Wandan
Saturday, October 21, 2:00 pm, Eastern U.S. Time
The Internet has opened new possibilities for “ordinary people” to share their ideas, reach out to others around the world and create new forums for conversation and learning. One of the most accessible of these new tools is the podcast. Podcasting has grown significantly in recent years. Currently there are 464.7 million podcast listeners globally. This number is predicted to reach 504.9 million by 2024. Whether technically experienced or not, you can learn to produce and distribute your own shows on any subject and explore whatever viewpoints you choose.
In this session, Desire Wandan, the East Side Institute’s Media and Tech Producer, and host of its podcast “All Power to the Developing,” will cover the basics of podcast production and answer your question about how to get started.
AI, Chat GPT, Bard … Oh My!
Karen Werner and Nick Gross
Saturday, October 28, 10:30 am, Eastern U.S. Time
These days everyone’s talking about AI (Artificial Intelligence)—its potential and its danger. This collaborative learning experience, led by Karen Werner and Dr. Nick Gross, aims to demystify AI, making it accessible and relatable to everyone, regardless of prior knowledge or experience. You will be introduced to AI’s history, recent developments, and current tools and applications. Through a mix of conversation and interactive activities, we will explore the fundamental principles of AI, promoting curiosity and critical thinking along the way.
Discord and Harmony: The Struggle for Freedom in the USA Through Blues, Jazz, Soul and Hip-Hop
Allen Cox and Dan Belmont
Saturday, November 4, 11:00 am, Eastern U.S. Time
This will be a look at—and a listen to—the role of African American music has played in embodying and inspiring the ongoing struggle for freedom and full equality in the U.S.A. The session will be a mix of music video clips (Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Stevie Wonder, among others) and informal conversation led by progressive musician and composer Dan Belmont and life-long grassroots organizer and leader Allen Cox.
An Indigenous People’s History of the United States: A Conversation with author Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Saturday, November 18, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Pacific U.S. Time, 2:00 pm – 3:30 p.m., Eastern U.S. Time
View Recording Here
With “Thanksgiving” a week away, this is a good time to separate the realities from the myths of the first encounters between European colonial settlers and the native peoples who inhabited and nurtured North America before 1492. Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (recipient of the American Book Award 2015), will discuss this and much more with Dr. Omar Ali, dean of Lloyd International Honors College, University of North Carolina, Greensboro and Dr. Dan Friedman, program manager of Let’s Learn! There will be plenty of time for questions and comments from those attending.