Beginning with a philosophical discussion of ethics education in America, the Life-Long Learning Lecture Series at Fort Lewis College will launch its 18th year of free programs on Jan. 18.
Co-sponsored by the Office of the President and a volunteer organization known as Professional Associates, the series features FLC professors, community experts and out-of-town speakers.
The point is to explore topics of current and historical interest and follow up with a community discussion.
One-hour talks will begin at 7 p.m. Thursdays in 130 Noble Hall. They are free, open to the public and there’s plenty of free evening parking.
Justin McBrayer, chairman of the Department of Philosophy and Political Science, will open the winter series discussing the confusion American children face when they are taught that facts are one thing, opinions are another and that ethics is a matter of opinion.
The complete 2018 winter-spring series includes:
Jan. 18: Facts, Opinions and Ethics Education. Justin McBrayer.Jan. 25: Musical inner workings of Argentine Tango. (Roshong Recital Hall). M. Brent Williams, assistant professor of violin, viola and chamber music, and colleagues will present an interactive lecture-recital about Tango Nuevo.Feb. 1: The Feudal Roots of Japanese Imperialism. Viktor Schmagin, assistant professor of history, will look back at early westernizing reforms and forward to the projection of Japanese power in world history.Feb. 8: Bridging the personal and the Scholarly. New to the college, Dean Jesse Peters will discuss how he came to study Native American literature and how it has influenced him professionally and personally.Feb. 15: Trumpenomics – Not Necessarily a Return of Reaganomics. Robert “Tino” Sonora, professor of economics, will discuss economic policies of the last year within a larger historic perspective.Feb. 22: All About Hummingbirds. George L. San Miguel, branch chief for natural resources stewardship at Mesa Verde National Park, will bring an educated and passionate overview of the birds he bands for the Hummingbird Monitoring Network.March 1: Epigenetics: What You Thought You Knew. Joseph Gambone, doctor of osteopathy and master of public health, will review classic genetics and discuss epigenetics, how external events and exposures can also cause changes and alterations in your DNA sequence.March 8: Traveling the World with Alexander von Humboldt. Rick Rottman, who has had a complex career ranging from work in aerospace to gold exploration in Russia, will discuss Humboldt’s extraordinary life as a scientist and world traveler.(March 15: No presentation because of FLC spring break.)March 22: The Greatness of the Bears Ears National Monument. Co-sponsored by Center of Southwest Studies for the annual Duane Smith Lecture (to be held in the Student Union Ballroom). Distinguished professor of law Charles F. Wilkinson will travel from the University of Colorado, Boulder to discuss the tangled history of the monument up to the present. March 29: The Bounds of Diversity and the Mirage of Multiculturalism. Tom Givón, retired professor of linguistics and cognitive science and Colorado rancher, will discuss the close parallel between biological and cultural populations and look at the current obsession with diversity and multiculturalism.April 5: Choosing a Child-free Life. Writer Nicole Hardy will read from her 2013 memoir Confessions of a Latter-day Virgin and explore the idea that we all live in a belief system that asserts that every woman is, inherently, and by design, a mother. April 12: FLC and a Sense of Accomplishment: Three Major Changes. After serving eight years as president of FLC, Dene K. Thomas will discuss how she guided the institution to resolve three significant issues: The Old Fort and the State Land Board, the curriculum and establishing equilibrium between STEM and the liberal arts.For more information, call FLC Office of the President, 247-7401, or visit www.fortlewis.edu/professionalassociates.
If you go
WHAT:
Life-Long Learning Lecture Series – winter-spring 2018
WHERE:
130 Noble Hall, Fort Lewis College (except where indicated)
WHEN:
7 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 18 through April 12 (winter break March 15).
Cost:
Free
For more information:
Contact Mitch Davis, FLC Office of Public Affairs, at 247-7401 or email Davis_m@fortlewis.edu.
