Topics to be covered in the next free Life-long Lectures at Fort Lewis College include the grand and the granular. From smart planet Earth guidelines to our mysterious gut microbiome, from presidential pardons to misconceptions about Ozempic, and from profiles of Anne Frank to an unknown Flower-Power Geezer, speakers will introduce unusual subjects, stimulate thought and hopefully spark opinion as only a smart college lecture series can.
“Every year, we invite faculty and community experts to bring relevant topics to our attention,” said Gary Rottman, LLL team leader. “This winter, we’ll also be meeting in different locations. Our traditional home, 130 Noble Hall, remains our base camp, but we’re adding the Lyceum at the Center of Southwest Studies and Roshong Recital Hall for particular presentations. Fortunately, there’s plenty of free parking in the big lots off the East Eighth Avenue extension. We hope to see a good crowd for each presentation.”
If you go
WHAT: Fort Lewis College Winter-Spring Life-Long Learning Lecture Series.
WHEN: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays, Jan. 16 to April 17.
WHERE: 130 Noble Hall, Center of Southwest Studies and Roshong Recital Hall at FLC, 1000 Rim Drive.
TICKETS: Free.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://tinyurl.com/nzjncbax or contact Gary Rottman, www.gsorcer@hotmail.com.
Co-sponsored by the Office of the President and the FLC Professional Associates, a volunteer organization of college supporters, the series begins its winter program on Thursday.
“Be sure to note the location of each lecture,” Rottman said.
Jan. 16: The 10 Commandments for Planet Earth. Retired Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Smith College Dick White will use a familiar moral framework to enlarge a discussion about climate change by exploring the mystery of cosmic evolution and humanity’s place in the universe.
Jan. 23: Lyceum at Center of Southwest Studies: Should We Jump on the Ozempic Bandwagon? Concetta DiRusso, emerita professor of biochemistry from the University of Nebraska, will discuss how various popular drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, have risen to fame as a panacea to cure obesity.
Jan. 30: The Pardon Power of the American President will be discussed by attorney Frank Bowman, a graduate of Harvard Law and Provost Visiting Scholar at FLC. Are pardons a benevolent avenue for bestowing mercy or dangerous tools for creating a regime of impunity?
Feb. 6: The Art of Dying. Educator and world traveler Katherine Burgess will examine beliefs, rituals and philosophies of different cultures, ancient and contemporary, as she discusses the unique human recognition of death.
Feb. 13: Commitment to Reconciliation. Heather Shotton, FLC vice president of Diversity Affairs, will explain the college’s history as a former Federal Indian Boarding School and current efforts to come to terms with that inheritance.
Feb. 20: The Forgotten Organ. Jeff McFarlane, FLC assistant professor of biochemistry, will consider the intricate contributions of essential microbes in daily life.
Feb. 27: Who is Wavy Gravy? Yes, Wavy Gravy, by well-known local expert on pop culture, Bob Griffith. His multimedia evening will include music and videos of a Flower Geezer, Clown Prince and counterculture standard-bearer.
March 6: Lyceum at Center of Southwest Studies: How the 747 Got its Hump. A talk by retired engineer Florian Walchak. He will tell aeronautical tales from his 40 years of experience in the Department of Defense and from teaching aircraft design at the University of New Mexico.
March 13: Respectful Practice in Archaeological Research. FLC anthropology professor Charles Riggs will examine how to foster better, more respectful practices with community professionals and academics from research design to shovel to shelf.
March 20: FLC Spring Break.
March 27: Lyceum at Center of Southwest Studies: Distant Siblings: The USA and Canada by Claire and Tom Huffaker. From European settlement to the present, the Huffakers will examine the close, complex and sometimes conflictual relationship between the USA and Canada, based on their experiences in the diplomatic, energy and educational sectors.
April 3: Roshong Recital Hall: The Life, Times and Influence of Anne Frank by Drea Pressley. Evening will begin with a biography of the Frank family in Amsterdam during World War II and conclude with a discussion and performance of music inspired by Anne’s life. Pressley is a well-known professional musician and Certified Financial Planner in Durango.
April 10: Ten Ways Maps Changed How We See the World by Melinda Laituri, visiting speaker and professor emerita of geography from Colorado State University. Laituri will explore maps drawn using changing technologies that all reflect the dynamic nature of how we see the world.
April 17: Saving Navajo Weaving, by Jackson Clark III, owner of Durango’s Toh-Atin Gallery. The son of trading-post entrepreneurs, Clark will argue that without the influence of traders, a unique Southwest art form would likely have expired.
