Fall Symposium Day 2018

RELATIONSHIPS

September 27, 2018

Volunteer, service and other engagement activities available in Olin and The Gerber Center from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

SESSION I
9-10 a.m.
AUGIE READS FEATURED PRESENTATION
I Question America
Leonard Pitts Jr., author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
The Gerber Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
The title “I Question America” is taken from a famous speech given by voting rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer in 1964. The talk examines the theme of estrangement from America and its ideals.

SESSION I
9-10 a.m.
Musical Relationships That Stimulate Dialogue
Dr. Sarah Burns, music and music education
Larson Hall, inside Bergendoff Hall
When two singers join together in song, the message of the musical relationship resounds far beyond the length of time it takes to sing the song. What do Paul McCartney, Eminem, Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lady Gaga and Annie Lennox have in common? Join in the dialogue about these seemingly mismatched musicians and the message their music stimulates.

Promises, Promises: Relationships and their Discontents in 17th Century French Theatre
Dr. Taddy Kalas, French; students of FREN-343
Wilson Center
Students in FREN-343 (17th Century Theatre) will explore different types of relationships—familial, social, romantic—as they compare the approaches of Racine, Corneille and Molière.

Reagonomics and Covenantal Relationships
Dr. Meg Kunde, communication studies
Hanson Hall of Science 102
There has been much popular and scholarly discussion about whether Ronald Reagan’s economic policies, or “Reaganomics,” were a success or failure. I argue that the more interesting question is how he managed to create popular support for policies of his own party initially referred to as “voodoo economics” and to provide a moral foundation for him and future Republicans to justify free-market ideas. Through rhetorical analysis of Reagan’s major economic speeches, I explore how Reagan reframed free-market, or laissez-faire, economics by borrowing from the Puritan covenantal tradition and using covenant as a multi-pronged rhetorical device to reconcile seemingly contradictory tensions and constitute people in roles and relationships in a way that appeared to fulfill several economic and moral obligations simultaneously.

Mapping and Assessing the Potential for Daylighting of Urban Streams
Michael Adams, geography and environmental studies
Hanson Hall of Science 304
Urban development has historically been understood to show a disregard for nature in the name of progress. This, amongst many other forms, translates to watersheds being heavily modified and streams rerouted or buried altogether by concrete, buildings and various other cases. This session will present the findings of a Summer Research Fellowship student’s work on mapping and assessing the potential for daylighting of urban streams in Rock Island County. The project also incorporates the social implications of green spaces in urbanized environments and will discuss the findings of research on their impact on residents' physical and mental well-being.

I Tried to Hold Them But They Crumbled Like Paper
Rebecca Wee, English and creative writing; Austin Allbert, Emma Bleske, Melissa Conway, Braxton Crawford, Megan Gabler, Sydney Gilbert, Adarios Jones, Chris Mundt, Brenna Parson, Rene Powers, Cassie Roberts, Nicole Tennison; also Jack Harris, Mikaylo Kelly, Samantha Dinglasan
Honkamp Myhre Black Box, inside Brunner Theatre Center
Poetry workshop writers will read from their work this term. Please join us to listen but also to read if you have poems you'd like to share.

Remember the Important Things In Life: My Mother’s Story and Brain Aneurysm Awareness
Briana “Bri” Lee, biology
Hanson Hall of Science 305
According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, more than 30,000 people suffer a brain aneurysm rupture every year in the United States. On September 1, 2015, my mother became one of the 30,000 when she suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm at the age of 46. The purpose of this presentation is to share my mother’s story, but also how this fateful day has shaped my relationship with my mother, as well as my family. In addition, this presentation also serves to bring more awareness to brain aneurysms and the catastrophic effects that they have when they rupture.

Campus Kitchens—Food Friends
Baillie Brooks and Lauren Clapp
Olin Auditorium
We will explore what food insecurity is, what it looks like on campus, and how faculty and staff can be resources to students. Faculty and staff who attend will receive a sticker to put outside their office, demonstrating that they have participated in the discussion to combat food insecurity on campus.

Mind, Body, and Burlesque
Bottoms Up Burlesque and Manscape Burlesque
Facilitated by +IMPACT President Anna Pfalzgraf and Vice President Catherine Priebe
Potter Hall, inside Bergendoff Hall
Listen and chat with professional burlesque performers in the Quad Cities as they share their experiences with identity, relationships, boundaries (and more!) as they relate to their profession.

SESSION II
10:15-11:15 a.m.
FEATURED PRESENTATION: Juaquin Hamilton and the Youngbird Dance Troupe
Juaquin Hamilton and the Youngbird Dance Troupe (Dyanni Hamilton, Kealan Hamilton, Abria Hamilton, Marty Thurman and Sophia Thurman)
Lower Quad (by the gazebo); rain location–Wallenberg Hall
The Youngbird Dance Troupe is from Shawnee, Okla., and is composed of members of the Sac and Fox Nation. They travel extensively to perform and educate about Native American history and culture. The Sac (also spelled Sauk) and Fox people were forcibly removed from the area now known as Rock Island in the early 1800s and endured multiple relocations and dispersal of their communities across several states. Led by Juaquin Hamilton, the Youngbird Dance Troupe will be touching on the importance of the relationships they maintain within their indigenous communities and how those relationships impact their day-to-day lives in western society. 

SESSION II
10:15-11:15 a.m.
Sabbatical Reports from the Inside Out
Kelvin Mason, art; Dr. Kevin Geedey, biology; Dr. Dara Wegman-Geedey, biology; Rebecca Wee, English
Hanson Hall of Science 304
Four faculty will present the travels, research, scholarship and insights they had while on sabbatical leave during the 2017-18 academic year. This will include a discussion of how sabbatical leaves benefit students by bringing new experiences to teaching and mentorship, and how academic relationships are forged outside the Augustana community.

Why My People?
Ashanti Mobley, Africana studies, Multicultural Programming Board; Dr. Paul Croll, sociology, anthropology, and social welfare; Mayra Arevalo, sociology, Multicultural Programming Board; Michael Rogers, director of Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Olin Auditorium
The unspoken truth about police insensitivity towards people of color. We will discuss the relevance of the lives altered due to police brutality by presenting three media-drawn cases of victims lost due to police brutality. The cases will help examine the relationship between the police force and communities of color.

Laughing Through Relationships
Ethan Conley-Keck, Austin Allbert, Natalie Brown, Ailin Garcia Byrne, Lauren Clapp, Chase Fahy, Candice Gericke, Spencer Kane, Jessica Lechtenberg, Tristan Odenkirk, Katrina Scheer, Collin Schopp, Brandon Smith and Daniel Williams
Honkamp Myhre Black Box, inside Brunner Theatre Center
To navigate relationships, it helps to have a sense of humor. This presentation by Augustana’s Heywire improv group discusses and shows how learning improv comedy helps us in the variety of relationships we encounter every day. Whether it's reacting to unexpected situations, working together to build a product or just finding out more about the many zany characters you pass on your morning commute, join us to see how a sense of humor and improv's famous "Yes And" rule can help you in your everyday life.

Meta-Lies and Gaslighting: The American Relationship to News
Dr. David Schwartz, multimedia journalism and mass communication
Wilson Center
Some lies are more harmful than others. Meta-lies undermine trusted social institutions. When meta-lies are told with the goal of disrupting faith in America’s news media, we’re left with the current media climate—one of severe distrust, dangerous posers, and a confused, disenchanted public.

Banned Books and How They Affect Us
Alex Bernheimer, president of Unabridged (English Club); Katie Oestmann, vice president of Unabridged; Cassie Karn, treasurer of Unabridged
Olin Center 305
We will explore banned and challenged books and how censorship affects the relationship that young readers have with new ideas and concepts that they learn from books. Banned Books Week from September 23-29 is a nationwide movement in to raise awareness for the freedom to read. We will look at the most challenged books, why they were challenged and some of our favorite banned books. You'll find it quite surprising which books have been banned/challenged; these include “The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “Slaughterhouse Five” by Kurt Vonnegut and many more!

Pseudoconcert IV—Listening to Connect
Dr. Robert Elfline, music
Ensemble Room, inside Bergendoff Hall
In the typical performance of classical music, members of the audience sit in hushed stillness, prevented from interacting. In this forum, audience members are encouraged to interact by collaborating in the selection of the repertoire to be performed and reacting to the music in real time as it is played. The music for this event will be chosen from among the piano pieces of English composer Howard Skempton, whose sparse textures and simple harmonies allow for an experience of deep listening.

ReGAYtionships: Defining Relationships Outside the Gender Binary
Elise Campbell, Gender and Sexuality Alliance president; members of the Augustana Gender and Sexuality Alliance
Hanson of Science 102
Most of us nowadays understand not to ask a same-gender couple who is the man and who is the woman, but we don't always think about how the gender binary makes its way into all of the relationships in our lives. Join this discussion about gender norms in romantic, platonic and familial relationships and the ways in which we can reimagine these relationships in a non-binary world.

SESSION III
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
FEATURED PRESENTATION: “‘Don't let school get in the way of your learnin’”: Experiences of a Rising Black-ademic in Predominantly White Institutions
Simone Roby ’14, doctoral candidate in counseling psychology and Augustana Fellowship Instructor of Psychology
The Gerber Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
Though I've always loved to learn, attending predominantly white schools evoked a sense of isolation and fear of confirming the myth of black intellectual inferiority. I will highlight the ways that my Augustana experiences have helped me use teaching and research in graduate school as a means of gaining self-awareness and liberation from this haunting myth.

SESSION III
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Brundibar: Singing Against Darkness
Dr. Teryl Dodd, professor of music education at University of Wisconsin-Madison
Larson Hall, inside Bergendoff Hall
From her interviews with Holocaust survivors and archival work at the Jewish Museum of Prague, Terezin Memorial, Yad Vashem, the Shoah Foundation and Yale University, Dr. Teryl Dobbs shares her research regarding children’s musical experiences in the Holocaust, specifically those surrounding Brundibar. Performed in Theresienstadt (Terezin), a transit camp on the way to Auschwitz and Treblinka, Brundibar offered children and their audiences the space to retain their humanity through music-making and human relationships.

Stories from the Margins: A Performance
Dr. Paul Lewellan, communications studies; Jatzari Abonce, MJ Mason and Valerie Spreeman, communication studies; CeCi Crown, Nick Harvey, Ian Steigerwald, business administration; Shyan Devoss, theatre arts; Nolan Ebel, graphic design; Courtney Veitch, Asian studies; Elane Edwards, Sydney Ehrsam, sociology; Courtney Ward, psychology; Ryan Ganson, biology; Ryan Kairis, creative writing; Katie Fues, Madi Glatz, Vincent O'Meara, Jonathan Turyna, Laura Zeno, English education.
Honkamp Myhre Black Box, inside Brunner Theatre Center
Ta-Nehisi Coates describes challenges faced by people set apart, alienated or isolated by the dominant culture. This alienation may be prompted by ethnicity, gender or generational, intellectual or physical disparities. The four performances included in this session tell the stories of marginalized people. The goal of the program is to connect historical and contemporary experiences to our broader society and our campus community, and to us as performers. The primary texts will be nonfiction, such as memoirs, blogs, news reports, interviews, personal experience and current events.

Ranking Relationships: How to Spot a Winner
Augustana NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health): Courtney Baker, Melette DeVore, Mark Sharp, Brandie Minogue, Melanie Loeffler
Olin Center 305
Relationships exist on a spectrum; they can be happy and loving, indifferent and coexisting or harmful and abusive. This session will focus on understanding the characteristics of healthy versus unhealthy relationships and reflect on the relationships in our own lives. Our goal is to educate on and raise awareness of abuse in relationships and to provide accessible resources on and off campus.

Augustana's Relationship with Greek Life
Montserrat Ricossa, Greek Council president; Tia Fuhr, interim assistant director of student life, leadership and engagement; Ken Brill, associate dean and vice president of student life, leadership and engagement
Hanson Hall of Science 102
A presentation on Greek life's relationship with the Augustana and Rock Island communities, followed by a discussion on what Greek life has done to improve relationships and how we plan to move forward. The more engagement and ideas brought forth, the better.

The Swedish Immigration Trail Game
Dr. Forrest Stonedahl, mathematics and computer science; Dr. Brian Leech, history; Lisa Huntsha, Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
Olin Center 307
A class of software developers teamed up with several history students and the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center to create an adventure game that honors the relationship that Augustana has with the Swedish heritage of its founders. At a time when immigration policies are at the forefront of national and international debates, putting yourselves in the shoes of immigrant Swedes who came to America in the late 19th century could help you forge a new relationship with Augustana's (and our nation's) past, and provide you with a different perspective about the present and future.

How Do We Engage Opinions We Don't Agree With?
Yen Dao, Learning Commons; Dr. Deke Gould, philosophy; Dr. Xiaowen Zhang, political science; Michael Rogers, Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity; Mary Windeknecht, first year advising; Michael Salamone, philosophy and political science
Olin Auditorium
Our panel will discuss ways to have a civil conversation and demonstrate civil discourse by discussing the topic chosen by the audience. The top three topics are 1) Should police be required to go through diversity training? 2) Can a healthy relationship exist if it began in an unhealthy way (i.e., abuse or infidelity)? and 3) Should the United States have more tightly regulated borders or “open” borders? Audience members will be able to practice civil discourse in a small group setting.

The Allegory of the Hood—A POC Perspective of Life After the Hood
Lydia Lara, Latinx Unidos and Black Student Union member; Mayra Arevalo, Latinx Unidos president; Stephanie Dominguez, Latinx Unidos member; Corey Miles, Diversity Fellow in sociology, anthropology and social welfare; and Ashanti Mobley, Black Student Union vice president
Hanson Hall of Science 304
What would it mean to return to the place where it all began? To open the door where the relationship between who we are and who we used to be reconnect…one that means leaving everything behind, the only reality you know, to an unknowing future of metamorphasos, and then returning again? This session focuses on the ideology of the allegory of the cave, but instead using a place like a working class ghetto and the importance of evolving, and returning to “the cave” as an enlightened yet estranged individual of a community, and the steps we can take along the way to lift up that community with us.
 

COMMUNITY SERVICE/VOLUNTEER DROP-IN EVENTS
9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Clothesline Project
Hosted by women’s and gender studies and affiliated faculty and staff
The Gerber Center, Oasis Room
This session will give members of the Augustana community an opportunity to create their own messages on T-shirts that will appear on campus in October as part of the Clothesline Project. The Clothesline Project reminds us that sexual and gender-based violence is not just a set of statistics, but also a social problem that affects real people, including those in our own community. Information on local resources and T-shirt making supplies will be provided, but you are also welcome to make a T-shirt on your own and drop it off at the session.

De-Stereotype Me
Sustained Dialogue: Taylor Ashby, Molly Bastida, Robert Burke, Jenna Dolan, Shannon Thomas, Daniel Williams
Tredway Library, second floor lobby
Stereotypes exist, and bringing them to the surface is the only way to stir people to address their prevalence and impact. Join Sustained Dialogue in creating a display expressing one of your identities and how you break a stereotype of that identity.

Sigma Kappa Tau’s Blanket Making Service Opportunity
Members of Sigma Kappa Tau
Olin Center 201
Join us in making tie blankets for the Edgerton Women's Center. This is a great way to earn service hours and help strength relationships Augustana has with the local community in a positive way.

Sigma Pi Delta’s Pet Toy Making Service Opportunity
Members of Sigma Pi Delta
Olin Center 202
Earn service hours and help support a local animal shelter by making dog and cat toys.

Cards for Hospitalized Kids Service Opportunity
CARE Service Club
Olin Center 208
Donate your time to make an impact on children in need in Chicago. CARE Service Club invites you to make cards for hospitalized kids. We will have supplies. All you need to bring is yourself!

Symposium Day is financially supported by the Institute for Leadership and Service and by the Office of Academic Affairs.