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NEWS
> KEEP ON LEARNING
2007-08
Keep on Learning at Wartburg Series
SEPT.
6, 13, 20, 27 Understanding Islam: Past, Present and Future
Dr. Mohammed Fahmy and Dr. Kenneth Atkinson
In light of the atrocious Sept. 11 attacks, distorted images
of Islam have created misperceptions of what the religion represents.
Led by Fahmy and Atkinson, this course will include the basic
concepts of Islam, historical perspectives, and insights on
the relationship between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. The
final session will include a panel discussion on Islam. Fahmy
(pictured) serves as chair of the industrial technology department
at the University of Northern Iowa. A native of Egypt, he earned
a Ph.D. in metallurgy from Michigan State University’s
College of Engineering. He serves as prayer leader and director
of educational program at the Waterloo Islamic Center. Atkinson
has served as a UNI associate professor of religion since 1999.
He was previously an instructor in religion at Temple University,
where he earned a Ph.D. Among the four books Atkinson has authored
is a textbook on world religions. |
OCT.
4, 11, 18, 25 Psychology of Evil
Dr. Cynthia Bane
Why is there evil? What motivates people who carry out evil
acts? Why is the concept of evil culturally important? Dr. Cynthia
Bane, associate professor of psychology, will examine these
questions from a psychological perspective, utilizing art, literature,
and film. Examples of the biological, psychological, and social
factors that prevent and encourage evil behavior, from the Stanford
Prison Experiment to the atrocities at Abu Ghraib, will be explored.
Bane joined the Wartburg faculty at the start of the 2003-04
academic year and was recently tenured. She earned a Bachelor
of Arts degree from Luther College and master’s and Ph.D.
degrees from Miami University of Ohio. She previously taught
at Denison University in Granville, Ohio. In addition to teaching,
Bane advises Wartburg students who undertake undergraduate research
in the field of psychology. She advises Wartburg’s chapter
of Psi Chi and was honored in May with the 2006-07 Midwestern
Region Faculty Advisor Award. |
NOV.
1, 8, 15, 29 Engaging Students: First in the Nation
Advertising, polling, economic impact, and of course,
policy, are all instrumental in a presidential campaign. How
do you view candidates? How do college students view the candidates?
Dr. Mariah Birgen, Dr. Scott Fullwiler, Dr. Penni Pier, and
Dr. Fred Waldstein will explore historical perspectives of advertising,
lead discussions with students, and look at polling to provide
insights into the unique positions Iowa and New Hampshire hold.
The professors presenting this session are instrumental in the
First in the Nation project, an interdisciplinary collaboration
between Wartburg College and Franklin Pierce College in Rindge,
N.H., focused on educating and engaging students and the public
regarding the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary during
the 2008 presidential election cycle. |
DEC.
6, 13 * An Introduction to the Wartburg-Waverly
Sports & Wellness Center
Jim Langel, executive director of the Wartburg-Waverly Sports
& Wellness Center, will lead a course that provides a chance
for instruction on equipment use, and a brief tai chi or yoga
class. The $15 payment for both sessions of this class is due
Dec. 6. Langel joined the Wartburg staff in January 2007 after
serving seven years as associate director of wellness and recreation
services, facilities, and operations at the University of Northern
Iowa. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in leisure services
from the University of Iowa and went on to earn a Master of
Arts degree in recreational sports management from the University
of South Dakota at Vermillion. At Wartburg, he oversees daily
operations at the college’s and community’s new
$30 million intercollegiate athletics, health and wellness facility. |
JAN.
10, 17, 24, 31 Shakespeare: The Big Four
Richard Glockner
Are Shakespeare's “Big Four”—Hamlet, Othello,
Macbeth, and King Lear—pertinent to our times? How were
his works received critically at the time? Glockner, UNI associate
professor of theater, will begin with an introduction to the
Elizabethan world before examining classical tragedy and the
Big Four in-depth. Glockner, M.F.A., co-founded and was assistant
artistic director of The Actor’s Space Inc., in New York
City, an off-off Broadway company and actortraining program.
His acting credits include soap operas like One Life to Live
and The Doctors, numerous theatrical appearances in New York
City, regional theater, film, and commercials. |
FEB
7, 14, 21, 28 The Harlem Renaissance
Karris Golden
The Harlem Renaissance, or “New Negro Movement,”
took place in the early 1900s, especially the 1920s. It represents
the first real Golden Age of American blacks and originated
in New York City. Karris Golden, assistant director of Wartburg
communication and marketing, will take a closer look at this
movement, which transcended fiction, poetry, and social commentary
to include art, music, and dance. Golden came to Wartburg in
2001 and writes a weekly column for The Courier. She earned
a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Wartburg
and a master’s degree in English from the University of
Northern Iowa. She is a trained antiracism educator and speaks
regularly on a variety of topics at national and regional events.
While in second grade, she became interested in the Harlem Renaissance
after reading a Langston Hughes biography. |
MARCH
6, 13, 20, 27 Ethics, Ancient and Modern
Dr. Fred Hallberg
Much of what we think of as “Christian”
ethics actually derives from the ethical teachings of Plato,
Aristotle, and Zeno the Stoic. Hallberg, UNI professor emeritus
of philosophy, will examine Plato’s writings, including
The Republic and The Symposium, before moving on to how these
writings affect modern ethics. Hallberg taught philosophy and
humanities at UNI from 1967 until his retirement in 1998. He
presented “From Dawn to Decadence” in the 2005-06
Keep on Learning session, which covered 2,400 years of philosophy. |
APRIL
3, 10, 17, 24 Four Nonfiction Films That Challenge Cherished
Myths
Dr. Scott Cawelti
Nonfiction filmmakers often choose to function like
investigative reporters. As such, they examine subjects in-depth,
raising questions about misconceptions that need to be exposed
as myths. Four exposé films will be discussed for their
significant content and riveting techniques: Thin Blue Line,
Waco: Rules of Engagement, Regret to Inform, and Supersize Me.
Cawelti teaches writing, film, and literature courses at UNI.
He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in 1978 and
publishes and broadcasts commentary regionally. He is also the
editor for The Complete Poems of James Hearst and co-authored
Introduction to College Writing and The Inventive Writer. He
presented “Films that Changed Our Lives” at Keep
on Learning in October 2006. |
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| Each session starts with coffee at
9 a.m., followed by class from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sessions meet in
the Heritage Room of the Saemann Student Center unless otherwise indicated.
You can attend the first class free of charge. A $30 is payable at
the second class.
Parking is available in the lots
and on the streets directly east of the Saemann Student Center.
Additional parking is located south of the Fine Arts Center, off
First Avenue between Ninth and 10th Streets.
* December sessions will be held in the Wartburg-Waverly
Sports & Wellness Center. |
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