November 4, 2016 You Fall Down; I LOL: The Theory of Comedy

This Friday, November 4, 2016, Dan Darling, Faculty in English, will present the following colloquium from noon-12:50 p.m. in C-1016:

You Fall Down; I LOL: The Theory of Comedy

 

Many of us are under the delusion that when we laugh it means we’re happy. But often when we’re laughing, it’s because someone has fallen, failed, surprised us, or even frightened us. In this colloquium Dan Darling, instructor of English and former circus-arts practitioner, will explore three theories of comedy that explain how complex laughter really is.  

October 28, 2016 Gender and Political Campaigns

This Friday, October 28, 2016, Brad Gangnon, Faculty in Communication, will present a colloquium on the following topic:


The colloquium explores how gender is expressed and evaluated in three federal campaigns: MN CD 2 (Angie Craig versus Jason Lewis), MN CD 3 (Erik Paulsen Challenged by Terri Bonoff), and the Presidency (Hillary and Donald). Generally, this exploration is framed using television ads and social media posts to argue women and men are held to different standards as political candidates. #NastyWomen taking down #LockerRoomTalk! #MakingAmericaGreatAgain or ImWithHer. 

October 14, 2016 "A Terrible Beauty: The Importance in Literary History of the 1916 Irish Easter Rising."

This Friday, October 14, 2016, Patrick O'Donnell, Faculty in English, will present a colloquium from noon-12:50 p.m. in C-1016 on the following topic:

"A Terrible Beauty: The importance in literary history of the 1916 Irish Easter Rising." 2016 is the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin when Irish revolutionaries proclaimed an Irish Republic. Completely defying British rule and authority, the rebel leaders, Padraig Pearse, James Connolly, and Thomas Clarke commanded about 1,500 Irish rebels who seized key buildings in the heart of the city on Easter Monday, April 24. Their rebellion and their subsequent execution were pivotal in laying the groundwork for an independent modern Irish state. This colloquium will examine the multi-layered political and cultural factors leading to this rebellion against British rule, its importance in Irish literary history to writers as varied as W.B. Yeats, Sean O'Casey, and James Joyce, and its central role in founding the Irish Republic.

Bio: Originally from Dublin (many years ago!), Patrick O'Donnell is a full-time faculty member in the English Department and also the Artistic Director of the nonprofit literary arts group, the Celtic Collaborative, whose production Ghosts of 1916, he directed and produced in April in St. Paul. He was also a contributing writer and co-editor of the anthology: The Harp and the Loon: Literary Bridges between Ireland and Minnesota.   

October 7, 2016 Who will Become the Next President?

Friday, October 7, 2016, Kurt Burch, Professor of Political Science, will present a colloquium on the following topic:


Who will become the next U.S. president?  Let’s make some predictions using current polling results and the Electoral College map. 


The colloquium will be from noon-12:50 p.m. in C-1016

September 30, 2016 Western Wonders: Three Utah National Parks (And One Just Outside)

 

Western Wonders:  Three Utah National Parks (And One Just Outside)

Friday September 30, 2016

From noon-12:50 p.m. in C-1016

 

Utah is the home of some our most spectacular National Parks.  Come and experience some of those wonders, as well as those offered by an adjacent Nevada National Park.  See hoodoos, windows, fins, and a Capitol Dome, along with spectacular wildlife in these treasures of the American West.

May 6, 2016 William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney: Iconic Irish Poets a Generation Apart

W. B. Yeats

William Butler Yeats and Seamus Heaney are arguably the most influential Irish poets of their respective generations. Yeats died in 1939, the same year Heaney was born, yet despite their different generations, there are remarkable similarities in their poetry.  Come explore these poets, and learn a bit about their lives, works, and creative genius.

Seamus Heaney

April 29, 2016: Which Literary Character Reminds You of Donald Trump?

'Which literary character reminds you of Donald Trump?' English Department faculty Patrick O'Donnell, Jennifer Miller, Dan Darling, and Richard Brown will present comparisons between the billionaire Republican Presidential candidate and a surprisingly varied selection of characters from imaginative literature including The Hobbit, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Animal Farm. Further suggestions will be solicited from the audience.

March 25, 2016 A Hamilton Hour: A Colloquium of Music from the Broadway Hit Musical Hamilton

“Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” What’s better than listening to the Hamilton soundtrack? Listening to it with Normandale friends. Join us for a special colloquium in the black box theater (F1221) to sample songs from the Hamilton soundtrack and participate in a discussion led by Aaron Moe (faculty in music), Sean Byrd (faculty in theater) and Jack Norton (faculty in history). Come hear some of the hidden elements of the songs, theater, and history of this runaway hit show.

March 18, 2016 Mental Health, Gender, and College: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Having Better Conversations and Seeking Practical Answers for Mental Health Issues at College.

Mental Health, Gender, and College: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Having Better Conversations and Seeking Practical Answers for Mental Health Issues at College.

This Friday, March 18, 2016, the following colloquium will be presented on the highly relevant topic of mental health in college:

 

Normandale faculty and staff from the Counseling, Psychology, and English Department will discuss the intersection of gender, mental health, and the college experience. The panelists will shed light on how society’s view of gender influences how we view emotions and mental health symptoms in others, how we must change the rhetoric we use to discuss mental health issues, and where students can go to access resources on campus.

 

The collective research of these panelists covers topics including anxiety, eating disorders, PTSD, depression, Antisocial Personality Disorder, male depression, psychology of women and gender, medical rhetoric, suicide, Title IX accommodations for sexual violence victims, and more.

 

This panel will emphasize the importance of acting as a community when confronted by mental health issues and will identify the value of the opportunity to talk confidentially with someone, to seek support, and to establish how we can help bridge what’s happening personally with students’ progress and goals in college.

 

Panelists include Kristen Cooper, Theresa Glaser (Ph.D., LP.), Bridget Reigstad (Ph.D., LP.), and Eric Wardell.

 

 

Please join us in March 18^th from 12-1 in C-1016 to learn more and ask any questions you might have.

February 19, 2016 Writing Behind Bars: Modifying the College Curriculum for the Prison Classroom

This presentation will discuss pedagogies and practices for teaching in prison. Deanna Larsen-Quinn has been teaching creative writing, professional writing, and literature in a federal prison for three years. Her presentation will address barriers an educator faces when teaching in a total institution, as well as share experiences, insights, and suggestions on the successful prison classroom.

February 5, 2016 Where the Wild Things Are: Adventures in Wildlife Photography by Richard E. Brown

Richard Brown, Faculty in English, has been an avid wildlife photographer throughout much of his adult life.  Come see a sampling of his work, and hear some of the backstory tales that tell how those images were captured.

December 11, 2015 College Libraries in Uganda: Opportunities, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

College Libraries in Uganda: Opportunities, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

In this presentation, Normandale Library Faculty member Rachel Wightman and University of Minnesota Librarian Brian Conn will share their experiences working in Ugandan libraries, as well as research on college libraries in sub-Saharan Africa. They will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities facing East African libraries and also cultural reflections that can be applied here in the US.