Filled with Falsehoods and Errors: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and the Battle Over Freedom of the Press -- Then and Now

 

Monday, April 4, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Schar College of Education Room 138, Ronk Lecture Hall

Ever since the Founding Era, Americans have been debating the problem of disinformation in a country committed to freedom of the press. This event will bring an historic perspective to "Truth in the Age of Disinformation" by discussing the ways in which the contentious political atmosphere of the 1790's led to one of the most acrimonious elections in our history, as well as a controversial 1798 law that made it illegal to criticize the federal government. 

Robert M.S. McDonald is a professor of History at the United States Military Academy. He is the author of Confounding Father: Thomas Jefferson's Image in His Own Time (University of Virgina Press, 2016)

Co-Sponsored by the Ashbrook Center

The Truth-Telling Project and the Violence of Institutional Racism

 

Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Dauch College of Business Room 105

Since its inception in 2014 after the Michael Brown shooting in the St. Louis area, the Truth-Telling Project has engaged communities in thoughtful and empathetic responses to the problems of racism and violence in our society. For this event we will have a member of this organization share their commitment to structural change, truth-telling and healing in our society. 

Dr. David Ragland in one of the co-founders and co-executive director of the Truth Telling Project and the director of the Grassroots Reparations Campaign. Ragland is a writer, scholar and activist. Ragland recently published a series on reparations in Yes magazine. He currently teaches In-Depth Psychology, Eco-Psychology and Community Liberation at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Ragland Co-Founded the Truth Telling Project so that marginalized voices could be heard and move society to lay a groundwork for healing, reconciliation and social transformation. Georgetown University's Advocacy lan included Ragland's research as the "most important research on advocacy" in the last forty years. Ragland was recently inducted into the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College. In the past, Ragland served as the Senior Bayard Rustin Fellow at the Fellowship of Reconciliation, board member for the Peace and Justice Studies Association and was the United Nations representative for the International Peach Research Association. 

Co-Sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence

How to Talk to a Science Denier

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 at 7:30

Trustees' Room Upper Convocation Center

"Climate change is a hoax - and so is coronavirus." "Vaccines are bad for you." These days, many of our fellow citizens reject scientific expertise and prefer ideology to facts. They are not merely uniformed - they are misinformed. They site cherry-picked evidence, rely on fake experts, and believe conspiracy theories. How can we convince such people otherwise? How can we get them to change their minds and accept the facts when they don't believe in facts? In this talk, Lee McIntyre will argue that anyone can fight back against science deniers, and that it's important to do so, because science denial can kill. His talk will offer tools and techniques for communicating the truth and values of science, emphasizing that the most important way to reach science deniers is to talk to them calmly and respectfully - to put ourselves out there, to meet them face to face. 

Lee McIntyre is a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and History of Science at Boston University and an instructor in Ethics at Harvard Extension School. He is the author of several books, including The Scientific Attitude, Post-Truth, and Respecting Truth. 

Co-Sponsored by the Ashland University Honors Program

 

 

Is There Free Speech on Social Media?

Friday, Oct. 15, 2021, 7 p.m. Hawkins Conard Student Center Auditorium.

Social media companies like Facebook and Twitter are at the center of debates about integrity of U.S. elections and the limits of free speech. Are these platforms responsible for policing disinformation? What free-speech rights should citizens, journalists, and politicians have online?

Sohrab Ahmari is the op-ed editor of the New York Post, a columnist for First Things, and a contributing editor of the Catholic Herald. Previously, he served as a columnist and editor with the Wall Street Journal opinion pages in New York and London, and as senior writer at Commentary. In addition to these publications, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Spector, Dissent, and America. 

Hush II - Porcelain Sculptures

 

Hush II-Porcelain Sculptures by  Kimberly Chapman

Opening Reception Oct. 7  from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.  Exhibition runs through Nov. 7

Coburn Art Gallery

This exhibition features three groupings of porcelain sculptures by artist Kimberly Chapman: Bridled Women, Elsie's Arsenal and the Refugee Series. There is a history of disinformation and false claims being used against women. This exhibition centers on what's left behind after terrible things happen through the lens of women and children. The eerie, delicate white porcelain sculptures shed light on these dark topics. The artwork calls upon past experiences as well as emotionally charged sociopolitical issues for its content. By exploring topics like silencing women, the danger of the refugee plight and domestic violence, viewers are given an opportunity to contemplate such prevalent issues in today's contemporary culture. 

Co-Sponsored by the Department of Art + Design

Are We Victims of Social Media

 A Panel Discussion on "The Social Dilemma"

Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.

Hawkins Conard Student Center Auditorium

Faculty members and student participants will respond to issues raised by "The Social Dilemma" film

Co-Sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence

Screening of "The Social Dilemma"

 

Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

Hawkins Conard Student Center Auditorium

This docu-drama explores the dangerous human impact of social networking with tech experts sounding the alarm on their own creations. A must see film for anyone who uses social media. This film will be the subject of a panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept 22.

Co-Sponcered by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence. 

4-Part Series to Study the Tyranny of Communism

In collaboration with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and the Ashbrook Center, the Ashland University College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference will host a 4-part series designed to inform and create awareness about the tyranny of communism including:

• A viewing and panel discussion of The Lives of Others, an Oscar Winning Film about a member of the East German Secret Police who conducts surveillance on a writer and an actress
• A lecture on Czech dissidents under the Soviet Union’s Satellite State of Czechoslovakia by Dr. Flagg Taylor, an expert on Totalitarianism
• Talks by two victims of communism:
• Grace Jo who escaped the horrors of North Korea
• Enrique Altimari, an advocate for the Venezuelan Republic and a vocal critic of the Socialist Party’s rule under Chávez and Maduro

All four programs are free and open to the public.

The series begins on Wednesday, Mar. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center with a film screening and panel discussion of The Lives of Others. The movie follows a member of the East German Secret Police (Stasi) who is conducting surveillance on a writer and an actress, and finding himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives. It is a beautiful, tragic story about life under tyrannical government. The film will be followed by an audience discussion of the film with Maura Grady, Department of English; Rene Paddags and Greg McBrayer, Department of History & Political Science.

On Thursday, Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Alumni Room of the Myers Convocation Center, Grace Jo, a defector of the brutal Kim regime in North Korea, will share her personal story of survival with the campus and wider Ashland community. Grace was born in North Korea and lost most of her family to tyranny and starvation before escaping to China, later resettling in the United States. “My life completely changed after I came to America,” she said. “I think that’s called freedom. It’s a very cherished thing for my family and for me.” Grace became a U.S. citizen in 2013. 

On Monday, Mar. 23 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center, Enrique Altimari, a dissident and critic of his native Venezuela, will explore the downfall of the Venezuelan democracy and will describe the coordinates of the regime’s ideology. He will focus on lessons learned from the process and warn against the use of reductive ideologies and populist-messianic politics.

The series will conclude on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium with a lecture by Dr. Flagg Taylor about Václav Havel, one of the leaders of the Charter 77 movement in Communist Czechoslovakia. Havel was an astute analyst of how an ideological tyranny sought to dissuade its inhabitants from being truth seekers in their everyday lives. Taylor will consider Havel’s arguments, discuss how he sought to encourage truth seeking through his essays and plays, and consider what lessons Havel’s writings might have for us today.

Portrayal of Suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt to Celebrate 19th Amendment

In observance and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women's right to vote, the Ashland University College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference will present Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths' living history performance of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt on Monday, Mar. 2 at 7 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.  

Carrie Chapman Catt was president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1920 when the 19th amendment became part of the United States Constitution. This performance will highlight the early efforts occurring long before Catt became involved in women’s rights, along with her own part of the woman suffrage story. 

Presented in a Chautauqua format, the performance by Dr. Randall Griffiths, Professor of Communication Studies, will begin with a pre-show slide presentation on the suffrage movement with music to orient the audience to the theme and context while serving as a lead into the performance which includes three parts:

1. An in character monologue
2. An in character Q&A session with the audience
3. An out of character Q&A to cover broader topics, including controversial aspects of suffrage work, and things that occurred after Catt’s death

Dr. Deleasa Randall-Griffiths is a Professor and Director of the Online Communication Program
in the Department of Communication Studies at Ashland University. Randall-Griffiths co-chairs
the Ashland Chautauqua Planning Committee, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019.
Each summer this committee brings history to life through performance. In 2015, she began her
own Chauatauqua performance career as suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt. Like Catt, she
uses her communication skills to educate, advocate, and celebrate the accomplishments of
women’s suffrage leaders. 

In 2012, Randall-Griffiths won the Ohio Communication Association’s Innovative Teacher Award. She teaches a wide range of classes at Ashland University, including human communication, family communication, interpersonal communication, health communication, and intercultural communication. She received her B.A. in Theatre from Indiana University and her M.S. in Performance Studies and Ph.D. in Interpersonal Communication from the Department of Speech Communication at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

The College of Arts and Sciences at Ashland University inaugurated the Symposium Against Indifference in 2001 as a biennial series of events and lectures dedicated to overcoming apathy in the face of human concerns by raising awareness and promoting compassionate engagement. The Symposium seeks to challenge the University community — as well as the wider Ashland community — toward a deeper understanding of difficult issues and toward creative personal and corporate responses.

Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women’s right to vote, along with the ratification and appeal of the 18th Amendment prohibiting liquor — the 2019-2020 theme of “Liberty & Responsibility” seeks to understand and find productive responses to the constant and unavoidable tension between liberty and responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility Panel, 2/12

As an essential component of the free market, do corporations have any social responsibility beyond maximizing profits? Is it enough that they simply do no harm to society? Or do they have a responsibility to do some good?

Together with the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) and Conscious Capitalism, the Ashland University Political Economy Program will host a panel discussion on Corporate Social Responsibility on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Heritage Room of the Myers Convocation Center. The event is presented as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which focuses on the theme of "Liberty and Responsibility." The event is free and open to the public.

The panel will consist of Jon L. Pritchett, President and CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy; Signè Thomas, Project Director for the Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education at Florida State University; Josh Harrison, President of Improving - Columbus; and will be moderated by the AU Political Economy Director, Dr. Greg McBrayer.

The College of Arts and Sciences at Ashland University inaugurated the Symposium Against Indifference in 2001 as a biennial series of events and lectures dedicated to overcoming apathy in the face of human concerns by raising awareness and promoting compassionate engagement. The Symposium seeks to challenge the University community — as well as the wider Ashland community — toward a deeper understanding of difficult issues and toward creative personal and corporate responses.

OSU Prof. to Detail His Work on Improving Local Air Quality Measurements

Dr. Andrew May, Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geodetic  Engineering at The Ohio State University, will present details about his work in improving the measurements of local air quality on Thursday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Ronk Lecture Hall. The event is presented as part of the Environmental Lecture Series and the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which are both focusing on the theme of "Liberty and Responsibility." The event is free and open to the public.

Across the US, air pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act are monitoring at fixed-location sites, and based on these measurements, the majority of the US does not experience air quality issues. However, these measurement sites may be sparsely distributed through space. Dr. May will discuss two of his projects that seeks to address this issue by providing data with improved spatial resolution in areas where people live, work, and play using low-cost sensors.

These projects include deploying sensors on a transit bus to provide regular, repeated measurements in an urban environment and collaborating with high schools near Columbus, OH to establish a network of sensors throughout the local community. Improved spatial resolution can provide better estimates of localized air pollutant concentrations and better protect children, the elderly, and other groups who may be more sensitive to poor air quality.

Dr. May holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Clarkson University, and a BE in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Subsequent to his PhD, he was a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. Dr. May’s research has two main focus areas: 1) emission, fate, and transport of atmospheric pollutants and 2) indoor environmental quality. These efforts include both laboratory and field studies as well as computational  approaches. He also has on-going collaborations with three high schools in Central Ohio that enable students to collect localized air quality data using low-cost sensors.

The University's Environmental Lecture Series specifically focused this year's programming to complement the Symposium Against Indifference's "Liberty and Responsibility" theme by organizing a series of events encompassing a diverse set of discussions across disciplines to focus on "Environmental laws and Ohio wildlife, natural resources and quality of life."  The goal of this year’s Environmental Lecture Series is to engage with this theme through examples of the application of Ohio's environmental laws and policies.

Fifty years ago on January 1, 1970, President Nixon signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act. Later that year, Nixon ordered the establishment of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with responsibility for maintaining and enforcing national standards under a variety of environmental laws. Nixon signed other laws focused on environmental health, including the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act. This began a nearly six-decade period in which U.S. citizens were expected to take more responsibility for their actions in the natural environment. Over this same time period, some individuals and communities objected to new restrictions on liberty with respect to use of natural areas. This tension remains for many examples of both national laws and local policies.

Support for the Environmental Lecture Series is provided by a grant from the National Science Foundation, donations from individuals and additional support from Ashland University.

Spring 2020 Events Listing Released

After a successful fall slate of enlightening events, the 10th Biennial College of Arts & Sciences Symposium Against Indifference releases its Spring 2020 listing of events which is available online and in hard copy.

The spring events include:

• a lecture on low-cost improvements to measuring air pollutants in Columbus, Ohio;
• a panel discussion about corporate social responsibility;
• a living history performance of Carrie Chapman Catt's woman's suffrage story; and 
• a 4-part series on the Victims of Communism including: 
• a personal story from a North Korean defector, 
• lessons learned on the downfall of the Venezuelan democracy from a Venezuelan dissident 
• a film screening of The Lives of Others which follows an East German surveillance, and 
• a lecture on Havel's Rhetoric of Truth through Communist Czechoslovakia

Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women’s right to vote, along with the ratification and appeal of the 18th Amendment prohibiting liquor — the 2019.2020 theme of “Liberty & Responsibility” seeks to understand and find productive responses to the constant and unavoidable tension between liberty and responsibility.

Documentary and Panel Discussion About Stolen Children, 11/6

The film "Dawnland," Emmy Award-winner for outstanding research, will be shown on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in Ashland University's Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which is focusing on "Liberty and Responsibility."

Co-sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence and the Native American Awareness Committee of the United Methodist Church, the free, public event will also include a panel discussion immediately following the film's screening with Kimberlee Medicine Horn Jackson of the Yankton Sioux Tribe; Nancy Udolph, Ashland University Associate Professor of Social Work; and Daniel Hawk, Ashland Theological Seminary Professor of Old Testament.

For most of the 20th century, government agents forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families to save them from being Indian. As recently as the 1970s, one in four Native children nationwide were living in non-Native foster care, adoptive homes, or boarding schools. Many children experienced devastating emotional and physical harm by adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity.

Now, for the first time, they are being asked to share their stories. In Maine, the first official “truth and reconciliation commission” in the United States began a historic investigation. "Dawnland" goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, reconciliation, racial healing, tribal autonomy, and child welfare system reform.

Crosscut, the Pacific Northwest’s independent, news site, declares "Dawnland," “A powerfully illuminating film — a history lesson that you’re ashamed to have never learned but whose truths you’ll likely never forget.”

The Ashland event is pleased to welcome Kimberlee Medicine Horn Jackson to the panel discussion immediately following the film's viewing. She was adopted off of the Yankton reservation under false pretenses, spent nearly four decades separated from her first family, and was raised with a white Christian family. In addition to teaching English Composition at Kent State and Ashland University, Jackson also teaches an Indigenous Writing and Research class with The North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies: A Learning Community, and is Co-editor of the Journal of NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community.

Joining Jackson for the panel discussion, are two Ashland professors who have worked with the Native American populations. Dr. Hawk has been active in peace and justice programs locally and regionally and chairs the East Ohio Conference Native American Awareness Committee (UMC). Nancy Udolph has presented at state, national and international conferences on a variety of topics including cultural competence, working with indigenous populations and the social construction of difference.

For more information about "Dawnland," visit the links below:

• Movie Trailer
• A Teacher's Guide
• Website

Sangre mía / Blood of Mine editors to share message of peace

On Monday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium, the editors of the anthology Sangre mía / Blood of Mine will share a message of peace in their presentation and reading from their bilingual collection of 53 poets whose verses denounce violence committed against women along the U.S. – Mexico border region of Ciudad Juárez – El Paso, Texas.

The event is presented as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which is focusing on "Liberty and Responsibility." Co-sponsored by the Department of Foreign Language, the event is free and open to the public.

The title of Dr. Juan Armando Rojas Joo and Dr. Jennifer Rathbun's anthology Sangre mía / Blood of Mine Poetry of Border Violence, Gender and Identity in Ciudad Juárez pays homage to writer, social activist and media blogger Susana Chavéz, who was best known for coining the phrase “Ni una muerta más” used in the social campaigns against femicide in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

In January of 2011, Chavez fell victim to the very violence she denounced when she was brutally murdered. Her mother laid her to rest with a copy of “Blood of mine”, the only poem Chavez published while alive, whose title she later changed in her blog spot to “Blood of ours”. 

Rojas, Professor of Modern Foreign Languages at Ohio Wesleyan University, is a  transborder poet, narrator and essayist from Ciudad Juárez, México. In addition to co-editing two anthologies with Rathbun, he has published Sanctuaries Desert Sea / Santuarios desierto mar (2015, 2004), Light / Luz (2013), Vertebral River / Río vertebral (2009, 2002), Ceremonial of Wind / Ceremonial de viento (2006), and Lluvia de lunas (1999). Rojas has participated in many national and international conferences and poetry festivals and his scholarly and literary work has also been published in reviews and anthologies of several countries. Currently his main professional and personal interests are Academic Leadership, Mexican and Border Studies and Poetry. He received his doctorate from the University of Arizona.

Rathbun, Professor of Spanish at Ashland University, also received her doctorate from the University of Arizona . She has translated and published complete poetic works by Mexican authors Alberto Blanco, Minerva Margarita Villarreal, Juan Armando Rojas Joo and Ivan Vergara. In 2018, Artepoética Press published her translation of La llama inclinada/The Inclined Flame by Colombian author Carlos Satizábal. Her poetry, translations and articles on contemporary Latin American literature appear in numerous international reviews and journals. 

Speaker Presents His Findings on Causes & Consquences of Inequality

Randolph Roth, Professor of History and Sociology at The Ohio State University, will speak about "Inequality and the Quality of Life: A Global View" on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in the Trustees Room of the Myers Convocation Center. The event is presented as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which is focusing on "Liberty and Responsibility." Co-sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence, the event is free and open to the public.

Roth will present his findings on the causes and consequences of inequality, globally and within societies, with special attention to the question of why inequality had risen so rapidly since 1980 in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Australia, but not in the rest of the affluent world. The answer bears heavily on the question of liberty versus responsibility.

Photo Courtesy of Columbus Monthly Magazine

Professor Roth’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, the American Council of Learned Societies, and other organizations. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences Roundtable of Crime Trends (2013-2016), and of the Editorial Board of the American Historical Review (2014-2017). He specializes in the history of the United States from colonial times to the present, with an emphasis on social and cultural history, the history of crime and violence, environmental history, the history of religion, the history of democracies, global history, quantitative methods, and social theory.

Fact or Fake News: A Panel Discussion of World Events in Relation to An Enemy of the People

On Monday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. on the set of Ashland University Theatre's production of Arthur Miller's An Enemy of the People in Hugo Young Theatre, AU faculty representing the disciplines of journalism, history, business and chemistry will join the show's director to relate recent headlines and world events to the timelessness of the play. The panel discussion is free and open to the public and is presented as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which is focusing on "Liberty and Responsibility."

An Enemy of the People was originally written in 1882 by Henrik Ibsen, then adapted in 1950 by Arthur Miller, and produced by AU Theatre in 1980 and now 2019. Every version of the script and show present audiences with “moral conundrums” of the specified time period.

For this panel discussion, AU faculty will address and discuss questions such as:

• What responsibility does a scientist have to a community with tainted water?
• Does an employee have the freedom to let the public know about a potentially dangerous situation caused by an employer? 
• What responsibility does a journalist have to report the facts? 
• Are politicians free to decide that jobs and a strong economy are more important than freedom of speech? 

The panelists will include:

• Margaret Cogar, Professional Instructor of Journalism and Digital Media
• Dr. John Moser, Professor of History
• Dr. Rebecca Schmeller, Assistant Professor of Management
• Dr. Jeffrey Weidenhamer, Trustees' Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

Those planning to attend the panel discussion are encouraged to see AU Theatre's production of An Enemy of the People which will be performed the previous weekend on Friday, Oct. 11 and Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 2 p.m. The production will continue the following weekend on Oct. 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the Ashland University Box Office at 419.289.5125 or online at Ashland.edu/Tickets.

Film Screening of National Geographic's Documentary on Battling Climate Change, 10/1

The National Geographic Documentary Film Paris to Pittsburgh will be shown on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. in Ashland University's Hawkins-Conard Student Center Auditorium as part of the College of Arts & Sciences' biennial Symposium Against Indifference which is focusing on "Liberty and Responsibility."

Co-sponsored by the Ashland Center for Nonviolence, the free, public event will also include a panel discussion immediately following the film's screening with Craig Hovey, Director of the Ashland Center for Nonviolence; Patricia Saunders, Associate Professor of Biology; and William Vaughan, Professor of Philosophy.

Premiering last December in the U.S. and airing globally in 172 countries and 43 languages, Paris to Pittsburgh brings to life the impassioned efforts of individuals who are battling the most severe threats of climate change in their own backyards. Set against the national debate over the United States’ energy future — and the Trump administration’s explosive decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement — the film captures what’s at stake for communities around the country and the inspiring ways Americans are responding. To view the trailer, visit ParistoPittsburgh.com.

Spotlighting the cities, states, businesses and citizens taking action, Paris to Pittsburgh explores the very real social and economic impacts of climate change-fueled disasters, from America’s heartland to the nation’s coastlines. The film features voices from local leaders as well as everyday Americans presenting the stories behind climate-related recovery and resiliency, as well as tireless innovative efforts to reduce carbon emissions, including boomtowns formerly reliant on coal such as Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, led by Mayor Bill Peduto, is now a city committed to energy efficiency and is one of the many examples of bold economic and climate leadership in the film. Other locations featured in the film include Puerto Rico, California, Iowa, Florida and New Jersey.

“Paris to Pittsburgh reveals the inspiring steps communities across the country are taking to confront the severe health and economic threats posed by climate change,” said Geoff Daniels, the head of unscripted programming for National Geographic. “From innovative ways to improve our food supply chain through Fleet Farming, parking lots shaded by solar paneled roofs to passionate college students making an impact in sustainable energy jobs, this documentary provides a hopeful roadmap for the future.”

Mocktail Mix-Off Winners Announced

Congratulations to the Mocktail Mix-Off winners!

• Best Overall & Best Taste: Black Student Alliance (BSA) with a Raspberry Mojito
• Best Mocktail Name: Ashland University Fraternity & Sorority Life with "Gamer Fuel"
• Best Presentation: Campus Activity Board (CAB) with "Pink Flamingo"
• Honorable Mentions: Tech Crew, Panhellenic Council, Leadership

Thank you to John Moser & Louis Mancha for their insightful presentations during the Ashland University CAS Symposium Against Indifference's DEMON RUM: A Spirited Discussion of Alcohol event.

Also, thanks to student groups for their spirited response: AU Young Democrats, Ashland University College Republicans, Ashland University Young Americans For Liberty, Ashland University Fraternity & Sorority Life.

Symposium Kicks-Off with "A Spirited Discussion of Alcohol"

The biennial Symposium Against Indifference begins the 2019-2020 theme of “Liberty and Responsibility” with a multi-faceted event titled "Demon Rum: A Spirited Discussion of Alcohol." 

Scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18 in the Alumni Room of the Myers Convocation Center, the free, public event (which is organized in partnership with the Student Life and Fraternity and Sorority Life offices) will reflect on the ratification and appeal of the 18th Amendment prohibiting liquor in the United States as well as exploring lessons this episode holds for us today. Ashland University history and philosophy faculty members and student organizations will address the constant and unavoidable tension between liberty and responsibility on this legislation.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a Mocktail Mix-Off. Several student organizations will compete to create healthy, fun, non-alcoholic drink alternatives. Guest judges for the Mix-Off include AU Campus Wellness Director Deborah Sullivan, Ashland City Mayor Matt Miller and AU Student Senate President Sabrina Maristella. The winners of the Mix-Off will be announced at the conclusion of the event. Everyone attending the event is encouraged to visit each organization's table to sample their creation prior to the "Spirited Discussion" which begins at 7 p.m.

At 7 p.m., Dr. John Moser, Professor of History, and Dr. Louis Mancha, Associate Professor of Philosophy, will take the podium to begin the Spirited Discussion of Alcohol. Their portion of the program will address the United States' boldest act of social engineering in the nation’s history—the prohibition of the manufacture, sale, or transport of all “intoxicating liquors.” For thirteen years, the country was officially “dry.” Why did the country embrace Prohibition? What were its effects, and why was it ultimately repealed? What lessons does this episode hold for us today? How is alcohol treated on campus? How does it affect the local economy?

Immediately following Dr. Moser and Mancha's presentation, student representatives from various campus organizations including the College Democrats, College Republicans, Young Americans for Liberty, and Fraternity & Sorority Life will offer their response which will be followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

Fall Event Schedule Released

The 10th Biennial College of Arts & Sciences Symposium Against Indifference will kickoff its events on Sept. 18. Be sure to note all of the events on your calendar by viewing the Fall event schedule which is available online and in hard copy.

The fall events include a "spirited discussion" complete with mocktails, two film screenings, a live theatre production and follow-up panel discussion, poetry readings, and presentations on inequality and violence against women.

Inspired by the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing and protecting women’s right to vote, along with the ratification and appeal of the 18th Amendment prohibiting liquor — the 2019.2020 theme of “Liberty & Responsibility” seeks to understand and find productive responses to the constant and unavoidable tension between liberty and responsibility.