The Leading Edge

Events

Erik M. Conway, author and historian at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech, will talk about his most recent book, The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future, which he co-wrote with Naomi Oreskes . In the book, the authors explore the coming of the Penumbra, the shadow of doubt and denial about environmental and climate challenges spread by corporations, politicians, and even some scientists. They look back from the Second People’s Republic of China in the year 2393, the Tercentenary of the Great Collapse and Migration, when millions began to flee coastal regions due to rapid sea level rise. 4 — 5 p.m., Willamette Room, CH2M Hill Alumni Center.

The Pleasure of Hurting for God —  Ariel Glucklich, Professor of Theology at Georgetown University, will look at pilgrims, mystics, snake handlers and explore the phenomenon of religious subjectivity where pain and pleasure (joy) interact in complicated and mutually reinforcing ways. 7 p.m., Memorial Union Journey Room.

The Religious Studies program and the Hundere Endowment for Religion and Culture in the School of History, Philosophy and Religion are sponsoring lunchtime reading and discussion meetings with the visiting speakers in their series on religion, self and the body. The first meeting will be Monday, Oct. 6 at noon in Milam 319, with Ariel Glucklich to discuss a chapter “Religious Ways of Hurting” from his book Sacred Pain: Hurting the Body for the Sake of the Soul. The second will take place Thursday, Oct. 9 at  noon in Milam 301,  with Manuel Vasquez to discuss a chapter “Toward a Materialist Phenomenology of Religion” from his book More Than Belief: A Materialist Theory of Religion.

Fairbanks Gallery, Closing Reception, OSU Art Faculty Exhibit — The Oregon State University Art Faculty Exhibit invites the public to a closing reception at 4:30 p.m. — 5:30 p.m. on  in Fairbanks Gallery on the Oregon State University campus. This exhibit demonstrates a broad diversity of styles and approaches to the making of art, with faculty members working in the areas of photography, painting, drawing, mixed media, printmaking, installation and video.

Thursday, Oct. 9

Undoing Border Imperialism — Activist and author Harsha Walia will discuss her recent book and her extensive work building immigrant rights movements within a transnational analysis of capitalism, settler colonialism, state building, and racialized empire. Noon, Memorial Union La Raza Room.

Beyond the Body: An Ecological Approach of Religious Materiality —  Manuel Vasquez, Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Department at the University of Florida, will argue for continued centrality of the body in the study of religion exploring ecological, cultural, and social networks as keys to how religion is lived.  7 p.m., Memorial Union Journey Room.

Visiting OSU faculty members in the School of Writing, Literature and Film Nick Dybek and Inara Verzemnieks will read at the Valley Library Rotunda at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A and book signing. Nick Dybek’s novel “When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man,” earned him the 2013 Society of Midland Author Award. Inara Verzemnieks  is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Writer’s Award and the Richard J. Margolis Award of the Blue Mountain Center. Her memoir, which engages her family’s history and her own journey to reconnect with their homeland in Latvia, is forthcoming from Norton. This event is part of the 2014-2015 Literary Northwest Series, sponsored by the MFA Program in Creative Writing.

Upcoming Events

Friday, Oct. 17 — The College of Liberal Arts will host a Hip-Hop Festival and Symposium featuring performances, workshops and panel discussions about hip hop music and culture at Reser Stadium. The festival and symposium will include performances and presentations from a combination of pioneering and contemporary hip hop artists, including MC Lyte, the first woman to release a solo rap album; American rapper Lil Flip; Portland-based rapper Illmaculate; and Mare, a Zapotec hip hop artist from Oaxaca, Mexico. Attendees also will have a chance to participate in beat-making and graffiti workshops; watch a performance of the Oregon State and University of Oregon B-Boys hip hop dancers; and hear panel discussions on the role of hip hop in international culture and history.

Monday, Oct. 13 — Center for the Humanities Research Fellow Lecture: Jon Lewis, Center Research Fellow and Professor of Film in the School of Writing, Literature, and Film, will present Nothing Sadder than the Truly Monstrous: The Black Dahlia Murder and Transition-era Hollywood on Monday, October 13 at 4PM in the Autzen House, 811 SW Jefferson Ave. The lecture will be followed by a wine reception from 5-7PM.

News

The Association of Office Personnel invites you to nominate an employee or coworker for the monthly Merit Award. The award recognizes and encourages outstanding performance int he workplace. The nominator may be anyone from the campus community. Visit the AOP website for more information on the monthly Merit award along with the Boss and member of the Year Awards. Nomination packets are due by the 10th of each month.

Current Research, Publications and Creative Activity