Winter Symposium Day 2014-15
Social Justice
Symposium Day starts with student/advisor meetings (at 9 a.m.) followed by four sets of concurrently scheduled presentations, discussions and performances from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. One featured speaker is scheduled during each concurrent session. The event is intended as a day of modeling and exploring the diversity and expression of what social justice means.
Schedule overview
9-9:45 a.m.
Advising group meetings
10-11 a.m.
Featured speaker I/Session I
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Featured speaker II/Session II/ lunch on your own
12:30-1:30 p.m.
Featured speaker III/Session III/lunch on your own
1:45-2:45 p.m.
Featured speaker IV/Session IV
3-4 p.m.
Session V: Discussions, Debate, Reflection and Comedy
Extended Sessions
What injustices do you see or feel? What can be done to help?
Carolyn Yaschur, multimedia journalism & mass communication; students in MJMC 213: News Literacy
Brew by the Slough
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
News Literacy students are creating a blog to ask the Augustana community to post during Symposium Day. The topic is: What injustices do you see or feel? What can be done to help? There will be a table set up in the Brew. People can also post from their phones or laptops.
$mart $tart Workshop
Beau Wangtrakuldee, an AAUW $mart $tart facilitator; Hadley Karrick, CORE
Wilson Center
12:30-3 p.m.
A female college graduate will earn roughly $1 million less over the course of her career compared to her male counterpart. $mart $tart is a salary negotiation workshop directed particularly (but not solely) at women, who are less likely to be hard-hitting in salary negotiation — especially in the long term. $mart $tart empowers attendees to overcome the gender wage gap and negotiate for an equitable and fair salary.
Pre-registration is required by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16.
Social Dreaming Improv Workshop
Vickie Phipps, art/graphic design; Dr. Chuck Hyser, education
Evald 18
12:30-2:45 p.m.
This extended time session will include a multi-disciplinary, experiential workshop based on the concept of social dreaming. This is an improvisational session in which we will entertain an open-ended question about our "tomorrow." The second part of the workshop will be a reflective discussion about our shared experience.
Greek Food Drive
Amy Fagan, service chair, Greek Council Executive Board
West side of Center of Student Life
7 a.m.-3 p.m.
All members of the Augustana and Quad Cities communities are invited to participate in the food drive hosted by Greek Council. Community members are invited to drive up and drop off food for the River Bend Foodbank any time during the drive. The drop-off will be outside the west end of the Center for Student Life where 9 1/2 Ave. meets 35th St.
With social justice in mind as a theme, the Greek Council sees this as one of the best ways to give back to those in need. Food banks' stocks become seriously depleted after the holiday season and so the council wants the community to come together in to give back to those less fortunate.
9-9:45 a.m. advising group meetings
Students meet with their academic advisors in assigned rooms.
10-11 a.m. Session I
Featured speaker: Craig Etcheson, Visiting Scholar, School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University
Reconciliation after Complex Emergencies
Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
“Complex emergency” is a term coined by the United Nations to describe situations involving extensive violence and loss of life, massive displacement of people, and widespread damage to societies and economies. From today’s headlines, you can see on-going complex emergencies in Iraq and Syria, in Libya and the Central African Republic, in Ukraine and elsewhere. But even after the immediate emergency passes, what is left behind by a complex emergency is a shattered society. Rebuilding functioning states and societies in such places is complicated, and it can take generations. Reconciliation is said to be a key element of this rebuilding process, but what is reconciliation? Who and what is being reconciled? How and when can you do it? Dr. Etcheson will present a theoretical framework describing the process of reconciliation in post-conflict societies, and the methods that are used in the real world to bring about reconciliation after complex emergencies.
Housing Discrimination: Then and Now
Brittany Lewis, political science and women's and gender studies; Gideon Jesionowski, HOPE Fair Housing Center
Hanson 102
Many reference the rise and proliferation of suburbia, early discrimination in the housing market and subsequent inner-city urban renewal initiatives as having the most significant effects on the decline of central city neighborhoods and the creation of concentrated poverty. This presentation will provide a brief overview of our nation's history of housing discrimination and then turn its attention to the contemporary case of Janesville, Ohio, where the fight for equitable housing continues.
How Not to be a Jerk to People With Disabilities
Becky Potenberg '15, teaching biology, psychology; Courtney Simross '16, communication sciences and disorders
Hanson 109
Have you ever been stuck in an awkward situation, unsure of how to approach, respond to, or interact with a person with a disability? Here is your opportunity to learn the facts and get your questions answered. This session will discuss the stereotypes and stigmas associated with disabilities and the negative implications they cause in the strive for social justice in the world. Becky Potenberg and Courtney Simross will share their experiences of living with psychiatric disorders and dwarfism, respectively, on campus and in public venues, while offering suggestions when it comes to approaching people with disabilities and how to be an advocate for others.
Yik Yak and Beyond: How Technology Distracts Us from Justice
Dr. Jason Peters, English; Dr. Jason Mahn, religion
Hanson 304
Henry David Thoreau predicted that our new gizmos will only serve to distract us from things that matter. Is justice one of those things? In this session, we'll inquire into the relationship between the latest technology and matters of civil discourse and human justice at Augustana and beyond.
Inequality at Augustana
Carissa Thalmann '16, psychology; Vicky Gillon '16, religion, sociology
Hanson 305
A workshop that allows students to engage in discussion on the inequality we see here on campus, as well as the community around us. Discussion will include how we, as students, can make an impact in our community to promote equality.
A Novel Idea: Finding New Understandings of Racism and Justice by Reading and Discussing Literature
Katie Hanson, Dr. Mike Schroeder and Dr. Mike Scarlett, education; Steve Bahls, Augustana President
Olin 209 (breakout to 208 and 304)
Before Symposium Day, read one of the following books: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Pattillo Beals or To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Get friends, classmates, teammates and roommates to read one of the books, too. Then come discuss the ongoing, relevant issues of racism and justice in the book you read. We'll break into groups by book and explore how we can use these stories to better understand ourselves, each other, and the world. (All three books are available in paperback or as e-books.)
“Far Away” Is Close-by: WGST Students Lift the Rug of Inequality
Meagan Murphy '15, religion; Anissa Pemberton '15, women and gender studies, political science; Cindy Morales '17, Latin/o American studies; Mecca Joseph '16, women and gender studeis, social welfare; Carolyn Muller '16, WGS and Political Science
Olin 305
Through five different situations, some seemingly “far away”, and others in our very dorms, Augustana students address our responsibilities when addressing inequality at large, as members of a community and as learners.
Invited presentation
Sex Trafficking: Any Kid Anywhere
Cathy O'Keeffe, executive director, Braking Traffik; Sara, sex trafficking survivor and advocate
Olin Auditorium
This session will be an introduction to human trafficking. Topics covered will be definitions of labor and sex trafficking, risk factors and vulnerabilities, red flags and indicators of sex trafficking, federal and state human trafficking laws, and resources for help.
Through viewing Braking Traffik’s documentary film, “Any Kid Anywhere: Sex Trafficking Survivor Stories,” participants will learn ways children and young adults fall victim to sex trafficking, various forms of control and why no community is immune to this horrific crime. This session will also explore the concept of human trafficking as a business and how pop culture can fuel demand by negatively influencing the way society views women and girls.
Letter from Birmingham Jail: Social Justice Is More Than "Fair Play"
Paul Olsen, English and Africana studies
Bergendoff Hall, Larson Hall
This session will look closely at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and consider some scenes from contemporary literature that demonstrate the complexity of understanding justice.
Framing Justice through the History of Art
Dr. Catherine Carter Goebel, art history; Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts, art history; art history majors: Sarah Berndt '15, Maggie Cooper '15 and Audrey Moore '15; LS 102-01 students
Collection Gallery in the lower level of the Augustana Teaching Museum of Art
This session’s art exhibition on social justice was co-created by art history professor Dr. Catherine Goebel, with senior art history majors and students in her current LS 102-01 class. Works are drawn primarily from the faculty/student publication, Liberal Arts through the AGES, now digitized and to be launched in this session.
Art history and LS students will lead an interactive session whereby participants will be asked to share what they visually read in key images, after which student presenters will reveal further layers of meaning and contexts for each work. The session will focus on many facets of social justice including, race, class, gender, etc.
Social Justice Careers: Open to All Majors
Dr. Michael Edmondson, associate vice president for Career Development, CORE
Wilson Center
If you’d like to spend your days helping people, working for a cause or otherwise doing something to improve your community or the world, working at a nonprofit might be for you. Nonprofits hire people to do all the same jobs as for-profit businesses do: They hire people to do web design, accounting, research, management, communications, administrative work, IT, lobbying — all the same jobs that you’re used to seeing. On top of that, they also have additional roles including fundraisers, grant writers, volunteer coordinators and community organizers.
All major are invited to attend this workshop. Social justice encompasses a wide variety of topics that include, but are not limited to: animal welfare, children, disability awareness, children, crisis support, education, poverty, race, veterans and women.
11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Session II (or lunch on your own)
Featured speakers: Tammy and Kelly Rundle, filmmakers, owners of Fourth Wall Films
Shaping Social Justice: Documentary filmmaking as a source of influence
Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
Tammy and Kelly Rundle have produced several films that touch on social justice issues including: "Lost Nation: The Ioway 1, 2 & 3," "Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg," "Sons & Daughters of Thunder" (Harriet Beecher Stowe docudrama), and "Any Kid Anywhere: Sex Trafficking Survivor Stories." Their presentation will focus on the process and use of documentary filmmaking as a source of influence.
Off-campus volunteering
River Bend Foodbank
Separate shifts from 9-11 am. and 1-3 p.m. Transportation will be provided for those who indicate a need and will leave promptly at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. from Centennial Circle.
Experience a local nonprofit behind the scenes and come help the River Bend Foodbank sort and package food for families and food pantries in the Quad-City area. The address is 4010 Kimmel Drive, Davenport, Iowa.
Elementary School Physics Outreach
Nathan Frank and Cecilia Vogel, physics/astronomy; Augustana Physics and Engineering Society
Bowlesburg Elementary School, East Moline, Ill.
The Augustana Physics Engineering Club will go to Bowlesburg Elementary school in East Moline, Ill., to bring physics into first-grade classrooms. Volunteers will perform physics demonstrations involving motion, electricity and magnetism and liquid nitrogen. The first-graders will have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with some of the demonstrations.
Discussion: Reconciliation after Complex Emergencies
Craig Etcheson, Visiting Scholar at George Mason University’s School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution; author of After the Killing Fields: Lessons from the Cambodian Genocide
Tredway Library main floor
Informal question/answer discussion to follow Craig Etcheson's presentation, Reconciliation after Complex Emergencies.
Time for a Racial Injustice Change
Kayla Wilson '16, Black Student Union
Hanson 304
Come to enjoy a informative discussion regarding the current events of injustice in America (including recent events in Ferguson, Mo.) This will be a safe space for people to voice their opinions with the hope that regardless of personal beliefs one will leave with being enlightened on how this directly affects everyone. An interactive activity will allow participants to realize how our student body is more alike than we are currently aware.
Race, Privilege, and Social Justice in the College Classroom
Dr. Stephen Klien, Center for Faculty Enrichment; Patricia Santoyo-Marin, Director of Multicultural Student Life; Mark Anderson, Associate Dean of Student Life; Anna Dominguez '16, Carmen Jones '15, Victoria Gillon '16
Hanson 305
Did you ever consider that your classrooms can be sites of social justice, regardless of the discipline or subject matter? It is one thing for college students and faculty to recognize and embrace the concepts of racial inclusiveness and white privilege in the abstract; it is another to commit to social justice in practice. How can we respond to acts of intolerance, microaggressions, and racially offensive conduct in the classroom, be they intended or unintended? Through skits and honest conversation, the Multicultural Club Council and the Center for Faculty Enrichment will help both students and faculty become everyday agents for social justice.
Poetry reading: "There is nothing one man will not do to another."
Rebecca Wee, English/creative writing; ENCW330 writing students: Marlena August De Luna '15, Alyssa Froehling '17, Carmen Jones '15, Sally Kenney '15, Rebecca Knapper '16, Shannon Leyva 15', Gary Miller '15, Emma Smith '17
Old Main 127
Come hear and read poems of social justice — the music and ache of being human in all our terrible beauty. Attendees are invited to share their own poems or favorite poems by others.
What Others Meant for Evil: The Rape and Incest Exception of Abortion
Karen Campbell, Augustana Right to Life guest speaker
Olin Auditorium
Karen Allen Campbell spent her whole life knowing she had been adopted but didn't know the circumstances surrounding her conception until she found her birthmother's family, just a few weeks before her 60th birthday. Rape, incest, broken homes, and shattered dreams all are part of her birth story. But Karen shares how the circumstances of conception never define the value of a life and how this, too, is a matter of social justice.
Singing for Courage
Dr. Deborah Dakin, music
Bergendoff Hall, Larson Hall
Music is not just for professionals! Singing has played a vital role in a number of grassroots movements for social change. In the United States, ordinary people sang together as a way to stand together as they fought for justice. We will learn about the songs of the Labor and the Civil Rights Movements, and discover the joy of finding our voice.
Justice: Movement
Margaret France, English; Michael Edmonson, associate vice president for Career Development; Clarissa Thompson, CORE
College Center Board Room
Treating others with respect and equanimity begins by treating yourself with respect and equanimity. This hour will teach you how yoga and meditation will allow you to approach frustrating people and situations with more empathy and good will. Wear clothes you can move in; no equipment or previous yoga experience required.
12:30-1:30 p.m. Session III (or lunch on your own)
Featured speaker: Dr. Elizabeth Lowenthal '95, pediatrician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Addressing Injustices of Growing Up with HIV in Resource-limited Settings
Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
Dr. Lowenthal's talk will explore why children with HIV often go undiagnosed and untreated in the era of effective antiretroviral therapies. She will relate her experiences as a pediatrician working with HIV-infected children in Botswana near the beginning of the country's national HIV treatment program. She will explain how working with public policy groups such as the Botswana Ministry of Health led her to seek training in epidemiology, enabling her to help answer questions that limit the ability to provide the highest quality care to children with HIV.
Center for the Study of Ethics Presents: Global Climate Justice
Dr. Laura Hartman, religion; Dr. Jennifer Burnham, geography; Dr. Michael Reisner, Upper Mississippi Studies Center; Dr. David Dehnel, political science
Hanson 102
Climate change threatens vulnerable people and ecosystems around the world. This is not only a question of science and policy: it is a question of justice. Join Augie faculty members who stuy climate change for a discussion of the science, policy, and morality of this important global issue. (Sponsored by the Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics).
Invited Workshop: Planning Augustana College's Diversity Future
Rickey Hall, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, University of Tennessee
Hanson 305
When planning sometimes it is useful to think about where you would like to be or what you would like something to be by a certain date in the future. In this session, participants will be lead through a visioning exercise designed to provide an opportunity for all present to articulate, and shape hopes and expectations for the state of Augustana College’s diversity in the future.
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and work together during this workshop.
Naturalism vs. Now: The Evolution of Social Justice in Literature
Dr. Benjamin Mier-Cruz, Scandinavian studies; Elyzia Powers '15, psychology; Mara Cantrell-Paulson '15, political science and theatre; Tony Touvelle '15, international business and German
Old Main 127
This session, led by Dr. Benjamin Mier-Cruz and members of his Naturalist Literature course from Fall Term, will be styled as a panel debate regarding how themes of social justice written in the late 19th and early 20th centuries are or are not applicable in today's society. Students will present arguments based on questions that arose during the course, as well as taking some questions from the audience to expand the topics across disciplines.
Racial Tensions and Police Power in France, 1961-2014
Chadia Chambers-Samadi, World Languages, Literature and Culture (French)
Olin 305
During a peaceful demonstration of Algerians in Paris against racism on Oct. 17 1961, the police left 200 dead. In 2012, after more than 50 years of silence, France finally acknowledged the bloody repression by the police. Yet, the cycle of confrontation between the Police Power and Race Riots is still occurring in France's contemporary urban landscape. Is there anything we can learn from the situation on the old continent?
Title IX and Social Justice on Campus: Prevention and Awareness around Campus Sexual Assault
Task Force on Sexual Assault members including Dr. Jane Simonsen, history/women and gender studies; Sheri Curran, general counsel; Dr. Jessica Nodulman, communication studies; other members
Olin Auditorium
What do you know about your rights, risks, and responsibilities with regard to Title IX? The new campus policy requires that you think carefully about your language, behavior and responsibility to make our community safe. This session will address some of the policy changes, legal requirements, and questions that faculty and students have about how Augustana is working to educate, prevent, and address sexual assault. Members of the Task Force on Sexual Assault on campus will outline changes in the new campus sexual assault policy, answer questions and solicit feedback from students.
Songs for Justice: Songs and Songwriters that Helped Change the World
Sean Chapman, liberal studies; Students from LSFY 102-29
Bergendoff Hall, Larson Hall
During this presentation, our LSFY class will perform protest songs, encourage attendees to sing along, and teach about the history of the songs and the events to which they are tied. Lyric and chord sheets will be provided for anyone wanting to sing or play along on guitar or other instrument.
1:45-2:45 p.m. Session IV
Featured speaker: Kimberly Jade Norwood, professor of law and African/African-American Studies at Washington University (St. Louis)
The Myth and Harms of Colorblindedness
Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
The illusion of America’s melting pot and colorblind existence revealed a very battered elephant in America’s living room in 2014. Where do we go from here? In her keynote address, Norwood will dispel the myth of colorblindness and explore the importance of color consciousness.
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
Rabbi Tamar Grimm, Augustana Hillel advisor; Pastor Richard Priggie, campus chaplain; Cyrus Zargar, religion; student leaders of Augustana Interfaith Understanding
Evald Great Hall
The Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases have elicited differing responses from religious leaders. This session will explore the way that interfaith cooperation has been an important ingredient in civil rights movements. Dr. Martin Luther King Day keeps alive the legacy of a man who, along with others such as Gandhi and Dorothy Day, was motivated in his resistance to injustice primarily by his religious faith. How might religious people lead in the current time of frustration and hurt? What resources from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam might help in pursuing racial justice?
Fed Up!
Lucas Street, Reading/Writing Center, English and LSFY; Garry Griffith, director of dining; Dr. Brian Leech, history and Augie Acres advisor; LaDonna Miller '16, public health; Dr. Pam Trotter, biochemistry
Hanson 102
True or false? "To lose weight, just eat less and exercise more." Come find out what's missing from this simple equation, how Big Food corporations enable obesity and diabetes, and how our nation's children are bearing the brunt of both epidemics. We'll screen portions of the 2014 documentary "Fed Up," then discuss issues raised by the film and what they might mean for us at Augustana and in our Quad City community.
So That's What Social Injustice Looks Like: Personal Stories from Brazil Term Students
Dr. Mariano Magalhaes, political science; Cindy Morales '17, political science; Samantha DeForest-Davis '17, political science; Becky Brosch '16, political science; Joe Wood '15, political science
Olin 305
Students who traveled to Brazil this past Fall Term will share their stories of witnessing social injustice firsthand. Students will talk about their visits to favelas in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador and the community residents who have organized to fight the economic, social and political injustice that challenge their survival.
Carry That Weight: Understanding Sexual Assault in the Context of College Campuses
Madison Neece, Understanding Sexual Assault, SafePath survivor advocates; members of the Understanding Sexual Assault campus group: Emily Wodrich '16, psychology; Callie Peterson '16, psychology; Kelsey West '17, psychology, reliogion, sociology; members of Family Resources Inc.
Olin Auditorium
On Sept. 2, Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz, began carrying her dorm mattress to protest her campus rape. With recent national legislative changes to campus sexual assault reporting policy, such as the SaVE Act, college campuses around the country are beginning to join in the conversation about sexual violence, community action, and social justice for survivors. Join the fall class of 2014 SafePath advocates for a discussion about Emma's story, campus action and the role our community plays in carrying the weight of sexual violence.
3-4 p.m. Session V
Discussions, debate, reflection and comedy
Food will be provided at each session location to promote fellowship and conversation.
Discussion Response to Norwood
Dr. Peter Kivisto, sociology; Dr. Laura Hartman, religion
Center for Student Life, Gävle Room
Kimberly Norwood has given us much to think about in her presentation about colorblindedness and color consciousness. Let's get together for further discussion, with an eye to ethical evaluation and appropriate action. All are welcome! (sponsored by the Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics)
Stand-up Teach-in
Margaret France, English; Dr. Mark Salisbury, director of institutional research; Sebastian Pagliarello '17, multimedia journalism and mass communication; Seth Hardcastle '17, political science
Hanson 102
Richard Pryor was more than joking when he described an encounter with the police by saying "you go down there looking for justice; that's what you find: just us." Join our stand-up teach-in as we throw punchlines in the fight for justice, including live stand-up and clips demonstrating how a fire in the belly can start with a laugh.
"Is Symposium Day Worth It?": A Student-led Debate on the Day's Value
Sam Dunklau '17, multimedia journalism and mass communication; Shylee Garrett '16, multimedia journalism and mass communication; additional members of the Augustana Debate Union and Augustana Observer staff
Olin Auditorium
This engaging and research-based debate will feature student-to-student discussion about the usefulness of public formus such as Symposium Day. The central question of the presentation shall be: "Do 'talking head' public forums actually accomplish, progress or resolve pressing social issues?' A mixture of policy and public-style debate will be employed. Journalists from the Augustana Observer will moderate.
Cocoa and conversation
Center for Student Life, Gävle fireplace
Discussion and reflection. Use this as an opportunity to discuss observations, objections, opinions, ideas or emotions brought up by the day’s events and presentations with friends, presenters, or people you just met today — or, if you prefer, with yourself!
WAUG live broadcast schedule
WAUG will broadcast featured presenters and conduct live interviews between sessions throughout the day.
Interviews and live debate
11:00-11:15 a.m. — An Introduction to Protest Music
Hosted by Matt Leja '15
Matt Leja, senior WAUG staff member and music aficionado, will speak about the history, context and impact of protest music as it relates to the social change.
12:15-12:30 p.m. — Black Student Union Opinion
Hosted by Mark Swanson '15
Black Student Union president Darien Marion Burton will give reflections, opinions and suggestions on the day's topics, the recent national incidents of police brutality and racial inequality and the path to true multicultural diversity.
1:30-1:45 p.m. — Behind the Lens: An Interview with Tammy and Kelly Rundle
Hosted by Ryan Jenkins '18
The Emmy-nominated film-making team of Tammy and Kelly Rundle sit down to speak about their recent projects, their impact on social justice and the role of film in motivating social change.
2:45-3 p.m. — Satire and Social Change: The Role of Comedy in Changing the World (Pre-Recorded)
Hosted by Sam Dunklau '17
How can a subject as ludicrous as comedy have any effect on the serious topic of social change? WAUG's Sam Dunklau investigates the history, context and impact of satirical comedy and its ability to introduce serious social issues to public conversation.
3-4 p.m. — Is Symposium Day Worth It?: A Student-led Debate on the Day's Value
Olin Auditorium
Hosted by Sam Dunklau '17 and Shylee Garrett '16
This engaging and research-based debate will feature student-to-student discussion about the usefulness of public formus such as Symposium Day.