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Past Events
Thursday, 21 Oct 2004
Final Solution - Rakesha Sharma
7:30 PM – Pioneer Room, Memorial Union - Rakesha Sharma, director of the film "Final Solution" will lead a discussion followed by the film shown at 8 pm. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the conclusion of the film. Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat, India between February 2002 and July 2003, Final Solution examines the aftermath of the deadly violence that followed the burning of 58 Hindus on the Sabarmati Express train at Godhra on February 27, 2002. This documentary clarifies issues that spawned hate and violence between Hindus and Moslems in Gujarat, analyses propaganda mechanisms for political purposes, and seeks a final solution to the conflict. Best Documentary & Critic's Choice; Hong Kong Int'l Film Festival; Wolfgang Staudte Award & Special Jury Award; Berlin Int'l Film Festival. "An epic documentary focusing on a culture of hatred and indifference, that enables the viewer to reflect on the universality of the subject matter."
The Journey of Corn - Lois Girton
7:00 PM – Hughes Auditorium, Reiman Gardens - Lois Girton is Outreach Coordinator for the Schnable Laboratory at the ISU Center for Plant Genomics Dr. Lois Girton will discuss the development of modern corn (maize) from its Mexican ancestors, the teosintes. This presentation will follow 9000 years of mutation and selection leading to modern popcorn and sweetcorn varieties. There will also be a discussion of how genetic and genomic techniques can fill in gaps in archaeological data to help trace the journey of corn.
Wednesday, 20 Oct 2004
Institute on World Affairs - Keynote Address: Cultivating Democracy - Joseph Wilson
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Ambassador Joseph Wilson has been involved in international politics for more than twenty years, including service as U.S. ambassador in Gabon as that country made the transition to democracy. As the acting U.S. ambassador in Iraq during Operation Desert Shield, the massive U.S. buildup in Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, he was responsible for freeing 150 American hostages seized by Iraq. He is the author of The Politics of Truth.
Tuesday, 19 Oct 2004
Celsius 41.11 - The Temperature at Which the Brain Begins to Die
8:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - This documentary is billed as "The Truth Behind the Lies of Fahrenheit 9/11!" Lionel Chetwynd is a writer and producer of the film. His credits include the screenplay for "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" and documentaries on D-Day, Vietnam and Sept. 11. The film was financed and produced by Citizens United, a conservative group in Washington.
Monday, 18 Oct 2004
How Can You Help? - Mental Illness on Campus - Frederick J. Frese
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Frederick J. Frese is a psychologist who served for fifteen years as Director of Psychology at Western Reserve Psychiatric Hospital, one of Ohio's largest psychiatric hospitals. He is presently Coordinator of the Summit County Ohio Recovery Project. Thirty-five years ago, while a young Marine Corps officer, Fred was diagnosed with schizophrenia, and over the next ten years was in and out of mental hospitals, often on secure wards. Despite his disability, he earned a degree in International Business Management from the American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, as well as Masters and Doctoral degrees in psychology from Ohio University.
A Campus Divided? - ISU College Republicans and ISU Democrats
7:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - Dirk Deam, Political Science Department, will moderate a debate between ISU Democrats and ISU College Republicans. There will be opportunities for questions from the audience. Sponsored by the ISU Political Science Club, Student Union Board, Institute on National Affairs and Committee on Lectures (funded by GSB)
Sunday, 17 Oct 2004
An Evening with Michael Moore - Michael Moore
7:30 PM – Hilton Coliseum - Admission Free - NO TICKETS - Doors open at 6:30 pm - Michael Moore's documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 won the Cannes International Film Festival's highest honor, the Palme d'Or, and received the longest standing ovation in the history of the festival. He won the Academy Award for his documentary Bowling for Columbine, and produced and directed the landmark documentary Roger and Me. He is the author of Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation and Dude, Where's My Country?This is a part of the Institute on National Affairs series on "Politics and Humor in America" and is also cosponsored by the Committee on Lectures.
Thursday, 14 Oct 2004
Institute on World Affairs - Cultivating Democracy - The Role of Intelligence Gathering in a Democracy - Jim Olson
8:00 PM – Sun Room, Memorial Union - Jim Olson is a Senior Lecturer and the CIA Officer in Residence at the Bush School of Government and Public Service in College Station, Texas. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1969 and served for 31 years, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. He held the positions as Deputy Chief of Station in Moscow and Chief of Station in Vienna and Mexico City. He also served as Chief of Counterintelligence at CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Professor Olson received his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1969.
Intelligent Design: Is it Science or Religion?
6:30 PM – 124 Ross Hall - The main proponent of intelligent design and the author of Intelligent Design is William Dembski. He and his followers believe that there is scientific evidence that our universe was designed. More recently, a publication claims that the very position of our third planet seems to be intelligently purposed. Dr. Patterson will examine these claims from the scientific side, and Dr. Avalos will examine the claim from the viewpoint of religious studies and philosophy. John Patterson is a nationally recognized critic of pseudoscience and creationism. Before retiring in 1995, he was a professor in the Department of Materials Science in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University. He received his doctorate. in Metallurgical Engineering from Ohio State University. He has written many scientific critiques of creationism, including "Thermodynamics and Evolution," in Scientists Confront Creationism, edited by Laurie Godfrey. Hector Avalos is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and the founder and Director of the U.S. Latino Studies Program at Iowa State University, where he was named Professor of the Year in 1996 and an LAS Master Teacher in 2003-04. He received a Master of Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School, and became the first Mexican American to earn a doctorate in biblical studies at Harvard. He is the author of four books and numerous articles. His next book is on Religion and Violence. Sponsored by Atheist and Agnostic Society
ISU Entomology Club
6:00 PM – Great Hall, Memorial Union - This celebration of insect life includes activities for all ages: hissing cockroachs, giant millipedes, insect displays, an insect tasting event, and the film, "Antz."Doors open at 6 p.m. and film starts at 7:30 p.m.