Tag Archives: Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life

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MARTIN F. MANALANSAN IV, “Enmeshment: Queer Togetherness and Caring”

The Global Queer Studies Lecture Series presents:

Join us for a lecture on Martin Manalansan‘s book in progress, “Queer Dwellings.” Deploying his framing of “queer as mess,” Manalansan argues for a capacious yet recalcitrant notion of queer caring and togetherness that goes beyond scripted ideals of solidarity, empathy and concern. Manalansan is associate professor of American Studies at University of Minnesota. His books include Global Divas: Filipino Gay Men in the Diaspora; Eating Asian America: A Food Studies Reader; and Queer Globalizations: Citizenship and the Afterlife of Colonialism.

Date: Thursday, April 4
Time: 4:30-6 PM
Place: Russell House

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Allbritton Talks: Gentrification

What do we mean when we talk about gentrification? Look closely at the history of any urban area and one is bound to find some demographic flux, yet there are elements of neighborhood change that are particularly problematic or harmful, namely the displacement of lower-income residents. Alongside the severe social costs, however, there may also be benefits to an influx of wealth.

Join us for an open discussion on the causes and effects of gentrification, as well as possible solutions: how can we, as citizens, neighbors, and consumers, ensure affordable housing and an equitable urban future?

Find more info and some suggested readings here. There will be pizza.

Date: Friday, April 24
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Place: Allbritton 311

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We Almost Lost Detroit: a Hopeful Tale About Cars, Crises, Cities, and America

c/o Joe Ciardiello for Time

Ron Bloom ’77, Obama’s “Auto Czar” and one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, will come to campus on Wednesday, April 8 to discuss his involvement in bailing out the auto industry and addressing the City of Detroit’s bankruptcy. In addition to his 7:30 PM lecture, there will be an informal reception at 4:30 PM in the Woodhead Lounge; email Allbritton Center director Rob Rosenthal at rrosenthal[at]wesleyan[dot]edu to attend.

Date: Wednesday, April 8
Time: 7:30 PM
Place: PAC 001
Cost: Free!

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Drugs, Harm, and the Campus

How should we – as a university and as a society – address the use of illicit drugs? In light of recent events, the Allbritton Center is bringing together experts from a variety of fields and perspectives for panel discussions on drug use and policies at Wesleyan and beyond. The hope is to have an open and informative dialogue, and to provide a space for sharing your questions and concerns. All students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome. Questions for panelists may be submitted at each event or in advance to scapron[at]wesleyan[dot]edu or @wes_engage.

Drug Use @Wes
What are we doing about drugs at Wesleyan and why? Join use for a panel discussion on education, support, and policies.
Panelists: Tanya Purdy (Director of Health Education, WesWELL), Beth Dericco (Higher Education Outreach, Caron Treatment Centers), and Ashley Fine ‘15
Moderator: Mike Shaley, Vice President of Student Affairs
Date: Tuesday, April 7
Time: 4:30 PM
Place: PAC 002

The Physiology of Drugs
What is actually happening inside your body?
Panelists: Mike Robinson (Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience & Behavior), Stefanie Jones (Drug Policy Alliance), Mark Neavyn, MD (Director, Medical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hartford Hospital)
Moderator: Ishita Mukerji, Dean of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Date: Wednesday, April 15
Time: 8:00 PM
Place: Memorial Chapel

Drug Policy, Regional and National
The policy debate: what is to be done?
Panelists: Ethan Nadelmann (Founder and Executive Director, Drug Policy Alliance), Susan O’Connor (Program Director, Phoenix House), Mike Lawlor (Under Secretary for Criminal Justice Policy and Planning in the State Office of Policy and Management)
Moderator: Rob Rosenthal, Director, Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life
Date: Wednesday, April 28
Time: 8:00 PM
Place: Shanklin 107

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On the Line: How Schooling, Housing, and Civil Rights Shaped Hartford and its Suburbs

Jack Dougherty will speak about the history of the schooling and housing boundaries that have divided metropolitan Hartford, and the struggles of families and civil rights activists to cross over, redraw, or erase these lines. Professor Dougherty is teaching a course this semester on education and entrepreneurship, and his book On the Line: How Schooling, Housing, and Civil Rights Shaped Hartford and its Suburbs is available here as a digital-first, open-access book-in-progress.

Date: Monday, April 6
Time: 4:30 PM
Place: Allbritton 311
Cost: Free!

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Allbritton Talks: College Sports

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As more Division I athletes and their supporters call for payment for players and even consider unionizing, it raises the question of the purpose of college athletics and perhaps of institutions of higher education themselves. Is it exploitative for universities to profit off of their student-athletes if it is indeed to the detriment of their education, finances, and health? Are athletically-based admission and scholarships unfair – if so, for whom? – or are they a means of expanding college access and diversifying student populations?

In this session of Allbritton Talks, we’ll examine  controversies surrounding Division I athletics while also pondering what compels us – as a University, as a society, and even as a species – to care about sports. Athletes, fans, and NARPs are all welcome. There will be pizza!

Date: Friday, March 27
Time: 12 – 1 PM
Place: Allbritton 311
Cost: Free

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Social Death & Survival Forum featuring Wesleyan Faculty

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The first of a series of events addresses the theme of social death and survival from multiple vantage points. Our panel of Wesleyan faculty will discuss social death and survival in relation to contemporary struggles of identity and personhood, with respect to gender and sexuality, race and nationality, and ability and disability. The faculty panel features Robin Autry, Alexandre Baril, Rachel Ellis Neyra, Megan Glick, Laura Grappo, and Margot Weiss.

Sponsored by the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, the Mellon University Lectures, and the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.

Date: Thursday, February 26
Time: 4:15 – 6:00 PM
Place: Allbritton 311
Cost: None
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Allbritton Talks: Do-Gooders Abroad

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Many people, particularly Westerners, travel to the developing world each year to volunteer with NGOs and assist communities in need. However, critics of “voluntourism” warn that the self-satisfaction, thrill, and social media attention gained through service may come at the cost of real progress and make a spectacle of poverty. Others defend the good intentions and positive impact of volunteers, arguing that the trips also promote cross-cultural understanding, support local economies, and inspire participants to keep fighting poverty at home and abroad.

Under what circumstances might we find voluntourism beneficial and fair, or counterproductive and unethical? Does it matter whether volunteers are motivated by self-interest if their work does indeed make a difference?

Bring your experiences with and concerns about international service work (or service in general) to the table on Friday for the next session of Allbritton Talks! There will be pizza.

Date: Friday, February 13
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Place: Allbritton 311
Cost: Free!