Ready to celebrate surviving the snow and ice (fingers crossed) and the start of the new semester? Join us in the Garaventa Center for Thirst Friday on February 10, from 4-6 p.m., in Franz Hall room 330 for lively conversation and tantalizing treats, including our not-to-be-missed M&Ms tasting menu. (Cheesecake M&Ms, anyone?) Come for 10 minutes or two hours but do stop by, and extra credit for bringing someone new. All faculty and staff are invited. For more information, contact Karen Eifler at x8014 or eifler@up.edu.
Garaventa Center
“Humor In Nursing” Talk with Hob Osterlund: Feb. 7
Writer, photographer, and advanced practice nurse Hob Osterlund will present “Humor in Nursing: How to Find Time to Laugh When There’s Zero Time for Lunch” on Tuesday, February 7, at 7:15 p.m., in the Bauccio Commons. Osterlund’s talk is sponsored by the Garaventa Center, the School of Nursing, and the Beckman Humor Project and is free and open to all.
Osterlund founded Hawaii’s first inpatient pain and palliative care program at The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu. She also principal investigator for the Comedy in Chemotherapy (COMIC) Study, where she and her colleagues were the first to conduct a randomized controlled trial demonstrating the positive impact of comedy on the symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy. She will discuss the nursing profession as “one of the highest and hardest trapeze acts youʻll ever see,” where nurses face impossible situations on a daily basis: trying to balance on a high wire between cost-cutting and enormously expensive interventions, between doctorsʻ orders and the reality of patient care, between compassion for others and boundaries with them, between keeping people alive and allowing them to die, and many more.
For more information contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
Second Community ReadUP Discussion, Feb. 15
The second community discussion of All the Light We Cannot See will happen on Wednesday, February 15, at noon, in the Clark Library Conference Room. Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., will facilitate the conversation with a focus on the middle third of the book. Light refreshments will be served; participants are encouraged to bring their lunch if desired. The final discussion will be on February 23, also at noon in the Library Conference Room, and open to all members of the campus community.
For a complete schedule of events related to ReadUP and author Anthony Doerr’s visit to campus, please visit up.edu/readup. Questions about the book discussion can be directed to Fr. Charlie (gordon@up.edu) or Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu) in the Garaventa Center.
“Why Aren’t Comics Funny Anymore?,” Feb. 9
Charles Brownstein, Executive Director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, moderates an all-star panel of experts to discuss the question of humor in comics from a variety of professional perspectives on Thursday, February 9, at 7:15 p.m., in Franz Hall room 120. Panelists include Diana Schutz (editor of Sin City, Grendel, and Usagi Yojimbo), Mark Russell (God is Disappointed in You, Apocrypha Now, Prez), Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man), and MK Reed (The Castoffs, Americus). The event is co-sponsored by the Garaventa Center and the Beckman Humor Project, and is free and open to all. For more information or ADA accommodations: x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
“Why Theology Needs the Simpsons,” Feb. 1
Mike Wode and Brendan Ryan, C.S.C., will present “Why Theology Needs the Simpsons” at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, February 1, in Franz Hall room 120. The event is free and open to all.
Wode and Ryan are members of the residence life staff. They posit: “The Simpsons TV show has defined a generation. Because of its vast influence on culture, including asking the Big Questions, how could theologians not be drawn to The Simpsons?” Come enjoy an evening of surprising insights for people of faith, starting with Homer, Marge, Lisa, and of course, Bartholomew J. Simpson.
For ADA accommodations or further information, please contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
“Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion,” Jan. 31
Stephen Shoemaker, professor of religious studies at the University of Oregon, presents “Mary in Early Christian Faith and Devotion” at 7:15pm on Tuesday, January 31 in Franz Hall room 120. The event is free and open to all.
In his talk, Shoemaker will delve into ancient images and texts to provide evidence that devotion to the Virgin Mary began much earlier than previously thought. Shoemaker specializes in early Marian literature and devotion, early Christian apocryphal literature, and the emergence of Islam in relation to the religious cultures of Mediterranean late antiquity.
For ADA accommodations or further information, please contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
TLC from the TLC: Students (and Instructors) as Political Animals
It is highly likely, across the past few months, that America’s 2016 election has worked its way into your classroom or even your curriculum. In this week’s Teaching & Learning Tip, Lars Erik Larson corrals a series of insights from NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt (pictured), who helps explain some unexpected roots beneath our political differences, and why it’s so hard to hold a civil conversation about them. This link offers ideas taken from his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, as well as a link to his post-election insights from a TED talk last month. Haidt’s perspectives offer instructors the background to help foster one of the last spaces left for civil discussion: the college classroom.
Visio Divina Contemplative Prayer, Wednesdays in Advent
Give yourself the gift of quiet meditation this Advent through Visio Divina, contemplative prayer focusing on one of the stunning illuminations from The Saint John’s Bible. Join with members of the community as we gather on Wednesday, December 14, from 12:45-1:15 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. Co-sponsored by Campus Ministry and the Garaventa Center. For ADA accommodations or more information, contact x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.
For more information please contact Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu or Beth Barsotti, Campus Ministry, at barsotti@up.edu.
Don’t Miss Garaventa Center’s Holiday Thirst Friday, Dec. 2
Need a little holiday cheer before finals? Join us for Thirst Friday on December 2 in the Garaventa Center (Franz 330), any time from 4 to 6 p.m. You’ll find great conversation, holiday libations of all sorts, and best of all, a tasting menu featuring an astonishing number of Oreo options! Extra credit for bringing along someone new to the festive frivolities of Thirst Fridays. Come for 10 minutes or two hours, but please do stop by. Open to all staff and faculty. For more information, please contact Karen Eifler at eifler@up.edu.
Becoming Human: A Community Conversation, Nov. 15
All University community members are invited to join in a community discussion exploring the concept of “Becoming Human” as introduced by Jean Vanier, the founder of L’Arche, and the challenges and opportunities it presents us in our lives, on Tuesday, November 15, from 4:30-6 p.m., in the Chiles Center Hall of Fame Room. The event is a collaboration by the Garaventa Center, the Franz Center for Leadership, and L’Arche Portland. Please RSVP by Friday, November 11. Light refreshments will be provided. For ADA accommodations, more information or to RSVP: garaventa@up.edu or x7702.