Category: Lecture Series Posts

Dr. Regina Bradley is an Associate Professor of English and African Diaspora Studies at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Bradley obtained her Ph.D. in English from Florida State University with a major area of African American Literature and Culture and a minor area in Gender and Women’s Studies. Her first short story collection, Boondock Kollage: Stories from the Hip Hop South, was published in April of 2017.

Last Wednesday, Dr. Bradley did a reading of her book at the Margaret Mitchell House. She read three excerpts from different short stories and the book itself is divided into three different sections: Reaching Back Around, Long Division, and Stitches in Time. One thing we noticed about Dr. Bradley’s style was how she would almost take up a persona in each of the stories. The stories consisted of things that happened to her or people around her, yet she maintained a third-person limited omniscient perspective throughout. We decided that we would structure our presentation in the three different perspective narrative style that Dr. Bradley did during her lecture. Each perspective will focus on a different section coupled with our personal experiences beginning with Reaching Back Around.  

Daquon’s P.O.V

Being that he’s perpetually busy and has a terrible sense of time, it was no surprise that Daquon found himself running late again. His coffee chat with another member of his fraternity went longer than expected and Daquon now had to face one of his greatest fears: Complex! Knowing that he would be late and accept his lack of knowledge of Complex, he preemptively texted one of his group members, Faith, and said: “I’m on my way to complex but I don’t know complex at all and am probably gonna get lost.” He eventually reached Complex and went inside of a small lobby area that had a faint smell of musk and mothballs. Daquon knew if he’d ventured any further, he would be overwhelmed with the feeling of being in the newest Maze Runner film. Luckily for him, he peered out the window to see Faith running up a hill. As he left the foul-smelling lobby, Daquon went around the corner to find both of his groupmates, Faith and Rachel. In a whirlwind, the two girls passed Daquon while telling him that their Uber driver arrived and was waiting for them. With the addition of rain, Daquon knew he was in for an interesting night. One very interesting Uber ride and walk through downtown Atlanta, and the group finally arrived. Daquon’s inner Grinch started to come out when he saw the Christmas light-covered trees before Thanksgiving could even get a chance.

Nevertheless, he put his personal pet peeves aside because this was a lecture that he was looking forward to for weeks. And this time, Daquon was not wrong. From Dr. Bradley’s introduction, Daquon knew that he was going to enjoy tonight. He noticed Dr. Bradley’s very warm personality and very relatable demeanor. Dr. Bradley began discussing some of her influences and purpose of the book. When Dr. Bradley said that the book was about southern black identity and how it is often overshadowed by a historicized version, Daquon moved to the edge of his seat because this was literally his life. As she began reading, her tone could even keep this sleep-deprived college student interested. In fact, Daquon took an interest in one of the first stories Dr. Bradley told, Intentions. Intentions told the story of the small town of Albany’s Dream Week, a week inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. that celebrates civil rights leaders, and focused on the experience of the young black protagonist. Immediately, Daquon began drawing parallels to the main character. Every year, though he loved studying black culture/history, doing a Black History project, retelling the same stories, and sharing the same perspectives got a little stale. Daquon is generally a procrastinator, but his procrastination levels always slightly rose around this time of year, just like how the protagonist procrastinated his Dream Week project.

Faith’s P.O.V

“Wya” the text peeked through the cracks on her cell phone screen. Faith had one foot out the door and was about to meet her classmates. “See ya later!” She yelled to her roommate before leaving. Knowing she was running late she sprinted down the stairs. As she burst through the door she was greeted by the rain. “No! It’s raining” she screeched aloud earning her strange looks from bystanders. Realizing once again that she was late, she ran around until she found Rachel. “Rachel! It’s raining!” Faith screamed. “Yeah, I know” Rachel responded. “I wanted to go grab my umbrella.” As they walked down the hill to another entrance of Complex they met Daquon. Rushing, they informed him that their Uber was on campus already and headed towards the car.

After a pleasant Uber ride, they arrived at the Margaret Mitchell House. Upon arrival, Faith admired the twinkly lights adorning the trees in the front yard. “The lady who wrote Gone with the Wind lived here” Rachel informed Faith. “Oh, I hated the hour of the movie I watched. I started falling asleep,” Faith said as they walked inside. Once they entered, they were surrounded by Gone with the Wind books. They walked outside to another building next to the house. The building was filled with paintings and photographs. As they looked around, Faith observed the audience. It was mostly older adults and most of them were black. The three of them were definitely the youngest people in the room.

After waiting patiently, Dr. Bradley arrived. Dr. Bradley was lively with a loud, booming voice. Faith was taken back by her vivacious personality, but she loved it. If she had not read her book with personality, Faith would have quickly lost interest. Anticipating the formation of their blog post, Faith tried to be attentive and took notes. In particular, the story from the section titled “Long Division” stood out to her the most. Bradley, who portrayed herself as a boy, in the story, was forced by her grandpa to apply to the University of Georgia. When her grandpa was a senior in high school, the coach from the University of Georgia was interested in letting him play for the team. Against his father’s wishes, her grandfather went to the practice and was subjected to racism upon his arrival. While we did not get to hear the whole story, she did let us know that the university would not let her father attend their school or play football with them. Although she did not see getting into the school (she received her acceptance letter before her grandpa told the story) as a big deal, it was to her grandpa who could not get into the school when he was her age. Faith found that she could relate to Dr. Bradley about this. It reminded her of mother’s experiences in college when she first immigrated to the country. While her mother did not have an issue with getting into school, she had issues once school commenced. Often her professors would ridicule her mother and expressed their desire for her to be unsuccessful simply because she was black and because she was an immigrant. Now Faith’s mother is satisfied when Faith tells her that her professors are kind, supportive and wishing for her success. The excerpt from the book had Faith interested in the south that Dr. Bradley lived in. Although Faith has heard the stories of what it was like living under Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, Faith has not heard much about what comes next. The age where hip-hop and trap music arrive is not really represented, and Dr. Bradley made a point to say that most narratives about it were not made by black people or people that lived in the places they emerged in. Faith wanted to hear the full stories, but the book was expensive. Despite only hearing part of them, Faith felt that Dr. Bradley successfully displayed the southern black identity and wishes she was not broke so she could afford the book.

Rachel’s P.O.V

Rachel’s day was jam-packed. As she jogged from her history lecture that had ended at 5:30 to the Math and Science building to help out with an event for the short 25 minutes her schedule allowed, she began to ponder how the night’s lecture would go. Her two group members Faith and Daquon were supposed to meet up with her around 6:00 to head out to the famous author, Margaret Mitchell’s, house where the lecture, “Boondock Kollage: Stories from the Hip Hop South” was being held. Like most of the sound of the word “boondock”  Rachel’s mind immediately wandered to the animated sitcom, “The Boondocks”,  a show based off a cartoon about an African American grandfather and his two grandchildren’s cross-cultural experience as they move into a white suburban neighborhood. Smiling as she thought of her favorite character from the show, Riley, Rachel realized; however, that despite the numerous times spent watching the show all last summer she had no idea what the word “boondock” meant. Deciding she should do a little researching pre-lecture she pulled out her phone and found (with the help of google) that the word  “boondock” meant remote or isolated country. Further investigation showed that the term had actually been transformed to a slightly different meaning than originally instated, as “boondock” is also a noun to describe an unsophisticated area. Tucking her phone back into her oversized raincoat Rachel made her way over to the meetup place her group members had agreed upon. Dark gray clouds floated above with the promise of rain to come as she reflected on what her limited research indicated about the upcoming lecture. It seemed this event would be speaking to some form of the cultural experience African Americans from a certain socio-economic background faced. “Hip Hop South” was connotation for “African American” and “Boondocks” was connotation for the “certain socio-economic background”. Fast forward past a lit uber ride with the coolest driver ever and walk through downtown Atlanta, Rachel suddenly found herself spending her Wednesday night enamored with the strong and surprisingly youthful voice of Dr.Regina Bradley.

Having just come from Professor Lipstadt’s  lecture about “The Great Books of the Holocaust”  Rachel was surprised to find that Dr.Bradley’s style was similar. In both lectures the facilitators read excerpts aloud directly from their books; however where Professor Lipstadt let the content of her books speak for itself, Dr.Bradley utilized voice inflections, and occasional side remarks in conjunction with her content to engage her audience. Although at times her readings felt a bit too long, the unerring representation of black dialogue present throughout her shared book excerpts got Rachel through and became especially charming by the third section of the book, “Stitches in Time”, which examined the question “What does time look like in the south”? And how time looks differently for each person. Dr.Bradley’s simple opening remark about how this story had “haunted her” immediately had everyone on the edge of their seats anticipating her reading. Pressed for time we were quickly transported into the world of a young girl undergoing the teenage nuisance of attempting to convince her mama to go to a party her older brother and his friends were attending. The girl’s mother is unrelenting with her decision not to let her daughter go and instead instructs her son to be back no later than midnight. With a groan, the son and his friends leave and all goes well until the young girl receives a phone call from her brother’s friend saying no one knows where her brother is. After her mother comes in from searching for her son and hears that no one knows where he is she wails and -Dr.Bradley closes the book leaving the audience off with a cliffhanger. The interesting thing about Dr.Bradley’s lecture was unlike Professor Lipstadt she didn’t spend time explicitly stating how certain themes tied into her book, which Rachel found somewhat frustrating. After some reflection, Rachel realized that this was due to the differing purpose of each lecture. Dr.Bradley was showcasing excerpts from a book she had written herself and planned to sell thus leaving her theme and book readings open-ended was crucial in order to entrance the audience and elicit curiosity that would encourage them to buy her book. This differed from Professor Lipstadt’s as her readings were from various classical books that she had not written and were somewhat known so her lecture was a bit more explicit. From the short part of  “Stitch in Time” read and the themes Dr.Bradley mentioned Rachel inferred that perhaps this chapter was going to analyze the various effects the same amount of time has on different people, specifically people in the South. Maybe the son is found years later and life has drastically changed for not only him but also his sister and mother but in different ways. Perhaps the son is killed and as time passes the mother and daughter are affected in varying ways. All in all the possibilities were endless, which made Rachel curious about how the story would unfold.

“You know, I’m starting to get why she didn’t explain how each theme was connected to the story, but what about Hip Hop? I didn’t really feel like it was explicitly present throughout the book.” Rachel pondered this aloud as she walked back with Faith and Daquon to the location of their uber driver.

“I don’t think she meant for it to be explicit, I think the dialogue of her characters and the way they act is supposed to represent the effects the culture of Hip Hop in the South had on children from the post-civil right movement era” Faith replied. Rachel nodded in understanding as immediately her mind went back to the show “The Boondocks”. Just as Dr.Bradley utilized dialogue to convey the riveting effect Hip Hop had on black youth, characters from “The Boondocks” were used to show the negative effect of the same phenomenon. Even Rachel’s favorite character, Riley, was a product of rap and hip-hop culture and represented the manifestation of what cultural stigmas and stereotypes can do to influence black youth in an unpleasant way.

 

Although we did not get to hear the endings to any of the stories, we strongly believe that Dr. Bradley accurately captured the essence of black southern life. Especially through the use of dialogue, we could hear an accurate portrayal of both youth and adults living in the post-civil rights era. From the tiny bits we heard, hip-hop culture was weaved into the stories. She did not explicitly say this is hip-hop culture, but she just let it exist in the space without trying to shove the fact into our brains. If readers pay close enough attention, they can hear it and see it through the way the characters speak and behave. Dr. Bradley’s book is the perfect alternative to a boring textbook description of what hip-hop culture looks and sounds like. Her use of common situations that we can all relate to, such as applying to college, procrastinating on our projects, and our parents not letting us go out, allows us to learn what we would in a textbook in its proper context. We can step inside of her world to better understand the life she is portraying, which makes it easier for us to learn. We highly encourage you all to consider buying the book if you can. If you want to take a blast in the past, but in a setting that is somewhat familiar to our own, please do yourself a favor and check out Boondock Kollage.

http://www.redclayscholar.com/about-dr.-bradley.html (Her Website)

https://www.amazon.com/Boondock-Kollage-Stories-Critical-Thinking/dp/1433133032

 

As I slowly walked towards the Oxford Road Building, my head was filled with memories of the few previous Williams Memorial lectures I attended, including one where a certain someone gave the entire audience a cold. Even though I was required to attend all the Williams lectures for my physics course, not even one of them has been remotely close to the subject. I arrived at the lecture room, I checked my calendar on Canvas and saw that the lecture topic was “Great Works of Palaeontology”. This caused me immediately to think of Jurassic Park and life from way back. I mentally prepared myself to listen to a speech about some dinosaur books for 45 minutes and took a seat.

As the doors closed, the lecturer, Dr. Lipstadt, was introduced as Emory’s most famous professor. I recognized the name, but couldn’t quite remember where I had heard it. Strangely enough, the introduction had nothing to do with dinosaurs, but instead talked about Dr. Lipstadt’s work as a Jewish historian, disproving Holocaust deniers in legal court. At this moment, I remembered where I had heard the name: I had seen countless trailers for a movie which is based on “Emory’s most famous professor” and her battle to fight Holocaust denial. I also realized that palaeontology is not limited to dinosaurs.

Dr. Lipstadt started her lecture in a similar fashion to all the other Williams lectures, claiming that it is difficult to choose a few books to talk about since there are so many “history-changing” books about the Holocaust. Therefore, she decided to present the books that spoke to her the most. These books were mostly memoirs or diaries. The first person perspective that they gave and the specifics that they went into were able to paint a picture in my head.

I enjoyed the way Dr. Lipstadt presented the books she brought with. She would start by flipping open a book, which she would read until she found a good place to stop. After closing the book, she would then explain to the audience in very specific detail what was going on in the time frame she had just read about. Her explanations gave a lot of insight on the Jewish situation inside the ghettos during the war. For example, Dr. Lipstadt told a story of how in the ghetto, there were specific Jews who were responsible for being the intermediary between the Nazis and the ghetto residents. These people always saw the list of Jews who were taken out of the ghetto. In one particular ghetto, this intermediate person between the Nazis and ghetto residents would always convict himself that the people were being taken away to do labor. However, when he saw that children started to appear on the list, he couldn’t stand it anymore and took his own life. The stories like these that Dr. Lipstadt told really brought the books she presented to life.

The crowd at the lecture was mostly students who were forced to be there, due to their class being in the Voluntary Core Curriculum like mine. There was also the usual group of older people there, who were attending just to hear Dr. Lipstadt’s words. Even though I found the lecture very engaging, about half of the students who I saw were on their mobile devices for the entire lecture. Also, at the end of the lecture during the question and answer period, I noticed that the audience had much fewer questions than what was normal for a Williams lecture. This was probably due to the fact that Jewish studies is a less popular subject area at Emory than what the previous lectures had been about (law, psychology, etc.). This might also explain the unengaged audience who were there just to get an attendance grade. I think that if she were to relate her stories she told back to her time in court fighting against Holocaust deniers, as well as the movie that was recently made, the lecture could have been more intriguing than it already was.

Overall, I think that Dr. Lipstadt’s lecture was incredibly insightful. Having gone to a Jewish school, I was exposed to memoirs of the Holocaust and talks from survivors from a young age. The materials that Dr. Lipstadt presented went into the same amount of details that I hear every time I listen to a unique story. Every memoir, testimony, and diary has historical importance in providing the information to support Dr. Lipstadt’s work. After looking at Emory University’s mission statements, I can easily say that Dr. Lipstadt is well suited to be “Emory’s most famous professor”, with her work and teachings fitting all of the categories.

 

Lecture video: https://www.dropbox.com/s/1krclh9677eavaz/EW%2011-1-17.mp4?dl=0

What do you think is most unique about the structure of the buildings on Emory’s campus? What made a lasting impression on you in terms of their composition? Our campus is renowned for its beautiful architecture, with ubiquitous Georgia marble as far as the eye can see. While some buildings on campus are not as picturesque as others, there are definitely those that provide our school distinction, while intertwining its unique aesthetic value.

On Thursday, November 2nd, we attended a lecture in The Carlos Museum titled “The Fabric of Divine Power: textiles and bundles in ancient Mesoamerica.” The speaker, Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet, is the current Curator of Art of the Ancient Americas at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Senior Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution.

As we ventured into a room filled with primarily grey-haired individuals, we were a bit skeptical as to whether this lecture was appropriate for our age. However, as we glanced around the dimly-lit room, we began to reminisce upon the certain value this environment held; We noticed beautifully hung chandeliers, filled with eight shimmering lights gleaming from each one. Ancient architectural sculptures of faces, animals, and masks, stemming back to 1000 B.C.E, lined the walls in efforts to allow the audience to harken back to a prior historical era. As the lecture continued, the lighting began to shift in context to what Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet was discussing: while projecting elaborate weaving tools of gold, jade, and other precious materials, she dimmed the lights in order to envelop her audience in these ancient works of art. Thus, revealing that skilled weaving was a high-status occupation for the elite.

Weaving our way through the lecture, we detected the many cultural and artistic differences between the Pre-Columbian societies and how it transformed the Americas into a  breeding ground of beauty and fashion. The three famous societies, Aztecs, Mayans and Incans, congruently shared an individual style that reflected their environment, morals and overall way of life. Though these civilizations inhabited the western hemisphere and were able to communicate to each other, no fashions within any two civilizations shared any true similarities, when it came down to it. In fact, fashions within each society varied vastly depending upon their locations. Due to limited resources, these civilizations were forced to have some similarities when it came to dyes used on the fabric or fabric composition, but each product was unique nonetheless. Before the conquistadors, the ancient Mesoamerican world was full of cultural fashion and textile differences and similarities that range from the type of cloth used to the way patterns were stitched.

Often times we take things for face value, not realizing the subconscious affects certain objects have on us. Dr. Dorie Reents-Budet stressed this idea throughout her presentation, highlighting the importance of textiles in Mesoamerican society. For the purposes of her research she looked at prestige goods in Southern Mexico and the Yucatán region. She noted that textiles were at the heart of the socioeconomic system, and were used as taxes among certain groups. Due to the given nature of textiles, most of them do not survive, thus archaeologist and researchers must look at other forms of art (i.e. pottery, paintings or architecture) in order to grasp a better understanding of the role of textiles.

Although the many ancient textiles have not survived the tropical climate of Mesoamerica, Pre-Columbian depictions and paintings of figures wearing the woven cloth have indicated that textiles were decorative, highly valued, and utilized to convey an elite status. In the case of architecture in particular, the socioeconomic value of a building can be discerned from the intricacies of the building’s architecture. For example, the elite residential compound “The Nunnery” is known for its intricate mosaics along its facade. If you view the mosaics along the facade as the equivalent of textiles, then it can be extrapolated that they served to reinforce the importance of textiles in the Mesoamerican economy.

However, Mesoamericans continue to produce highly skilled, traditional textiles throughout contemporary times, both to preserve and continue their cultural heritage, while earning an income through the tourist trade. Nevertheless, textile-making was not and is not a static art form; Throughout their history, Mesoamerican weavers have adopted and adapted new materials, techniques, and designs as they have become available through interaction and trade, and they have developed new forms to appeal to potential customers.

As we contently listened to the lecture, we began to draw a parallel between the symbolic representation of the ancient textiles through Mesoamerica and the unique architecture here at Emory. Just as Dr. Reents-Budet reflected how the more intricate textiles made them more memorable, we were able to note that Emory’s unique features of its architecture serve to leave a lasting impression on those exposed to them.

Rather than sticking to the commonly classic, basic red-brick college campus design, Emory’s provision of white Georgia marble and glass structure, complemented by accents of dark copper, makes it seemingly impossible to forget its stunning campus.

The vibrant visual impact of buildings such as Carlos Hall, Atwood Chemistry Building, the Theology Building, and even our very own Woodruff Library reflect Emory’s prestige as a high-ranking university. Next time you are walking to class, pay close attention to the detail and intricacy of the architecture surrounding you. These elements are a core factor in what makes Emory such a unique and memorable school for all who visit.

By: Zion, Kate, and Jenna

 

The “Israeli Soldiers Tour” began like any other Lecture Series. A confused freshman speeding to an unfamiliar classroom, anxious to have enough time to find the proper room and choose a seat that is not too far or too close to the front before the lecture actually begins. Indeed, this extra time was necessary, for I spent the minutes preceding the lecture frantically strolling through Tarbutton hall and consulting my phone to ensure it was not yet five p.m.

When I finally found Tarbutton 111, I realized that this would not just be any other lecture. Relieved, I walked into a small room full of familiar faces –my best friend, Hebrew classmates, other Emory Jewish community members, and even my Sophomore Advisor. In contrast with previous lectures I have attended, the buffet dinner and informal seating arrangement fostered a comfortable and casual atmosphere. Refreshingly, the age of this audience would bring down the average age of any other lecture by at least half. As opposed to knowledgeable graduate students and professors, the room was enlivened by passionate and committed undergraduate students. In fact, this lecture was so casual that the presenters arrived ten minutes late, attributing their tardiness to “Atlanta traffic.”

Two Emory seniors initiated the lecture, reading the bios of Eden and Joey, the speakers who would be recalling experiences from their military service in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). This student-led introduction demonstrated the active role students took in the presentation, as opposed to passively listening. The event itself was held by student groups – Emory Students for Israel, Emory Hillel, and the Emory Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Following the introduction, Eden began her presentation by projecting photos of her best friends, boyfriend, and the city in which she grew up. She wanted to establish that soldiers are more than their green uniforms, advanced machinery, or media coverage – they are normal individuals who treasure their loved ones. Yet again contrasting most lectures, Eden and Joey’s PowerPoint was full of vivid pictures, lacking any text at all. Their visual presentation demonstrated the engaging, well-rounded nature of the lecture. Eden continued by describing her childhood, which she deemed pretty typical. However, she added that living in Israel, she always entertained additional worries. With every brown envelope delivered in the mail came a chance that her father would be called to the army reserves. Furthermore, Eden dreaded the day that she herself would be recruited to join the IDF, which relies on a mandatory draft. Her parents reassured her that by the time she was 18, Israel would not have a draft, but this has yet to prove true. Eden now finds herself sharing these same words of reassurance with her younger brothers.

When asked about her biggest takeaway from her army service, Eden responded that “the word responsibility gets a whole new definition.” Only in her young 20s, Eden commanded 70 female soldiers and led their basic training. When her soldiers were granted weekends at home, Eden felt responsible for ensuring that they all arrived home safely, demonstrating her care and the seriousness with which she approached her job. With Eden’s responsibility came an increased sense of worry. When bomb threats went off, she could not console herself by referring to the slim chance that it would directly affect her or her family. She was responsible for 70 soldiers that spanned the map of Israel, and a bomb threat meant that any one of them could be in danger.

Eden’s thick Israeli accent was then replaced with a strong and unexpected American voice. In his presentation, Joey immediately addressed this surprise, sharing that he grew up in Las Vegas. He jokingly clarified that no, his mother was not a stripper, his father was not a casino owner, and he did not live in a hotel. Joey’s involvement in the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), a Jewish youth movement, inspired him to enlist in the Israeli army. On a trip to Poland, Joey visited Jewish death camps with a Holocaust survivor. As the survivor was sobbing and grieving for his lost relatives, Joey watched a group of Israeli soldiers march through the camp. This juxtaposition of Jewish pride and strength in the face of the sadness and loss of the Holocaust hit Joey. He knew he must enlist.

During college, Joey remained involved in Israeli causes, and immediately following graduation, he made Aliyah (Hebrew for “the act of going up”), officially becoming an Israeli citizen. At the beginning of his service, Joey did not even know Hebrew. Since all army commands are delivered in advanced Hebrew, Joey learned the language by doing endless push-ups as punishments for his inability to understand or perform the orders.

Like Eden, Joey’s army service was life-changing and informed all of his future endeavors. From it, he derived that “You are a part of something that’s bigger than yourself.” Joey has continued to pursue his passion for Israel by working at Stand With Us, an organization committed to Israel education and advocacy. He also volunteers at The Lone Soldier Center, where he ensures the physical and social health of Lone Soldiers, soldiers who voluntarily join the Israeli army from abroad, like himself.

While the Israeli army faces extreme media and political scrutinization, this event humanized the members of the IDF. Israelis our age are enlisting in the army and defending their country. Both Joey and Eden’s stories demonstrated the life experience that army service provides and how embedded this service is in Israeli culture. Hearing these relatable, well-delivered retellings in a communal environment made the message loud and clear: through their army service, Israelis gain a self-awareness and clarity about their dearest values that is beyond their years.

Throughout Freshman Parent’s weekend, I had the opportunity to delve deeper into the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, thanks to Professor Kenneth W. Stein. As an expert writer, teacher, and lecturer in the history and politics of the Middle Eastern Studies since 1977, particularly with respect to Israel and Arab-Israeli relations, Stein conveyed major insight into the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, located in room 305 of White Hall. He is currently the President of the Center for Israel Education (CIE); Under Stein’s initiative, Emory has established the Middle East Research Program and the Emory Institute for the Study of Modern Israel – ISMI.

Some background of the matter is that the conflict between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews is a modern phenomenon, dating back to the end of the 19th century. The conflict began as a struggle over land; From the end of World War I until 1948, the area that both groups claimed was known as Palestine. After the Arab-Israeli War of 1947-48, Palestine was divided into the areas we see now: Israel,

The Gaza Strip, and the West Bank. Jewish Israelis, whose ancestors began migrating to the area in the 1880s, say their claim to the land is based on a promise from God, as well as for the need of a safe haven after widespread hostility toward the Jewish people, also known as anti-Semitism. In contrast, the Palestinian Arabs believe they are the rightful inhabitants of the land because their ancestors have lived there for hundreds of years prior.

The Gaza Strip is a rectangular piece of land along the Mediterranean coast between Israel and Egypt. The majority of its approximate 1.4 million residents are Palestinian refugees, many of whom have been living in refugee camps for decades. 80 percent were estimated to be living in poverty in mid-2007.

Israel is a small area—approximately 10,000 square miles. The competing claims to the territory are not reconcilable if one group exercises exclusive political control over all of it. Jewish claims to this land are based on biblical promises to Abraham and his descendants, on the fact that the land was the historical site of the ancient Jewish kingdoms of Israel and Judea, and on Jews’ need for a haven from European anti-Semitism. Palestinian Arab claims to the land are based on their continuous residence in the country for hundreds of years and the fact that they represented the demographic majority until 1948. They reject the notion that a biblical-era kingdom constitutes the basis for a valid modern claim. They do not believe that they should forfeit their land to compensate Jews for Europe’s crimes against them.

From Professor Stein’s discussion, I learned that Jewish educators shy away from teaching subjects that they deem too political, arguing that politics does not belong in the classroom. Educators of Judaism tend to begin with the premise that Jewish students must learn to solely support Israel and defend its government.

As a niece of my Zionist Aunt and Uncle living in Israel, this concerns me greatly. I tend to question why many Jewish Institutions encourage critical thinking when teaching ancient Jewish texts –challenging students to consider multiple voices, give expression to minority viewpoints and ask difficult questions — but when teaching about the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, they avoid this approach.

Educators believe that their role is delineated on teaching young Jews that Israel is the core to their Jewish identity.

Yet, teachers have a responsibility to teach not only the vision and dream of Israel, but also its harsh reality as well. So, it is seemingly impossible to neglect these appropriate political discussions.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is central to Jewish life. It’s as important to Jewish identity as prayer and the weekly Torah portion. While American Jews can certainly live a prosperous lifestyle without ever thinking about Israel, it remains the epicenter of all Jewish politics. Involving middle and high school students in the debates around the conflict allows them to grapple with Jewish history, explore the many variations of Zionism, and comprehend religious and political differences within the Jewish community.  

Jews must acknowledge the Palestinian perspectives, primarily because we can’t wish Palestinians away nor pretend they don’t exist. We have a moral obligation to listen carefully to their stories and effectively comprehend what they have endured as a result of war and displacement. If we want a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we must engage directly with Palestinians — not by criticizing or attacking them, but by genuinely trying to understand their experiences, starting in the classroom.

The children and teenagers within our Jewish communities are bright, creative and eager to learn. They are capable of discussing divergent viewpoints and can wrestle with difficult issues; They can understand that Israel is a modern nation-state embroiled in a complicated political situation wherein nobody can become neglected. In order to ensure proper learning, young children can sample Israeli and Palestinian foods, attend cultural events, and learn songs in Hebrew and Arabic. Older students can read novels, have structured debates and mock trials, write poems from multiple perspectives and conduct interviews with family members, activists, and scholars.

Many individuals within society want to avoid fruitless debate about the conflict, but within a classroom setting can employ creative teaching techniques that allow students to genuinely engage with the material.  This type of learning will help students prosper, encourage them to develop their own unique ideas about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and foster a sense of respect and understanding for others. These are the kinds of attributes that the next generation of Jewish citizens desperately need.

This topic is one that has remained very close to my heart,

as my Aunt, Uncle, first cousins, and even their children have suffered and fought through the many wars in which plague israelites every-so-often. On my second trip to Israel last summer, I was immediately captivated by my special country, one that I admired tremendously and soon grew to love over the five weeks I had spent there. Over that summer, like so many others who are drawn to this extraordinary place, I had climbed Masada, swam in the Dead Sea, tasted extravagant foods, met a unique range of individuals, and had driven from one Biblical city onto the next. I had walked through exhibitions of the hell of the Holocaust at Yad Vashem, stood on the Golan Heights, spent nights star-gazing in the Negev, and shot an M-16 rifle at one of Israel’s very own Military training bases.

 

Out of those experiences came a steadfast commitment to Israel’s security that has never wavered for a single minute in my 18 years of life. I have also often visited West Bank communities, where I met Palestinians struggling for basic freedom and dignity amidst the occupation and passed by military checkpoints that can make even the most routine daily trips to work or school mundane.

It is held within the vitality of Israel to keep open the possibility of peace, by consistently educating bright individuals, so that we not lose hope in the two-state solution, no matter how difficult it may seem [because there really is no viable alternative]. The plight of many Palestinian refugees is heartbreaking, and many, especially Professor Stein, feel this must be addressed.

As part of commencing a comprehensive resolution, their suffering must be acknowledged, and there will be a need to have options and assistance in locating permanent homes. The international community can provide significant support and assistance, especially starting by educating young students through Jewish organizations and institutions.

 

If you would like to learn more about Professor Kenneth Stein:

• http://history.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/stein-kenneth.html
• https://www.israelinstitute.org/about/leadership/dr-kenneth-w-stein
• http://www.israelemb.org/washington/Speakers-Guide/Society-and-Politics/Pages/Dr.-Kenneth-W.-Stein.aspx
• Search for Ken Stein on the Course Atlas for his upcoming lectures

 

This past Monday, we attended “Developmental plasticity and language reorganization after pediatric stroke” at 4:00 p.m. in the Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies (PAIS) building. As we entered the room, we noticed that the audience was composed of many adults, most of whom were faculty in the Psychology Department. Hannah and I even saw our psychology professor and his TAs. The audience was also very dressed up, showing off their fedoras, blazers, and dresses, which made us feel out of place as we looked like we had just finished our day at the gym. As a graduate student introduced Elissa L. Newport, the presenter for the lecture, it quickly became clear to us that Dr. Newport is very well known in the realm of psychology. She began her lecture by stating that she was about to present newly discovered information, which sparked excitement from the crowd. Dr. Newport was also very modest, frequently mentioning her esteemed collaborators from Georgetown University and John Hopkins University.

Dr. Newport framed her lecture by introducing the research questions that she and her colleagues explored during their study: “Is everything endlessly plastic? (Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize and change). How could this be true?” Their questions provided the audience with a map for Dr. Newport’s lecture. Upon presenting these questions, she gave a disclaimer – “I’m of course not going to answer them, but we’re going to try.” This playful comment added some charm to the lecture and engaged the crowd members, who were responsive to her jokes throughout.

To answer these questions, Newport tested children with perineal strokes, strokes that occurred anytime from the 28 days preceding birth to the 28 days following. These subjects all had left hemisphere strokes, impacting the brain area that is dedicated to understanding and producing language. To determine how the strokes affected the subjects’ language abilities, if at all, Dr. Newport performed several tests on them. The first was the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WAIS) test, which evaluates intelligence on multiple scales. Rewardingly, I had learned about the WAIS in psychology, and was proud of my familiarity with the terminology. Dr. Newport also gave her subjects an Auditory Description Decision Task (ADDT), in which they had to listen to a sentence, such as “a big, gray animal is an elephant,” and press a button if the sentence is correct. She then compared each subject’s results to his or her sibling’s to determine if the stroke impacted their abilities.

Dr. Newport concluded that when children have left hemisphere strokes, damaging their brain networks for language, the brain reactivates language networks in the right hemisphere. She used brain images to demonstrate that following the stroke, areas in the right hemisphere were activated during language tasks. As the pictures flashed on the screen, Dr. Newport remarked, “I’m assuming that most people in the audience aren’t used to looking at brain imaging,” and preceded to explain their meaning and significance in regards to her research.

Finally, she presented two explanations for how this reorganization occurs. The first and more popular opinion, “Reorganization of Function,” holds that healthy areas of the brain can take over the functions of injured areas. Dr. Newport presented her contrasting thesis called “The Developmental Origins Hypothesis.” In her thesis, Newport asserts that language is more bilateral in children than in adults because children astonishingly utilize both hemispheres of the brain. Therefore, if a child injures one hemisphere, the other undamaged hemisphere is prepared to compensate for any lost abilities.

While the room was intrigued and excited by Newport’s lecture, her presentation was clearly catered to an audience full of other experts in the neurological field. She made jokes for “all of the radiologists in the room,” and as she used complex terms, the crowd rhythmically nodded their heads while we innocently consulted Google. Despite our confusion, the audience’s expert knowledge was inspirational. The room was clearly full of experts in the psychology field, and it was motivational to see that these established individuals were so passionate that they committed their Monday afternoon to learning about new psychological discoveries.

At the end of her lecture, Dr. Newport said “Feel free to ask me questions,” consistent with her accessible demeanor. The passion-filled audience took her up on her offer. Inclined to learn more about the subject, nearly all audience members, uncharacteristic of Emory, remained glued to their chairs during question time.

Unfortunately, lectures that require prior knowledge can be daunting and unappealing to freshman. Although we may not have understood everything in Dr. Newport’s lecture, we found the experience worthwhile. Dr. Newport’s presentation not only taught us groundbreaking brain research but also gave us a true experience of learning for learning’s sake. Emory should advertise these lectures in a way that encourages undergraduate attendance, particularly freshman. Because we know that Emory is busy fixing its wifi (we hope), we took advertising lectures into our own hands.

Attention Freshman

 

“Elissa L. Newport.” Association for Psychological Science, www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/observer/25at25/elissa-l-newport.html.

“Elissa Newport, Ph.D.” Center for Brain Plasticity and Recovery | Georgetown University, cbpr.georgetown.edu/faculty/elissa_newport.

“Human Brain Pictures, Images and Stock Photos.” Human Brain Pictures, Images and Stock Photos – iStock. Accessed October 18, 2017. http://www.istockphoto.com/photos/human-brain?excludenudity=true&mediatype=photography&page=2&phrase=human brain&sort=mostpopular.

“Rationally Speaking | Official Podcast of New York City Skeptics – Current Episodes – RS 149 – Susan Gelman on “How essentialism shapes our thinking”.” Rationally Speaking Podcast, rationallyspeakingpodcast.org/show/rs-149-susan-gelman-on-how-essentialism-shapes-our-thinking.html.

“Emory Infant and Child Lab.” Philippe Rochat, www.psychology.emory.edu/cognition/rochat/lab/Rochat.html.

“Arnon Lotem.” Https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Arnon_Lotem.

TW: Domestic Abuse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Phenomenal Women of the Omicron Xi Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority hosted an event called “Break the Silence!” This past Sunday, October 15, in the Center for Women located in Cox Hall, my roommate and I participated in an open forum revolving around interpartner violence and its effect on and relevance to women of color.

This discussion was a very open and honest one. Jamechya Duncan from Emory’s Respect program, Emory’s central hub for interpersonal violence prevention and survivor resiliency, was the main facilitator. She shared her personal experience with domestic abuse and the struggle that she experienced when she tried to escape the situation. She emphasized the mental and emotional trauma that remains with victims when they are finally able to escape a violent situation. She advocated for the presence of supportive friends through every stage, and shared very personal aspects of her experience with domestic abuse. There was an opportunity to ask questions towards the end and the event ended up lasting an hour longer than anticipated due to the conversational aspect that the forum took on.

If you find yourself in a situation involving domestic/intimate partner violence, there are many outlets for support and assistance on Emory’s campus, in the Atlanta community, and nationally.

For some time, I’ve been dreading the Lecture Spotlight section. Most of the time the lectures seem kind of boring or confusing and they just don’t appeal to me. However, this changed when I decided to attend a lecture on James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man. For once, I thought that the title of the lecture was interesting and felt like the subject would be interesting as well since I’m planning on studying African-American Studies, so this had to be a win-win right? No, I was dead wrong. In fact, I was so wrong that it made me question why is there a lecture spotlight section when obviously Emory’s lectures aren’t for freshman nor are an exciting part of the freshman experience. I’ll get to that later though.

Before diving into the flaws of the lecture, it’s important to give a little background. This lecture was held by the James Weldon Johnson Institute (JWJI) here at Emory. JWJI was founded in 2007 and is the first institute at Emory established to honor the achievements of an African-American. The mission of JWJI is to “support research, teaching, and public dialogue that examine race and intersecting dimensions of human difference including, but not limited to class, gender, religion, and sexuality.” Every Monday during the Fall 2017 semester, JWJI hosts a Race & Difference Colloquium Series at 12pm in the Jones Room of Woodruff Library.  The particular talk I attended was hosted by Noelle Morrisette who is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Morrisette’s introduction made me excited because it is “rare to have JWJI talks regarding James Weldon Johnson because not many scholars study him,” so I thought I would be in for a fascinating and highly coveted lecture…and then the lecture actually started. Essentially, Morrisette’s lecture could be split into 7 sections: the background of James Weldon Johnson, a paraphrasing of The Autobiography of An Ex-Colored Man, the contextual impact and interpretation of the book, more information about Johnson’s other works and history, contemporary use of Johnson’s ideas, modern interpretations of the book, and finally and question and answer session. The lecture itself seemed to go over well with the majority of the audience which was filled with faculty, staff, and other adults. During the Q&A session, a few people were really engaged with the lecture and had a few burning questions. I don’t remember the exact questions, but somehow the topic of Donald Trump and Puerto Rico was brought up.

However, I think it’s important to emphasize that the lecture was well received by the adults in the audience. There were very few people in my age range or below and those that were there seemed to be very distracted and disengaged. I genuinely found the topic and points that Morrisette raised very interesting, but towards the end of the lecture, I was using every ounce of will in my body to stay off Snapchat. I think that this is a testament of most lectures here at Emory are not “freshman-friendly” in a sense that we are not the target audience and lectures aren’t set up in a way to engage us. I set-up this blog post purposefully to present this. Throughout this blog, I had two pictures which represent the two different slides that Morisette had in her presentation. This blog was very few, if any, relevant pictures, with a lot of text. Similarly, Morisette’s lecture was very few, if any, relevant pictures with a lot of text read aloud. This lack of visual multimedia would turn away many freshmen because of the era in which we live. In the age of social media, young people are becoming somewhat dependent on visual and tactile stimulation. Whether it be scrolling through your Instagram feed or tapping through a Snapchat stories, we’re more engaged when we can see and do something. I would have liked this lecture much better if it wasn’t just talking, and this is coming from someone who listens/watches TedTalks in their spare time. This is not to say that Morisette’s presentation was bad, it definitely wasn’t, this is just to show the importance of having a multimodal presentation when dealing with a specific audience. Morisette had some really engaging asides and incorporated some humor into her lecture, but having some sort of visual aid could have made the lecture go from decent to great.

The Oxford Road Building’s lecture room filled up. Interested people, as well as students fulfilling a class attendance requirement found their seats. The doors closed and the speaker, Dr. Brennan, started to introduce herself and the topic: The Milgram Experiment. Just as she proceeded to the second slide of her Powerpoint presentation, it happened. A loud cough, followed by some sniffles came from the back of the lecture room. A couple of heads turned, and saw an uninterested freshman who was busy typing away on his computer. If only they had known then how the rest of the lecture would go, then they would have tried to move as close to the front of the room as possible. For a full 45 minutes, the audience was subjected to Sandro’s coughs, sneezes, computer noises and more. It is truly amazing that he didn’t get thrown out.

This presentation on the Milgram Experiment was a part of the Williams Memorial lecture series, a group of lectures focused on great American works of liberal arts. Students who are enrolled in Emory’s Voluntary Core program are required to attend the lectures and learn about something they might not have found out about otherwise. The lectures typically take place every second Wednesday at 4:30pm. This specific day, Sandro was swarmed with work but somehow managed to make it to the lecture. He decided to bring his computer with him in order to be as efficient as possible, despite how distracting he knew his device would be. Sandro and Josh sat at the back of the lecture room to try and not interfere with the audience, but most people sat near the back anyways because they were uninterested.

“Stanley Milgram, a psychologist at Yale University, conducted an experiment focusing on the conflict between obedience to authority and personal conscience. He examined justifications for acts of genocide offered by those accused at the World War II Nuremberg War Criminal trials. Their defense was often based on “obedience” — that they were just following orders from their superiors. That’s exactly what Milgram wanted to test in his experiment” Exclaimed Dr. Brennan, but all Sandro could think of was that his lab was due at 5:00 PM and it was already 4:58 PM. What would he do? Submit the half-finished lab or- “What’s she talking about ?” said Sandro as he turned to his partner Josh on his right, letting out half a dozen coughs before actually completing the sentence. Josh, completely disregarding Sandro’s cry for help, said that the girl sitting in front of them has turned around and shifted to the farthest point of her seat every time Sandro sneezed or coughed. Both partners laughed as Sandro tapped on her shoulder to get her attention so he could apologize to her, but instead ended up coughing up a lung.

Dr. Brennan then proceeded to explain what exactly the experiment encompassed. The procedure was that the participant was paired with another person and they drew lots to find out who would be the ‘learner’ and who would be the ‘teacher’. The draw was fixed so that the participant was always the teacher, and the learner was one of Milgram’s confederates (pretending to be a real participant). The participant was told that they were taking part in a study to test how the brain responds to a pain stimulus when learning new things. It is now 5 PM and Sandro’s chemistry lab has been submitted. Excited, he begins closing his laptop, but not before accidentally hitting the play button on his MacBook Pro™ and blasting Black Dog by Led Zeppelin for everyone to hear (28 minutes and 10 seconds into the lecture video if you want to listen to the tunes). Panicking, he slams his hands on they keyboard letting out a wild sneeze, and by some miracle one of the fingers must’ve hit the play button once more because the music stopped. “F**k”…. “God f**king damn it” said Sandro almost as loudly as his music had played.

Snapping back to the lecture Sandro noticed that Dr. Brennan had begun saying “The learner (a confederate called Mr. Wallace) was taken into a room and had electrodes attached to his arms, and the teacher and researcher went into a room next door that contained an electric shock generator and a row of switches marked from 15 volts (Slight Shock) to 450 volts (XXX). The teacher is told to administer an electric shock every time the learner makes a mistake, increasing the level of shock each time.”

The learner gave mainly wrong answers (on purpose), and for each of these, the teacher gave him an “electric shock”, to which the learner pretended was real.

When the teacher refused to administer a shock the experimenter was to give a series of orders/prods to ensure they continued.

There were 4 prods and if one was not obeyed then the experimenter (Mr. Williams) read out the next prod, and so on. 40 minutes into the lecture, Sandro couldn’t help but wonder out loud, “Am I high off cough syrup?” Looking over at Josh he whispered, “I mean.. I’ve been taking 30 milligrams of Dayquil along with 2 pills of advil, and on the bottle it doesn’t even say how much i should be taking, I just.. *cough*”

After surveying the audience about what they thought of the experiment, Dr. Brennan revealed that close to 66% of participants in the experiment blindly followed the instructions of the high-and-mighty experimenter, “shocking” the learner all the way up to 450 volts (XXX). The experiment found that a scary amount of people were absolutely obedient to someone who was in a position of power. Dr. Brennan also provided come statistics for when they varied the conditions of the experiment. For instance, when the teacher had touch proximity to the leaner they found that the number of people who followed until the highest “shock” decreased by a significant amount. The lecture then transitioned into a question and answer segment, where the few people who paid full attention were excited to ask about experiment details and ethics.

With this final thought as well as Josh’s quirky “You won’t leave the lecture, you won’t” Sandro got up as the 3rd person had finished asking his question and started heading towards the door. After climbing over 4 people who were sitting in his row, he made it to the door. He gave out the signature cough, sneeze, sniffle, and blow before looking back at Josh and then exiting the lecture room.

As he met up with Josh outside the lecture hall, they started discussing the post, how in the world were they going to make this lecture in any way, shape or form creative to fit the in class rubric?  They talked and talked until they came to a conclusion. *cough*

By Sandro and Josh

Link to the video of the full lecture: https://www.dropbox.com/s/i1na9obgijqspu6/EW%209-27-edit.mp4?dl=0

Have you ever wondered why there are door levers and door knobs? Have you ever noticed the different types of faucet handles found in bathrooms? Though at first you may only think of these designs as products of architectural advancements, they all serve a bigger purpose in our world as they help people suffering with disabilities and injuries. Whether it’s the simple design of a ramp alongside stairs, or an indent in a curb next to a crosswalk, these architectural modifications all fall under what researchers call “The Universal Design”. As these researchers continue to discover unique ways to make our lives more efficient, some have started to wonder how we can apply this universal theory to the classroom. Though children with disabilities used to receive individual attention, more and more have been assimilating into a classroom setting forcing researchers to identify new forms of accommodation.

Jennifer Sarrett from Emory’s Center for the Study of Human Health is at the forefront of implementing the Universal Design for Learning on our campus. She crafts her syllabus and each lesson to be accessible to all students, with or without learning disabilities. After noticing a downward trend in graduate rates and post-graduation employment in autistic students, Sarrett knew she needed to make a change.

“These students aren’t being set up for success in the same ways that other students are being set up for success,” she said. “We have autistic students on campus and we want to continue to have autistic students on campus, so we need to figure out what works best for them.”

In order to increase success for students with learning disabilities, Sarrett provides accommodations in the classroom to benefit their learning capacity. She alters her lectures and presentations to suit the needs of all students, whether they be visual, auditory, or sensory. Sarrett’s efforts to better serve autistic and learning-disabled students in class are helping not only her students, but also the Emory community as a whole to become more aware and accommodating. By including all of her accommodations in her syllabus, she is telling her students that her classroom is a safe and open space. Sarrett stresses using a language of difference, not deficit, as some people are different, not worse. She is spreading a sense of respect and normalization for autistic people across campus.

When Professor Sarrett opened the audience to questions, it seemed as if every faculty member in attendance immediately raised their hand with a concerning look. These gestures of anxiety instantly made us realize that these professors and TAs were quite apprehensive and inexperienced when approaching students with disabilities. One by one they nervously asked about techniques regarding accommodations and shared episodes of frustration from their classes. With these teachers seeming to lack any knowledge in the field of autism, they desperately tried to obtain any advice they could get from Professor Sarrett. One question in particular sparked an interesting conversation in the audience. A woman questioned how these accommodations truly prepared students for the “real-world” when the working environments can often be harsh and traditional. With most of the audience nodding in agreement, Sarrett made sure to be diplomatic in her response and stressed that a lot of these accommodations are found in companies around the world. This was honestly hard to believe for many as they continued to question the applications to life after college.

Emory, as an institution, has a duty to prepare its students for the “real world”. In other words, the school is providing its students with the tools they need to be successful in their future endeavors. Though Emory tries its best to be an accommodating and tolerant school, it is easy to question how such accommodations in college can help students be prepared for careers that are not so tolerant. While Emory acts as a safe haven for social differences and disabilities, this progressiveness is not necessarily universal, making it difficult for students to adapt. With hundreds of schools around the country taking on this Universal Design of Learning, the real question is: Will different companies and career paths also adapt to these accommodations? Or will they continue to be conservative with their working style?

 

RESOURCES

MLA & SDS Access Guidelines

“Designing Collective Access: A Feminist Disability Theory of Universal Design” Disability Studies Quarterly, Aimi Hamraie

Accessible Syllabus

 

By Michael Malenfant and Kate Monger