IN PERSON: Symposia returns with in-person presentations by people in our community who are making a positive impact. Each week, a different speaker will offer you valuable new insights into an important subject that may not have caught your attention otherwise. The opportunity to pose questions to these experts is a key feature of Symposia. | Lecture + Q&A.
Max enrollment: 125.
Location: Croasdaile Fassett Auditorium, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Parkway, Durham NC 27705
Guest Speakers:
Sept 15. How To Read a Poem. Anna Lewis.
The poet Paul Celan famously described a poem as a "message in a bottle," and yet good poems often ask more questions than they answer. In this session, Lewis will help us open the bottle together through careful, sustained analysis of a short poem to discover the layers of meaning and questions that make poems an essential source of wisdom and delight. A working poet, she holds degrees in literature from Rutgers University, the Sorbonne, and Yale University, and is the author of a poetry collection, "Memory’s Abacus." She is also a financial adviser at Edward Jones in Durham.
Sept 22. Authenticity: Fakes and Misconceptions in Art. Perry Hurt.
Fakes and forgeries fascinate us, but what are we really talking about? Outright forgeries do exist, but misconceptions about art, mistakes, and mysteries are much more common. Hurt will give a wide-ranging presentation about authentic artwork, fakery, and the large gray area in between. You will see some familiar artworks as well as many examples from the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Sept 29. Philanthropy: Compassion in the Triangle. Deirdre Gordon, Sarah Guidi.
North Carolina’s Research Triangle region is consistently recognized as a highly desirable place to live. Even so, many here face challenges accessing resources and opportunities to thrive. Triangle Community Foundation is one channel for philanthropy. Gordon, vice president for philanthropic engagement at TCF, and Guidi, director of community engagement, will explore how people who care deeply about our community can guide their giving to causes that make a positive difference to people who live and work in our area.
Oct 6. "A Road Out": Film Screening and Q&A. Karin Shapiro.
This documentary uncovers the surprising influence of apartheid South Africa on public health reform in the American South. Following a group of progressive South African physicians who left their homeland after the rise of apartheid, the film traces how their experiences helped shape community health centers in the U.S. Shapiro, the film's director, producer, writer, and editor, shares an overlooked chapter in the intertwined histories of South Africa and the U.S.
Oct 13. Emerging Trends in End-of-Life Care: Natural Burial, Aquamation, and Consumer Rights. Hunter Beattie.
End-of-life care is changing as families seek options that align with their values and other concerns. Beattie, owner of Endswell, a modern, environmentally friendly funeral home, explores the resurgence of natural burial, the rise of aquamation (alkaline hydrolysis), and other approaches reshaping funeral care today. He will highlight the environmental and cultural drivers behind these changes, the science and practice of sustainable disposition methods, and how funeral professionals are adapting to meet evolving expectations.
Oct 20. Nuclear Fusion Power. Brand Fortner.
Unlimited fuel. No greenhouse gases. Enough energy to power civilization for millions of years. There's only one catch: We have to build a star on Earth. In his talk, Fortner, a physics professor at NC State University, explores the science and engineering behind and the recent breakthroughs in nuclear fusion, the most ambitious energy project in human history.
Oct 27. Durham’s Housing Crisis: History & Challenges. Robert Korstad.
Durham is a midsized Southern city on the rise. But many are not benefiting from Durham’s renaissance, especially in housing. Gentrification is rapidly displacing historic working-class communities. Durham County has the highest eviction rate in the state, and wages are not keeping up with rising housing costs. By nearly every measure, housing inequality exists and is deepening. Korstad, professor emeritus of the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy, will discuss challenges facing Durham’s less fortunate citizens and possible solutions.
Nov 3. Life as a 911 First Responder. Stephanie Di Julio.
The 911 emergency call service is a lifesaving asset to people in dire need. Those who take the calls, decipher the panicked messages, and direct the information to the appropriate resources are unique. Di Julio will describe the intense training necessary to competently record, triage, and dispatch responses to emergency calls. In her second career as a 911 call operator, she was elected Call-Taker of the Year by her colleagues and Employee of the Year for Wake County.
Nov 10. Harnessing AI for Things You Actually Need. David Stein.
Artificial intelligence went from a science-fiction premise to the technology that polishes your writing, plans your trips, digs up resources, and quietly runs half your phone, all in a few years. Stein, senior education technology specialist at Duke Community Affairs, helps people of all ages get comfortable with these tools. He's especially taken with one thing AI does beautifully: help people capture their stories and memories and pass them along to their friends, children, and grandchildren. Stein humanizes AI and makes it fun.
Nov 17. TBD
