January

Rising national obesity rates have resulted in simplistic messages aimed at getting the population moving more and eating healthier, but are preventing and treating obesity really this simple? Participants will be introduced to the multifaceted etiology of rising obesity rates in adults and children during the first hour. The second hour will be dedicated to local efforts of the “I Love Me” diabetes reduction task force efforts to promote a common message–"5-2-1-0"–to combat obesity and chronic disease risk.

Jeanine Stice is a contributing columnist to the Statesman Journal, and a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her undergraduate degree at Washington State University and dietetic Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Her clinical experience has included home visiting low birthweight infants, hospital dietetics, and adult weight management work. She resides in Salem with her husband, Scott, and their three teenage boys. Her primary hobby is volunteering with Senator Jackie Winters’ and Senator Peter Courtney’s "I Love Me" diabetes reduction task force.

[Janine will be introduced by Grant Thorsett]

Our presenter is ICL member and Curriculum Co-Director, Peter Rasmussen.

"As we watch new democracies in the Muslim world struggle to find their footing, it is interesting to remind ourselves that similar struggles characterized our own early years. After the failure of our first constitution, the Federalists and their opponents vied for control of the nascent state. In Shay's Rebellion demobilized troops, unpaid for years of service, rebelled against a powerful elite. When President Washington and his Treasury Secretary needed funds to avoid defaulting on our international loans, they taxed poor frontier farmers, but gave wealthy commercial interests a pass. The result was the 'Whiskey Rebellion', the first large-scale resistance to a law of the U.S. government under the Constitution. This classic confrontation between champions of liberty and defenders of order was long considered the most significant event in the first quarter-century of the new nation." Based on University of Rochester Professor Thomas P. Slaughter's award winning 1986 book, The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution."

We continue the video lecture series by Professor John McWhorter. This is Lecture 8.

This language family is spoken throughout most of Europe, as well as eastward in Iran and India. The Slavic branch, containing Russian, has stayed closer to the ancestral language, which probably began in the southern steppes of modern Russia about 6,000 years ago. Comparing word roots and aspects of grammar in modern languages allows linguists to develop a ‘natural history’ of language evolution. This language group includes such languages as French, Italian, Swedish, Polish, Welsh, Greek, Persian and Hindi. Some, such as Albanian and Armenian, have only recently been recognized as members of the Indo-European language group. This lecture will be hosted by Trevor Jacobson.

Professor McWhorter has a B.A. in French from Rutgers University, a master's degree in American Studies from New York University and a Ph.D. in linguistics from Stanford University. Since 2008 he has taught linguistics, American Studies, and in the Core Curriculum program at Columbia University, and is currently an Associate Professor in the English and Comparative Literature department there.

Michael Markee will read from the first chapter of his novel Sunday’s Child and will show how a novel can develop in us throughout our entire lives. He will take questions and illustrate how the richness of our entire life’s experiences can create novelists of us all.

Michael Markee was a high school English teacher for twenty-nine years teaching Advanced Placement English, film study, filmmaking, video production and a high school news program. He also made documentary films for thirty years plus including three documentaries on Oregon poet laureate William Stafford, one on Oregon poet laureate Lawson Inada, a documentary on the making of Salem’s Earth Ball and a documentary on cowboy large-format photographer Jay Dusard. His last documentary was How The Ink Feels, a retrospective for the Oregon Arts Commission and Lewis & Clark College on the poetry broadside exhibit that traveled throughout the West. In addition he’s written numerous feature film screenplays including one that has been produced, and he is a member of the Screenwriters Guild of America. As noted above, he has written and published a novel, Sunday’s Child.

Professor Greenberg continues his lecture series on Baroque Opera.

Jacopo Peri’s new stile rappresentativo (recitative) was markedly more expressive of emotion than the prevailing madrigal style. Early opera was based on recitative, which moves the dramatic action forward rather than allowing the singer to reflect on the action. Claudio Monteverdi’s recitative is the most dramatically expressive and melodically interesting ever written. His opera Orfeo is a magnificent synthesis of virtually every style and technique available during his time. The operatic aria evolved in the 1660s and soon became the focal point of opera, to the eventual debasement of recitative. The aria functions as a passage of reflection, to express feelings, and as a means of character development. The aria “Dido’s Lament” from Henry Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas is one of the great examples of operatic expressivity in the Baroque era.

7,500 Miles to Redemption is a half-hour documentary about Vietnamese-born, Salem-based acoustic guitarist Tinh Mahoney and his unique connection to a group of prisoners at Oregon State Penitentiary (OSP), a maximum-security prison. Tinh is also producer of the film, which was directed by award-winning filmmaker Emiko Omor.

The story begins with an unexpected collect phone call Tinh received from OSP. The caller was Sam Sophanthavang, an inmate at OSP. He read about Tinh in The Asian Reporter and was hoping to bring Tinh for a visit with the prison’s Asian Pacific Family Club, to provide some cultural education and a small connection to the outside world.

Tinh agreed to visit with Sam, who was then president of the club, to discuss the possibility. Tinh was frank with Sam, expressing that he was skeptical about helping them out. "You’ve had every opportunity to better your life, yet you made the wrong choices. Why should I support you?" Tinh left thinking that was probably the end of it.

Soon after that visit, the men from the Asian Pacific Family Club presented Tinh with a long list of reasons why he should work with them. Moved by their thoughtfulness and persistence, Tinh couldn’t resist any longer. He began working with Sam and the new club president So Kosal about doing a workshop.

This is where the story gets even more interesting. In the course of their discussions, Tinh mentioned his pet project, the Village School Foundation (VSF), to the guys. When he learned his friend’s school in Vietnam was in danger of closing down, Tinh was inspired and founded VSF. The mission of the foundation is to raise money to help build schools in poor, rural areas in Vietnam, providing educational opportunities for underprivileged families.

The men of the Asian Pacific Family Club were so moved by the mission of VSF that they decided they weren’t just going to bring Tinh in for a cultural concert, they were going to work with Tinh to raise money for the school. And their goal was to raise money within the prison from their fellow inmates. It was an astounding vision, given that each prisoner makes $20, maybe $40 per month through limited work opportunities.

The film follows the journey of Tinh and the inmates as they navigate the bureaucracy of the prison system to make the fundraiser happen.

--from http://www.asianreporter.com/film/2008/12-08-7500.htm

This session will consist of a PowerPoint presentation detailing:

• The History of Habitat for Hmuanity
• The Mission of the Organization
• The Inner Workings of the Organization
• Habitat for Humanity's World-Wide Presence

Susan Latham was awarded a "Governor’s Award for Senior Volunteer of 2012" from Region 2. The her nomination was based on her past years' service which includes over 1,000 hours helping young adults who have aged out of the foster care system discover their family heritage. Through diligent effort and many hours of research, Susan creates extensive family trees to help these young adults understand more of who they are and continue on their journey of personal growth and healing. In addition to her volunteer genealogy research, she has served as the Regional Women’s Circle Outreach Director for her Church and served nine years on the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners. Susan is also an active project leader for Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build where she leads teams in Oregon and as well as several countries around the world. Susan started volunteering intensively after surviving cancer in 1995. She said, “After being diagnosed with a life threatening disease, and understanding that any day could be my last, I decided to show my gratitude for life each and every day by being of service to others.”

The battle for women’s voting rights in Oregon was hard-fought and hard-won, taking place in parlors, public squares and print media. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in Oregon, WU Theatre is collaborating with the English Department to present a very special theatrical performance honoring the important milestone. Performances are scheduled from February 15 through February 23rd.

Jonathan Cole is Associate Professor of Theatre at Willamette University. He has worked throughout the midwest and the northwest as a director, actor, fight choreographer and composer. He is a Society of American Fight Directors Certified Teacher and holds Advanced Actor/Combatant status with distinction. He also co-owns Revenge Arts Stage Combat, one of the largest stage combat companies in the United States. He holds a black belt in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu from the Salem Budokai, and also holds rank in Aikido and two styles of Judo. Jonathan holds a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts with emphasis in directing pedagogy and an M.S. with emphasis in acting pedagogy from the University of Oregon as well as bachelor's degrees in Theatre and Music from Dickinson State University.

A look into the creative process and work of one artist. A conversation with the audience about that process.

Monica Setziol-Phillips is a local artist, weaver and woodcarver. She has a B.A. degree in foreign languages from Portland State University. Monica who is married to Oregon Shakespeare Festival actor, Josiah Phillips, and daughter of well remembered sculptor, Le Roy Setziol, has been weaving for over 35 years and carving for over 20 years. Her work is in many private collections in many states. She also has work in public spaces, most recently three of her pieces were chosen for The Allison, the new resort in Newberg. In October, 2009, Monica finished a major work for the new Civic Hall in McMinnville, Oregon. For a number of years she has participated in the Sitka Art Invitational.

"The energy markets have been shaken by the instability of Middle East oil and the vulnerability of nuclear power. Moreover, developing countries like China are becoming bigger energy consumers, while energy producers like Russia see the opportunity to widen their influence. How do we wean ourselves from foreign oil and energy sources? Do we pursue Canada or our own domestic sources for more of our energy needs? At what cost? And how is climate change affecting our energy needs and supplies?"

In addition to our Great Decisions video ICL members Mark Kasoff, Ken Ash, Irene Konopasek, and Don Gallagher will present background topics.

Note: For an optional lecture on this Great Decisions Topic, members could refer to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuF1oingqJQ. This is a talk to the world Affairs Council of Western Michigan by Dr. James Bartis, former DOE official and currently a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Bartis has more than 25 years of experience in policy analyses and technical assessments in energy and national security. (Fast forward through the first 3:30, which is of no interest.)

Cardiovascular disease is a term used to describe numerous conditions of the heart and blood vessels. In this presentation, you will learn from a cardiologist what forms this disease can take and what systems in your body may be affected. It is important to know the signs and symptoms to look for and other risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.

[10:40 – 10:50am - Break]

Dr. Priya Kansal completed her internal medicine residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. She completed a second fellowship in advanced heart failure and transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Kansal is board certified in internal medicine, nuclear cardiology, echocardiography, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. She also has a particular interest in the field of heart disease in women.

Learn about how you can have the most optimal cardiovascular health. Although we may not have the power to change some risk factors, such as family history, gender or age, there are still key prevention steps individuals can take to having a healthy heart.

[11:30–12:00 – Questions and Answers]

This presentation will provide an historical analysis of some of the most controversial and enigmatic works painted by Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel, such as "The Garden of Earthly Delights" and "The Flemish Proverbs," examined within their original context.

Ricardo de Mambro Santos is Associate Professor of Art History at Willamette, specializing in the Italian and Northern European Renaissance. His two previous presentations to ICL were received with great enthusiasm.

He is an expert in Italian and European Renaissance and Mannerism. He has taught courses on Renaissance Art, Literature and Visual Culture, as well as classes on Methodologies of Art Criticism, for twelve years in the Department of Art History at the University of Rome. In the Department of Oriental Studies at the University of Rome he has also taught courses on the activity of European painters in India, China and Japan from the sixteenth- to the eighteenth-century. More recently, as a Visiting Professor, he taught classes on Northern Renaissance, Brazilian visual culture, and theories of art from Neoclassicism to Postmodernism at the University of Washington and Whitman College.

Opera provides some of the finest material for the appreciation of classical music; indeed, Professor Greenberg states THE finest, and who are we to argue with him! However, just listening to the music, without understanding the text and without seeing the direction, acting, sets, and costumes, is only one part of the complete enjoyment of opera. This presentation will use excerpts from video recordings of several works to illustrate the dramatic context of prayer in opera, offered under diverse circumstances and to a variety of deities. The previous presentations in this series were: 2/25/10: Part 1,"Farewell" & "Blood-Brotherhood"; 11/29/11: Part 2, "Expressions of Love" & "Descriptions of Love."

An 11 year ICL member, Derek is a retired Radiologist, most recently with Salem Radiology Consultants, and previously Professor and Head of Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Colorado. His presentations to ICL have included the European Union; Heath Care Systems; South Africa; the Battle of Britain; the Art of St. Petersburg; Various Topics on Opera; Archeology of the Peloponnese; and 29 presentations on Italian Renaissance Art.

When not watching opera, Derek is preoccupied with grandchildren; grandkitties; dreams of travel; and attempts to digest all the books selected by Anita, his in-house, personal librarian.

Can genes learn by experience?

Every cell in your body has the same set of genes, but they don’t work in every cell in the same way. For example, your tongue cells don’t grow hair and the cells in your eye don’t digest food. Your cells are programmed to modify genes based on their function in the body, and some of those modifications occur in response to the environment: genes that cause the production of pigment in your skin are activated when your skin is exposed to sunlight, and genes that caused your fingers and toes to develop before you were born are inactivated for the rest of your life.

It has been thought that only mutations in the DNA could be passed on to the next generation and that traits acquired during a parent’s life are not passed to their offspring (e.g., weight lifters don’t produce babies with big muscles). However, recent research suggests that some genetic changes that happen over a lifetime are heritable. That is, while it may be true that “you are what you eat,” it may also be true that “you are what your mother ate.”

Epigenetics is the study of genetic changes that are based on mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA and it is changing the way scientists look at disease risk and treatment. At this Science Pub, come find out about new discoveries in genetics and how they might affect you or your kids.

Lisa Sardinia, Ph.D., J.D. is an associate professor in the Department of Biology at Pacific University, with a joint appointment in the College of Optometry, and associate director of the Pacific Institute for Ethics and Social Policy. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Whitworth College, a doctorate in microbiology from Montana State University and a juris doctor degree from the University of California Hastings College of the Law. She was the recipient of a National Cancer Institute Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (1985-88) at the University of California, San Francisco. Her current research with undergraduate students focuses on monitoring stream health in the Chehalem Ridge Natural Area, a newly acquired Metro property in southwestern Washington County.

Sardinia was a co-investigator for a $257,000 grant that was awarded to the Pacific Institute for Ethics & Social Policy in 2005 by the National Institutes of Health. The two-year grant supported the development of a community-education pilot program, Faith Forum on Genetics: An ELSI Educational Intervention for Religious Communities, that addressed the ethical, legal and social implications (ELSI) of genetic technology within the context of a faith-oriented community understanding.

Sardinia has been an OMSI Science Pub presenter in Portland, Eugene, Hillsboro and Salem on stem cell biology and ethics, genetic testing, and epigenetics.