News

Faculty from Humboldt State University are hosting free lectures and workshops this summer, kicking things off Monday, June 8 with "What Good is a Land acknowledgement? Humboldt County, Native American History, and Decolonized Futures," presented by Cutcha Risling Baldy, Department of Native American Studies, and wrapping up Tuesday, July 21 with "Magical Realism & Contemporary Trends in World Cinema," presented by Michelle Cartier, Department of Film. The lecture series is open to the HSU community and the public. All lectures are presented via Zoom.

Here is the full press release from HSU News & Information:

HSU’s College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences is kicking off the 2020 summer lecture series! Faculty from Humboldt State are hosting free lectures and workshops, which are open to the HSU community and the public. Be part of the online engagement, intellectual dialogue and some of the best lectures from HSU’s best teachers.

Monday, June 8, noon - 1 p.m.

What Good is a Land acknowledgement? Humboldt County, Native American History, and Decolonized Futures
Cutcha Risling Baldy, Department of Native American Studies

Zoom https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/92103023350

Land acknowledgements are becoming standard for numerous higher education institutions. While these acknowledgements can be treated as passive nods to Indigenous histories, Indigenous scholars argue that land acknowledgements should remain active parts of how people engage in decolonization and community building. This training sets context for how to understand what makes a good land acknowledgement and how to tie it to Humboldt County history and ongoing Indigenous movements.

Thursday, June 18, 2 - 3 p.m.
20th Century Art in an Hour
Julie Alderson, Department of Art

Zoom Webinar https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/98605423369

Learn about art of the 20th century—100 years, 1 hour! The 20th century saw dramatic shifts in art—not only in how it looked and what it was made out of, but also in what it was expected to do and whose artistic production was considered worthy of value and admiration. In this lecture, Alderson will cover everything from Cubism and Dada to Conceptual Art and Postmodernism, in order to discover how modern art helped advance ideas about creativity, inclusivity, and freedom.

Monday, June 22 at 1 p.m.
Texting to Save Lives: Crisis Text Line Interactive Workshop
Maxwell Schnurer, Department of Communication

Zoom webinar https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/92203248329

How do you save lives through texting? Crisis Text Line is a 24-hour crisis line that provides direct support for people in crisis through texting. Using the essay by Alice Gregory "R U There" to better understand the service and the structural changes that are necessary to provide services through online mediums, the lecture will pivot to engage with the available data (crisistrends.org) and participants will use interactive small groups to analyze and apply large scale data.


Wednesday, July 1 4 p.m.
William James on the Truth of Religious Experiences
Benjamin Shaeffer, Department of Philosophy

Zoom webinar: https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/98472200620

Are religious experiences simply pathological delusions, or are they insights into the divine ground of all existence? Is the belief in god simply an irrational superstition, or is it as well founded as our belief in beauty or justice? How do we decide? In this lecture we'll investigate the philosopher William James' answers to these questions and how his answers relate to some contemporary research into the exciting new field of neurotheology.

Wednesday, July 8 at 1 p.m.
In the Makeup Chair - How to Create Special Effects with a Few Simple Elements
Rae Robinson, Department of Theatre Arts

Zoom webinar: https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/94055220993

An introduction to the useful elements in special effect makeup design in latex, nosewax, and other materials. If you ever wondered how they make it look so real, here's your chance to peek behind the scenes. Suitable for theatre, film, and special events like safety training. Materials used are from the Ben Nye Creme Makeup Kit.


Monday, July 13, 10 - 11 a.m.
Cannabis & Environmental Justice in Humboldt County
Kaitlin Reed, Department of Native American Studies

Zoom webinar: https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/99221624548

This lecture will discuss the ecological impacts of cannabis cultivation on tribal nations in Humboldt County. This event will also facilitate discussion on the relationship between settler colonialism and environmental justice for Native Americans in Humboldt County.


Tuesday, July 21 at 1 p.m.
Magical Realism & Contemporary Trends in World Cinema
Michelle Cartier, Department of Film

Zoom webinar https://humboldtstate.zoom.us/s/96131713626

This lecture and curated discussion will examine the emphasis of “the fantastic” and “the magical real” through the lens of world cinema that pivots this narrative strategy as an”aesthetics of liberation” to tell stories that couldn't otherwise be told. Magical realism in film acts as a backdrop to free up stories and characters to a uniquely crafted “social imaginary” that, further, tends to disarm the viewer and inspire opportunities for them to think ideas and concepts that are not usually thought of together. Participants will connect how such world cinema storytelling devices are maneuvering to disrupt and delight us out of certain “canonic norms'”while shifting the conventional narrative frameworks of cinema towards a richer space and deeper exchange of social justice and human values.