5 minute read
Culture & the Sciences
Cybelle Shattuck, Wed. 2/1 and 2/8, 1 to 3 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1087
Environmental Justice (EJ) has become central to current discussions about Covid-19, community development, and responses to the climate crisis. EJ recognizes that there are widespread inequities in exposure to environmental harms, such as pollution and access to environmental benefits like clean air and water. This course will explore the history of the U.S. Environmental Justice Movement, including its origins in protests of waste facility siting through decades of coalition-building among grassroots groups concerned about contamination of air and water, access to nutritious food and safe housing, and the need for attention to justice as societies respond to climate change. Using stories of specific cases, we’ll learn how EJ advocates have become leaders in community efforts to ensure that all people are able to live, work, learn, and play in safe and healthy environments.
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Internet of Things (IoT)
Charlie Olszewski, Tues. 2/7, 2 to 4 p.m. EST, online via Webex
What is it? Is Alexa part of it? Do I want it? Should I want it? Should I be concerned about it? This course will explain what the Internet of Things (IoT) is and how pervasive it already is in our lives, as well as issues regarding its growth and security concerns. Topics include a definition of IoT, examples of IoT in the home and everyday life, enough technical information so that you will know when a device or “connection” is part of the IoT infrastructure, and information about security and privacy issues with IoT. Steve Grieve, Tues. 2/7 and 2/14, 9 to 11 a.m., The Fountains at Bronson Place, Auditorium Battery Electric vehicles (BEV) are becoming common on Michigan roadways and the numbers are growing quickly. This course will help you learn if a BEV is the right car for you. We will briefly explore the differences between hybrids and BEVs, then focus on full-battery electric vehicles. The class will help you make the right decisions regarding the possible purchase of an electric vehicle. We will look at your intended use of the car and then explore if existing vehicles and charging infrastructure will support your needs.
Justice, Equity, and the Human Experience
Dr. Dini Metro-Roland, Mr. Dale Brown, Thur 2/16, 2/23, 3/2, 3/16, 3/23, 6 to 8 p.m., The Kalamazoo Promise
Grounded in the humanities, this course will explore contemporary social issues through the lens of intersectionality, dealing briefly with major themes such as race, class, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity, mass incarceration, and higher education. We will ask questions of these topics—for example, What is race? What is cultural appropriation? What is the point of higher education?—and see what questions they ask of us. Participants of all academic skill levels are welcome. Readings and assignments will be responsive to students’ interest and tiered depending on students’ requested level of engagement.
Self Driving Cars: The Future of Transportation?
Farhang Motallebiaraghi, Thur. 3/2, 3/9 and 3/16, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1284 Whom would you trust more: a car that drives itself or a person behind the wheel? Through this interactive course, you will learn about the fundamentals of self-driving cars, why self-driving cars are a necessity, and how exactly selfdriving cars work. In addition, you will learn about the future effects of self-driving cars on the environment and society. We will wrap up by taking a ride in a pilot-version of a real self-driving car!
Migrating Children in Alan Gratz’s Refugee
Hana Saaed, Thur. 3/2 and Tues. 3/14 and 3/21, 10:30 a.m. to noon, College of Health and Human Services, Room #1057 Explore the challenges that refugees experience in Alan Gratz’s celebrated novel Refugee. Three families from different backgrounds and eras put their lives and those of their children in danger to escape hunger, wars, and oppression. Please consider joining this course if you are interested in learning what struggles refugees go through before their boats make it to safety. Please read the required text, Refugee by Alan Gratz (2017), prior to class. It is available in multiple formats at Waldo Library, the Kalamazoo Public Library, and Portage Public Library.
Karika Parker, Thur. 4/6 and Fri. 4/7, 3:00pm to 5:30 p.m. The Reading Center at Goodwill Place Matters! The EDucation IS ON (Edison) Project in the Edison neighborhood represents a vibrant educational community. In this neighborhood, people matter, as citizens work, live, play, eat and socialize together. Through facilitated dialogue, participants will learn about the history, educational opportunities, and demographic trends of the Edison neighborhood. Using a photographic history, sessions will illuminate racism, cultural (in) sensitivity, and structural inequities from the 1890s to present day as we explore the naming of the neighborhood and certain streets, the establishment of a corset company, the paper industry, a horse racetrack, the land and housing development of Charles Hays and others.
Western Economic Theories from Colbert to Keynes
James Wright, Thur. 4/13, 4/20 and 4/27, 9 to 11 a.m., College of Health and Human Services, Room #1093
The first economic theory was advanced by Louis XIV’s finance minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert. The second theory was Adam Smith’s reaction to Colbert’s Mercantilism in his theory of the Free Market. Utopian Socialists reacted to Smith and Karl Marx responded to the Socialists. Keynes proposed to save market capitalism by preventing another depression and regulating markets to ensure prosperity. This course proposes to lay out the theories only, not to compare the success or failure of socialism or capitalism.
A Guided Tour of “Wonder Media:” A Musuem Exhibit About Media and News Literacy
Sue Ellen Christian, Fri. 4/21, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., KVCC Museum
Tour the “Wonder Media: Ask the Questions!” exhibition at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum with the creator and guest curator. This is a half-day course that is a guided visit to the museum with a discussion afterward.
