Humanities Days activities to spotlight field’s everyday applications

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Radford University is hosting Humanities Days April 5-9 at various locations on and off campus.

The inaugural event will feature a number of diverse activities, including, to name just a few, a lecture on plants, information sessions about student research opportunities, a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) show at the Radford University Art Museum, a choreography showcase and nature hikes with humanities faculty members.

Humanities Days “celebrates the humanities and considers the ways in which the humanities intersect with our lives,” said Paul Thomas, Ph.D., the professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and event organizer.

The range of events demonstrates this notion, he said.

“We have planned events that will immerse participants in nature; will consider how seemingly inconsequential things like play raise humanities questions; will consider the racializing use of color; and examine how to think critically about extraordinary claims,” Thomas continued. “From the casual to the formal, these events are designed to promote the humanities as an important lens for analyzing the world.”

As education becomes increasingly “vocational, skills-based and STEM-informed,” Thomas noted, “it is important to remember that the humanities teach valuable lessons about how to live humane lives and use our vocations and skills in ethical ways.”

Humanities Day is sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Lab. Its mission is to engage students and faculty in addressing complex problems through research, coursework, programming, presentations and performances, Thomas said.

The Radford community is invited to visit the lab in Hemphill Hall 4018. Additional programming and curricular innovations are planned in the next academic year.

The Humanities Days schedule includes:

Through April 9: M.F.A. show at the Radford University Art Museum at 214 Tyler Ave. An opening reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on April 1.

April 5: Breakfast nibbles in the Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Lab located in Hemphill Hall 4018. Breakfast snacks will be provided.

Brown Bag Lunch, “Whither the Humanities: Where Do We Go from Here?” Interim Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies Amy Rubens, Ph.D., will lead a discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing the humanities from noon to 12:50 p.m. in Heth Hall 014.

“Understanding the Extraordinary Claims through the Lens of Ancient Aliens” with Assistant Professor of Anthropological Sciences David Anderson, Ph.D. The lecture runs from 5-5:50 p.m. in Heth Hall 014.

Board Gaming with the Humanities. Join Radford University faculty members for an evening of board games from 6-9 p.m. in Heth Hall 043.

April 6: Worldviews Student Paper Conference from noon to 8 p.m. Texas A&M Professor of Philosophy Gregory Pappas, Ph.D., leads a discussion on the theme “Hope to Think Otherwise.” Participants can view the discussion in Hemphill Hall rooms 1000, 1006 and 1016.

Student Choreography Showcase is an evening of extraordinary dance that highlights the voices of emerging choreographers enrolled in the Radford University Department of Dance’s Choreographic Studies II course. The showcase begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Albig Studio Theater in Peters Hall B112. Admission is free. The showcase will be presented at the same time and location on the following day, April 7.

April 7: Hiking with a humanities professor at Wildwood Park. Get a snapshot of Radford history while exploring the park with faculty members from 3-5 p.m.

Wicked Festival. Students will give presentations exploring society’s most complex and intractable problems at 5 p.m. in various rooms in the lower level of Heth Hall.

Apr 5, 2022
Chad Osborne
(540) 831-7761
caosborne@radford.edu