Various groups on
campus will organize events during the quarter which are related to our course
or to the study of religion in our world. You are encouraged to attend, both as
a citizen of the University and as a student of religious studies this term.
You will receive extra credit if, in addition to attending the event, you
analyze and reflect on it in a 2-3 page paper. Introduce the speaker, date, and
title of the event in the first paragraph. In the body of your paper, explore
the speaker's career more fully (use links below) and summarize and analyze the
presentation. To do this successfully, break out paragraphs that address the following
questions:
What has the speaker published,
and/or with what organizations is the the speaker affiliated?
What were the
central points of the presentation?
Offer your evaluation of the speaker and his/her ideas.
In
what ways do the speaker's points relate to our course?
In the
final paragraph of your paper, evaluate the speaker's presentation. What did you
appreciate most? What did you learn? Was there anything that was problematic about
the presentation, or any points you would argue with? Why?
This paper
should follow the formatting directions for a short assignment available at Style
Sheet. The paper must be submitted within a week of the event. Each paper
earns at most 2 points, so students often attend two events and do two papers
in order to earn the full 3 points of extra credit available during the quarter.
These points are only applicable to the grade at the end of the quarter if all
required assignments have been submitted.
The following events are eligible
for extra credit in this class. The list will be updated weekly, so check back
in regularly. If you learn of any events that might be appropriate for extra credit,
propose them to the professor beforehand for approval.
Date & Time
Event
October 2
Wednesday
7:00 p.m.
Departera, the Midwife of Death
Music Recital Hall Subtitled "LatinX Theater Taps Community Storytelling and Music to Confront Mortality," this groundbreaking musical supports the dying with traditional community resources. What does it mean to die well in contemporary America? To what extent are the challenges of humane dying universal, and to what extent do unique communities—in particular, LatinX communities—face unique challenges? How can the social, ritual, and storytelling traditions of communities be reimagined to support the dying and the grieving? Performed by the acclaimed LatinX theater company Teatro Vision, this event is co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and the Department of Theatre and Dance. RSVP here. #departerascu
October 8
Tuesday
6:00 pm
Graffiti and Hashtag Activism in Mexico: Visibilizing Gender Violences, Dr. Amanda L. Petersen
Daly Science 206 Dr. Petersen is Professor of Spanish and Director of the Spanish Section at the University of San Diego, affiliated faculty of the Latin American Studies and Women adn Gender Studies Program. In tonight's talk she will analyze recent public protests and social media discourse against gender violence in Mexico. The #MeToo movement in the US has been widely recognized as a moment of change in attitudes surrounding gender violence, but rarely has #MeToo been contextualized with long-standing feminist social movements in Mexico and Latin America. Petersen will focus on graffiti in Mexico City and hashtag campaigns that were precursors to #MeTooMexico. Part of the Latin American Speaker Series presented by the Latin American Studies minor program, with co-sponsorship from the Office of Multicultural Learning, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Departments of Modern Languages and Literatures, Communication, English, and Women's and Gender Studies.
October 17
Thursday
5:30 pm
Religion, Gender & Sexuality: History, Belief & Practice
Kenna 323 (RS Lobby) This fall quarter Religious Studies conversation is a casual discussion for anyone interested in teh topic or hungry for free pizza. Leading the conversation will be Professors Pearl Barros (feminist and Latinx theology) and Michelle Mueller (Mormon polyamory, Wiccan traditions). Sponsored by the Religious Studies Department.
October 22
Tuesday
7:00 pm
A Journey of Faith and Ministry from the African Bush to the Bars and Brothels of the City, Edwina Gateley
Music Recital Hall Born in Lancaster, England, Edwina Gateley earned a Teacher’s Degree from her home country, a Master’s in Theology from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, and certification as an HIV counselor in Illinois. Numerous groups and individuals, including the Mayor of Chicago, the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, and Bill Clinton, former President of the United States, have publicly commended Edwina’s work and ministry. Edwina has also been featured on CBS’s “60 Minutes” and “48 Hours.” Please register for the event in advance here, choosing the Music Recital Hall as the venue.
October 23
Wednesday
5:00 pm
American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology, Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka
Adobe Lodge Pasulka is a Professor of Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Her research focuses on religion and technology, including supernatural belief and its connections ot digital technologies and environments. She is the author of American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion and Technology (Oxford University Press, 2019), and Heaven Can Wait: Purgatory in Catholic Devotional and Popular Culture (Oxford University Press, 2014). She has also co-edited two books: Believing in Bits: New Media and the Supernatural (co-edited with Simone Natalie, Oxford University Press, 2019), and Post-Humanism: The Future of Homo Sapiens (co-edited with Michael Bess; Palgrave Macmillan Reference, forthcoming). This event is sponsored by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. Space is limited, so please rsvp here.
October 29
Tuesday
Noon-1:00 p.m.
How the Light Gets In: Healing Addiction and Pain Near the End of Life
St. Clare Room, Harrington Learning Commons For much of our lives, escaping from pain via addiction can keep us from living meaningful lives. But what about life’s end, when pain can be a barrier to a meaningful death? Our guide for this event is best-selling author Katy Butler (Knocking on Heaven’s Door and The Art of Dying Well); she has won numerous awards for her memoirs and science journalism. Co-sponsored by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics and the SCU Library in association with the DeNardo Lectureship in the Health Sciences. RSVP here.
November 5
Tuesday
5:00 pm
Breaking the Chains of Modern Slavery: From Human Trafficking to Economic Empowerment, Smarita Sengupta
Lucas 106 Sengupta is founder and director of Destiny Reflection, a Kolkata-based social enterprise that rehabilitates survivors of human trafficking. Sponsored by SCU Global Fellows Program, STOP-HT, and the Religious Studies Department.
November 12
Tuesday
11:45 am–1:00 pm
Being Catholic in a Time of Scandal: A Community Discussion, Maggi Van Dorn
California Mission Room
Van Dorn is an SCU alumna (Religious Studies '08) who went on to earn an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School and is now a content manager for SiriusXM radio in New York City. She is also the host of the podcast Deliver Us sponsored by the Jesuits' America magazine.
She will lead a discussion for those struggling with feelings of betrayal, disappointment, and uncertainty around what to do now as a result of the sexual abuse crisis among Catholic clergy and its cover-up by many bishops. This event is sponsored by the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education. Space is limited and lunch will be served, so please rsvp here.
