03 / 7
Start: 2:30 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Bucky Halker During the 1930s, the Depression and the Dustbowl ravaged America's economy and left millions of Americans unemployed and homeless. Even those who didn't lose their jobs or farms often experienced the hardship of reduced incomes. Not surprisingly, music became an important method for expressing dissatisfaction with the status quo. Indeed, protest songs emerged as the collective voice of this army of migrants and downtrodden and the era produced a great outpouring of protest songwriting, including the songs of Woody Guthrie. Join Bucky Halker for a program that combines performance and commentary, as he reviews working-class protest songs from the Dustbowl and Great Depression. Start: 7:00 pm
 Dr. Debra A. Reid, Associate Professor of History from Eastern Illinois University, will be the guest speaker for the opening of Between Fences in Princeton.
Dr. Reid, one of the State Scholars for this Museum on Main Street project, will discuss Illinois' history of fencing and land use, and will discuss these implications and ramifications for Princeton and the surrounding region. Between Fences Exhibit: We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods. They are decorative structures that are as much part of the landscape as trees and flowers. Industry and agriculture without fences would be difficult to imagine. Private ownership of land would be an abstract concept. But fences are more than functional objects. They are powerful symbols. The way we define ourselves as individuals and as a nation becomes concrete in how we build fences. | ||
03 / 8
Start: 2:00 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Lee Murdock Weaving music with stories, Lee Murdock presents a compelling story of Irish immigrants in Illinois. As they came to America to build their new lives in a foreign land, they were also essential hands in building the canals, railroads, and towns that became Illinois and America. Both traditional ballads and modern historical songs are featured in this illuminating presentation. Since 1979, Lee Murdock has been a full time touring historian, scholar, and musician. He has released 16 CDs and performs between 125 -200 shows a year. His interests include Great Lakes maritime history, regional history of Illinois and the Midwest, and traditional music of America, Canada, and the British Isles | ||
03 / 9
Start: 10:00 am
End: 9:00 pm
 We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods.Start: 12:00 pm
Neighborhood Relations VISTA AmeriCorps volunteers will discuss 'Wife of His Youth' by Charles Chesnutt The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a reading and discussion program for Americorps volunteers featuring discussions that use short philosophical and literary texts on the nature of justice, service, and related themes. Meaning of Service presents participants with the opportunity to examine, refine, and regenerate the beliefs underlying their work. Start: 7:00 pm
End: 8:30 pm
Singer contends that we need to change our views of what is involved in living an ethical life. To help us play our part in bringing about that change, he offers a seven-point plan that mixes personal philanthropy (figuring how much to give and how best to give it), local activism (spreading the word in your community), and political awareness (contacting your representatives to ensure that your nation's foreign aid is really directed to the world's poorest people). Join us as Peter Singer, one of the world's leading environmental philosophers and public intellectuals and the intellectual godfather of the Animal Liberation movement, speaks about his philosophical views. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please call 773-834-3929. Start: 7:30 pm
End: 8:30 pm
 On the Internet people can write almost anything-and write it anonymously. And with anonymity comes a proliferation of snark, says David Denby, author of the new book, "Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation" (Simon & Schuster, $15.95).
Snark is the biting, clever put down, the cheap shot, the hateful, snide, condescending, bullying ridicule that Denby says is rampant online, especially on blogs, which allow people to post insults and abusive speech that would hardly be acceptable in polite social settings. And snark isn't a recent invention. Denby traces it to the 8th century B.C. In ancient Greece, men, especially, entertained each other with their "abusive mouths." In his book, Denby writes, "In the wake of the Internet revolution, snark as a style has outgrown its original limited function. The Internet has allowed it to metastasize as a pop writing form: A snarky insult, embedded in a story or a post, quickly gets traffic; it gets linked to other blogs; and soon it has spread like a sneezy cold through the vast kindergarten of the Web." | ||
03 / 10
Start: 10:00 am
End: 6:00 pm
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods.Start: 6:00 pm
End: 8:00 pm
***This is a year-long course beginning in September, open only to selected applicants. Applications for next year's class will be available on this website beginning in June 2009.*** The Odyssey Project is a college-level course in philosophy, literature, art history, and history for men and women living below 150% of the poverty level. Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit. Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University. Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Start: 7:00 pm
A Road Scholar Program by William R. Iseminger The remains of the most sophisticated prehistoric native civilization north of Mexico are preserved in Illinois, just 8 miles from modern-day St. Louis. This slide presentation features an overview of the Native American cultures leading up to the time of Cahokia, then a specific discussion of Cahokia's culture and primary features, such as Monks Mound, Mound 72, the Stockade Wall, and Woodhenge. The presentation will also cover the site's current facilities, exhibits and programs, and will include views of mounds, excavations, reconstructions, artifacts, maps, and artists' renderings of Cahokia Mounds. | ||
03 / 11
Start: 12:30 pm
End: 1:30 pm
On the Internet people can write almost anything-and write it anonymously. And with anonymity comes a proliferation of snark, says David Denby, author of the new book, "Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation" (Simon & Schuster, $15.95).
Snark is the biting, clever put down, the cheap shot, the hateful, snide, condescending, bullying ridicule that Denby says is rampant online, especially on blogs, which allow people to post insults and abusive speech that would hardly be acceptable in polite social settings. And snark isn't a recent invention. Denby traces it to the 8th century B.C. In ancient Greece, men, especially, entertained each other with their "abusive mouths." In his book, Denby writes, "In the wake of the Internet revolution, snark as a style has outgrown its original limited function. The Internet has allowed it to metastasize as a pop writing form: A snarky insult, embedded in a story or a post, quickly gets traffic; it gets linked to other blogs; and soon it has spread like a sneezy cold through the vast kindergarten of the Web." Start: 6:00 pm
End: 8:00 pm
A special workshop that will focus on how we, as individuals and as a society, choose to represent our histories. Ryan Hollon will lead the workshop, using A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, as well as text, images, storytelling, and dialogue to show how the histories we were taught in grade school don't always reflect our own stories. Ryan will then help us reflect on the ways we can seek out and pass on our own histories. Special note: Open to all NWA writers; participants will receive a copy of Howard Zinn's book A People's History of the United States and public transit cards. Start: 7:00 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Jeffrey A. Bockman This program encourages everyone to record and save his or her family's history and stories. Jeff Bockman explains how to use basic forms to record family data, as well as basics for identifying people in photographs, basic preservation, and how to record unique family stories. He discusses personal examples from his family, including ways to handle difficult situations like a parent leaving the family or learning of a disabling disease. Jeffrey A. Bockman holds an MBA from Illinois Benedictine College in Business and Organization Development. He has been giving genealogy lectures and teaching classes for the past 13 years. He is a contributing editor for the Everton's Genealogical Helper and the author of the book Give Your Family A Gift That Money Can't Buy/Record & Preserve Your Family's History. He is the current and a past 4-term president of the DuPage County (IL) Genealogical Society. Start: 7:00 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Beatriz Badikian-Gartler
| ||
03 / 12
Start: 8:30 am
PCC Westside AmeriCorps volunteers will discuss 'A Bed for the Night' by Bertolt Brecht
The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a reading and discussion program for Americorps volunteers featuring discussions that use short philosophical and literary texts on the nature of justice, service, and related themes. Meaning of Service presents participants with the opportunity to examine, refine, and regenerate the beliefs underlying their work. Start: 10:00 am
A Road Scholar Program by Beth Johnson Daniel H. Burnham was a gifted planner and architect who left a significant mark upon Chicago as creator of the 1909 Plan of Chicago. This year will mark the centennial year of the publication of his plan. Burnham was master planner for the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, where he coordinated the efforts of architects from across the country to turn the dream of the White City into a reality in record time. This presentation will explore Burnham's Plan of Chicago, his plan for the World's Fair, and his architectural achievements in the City of Chicago. Start: 6:00 pm
End: 8:00 pm
***This is a year-long course beginning in September, open only to selected applicants. Applications for next year's class will be available on this website beginning in June 2009.*** The Odyssey Project is a college-level course in philosophy, literature, art history, and history for men and women living below 150% of the poverty level. Its anchor program is the first-year course, which is offered in partnership with Bard College and for which students may receive six units of college credit. Faculty members are largely from first-rate universities such as University of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute, and DePaul University. Tuition is free, and the Illinois Humanities Council provides free childcare, free books, and transportation. The six units of credit are fully transferable to other colleges and universities.
This course meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Start: 6:30 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Elizabeth Carlson This was originally presented as a series of four weekly classes but can be produced as a single session. Elizabeth Carlson has researched cooking techniques, period appropriate ingredients, and recipes for four eras in American Homemaking history. She will present each session in costume. Recipes and ingredients reflect the time period, season of the year, and economic climate of the time. Changes in food preparation techniques, the enactment of food laws, and scientific discoveries regarding food safety are discussed. Participants make and consume the food for each session. Cookbooks are provided as take-away. Elizabeth "Ellie" Carlson is the Curator of Costumes for the Winnetka Historical Society, has a background in the theatre, and is a student of nineteenth century Domestic Arts. She holds a Masters of Historical Administration and Museum Studies from the University of Kansas, and has worked in local museums for 25 years. Ellie believes that properly costumed living history is the closest we can come to a time machine experience. Theatre and history combine to show what the past might really have looked, felt, smelled, and sounded like in Ellie's presentations. Start: 7:00 pm
End: 8:00 pm
On the Internet people can write almost anything-and write it anonymously. And with anonymity comes a proliferation of snark, says David Denby, author of the new book, "Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation" (Simon & Schuster, $15.95).
Snark is the biting, clever put down, the cheap shot, the hateful, snide, condescending, bullying ridicule that Denby says is rampant online, especially on blogs, which allow people to post insults and abusive speech that would hardly be acceptable in polite social settings. And snark isn't a recent invention. Denby traces it to the 8th century B.C. In ancient Greece, men, especially, entertained each other with their "abusive mouths." In his book, Denby writes, "In the wake of the Internet revolution, snark as a style has outgrown its original limited function. The Internet has allowed it to metastasize as a pop writing form: A snarky insult, embedded in a story or a post, quickly gets traffic; it gets linked to other blogs; and soon it has spread like a sneezy cold through the vast kindergarten of the Web." Start: 7:00 pm
Patricia Goitein, head historian of the Galena Trail Society, and editor of the Galena Trail Newsletter, will discuss the advent of physical fences in early 19th Century Illinois. | ||
03 / 13
Start: 8:30 am
End: 4:00 pm
The day culminates in a dialogue among students, teachers and elected officials and policymakers. Start: 9:30 am
End: 3:30 pm
Heritage and cultural organizations such as public libraries, historical and genealogical societies, and small museums need professional assistance in planning for water emergencies such as the flooding in Illinois brought on by severe weather. To help cope with the dangers created by raging rivers and disastrous acts of nature, the Illinois Humanities Council is collaborating with Illinois Heritage Association to present "Coping with H2O Emergencies," a series of one-day technical assistance workshops across Illinois. Start: 10:00 am
End: 6:00 pm
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods.Start: 1:00 pm
Literacy Volunteers of Illinois AmeriCorps volunteers will discuss 'Wife of His Youth' by Charles Chesnutt The Meaning of Service (MoS) is a reading and discussion program for Americorps volunteers featuring discussions that use short philosophical and literary texts on the nature of justice, service, and related themes. Meaning of Service presents participants with the opportunity to examine, refine, and regenerate the beliefs underlying their work. Start: 5:00 pm
End: 6:00 pm
On the Internet people can write almost anything-and write it anonymously. And with anonymity comes a proliferation of snark, says David Denby, author of the new book, "Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation" (Simon & Schuster, $15.95).
Snark is the biting, clever put down, the cheap shot, the hateful, snide, condescending, bullying ridicule that Denby says is rampant online, especially on blogs, which allow people to post insults and abusive speech that would hardly be acceptable in polite social settings. And snark isn't a recent invention. Denby traces it to the 8th century B.C. In ancient Greece, men, especially, entertained each other with their "abusive mouths." In his book, Denby writes, "In the wake of the Internet revolution, snark as a style has outgrown its original limited function. The Internet has allowed it to metastasize as a pop writing form: A snarky insult, embedded in a story or a post, quickly gets traffic; it gets linked to other blogs; and soon it has spread like a sneezy cold through the vast kindergarten of the Web." | ||
03 / 14
Start: 9:00 am
End: 2:00 pm
We live between fences. We may hardly notice them, but they are dominant features in our lives and in our history. Built of hedge, concrete, wood and metal, the fence skirts our properties and is central to the American landscape. We use them to enclose our houses and neighborhoods.Start: 9:30 am
A Road Scholar Program by Leslie Goddard
Chicago socialite and philanthropist, wife of millionaire real estate magnate Potter Palmer, and pace-setting arts patron, Bertha Palmer is best remembered for her outstanding Impressionist collection, now at the Art Institute of Chicago. But the glamorous Mrs. Palmer had her own fascinating history. As shrewd as she was stylish, Palmer helped recoup her husband's lost fortune after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and presided over Chicago's glittering society scene for a quarter of a century. At the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, she served as hostess to the world. Intelligent, witty, and fallible, Bertha Palmer still compels our attention today. Start: 2:00 pm
A Road Scholar Program by Chris Vallillo The life of Abraham Lincoln spanned a period of great change and growth in the state of Illinois. From his days as a flat-boater, through his time at New Salem, his years as a circuit lawyer and on up through his presidency, Lincoln's life is a microcosm of the development of Illinois during that period. Award-winning folksinger Chris Vallillo uses historic narratives, contemporary folk music, and period folk songs Lincoln may well have known and sung to bring Illinois' favorite son and his times to life. | ||
