At left, Alan Craven, dean of the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts,
enjoys his topic with fellow conversationists at last year's "Great Conversation!"
fund-raising event. At right, two other participants listen intently.
'Great Conversation!' fund raiser offers evening of chat
(Jan. 16, 2002)--UTSA will host the second annual "Great Conversation!" benefit dinner from 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19 at the Institute of Texan Cultures. Proceeds from the event will go to the UTSA Honors Scholarship Fund to support students in an interdisciplinary, four-year curriculum designed to challenge qualified students.
Distinguished UTSA professors, community leaders and the lecture series committee will facilitate an evening of stimulating conversation featuring more than 50 conversation tables.
The evening will begin with a wine, soup and vegetarian lasagna buffet at 6 p.m. and continue from 7-8:30 p.m. with dessert and coffee during conversation. Complimentary parking is available at the Durango Street entrance of the Institute of Texan Cultures.
Individual tickets can be purchased for $60 at the UTSA Office of Special Projects. For a comprehensive list of conversation topics or more information, call (210) 458-4129.
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UTSA Great Conversation! 2002 topics
(in alphabetical order by name of conversation leader)
What It Means To Be American
Marian Aitches, lecturer in literature and cultural studies, (210) 458-4672
The discussion will be about the complicated process of identity formation in the context of American culture. What exactly does it mean to be American? Is "being American" defined by language? Religion? Values? Behaviors? Do you envision the U.S. as a melting pot (assimilation) or a salad bowl (multi-culturalism)? What are the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches to the formation of a national identity? Do you have any new ideas for a 21st century in which we are less divided by issues of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion?
The Missions of San Antonio: A Conversation With a Missionary Friar
Felix D. Almaraz Jr., professor of history, (210) 458-2616
San Antonio is the only city in the United States with five Franciscan missions,
four of which are active, living parishes. What was the purpose of the frontier
mission? What were the historical circumstances in 18th century Texas that
contributed to the founding of five mission communities along the Rio San
Antonio? What impact did the missions have upon adjacent military and civil
communities along the San Antonio River? If the missions were secularized
between 1793 and 1824, why are they functioning today? Come join Missionary
Friar, Felix Almaraz, who will be dressed in period costume, and find the
answers to these questions.
From Zoos to Museums: Improving Public Education Using Public Facilities
Rex Ball, director, Institute for Texan Cultures, (210) 458-2236
Informal education, such as the education that takes place in a museum setting -- is a powerful learning tool for nearly all youngsters. The discussion will revolve around why informal education is so effective and how our community can better utilize its bountiful resources for informal education to engage students, keep them in school, and ensure their success in school and life.
Fiestas and Celebrations: What Do They Mean and Why Do We Have Them?
Norma Cantu, assistant professor of English, (210) 458-4374
Fiestas and celebrations are sites of cultural and societal dramas full of pageantry, history, and fun. The conversation will explore the essential elements of a fiesta and discuss how and why we as individuals participate in these communal events. Participants might even share their favorite "fiesta moment."
A Life in Music
Vicki Carr, president of Vi-Car Entertainment, Inc.
Carr will lead a discussion focusing on the music industry as it relates to her business and career. Participants will have the opportunity to discover what a life in the music industry is like.
Governing San Antonio in the Twentieth Century
Rick Casey, columnist, San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio City Charter is 50 years old. It was adopted in reaction to corrupt machine politics that had kept San Antonio a Third World city. It was a business-based model popular at the time, but one that assumed a much less complex political reality than exists today, or even then. This conversation will focus on whether it is time for a change.
Designer Babies and Four-Legged Chickens: Should We Genetically Engineer
Our Future?
Aaron Cassill, geneticist, (210) 458-5491
Gene cloning is part of our society and will have greater and greater impacts on all of us. We will discuss the latest breakthroughs in cloning technology and what scientists can do now and in the near future. The positive and negative implications of these abilities and how our lives will be changed will also be covered.
Killing the Innocent: Is It Time For a Moratorium on Capital Punishment?
Derral Cheatwood, professor of criminal justice, (210) 458-5646
The United States currently executes between 50 and 100 people a year -- and Texas accounts for half of that number. In the last twenty years the U.S. has executed 719 people. If we are absolutely right 99 percent of the time, we may have executed innocent people. Internationally, we cannot even extradite suspects in capital crimes from most of the rest of the world because we have capital punishment. Is it time for us to place a moratorium on the death penalty and think all of this over?
Searching For Peace in a Time of War
Sandra Cisneros, author
Author Sandra Cisneros will share some of her approaches to finding peace in writing, reading and interactions with others. Participants will be asked to share ideas about ways to find peace in times of conflict. Cisneros will encourage participants at her table to think about what individuals can do to encourage peace in the world as well as what brings peace to their lives in times of international turmoil. The author will discuss the ways she finds peace through her work.
How Can We Avoid Shortages of Water and Energy?
Robert Collinge, economist, (210) 458-5312
The short answer to this question is price, along with clearly defined property rights. With Texas becoming increasingly urban and predictions that municipal water usage will exceed agricultural usage by 2040, Texas cannot afford to allocate water by any other means that that of a market-clearing price. The lesson of California energy deregulation is that the value of the market-clearing price can only be set in the marketplace.
Your Five Favorite Movies: What Makes Them So Good?
Nathan Cone, Texas Public Radio operations manager and movie lover, (210)
614-8977
Almost anyone can think of five films that have influenced him or her in some way -- movies that they really love. Perhaps you have a list of your own. In this conversation, each member of the table is invited to submit a list of their Top Five films. We'll watch a few clips, discuss and debate as many titles as we can, and find out what makes a "great" film -- at least, according to our table!
What Are the Biggest Problems in America Today?
Dan Cook, sports writer
Cook will lead a wide-ranging conversation that will address what those seated at the table believe are the most significant problems in American society today. Come see what Cook thinks is wrong with America and share your own opinions.
Shakespeare and the Movies -- Part II
Alan Craven, professor of English and dean of the College of Liberal and Fine
Arts, (210) 458-4359
Shakespeare and the Movies -- Part II continues last year's conversation
with two classic film versions of a play: Laurence Olivier's "Henry V"
(1944) and Kenneth Branagh's movie based on the play (1989). Olivier's film
is a famous expression of militarism and patriotism, while Branagh's film
is often seen as a powerful anti-war statement. The conversation at this table
will center on these strikingly different but equally brilliant films. It
will be helpful if each participant has viewed one or the other of these films
(or both), available on video cassette.
Information and the Internet: Issues of Privacy and Free Speech
Richard Diem, professor of education and vice provost for K-16 Initiatives
and the Honors Program, (210) 458-2769
This conversation will address the use of new technologies and how they relate to the issue of both personal and public privacy. We will discuss information collection, the establishment of interactive databases, and sharing of personal information in business and governmental arenas. In light of current events, should we allow our privacy to be compromised, through technological innovation, for security purposes?
Terrorism: What’s Hate Got to Do With It?
Mansour El-Kikhia, political scientist, (210) 458-5615
A lot has been said and written about how much hate Muslims and Middle Easterners harbor for America. Yet very little has been discussed concerning how much love and admiration so many of these societies have for the United States. We will discuss the political nature of terrorism and how it rarely results from hatred for a culture or society. We will also address how terrorism can stem from a reaction to short-sighted and ill-advised political policies that are left to fester too long. We will discuss whether we can learn from the current situation and whether we are willing to learn.
Should Cloning Be Banned?
Daniel Engster, political scientist, (210) 458-5645
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill that bans human cloning, and the Senate and President Bush both appear poised to pass the bill into law. Why are they so opposed? We will discuss what, if anything, is wrong with human cloning. Is it, as ethicist Leon Kass claims, an affront to humanity? Is the problem that it is currently unsafe and likely to produce malformed babies? Is there anything wrong with cloning human beings assuming that cloning can one day be made safe?
Legislating School Reform: The Quality and Equality Agenda
Richard Gambitta, political scientist and chair of political science and geography,
(210) 458-5608
What Can the Wizard of Oz Teach Us About History?
Kirsten Gardner, historian, (210) 458-7406
In 1964, Henry Littlefield analyzed the Wizard of Oz -- the "indigenous creation, curiously warm and touching" -- through an historical lens. He demonstrated that the book (and film) that many Americans hold dear is a parable for late-nineteenth-century political trends within the United States. Come join us in a discussion of how Baum's narrative illustrates the tensions between rural and urban Americans, the gold and silver standard, and the class structure in the U.S.
The Future of San Antonio
Ed Garza, mayor
Participants in this conversation will discuss what kind of city they would like to see San Antonio become in the future. The discussion will also focus on what makes a city a good place for families, businesses and visitors, and how a community can provide the infrastructure that must support a major city while keeping it a healthy, safe and productive place to live.
Ecstasy, Speed, Coke, Crack, Heroin: Drugs and American Culture
Michael Gilbert, criminologist, (210) 458-2617
In this conversation, we will explore such questions as: Who is using what? What effects does drug use have on users and the community? How big a problem is illegal drug use? Does drug use cause crime? What can be done to reduce drug use among youths and adults? If we pursue a war against drug abuse, who is the enemy? Are there other alternatives?
Trends in Downtown Development and the Future of the High Rise
Julius Gribou, architect and director of the School of Architecture, (210)
458-4299
In the last few years many U.S. cities focused their efforts on the revitalization of downtown areas. The multiplicity of the interventions resulted in varying levels of success. They affected many segments of the urban environments, such as transportation, open space, housing, retail, entertainment, etc. We will attempt to reflect on these endeavors and also speculate about the impact of the 9/11 tragedy on the future of the downtown high-rise.
Feeding Our Bodies and Our Souls: Food and Cooking in Everyday Life
Shelley Grieshaber, chef
This conversation will address the multiple roles that food and cooking play in our lives. We will discuss how food nourishes both our physical bodies as well as our emotional and spiritual selves. We anticipate a free-ranging discussion that may span everything from how modern culture (including the recent world crisis) has shaped what and how we cook and eat to the role of food in books and films.
Is San Antonio a Healthy Community?
Fernando Guerra, director, Metropolitan Health District
This conversation will begin with a general overview of what we use as indicators of a community's health status. We will then ask how San Antonio is doing in terms of health status in absolute terms and in comparison to other communities. What are the shortfalls of the health care system in San Antonio and what how can we rectify those?
What Makes a Good Wine?
Kolleen Guy, historian, (210) 458-4371
Spanning the globe from the Russian River Valley to the Rhine, from Napa to Burgundy (with a side trip to Argentina and Texas), our discussion will focus on the astonishing diversity of wine. Kolleen Guy, who writes on French wine and the history of taste, will lead us in a discussion about the social, cultural and economic worlds inside a bottle. A discussion for those who "thirst" for more than a half of a glass of information on wine.
Water for South Texas: How Do We Plan for the Future?
Weldon Hammond, geologist, (210) 458-4455
Senate Bill 1 set up regional water planning groups throughout the state. Current predictions are that demand will exceed supply within the next 50 years. In Region L (South Central Texas), we have several options, including diversion of water from other river basins, conservation, conjunctive use of ground and surface water, reuse of treated waste water, enhanced recharge and other regional water supply management plans. We will discuss how "bottom-up" planning, assurance of adequate water supplies for anticipated growth, fairness and equitable costs are all parts of the complex water future for our region.
The Attack on America: Connections From Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan
Anne Hardgrove, historian, (210) 458-7402
The focus of the conversation will be on the geopolitics of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. We will discuss the diplomatic connections between the U.S. and the countries of this region. We will consider the rise and fall of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and the impact that this government had on women and men in the region.
UTSA and Football: Is it a Fit?
Lynn Hickey, director of athletics, (210) 458-4444
San Antonio is the only major city in Texas that does not have a collegiate Division I football program. UTSA is one of the largest schools in the country that does not sponsor football. Is it time and would it be beneficial to the university as a whole to have a football team? Would a football team complement the growth of academic programs at UTSA or would it detract from the academic progress the university is making? Is a football program cost prohibitive or would it help attract students and donors and actually become a financial asset for the university as a whole? Is football the best way to gain visibility and improve campus life and pride for our student body? We will discuss the pros and cons of football and how UTSA could put a football program in place if it chose to do so.
Does Music Really Make You Smarter?
Donald Hodges, professor of music and director of the Institute for Music
Research, (210) 458-5317
Recent reports in the popular media have promoted the notion that listening to music, especially Mozart, will raise one's IQ. Claims are made for higher SAT scores and higher grade-point averages among those who study music compared to those who do not. Are these claims true? Come and find out what neuroscientists are learning when they peek inside the musical brain.
The Media as Gatekeepers of News: Who Watches the Watchdog?
Amy Jasperson, political scientist, (210) 458-5431
This discussion will focus on the elite discourse surrounding the terrorist attack of September 11. Whose perspectives are reported and whose are not reported? What picture is media giving us? We will discuss what happens to this public trust during a time of crisis and what we can do as citizens to uncover the entire story.
Civil Liberties: Sacrifices in the Face of Terrorism
Benjamin Johnson, historian, (210) 458-5703
Our conversation will focus on the question of civil liberties in wartime. Wars raise a number of troublesome issues for democratic societies. Should the government be given new powers during emergencies and, if so, what should they be? What are the potential benefits and costs of such powers? Do the recent proposals of the Bush administration threaten basic rights or are they a legitimate wartime innovation? Our conversation will stress the historical experience of this country in times of war and crises, seeking some of the answers to present questions in the past.
Fairy Tales: Why We Love Them
Sheila Johnson, associate professor of German, (210) 458-5214
The goal of this discussion will be to enhance participants' enjoyment of ageless stories told on every continent and in many countries. Why do fairy tales give pleasure regardless of the reader's age? What links fairy tales from cultures around the world? What common threads of form, themes, archetypes, as well as social and moral traits of many different cultures do fairy tales convey? What have great minds such as C.G. Jung, Joseph Campbell, Bruno Bettelheim and many others added to our appreciation of fairy tales?
Sex: Is It Enough To "Just Say No?"
Georgia Johnston, health educator, (210) 458-4410
As teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS continue to increase, directions to "Just Say No" appear to be woefully inadequate. The results of many national surveys with teens and parents show that teens want more information about sex and sexuality. We will discuss the most successful programs in the U.S., which are abstinence-based, but include factual information about prevention to allow teens to make informed decisions.
From Homer to Homer Simpson: What Should All Educated Individuals Read?
Steven Kellman, Ashbel Smith Professor of Comparative Literature, (210) 458-5216
No one can possibly read all 50,000 titles published in just one year in just the United States. What and how should we choose to read? Which works, if any, should every college graduate have read? Not just cocktail party prattle about bringing books to a desert island, these are central issues in determining what constitutes an education and who we are as individuals and as a culture. They are worth chewing over during Great Conversation!
The Civil War in Texas
Patrick Kelly, historian, (210) 458-7404
This conversation will examine the Civil War experience in Texas. Due to its distance from most of the fighting, the Lone Star State had few major battles. Yet, the war had a profound impact on the state. Nearly 80 percent of white Texas males served in the Confederate armies and fought in some of the most famous battles of the war. At home, the wives of these soldiers were forced to assume unprecedented responsibility for economics of their households. Surprisingly, the war proved profitable for some, as cotton grown in Texas and traded in Mexico enriched entrepreneurial Texans. Texas also experienced dissent during the war in the form of sympathy for the Union, especially in the Hill Country, and the unwillingness of a portion of its population to join the Confederate military. The Civil War was a complicated, fascinating time for the diverse peoples of Texas, and our conversation will examine the varied and often surprising aspects of this period of history.
Can Harry Potter Be Literary?
Jeri Kraver, assistant professor of English, (210) 458-4374
Sure, everyone is talking about Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling is credited with engaging the most recalcitrant of readers, kids. (Not to mention all the adults who have been captivated by the wizard world of Hogwarts!) But Harry isn't all child's play, and I'd like us to explore the Potter phenomenon by thinking about how and why we read. To open up our considerations, we'll reflect on Louise Rosenblatt's prescient observations about how literature helps readers explore their world. Rosenblatt has said: "As the student vicariously shares through literature the emotions and aspirations of other human beings, he can gain heightened sensitivity to the needs and problems of others remote from him [and her!] in temperament, in space, or in social environment; he [and she!] can develop a greater imaginative capacity to grasp the meaning of abstract laws or political or social theories for actual human lives. Such sensitivity and imagination are part of the indispensable equipment of the citizen of a democracy."
Leadership in San Antonio: Nurturing the Next Generation
Robert Lengel, associate professor of management and director of the Center
for Professional Excellence, (210) 458-5376
Diversity Within the Work Place: Strategies for Success
Richard Lewis, sociologist and associate dean of the College of Liberal and
Fine Arts, (210) 458-4351
This conversation will focus on the increasing diversity in the workplace and strategies for improving relationships between employees. The key issue will be the cultural differences that employees bring to the work place. Questions we will consider include: How can we work together better? How can we reduce perceived barriers between co-workers? How can we improve productivity?
Mexican Immigration in the Post-Terrorist World
James McDonald, anthropologist, (210) 458-4673
During the summer of 2001, the U.S. and Mexican governments were busily working toward a mutually acceptable immigration policy for the 21st century that may have included a broad-based amnesty as well as guest worker provisions. After the September 11 terrorist attack, the U.S. surveillance of the border has heightened, lines of up to 3 hours and more have mounted at border crossings, and illegal crossings have dropped markedly. Rather than the freer flow of people between the two countries, we are seeing the opposite. This roundtable will focus on the current status of U.S./Mexico immigration policy and future policy scenarios.
Watching TV News: Managing Information and Indignation
Mary McNaughton-Cassill, psychologist, (210) 458-7408
This discussion will focus on the links between television news exposure and stress in today's world. We will discuss the positive value of the news as a source of information as well as the side effects of news exposure such as anxiety, worry, and depression. We will also discuss the role of the news media in shaping our life experiences. Emphasis will also be placed on what viewers can do to balance their need for information against the stress engendered by exposure to negative or distressing information.
Why Should We Worry About Southern Africa?
Laura Mitchell, historian, (210) 458-4375
South Africa both embodies and defies many of the stereotypes of Africa that
are prevalent in the U.S. Glossy brochures from the Ministry of Tourism extol
the extensive wilderness areas, unsurpassed game preserves and national parks,
and glorious unspoiled beaches along both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
This visitor's paradise is also home to internationally recognized medical
technology, cutting-edge defense technology, Third-World poverty and an HIV/AIDS
infection rate of at least 25 percent. Over dinner we can discuss why South
Africa is so different from its neighbors, yet also quintessentially African
in its experiences.
Tongues Untied: The Contemporary American Memoir as Political Critique
Ben Olguin, associate professor of literature, (210) 458-5339
The autobiography and memoir, which are among the oldest literary genres in the Americas, always have been concerned with history and politics. Indeed, these texts illustrate the contemporary truism that proposes that the "personal is political." In this conversation, we will to examine the link between personal writing and politics in selected modern autobiographies and memoirs as well as related biographies and testimonials. The discussion will center on autobiographies by politicians Al Gore and George Bush, Native American political prisoner Leonard Peltier, and also Vietnam Veteran Tim O'Brien and Persian Gulf War Veteran Jose Zuniga. If time permits, we also will discuss biographies about Timothy McVeigh and Madonna, as well as testimonial writings by local writers such as Sandra Cisneros and John Philip Santos.
Testing, Homework, and Education: Are We Heading the Right Direction?
David Pillow, psychologist, (210) 458-5727
National testing standards are being signed into law. Evaluation and accountability have become "click" words that represent our national obsession with blaming individuals rather than flawed systems. Is testing being used as a mechanism for clarifying educational goals and learning, or is it being used to reify educational goals and direct blame and punishment? Are homework assignments being used to shift accountability from teachers to parents? In this discussion, we will discuss the pros and cons of standardized testing and various homework practices and examine whether these efforts are solving more problems than they are creating or creating more problems than they are solving.
Great Cities and Places of the World
Boone Powell, architect, (210) 458-5757
The goal of this conversation will be to have a pleasant dinner discussing and dissecting places in the world that attract us and hold our interest. What makes these places interesting and delightful? What places do we want to return to again and again? How must these experiences be related to where we live?
Alternatives vs. Public Schools: For Whom?
Harriett Romo, sociologist, (210) 458-2549
Many of us interested in the best education for our children think that home schooling, charter schools and vouchers that allow a child to attend the school of choice sound appealing. In this table conversation we'll explore pros and cons of these various alternatives in schooling and discuss who might benefit and who might be disadvantaged in each option. Issues we will discuss include how parents go about evaluating schooling options, what happens when alternative schools fail to meet expectations and whether or not these options actually improve public schools.
The Next Legislative Session: What Do We Expect for Higher Education?
Ricardo Romo, historian and UTSA president, (210) 458-4101
This table discussion will focus on future issues that higher education in Texas will face in a time of recession. For example, UTSA needs additional residential dorms for students. How will these be financed? How should they be managed? Similarly, the portion of funding that state universities receive from the state higher education budget decreases each year. What are alternative sources of funds for higher education? In what ways can San Antonio support its only public four-year institution? As UTSA adds additional doctoral programs and seeks additional federal and foundation grants, what role should the legislature play in reviewing and funding these programs and grant activities, if any? What should be UTSA's agenda for the next legislative session?
Citizenship and Borders in the Twenty-First Century
Rodolfo Rosales, political scientist, (210) 458-5626
This discussion will address borders, nation-states, and markets. How do these impact and how do they impact all of us? In particular, how does the global economy, which overlaps borders, impact citizenship and its time-honored protections based on membership? Should we be looking at a redefinition of citizenship to accommodate a market economy that knows no borders?
Continuing Controversies Over the Atomic Attacks on Japan
James C. Schneider, historian, (210) 458-4006
Use of the atomic bombs on Japan soon began a set of controversies that have continued to the present day. Defenders of the U.S. decision noted the determined resistance of Japan in the face of a hopeless situation and have pointed to huge potential casualties an outright invasion of the islands would likely have involved. Criticism of the attacks has taken various forms. Was use of the bomb on cities really necessary to end the war or could alternative methods have brought peace? Did the U.S. really drop the bomb to impress the Soviet Union, rather than to compel the Japanese to surrender? Our conversation will range over the military, diplomatic, moral and cultural dimensions of this subject, reflecting the most recent research on these issues.
Biological Attack: What Do We Need to Know?
David Senseman, biologist, (210) 458-5665
A recent cartoon showed a woman berating her husband with the line, "If you're so famous, how come you haven't received an anthrax letter yet?" Ottilie Lundgren wasn't famous when she probably received an anthrax-tainted letter. She died soon afterward on Nov 21, 2001 at the age of 94. It is now widely believed that her mail had become cross contaminated by an almost immeasurably small number of militarized anthrax spores that had leaked from the letters sent to either Senators Leahy and/or Daschle. The topic for this table will be bioterrorism. Famous or not, come to dinner and find out what you need to know to protect yourself and your family from bioterrorism.
The Working Family: Implications for Early Childhood
Peggy W. Walker, senior vice president, Bank of America
This Is Not Your Mother's Stock Market
Jeannie Wyatt, South Texas Money Management, Ltd.
Do we enjoy today the same kind of stock market that our parents or grandparents
had available for making investments? What's different? What's new and improved?
What are the dangers today that did not exist in the past? Do we have the
same kind of opportunities for saving for our future as did previous generations?
If not, what kind of adjustments should we make?
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TODAY'S HEADLINES:
UTSA
ranked No. 2 in Texas in NIH research funding for biology
Institute
of Texan Cultures hosts Asian New Year Festival
Census
official to speak on changes in Hispanic population
President
Bush appoints Romo to advisory board on black colleges
'Great Conversation!' fund raiser offers evening of chat
UTSA
Homecoming takes off with Rowdy Spirit
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001