Greetings, friends! This page has been developed to assist faculty in extending the learning experiences of students by including some of Shepherd’s rich campus programs in your coursework and syllabi. Faculty, coaches, and staff can have a profound impact on the student experience — expanding the likelihood that students will step outside of what is familiar and engage in deep, experiential learning. Often these transformational experiences only happen because you suggest them. The encouragement of a faculty or staff member to attend events outside the classroom is often the crucial nudge that makes the difference and can lead to new learning, perspectives, and/or retain a student who may feel disconnected.
The list of events below was compiled by members of the Programmers Group, representatives from diverse units across campus who collaborate to plan, schedule, and market campus events. Working together, this group has established best practices in event planning to try to prevent overlap of major events and to encourage cross-marketing events. Below you will find a listing of events that are already planned for Spring 2024 that could make wonderful additions to syllabi as experiential learning opportunities. Note that more events will be added to this website as contracts are confirmed and departments finalize schedules.
IS YOUR DEPARTMENT PLANNING A CAMPUS WIDE EVENT?
If your department is planning any major events (teach ins, conferences, lectures) that are open to the campus community, please reach out to Rachael Meads at rmeads@shepherd.edu, chair of the Programmers Group, to prevent date conflicts BEFORE finalizing plans and help make sure your event is loaded onto our master calendar of events.
FALL 2024 EVENTS
Updated: 8/05/2024
WEEKLY
Every Monday (when school is in session) | Yoga for All
MONTHLY
3rd Thursdays (starting Sept. 19) | Mental Health Happy Hour
MONTHLY COHORT PROGRAM
The Stubblefield Institute Community Leadership and Civil Advocacy Certificate
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday, September 4| Shepherd Student Involvement Fair
Friday, September 6 | Shepherdstown Film Society: The Big Lebowski
Friday, September 20-Sunday, September 22 | Shepherdstown Book Festival
Thursday, September 26 | Narcan Save a Life Day Training
Friday, September 27 & Saturday, September 28 | Appalachian Queer Film Festival
September 29 | National Conservation & Training Center Social and Archive Tour Open House
Monday, September 30 | Rams Rally for Respect & March to End Violence
OCTOBER
Friday, October 4 at 7 pm| Citizen Kane (1941) | Orson Welles’ landmark masterpiece
NOVEMBER
November 1-3 and November 8-10 | Shepherd Theatre presents Our Town
Tuesday, Nov. 12 | Accessibility Services presents The Human Library
Friday, Nov. 15: Rams Act for Appalachia: Appalachian Benefit Concert and Drive
Wednesday, November 20 | Intergenerational Trivia
Nov. 7-10 & Nov. 14-17 | Rude Mechanicals present Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST
Friday, November 8 | Shepherdstown Film Society: The Monk and the Gun (2024)
Friday, Nov. 15 | Rams Act for Appalachia: A Benefit Concert and Drive for Hurricane Helene Relief
DECEMBER
Friday, December 6 — Shepherdstown Film Society: Turn Every Page (2022)
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
LISTEN. LEARN. ENGAGE. Initiative
The Community Leadership and Civil Advocacy Certificate
The Unify America College Bowl
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EVENTS BY DEPARTMENT
Student Affairs Community Service Alumni Affairs and Career Services Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications Lifelong Learning Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Rennaissance Players Contemporary Theater Studies Program Shepherdstown Community Events Common Reading Program Appalachian Studies
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STUDENT AFFAIRS
Yoga For All: Offered each Wednesday when school is in session | 5:00-6:00 PM | Wellness Center Multipurpose Room
A weekly all-levels yoga class focusing on uniting movement and breath for connecting with our bodies, reducing stress and increasing wellbeing. Sponsored by Shepherd Counseling Services. Contact Wendy Baracka at wbaracka@shepherd.edu
Learning Outcomes: Wellness, health, and stress management.
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Sources of Strength
This fall Shepherd’s Counseling Services will be piloting a new mental health and suicide prevention program for implementation in a higher education setting. Sources of Strenth is a best practice mental health promotion and suicide prevention program designed to harness the power of peer social networks to create healthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, violence, bullying, and substance misuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent adverse outcomes by increasing wellbeing, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging. Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support, or protective factors, so that when times get hard, they have strengths to rely on. For more information on this program or to ask someone to visit your class to share or to learn more, please contact kmarti03@shepherd.edu.
Learning Outcomes: Mental health, wellness, resilience, advocacy, peer leadership.
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Mental Health Happy Hour | 3rd Thursdays starting September 19th | 3:30pm-4:30pm | The Well (Gardiner Hall Ground Floor Room G25)
A monthly gathering for students, staff, and faculty to promote the science of happiness, provide opportunities for play and connection, and filling our wellness toolbox.
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Student Involvement Fair | Wednesday, September 4 | 4:30 PM-6:30 PM | East Campus Midway by the Student Center
Join Student Government Association and Student Activities for the Student Involvement Fair where students will have an opportunity to connect with Shepherd’s social, professional, service, academic, and cultural clubs and organizations. Students can pick up information, giveaways, and learn about opportunities to expand their learning outside the classroom. All FYEX courses should encourage students to attend.
Learning Outcomes: Student Engagement, connection to campus/belonging, student retention.
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Rams Rally for Respect & March to End Violence | Monday, September 30 | 4:00 meet in front of the Student Center to process to Potomac Place Lawn for speakers
Rams Rally for Respect is an annual anti-violence march and rally aiming to promote a culture of respect on Shepherd’s campus and surrounding community. Its goal is to empower students, staff, faculty, and community members to stand up to violence in all forms. Students and community leaders share their own take on violence prevention and the role empowerment has in changing a community. This event is an opportunity for student Affinity leaders and the Multicultural Leadership Team to collaborate, demonstrate solidarity, and stand up to promote racial, gender, sexual, environmental, and economic justice. Sponsored by Multicultural Leadership Team, SGA, Program Board, and the Office of Title IX and Social Equity. Contact Annie Lewin for more information alewin@shepherd.edu
Learning Outcomes:Civil Engagement, civility, and advocacy.
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Narcan Save a Life Day Training | Thursday, September 26 | 11:00 AM-3:00 PM | Knutti Corner
Participants will learn how to prevent an opioid overdose, how to administer nasal naloxone, and what the signs are of an overdose. This event is open to all students, staff, faculty, and community members.
Learning Outcomes: Wellness, health, overdose prevention.
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Accessibility Services presents The Human Library | Tuesday, Nov. 12 | 5:00-6:30 pM | Scarborough Library
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Rams Act for Appalachia: An Appalachian Benefit Concert and Drive | Friday, Nov. 15 | 7:00 pm | Frank Center Theater
Shepherd University will host a benefit concert to collect aid for those affected by Hurricane Helene. The musical showcase will feature Shepherd faculty, students, and community performers, playing heartfelt tributes to the spirit of community and resilience across the region our state calls home. Performances will span a wide variety of disciplines from old-time and gospel to contemporary and classical pieces inspired by the region. Performers will include Shepherd students Emily Ellmore, Joshua Shupe, Charity Meyer, Emma Harbour, Tula Ruggiero, Jen Fisher, Molly Sutter, and Alissa Sumerano, Matthew Jagela, faculty and staff members Dr. Ben Bankhurst, Dr. Austin Showen, Andrea Diggs, Anthony Stoika, Dr. Scott Hippensteel, Dr.
Shepherd University’s School of Music and Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities organized the concert, in cooperation with the Shepherd University Department of Contemporary Art, Communication, and Theater and the Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications. The concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Frank Arts Center.
There is no set admission fee but pay-what-you-can donations are gratefully accepted at the door. All donations will be distributed by WV VOAD (West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) and the Appalachian Helene Response pported by the Appalachian Funders Network.
The Shepherd University community will also support hurricane victims ahead of the concert by collecting new toys, school supplies, backpacks, and hygiene products starting October 28.
Collection boxes will be located in the music office in the Frank Arts Center, the lobby of the Wellness Center, the ground floor of the Student Center, and the Scarborough Library.
For more information about the concert and other ways to support those affected by Hurricane Helene, visit www.shepherd.edu/actforappalachia.
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Admission is by pay-what-you-will donation at the door.
This concert and cultural event will feature Shepherd faculty, students, and community performers playing heartfelt tributes to the spirit of community and resilience across the region.
Our volunteers will be taking donations of cash and relief items at the door. All donations will be shared by WV VOAD (West Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) and the Appalachian Helene Response Fund to distribute.
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Intergenerational Trivia: Friendsgiving Edition! | November 20 | 4:00 P.M. | Student Center Rumsey Gallery
No matter your age and no matter your levels of expertise…YOU are invited to join us to meet friends, old and new, for a game of trivia with some prizes and good food! You will be working together with a team of about 5 individuals, made up of members from various generations. The content will cover many topics, giving all participants an opportunity to SHINE! We hope to see you there! Sponsored by Program Board in partnership with Aging Friendly University and Lifelong Learning. Contact Rachael Meads for more information rmeads@shepherd.edu
Learning Outcomes: Collaboration, intergenerational learning
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Community Service Programs and Events Offered through the Office of Student Community Service
The Office of Student Community Service promotes, organizes, and assists campus outreach initiatives by effectively placing individual students, groups, and academic and social organizations in situations that embrace learning through service. We promote the value of learning through service by providing every student who desires to expand their education, by creating effective experiences in the community. The student’s knowledge will grow, alongside their passion for assisting the community and personal reflection. If you would like to partner with the office on service initiatives or need help brainstorming opportunities that match with your courses, please contact Melanie Ford, mford@shepherd.edu.
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STUBBLEFIELD INSTITUTE PROGRAMS
The Bonnie and Bill Stubblefield Institute at Shepherd University is a non-profit whose mission is to serve as an active center for the study and promotion of civil political discourse. We believe that when differing viewpoints are respected and considered in ways that avoid labeling, alienation, and silencing, it can strengthen our nation’s ability to solve problems. As programs for the spring are confirmed they will be posted HERE. For more information about Stubblefield Institute programming, contact Alison Mee, communications and events manager at amee@shepherd.edu
Learning Outcomes: Civic engagement, political awareness, communication, diversity, cultural competency, critical thinking, problem-solving, service.
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Details will be added to the Stubblefield Institute website’s events page when they are announced.
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The American Conversation Series
Two American Conversation Series events are also being planned. These bring national-level speakers into dialogue that is relevant to people across the country. We plan to hold these in the Frank Center Theater.
Stubblefield Institute American Conversation Series: Beyond Pepperoni Rolls: Who Are We as West Virginians? | 7:00 pm | Frank Arts Center Theater
Longtime friends and colleagues, Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Senator Joe Manchin will meet on the stage of the Frank Arts Center Theater along with experienced MetroNews Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval to discuss West Virginia’s identity. RSVP for a free ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-pepperoni-rolls-who-are-we-as-west-virginians-tickets-972558447497?aff=oddtdtcreator Sponsored by the Stubblefield Institute
Learning Outcomes: Civic Engagement, understanding of self and others, communication_________________________________________________________________________
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LISTEN. LEARN. ENGAGE. Initiative
The Stubblefield Institute’s Listen.Learn.Engage (LLE) program works with students to develop the motivation, skills, and confidence to participate in civic engagement and civil discourse in ways that move through division into connection and understanding.Shepherd students from all programs of study can participate in LLE programs to gain the skills needed to participate in effective political and civic engagement, which they can take into the world to create a more civil, open-minded and civically-engaged society. These programs, including the the Community Leadership & Civil Advocacy Certificate, the Civility Club, the Unify America College Bowl, and many additional collaborative programs are coordinated by Elaine Bobo (ebobo@shepherd.edu).
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The Student Civility Club
For all students, regardless of major, this club offers an opportunity to discuss political topics. Their programs include “Pizza and Politics” programs. Contact Elaine Bobo for more information ebobo@shepherd.edu. The civility club provides opportunities for students to break down perceived differences and build skills for constructive dialogue.
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The Community Leadership and Civil Advocacy Certificate
Community Leadership & Civil Advocacy Certificate| 7 monthly sessions | 3:30-5:30 (Knutti 202)
The Stubblefield Institute’s Community Leadership & Civil Advocacy Certificate program is open to students of all majors who wish to develop their advocacy skills and explore civic engagement. This 50+ hour certificate will use a combination of classroom learning enhanced with after session tasks that move the student from identifying an advocacy project to pitching their policy/procedure idea to a decision maker at a local, state or national level. Certificate participants will be mentored through the certificate that begins in September and concludes in April. The cohorts will not meet in December. For more information, contact Elaine Bobo at ebobo@shepherd.edu
Learning Outcomes: Community engagement, collaboration with local and statewide students, advocacy of self and others, research and presentation skills.
Many of the workshops made available to students for credit are hosted by a variety of Shepherd departments. If your department is sponsoring a program that connects with any of the core values of the program, please reach out to Elaine Bobo at ebobo@shepherd.edu to see if it can be shared with program participants. Faculty could also encourage student participation by incentivizing them to complete at least five hours of the certificate this semester.
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The Unify America College Bowl
This unique program matches students from across the country to participate in an on-line political conversation with another student. Contact Elaine Bobo with the Stubblefield Institute’s Listen.Learn.Engage. Initiative at ebobo@shepherd.edu. https://www.unifyamerica.org/college-bowl
LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMS
For more than a decade, Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program has expanded opportunities for intergenerational learning and programs including:
Cultivating Compassion: An Invitation with Ethel Hornbeck | Wednesday, September 4 | Noon-1:30 PM | Robert C Byrd Center CHE
In this time of conflict, when powerful forces are working overtime to keep us angry, divided and afraid, compassion offers an antidote that we can all choose, study and practice. Cultivating this most basic of human capacities can help us stay grounded, positive and resilient, regardless of external circumstances. This presentation will explore some of the findings of contemporary compassion science and invite conversation around the basics: What is compassion (and what is it not)? Why is compassion important? Why is mindfulness such an important foundation? What is the role of self-compassion? What does practicing compassion look like in everyday life? Sponsored by Shepherd University Lifelong Learning Program.
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Wednesday, September 11 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Chinese at Work on the Transcontinental Railroad with Dr. David Gordon | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
The effort to build the Transcontinental Railroad was like nothing that had ever been undertaken before: a track nearly 2000 miles long, laid across a bewildering range of landscapes. By far the hardest part was building across the Sierra Nevada mountains, which included some of the coldest, snowiest places in the continental United States. Did you know that immigrants from China performed virtually all of the construction across the Sierras? In this presentation, we’ll take a look at these laborers: why they left China, what conditions they worked (and ate and slept) under, what they accomplished through their toil, and what became of them in the U.S. and Canada afterward. Though the “Railroad Chinese” weren’t permitted by the laws of the time to become U.S. citizens, they deserve an honored place in America’s history. Sponsored by Shepherd Lifelong Learning. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu.
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Wednesday, September 18 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Between Pearl Harbor and Midway: Turning Defeat into Victory in the Pacific Theater during World War II with Blane Ampthor | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
The six months between the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor and Midway were a series of disasters for the Allied nations in the Pacific Theater. However, during several little-known but important actions, heroes emerged and the hard-learned lessons laid the foundation for later victory. This presentation will examine some of these key events and the personalities involved with them. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Wednesday, September 25 | Lifelong Learning Lecture: Energy in the Real World with Dr. James J. Eberhardt | Ampthor | 1:10 pm – 2:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Auditorium | Free for Shepherd staff and students
It never ceases to amaze how rapid the evolution and rate of change that has occurred in our real world. This change is becoming more notable, noticed by everyday people across the planet; notably in the technological area of Energy Resource Development and Utilization, how these developments affect the growing population, and the impact on the environment in which we live – both the good and the bad.
Dr. James Eberhardt will lead discussion about the rapid evolution of energy resources and end-use technologies. Utilizing the “Socratic Method”, Dr. Eberhardt welcomes participants to ask questions, exploring the wide-ranging topic that is Energy and the potential and emerging technologies coming to the near future.
Some suggested technology areas for discussion include those most frequently mentioned presently in media outlets such as: Electric Vehicles, Solar and Wind Energy Sources, Fossil Fuels, and Nuclear. (PLEASE NOTE: This is an after-lunch lecture in the auditorium. Please do not bring your lunch to this one!) Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Wednesday, October 2 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Living the Electric Life—Introduction to Solar Energy and Electric Vehicles with Robert Fernatt | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
Come and learn about the basics of solar energy systems and electric vehicles for consumer use. This will include a discussion about the types of equipment and what factors can make or break your installation. The presentation will include real life experience of using both for many years including costs, savings, and financial incentives that can make these technologies more affordable. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Wednesday, October 9 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: The Art of Face Reading as a Roadmap for Life with Natalie McGrorty | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room or Zoom | Free for Shepherd staff and students
Face Reading is an ancient part of Chinese medicine. It is a powerful tool for health professionals worldwide, and has many other lesser-known applications, such as hiring the right person for the job and even matchmaking!
While our faces may show similarities to our family of origin, we each have a unique combination of features and markings that give clues to our personality, preferences and unique gifts. The varying sizes and shapes of the features, their placement, symmetry and coloration all reveal a great deal about our health, life preferences and personality traits. Nothing is arbitrary. Equally, the lines, wrinkles and other markings on the face show how we have expressed or repressed emotions throughout our lives and provide a map of significant life experiences that have occurred since conception. In this lecture, I will share some of the potent ways in which Face Reading can help us make sense of life’s twists and turns and guide us to realize our fullest potential and most vibrant self. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Wednesday, October 16 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Early America’s Fight to End Slavery with author and economist Nancy Spannaus | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
Most Americans don’t realize it, but the revolutionary British American colonies and the young United States were the centers of the most vigorous anti-slavery activity in the world. Why didn’t it succeed? Could the Civil War have been prevented?
In her recently published book, Defeating Slavery: Hamilton’s American System Showed the Way, public historian Nancy Spannaus argues that the crucial factor was the abandonment of the economic principles of Alexander Hamilton. Come hear Nancy discuss the often-ignored early anti-slavery movement and how Hamilton’s policies could have led to its success.
Spannaus is also the author of Hamilton Versus Wall Street: The Core Principles of the American System of Economics. (2019) She has studied Hamilton’s political economy since the mid-1970s and believes they continue to be relevant today. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu.
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Wednesday, October 23 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: The River Kwai and the Thai Burma Railway with Jerry Collins | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
The 1957 film “The Bridge Over the River Kwai” is considered by many to be one of the best movies ever made, while others consider it a good movie, but bad history. The bridge depicted in the movie was one of 688 bridges built as part of the Thai Burma Railway, a railway sometimes referred to as the “Death Railway.” To build it, the Japanese conscripted over 60,000 prisoners-of-war and roughly a quarter of a million Southeast Asian civilians. It extends 258 miles across treacherous mountainous terrain and crosses the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, the place where the film is set. Kanchanaburi today is a quiet town which contains three museums and offers tours of the surrounding area which document the brutal treatment the conscripts endured. I have been to Kanchanaburi three times and will attempt to tell the story of the railway and the men who built it primarily through photographs I have taken there over the years. It is, to be sure, a story of deprivation, cruelty and death, but I plan to end with an uplifting story that may surprise the listener. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Friday, October 25 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Confused About Medicare? With Judie Marshall | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
Come learn the Medicare alphabet of parts A, B, C, and D. Detailed descriptions will be discussed for each part, eligibility, and how it applies to you or someone in your family. Handouts will also be available. (PLEASE NOTE: This is a Friday lecture.) Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Wednesday, October 30 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Death Café (A Compassionate Conversation About a Difficult Topic) with Tracy Seffers | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
Tracy Seffers is a Death Cafe facilitator and an end-of-life doula. In both roles she is part of a growing movement to normalize conversations around death and dying, providing education and open forum for discussion without judgement, fear, or stigma. In the Death Cafe philosophy, “Our objective is to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their lives.” As a Death Cafe facilitator, she brings no agenda of her own, no special presentations or guest speakers – the people around the table set the agenda for the day.
So join Tracy for compassionate conversation and deep welcome, a surprising amount of laughter, and (because Death Cafes originated in the UK) tea and cake! Bring your favorite mug – as well as your stories, your fears, your questions – and relax into the conversation, ready to learn and to share your own wisdom with your neighbors. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Thursday, November 7 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Freedom and Happiness with Carol Richmond | Noon-1:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Multipurpose Room | Free for Shepherd staff and students
“The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given situation.” Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl.
This interactive session will explore Seven Pillars of Happiness as they relate to today and our choices. The basic science of happiness, based on Marci Shimoff’s book Happy for No Reason, will be shared and discussed. Stress is harmful to ourselves and others. In these stressful times let’s come together for learning, support and renewal as we choose our positive responses to life events for our growth and freedom. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.” Victor Frankle . Come and explore ways to tap this freedom and enjoy greater happiness. (PLEASE NOTE: This is a Thursday morning lecture) Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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Monday, November 25 | Lifelong Learning Brown Bag Lecture: Did Voters Save Our Democracy? With Drayl Glenney and Mike Pieper | Noon-1:30 pm | Zoom Only | Free for Shepherd staff and students
After many months of campaigns punctuated with anger and outrage, character assaults, threats of violence, and ceaseless shouts of “liar, liar, pants on fire,” American voters will go to the polls on November 5. There will be winners and there will be losers. But likely still undecided: How did our democracy fare?
Join fellow Lifelong Learning political groupies in celebrating or commiserating – your choice, all opinions are welcome and respected. We will take a look at an election cycle that will go down in history, one that challenged our value systems, the wisdom of our forefathers, our Constitutional rights, even our system of government itself.
Some provocative questions: Was the “white rural rage” alleged by writers and pundits a factor in the outcome of the Presidential race? Did women across the country turn out to elect candidates who support reproductive rights? Was there a significant partisan shift among Black and Latino voters? What strategies and messages persuaded the “tuned out” young people and so-called disengaged voters we heard so much about? Most important, how can we heal the democracy we have wounded? (PLEASE NOTE: This is a Monday lecture.) ) Sponsored by Shepherd’s Lifelong Learning Program. Contact Cindy Powers for more information lpowers@shepherd.edu
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The President’s Lecture Series
The President’s Lecture Series was founded by Dr. Mary J.C. Hendrix as a distinguished lecture series for the campus and community. This program has now become part of the Lifelong Learning Program at Shepherd. For more information, contact Cindy Powers at cpowers@shepherd.edu
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Tuesday, September 24 | President’s Lecture Series: Science Fiction or Fact? Artificial Intelligence Risk and What to Do About It with Harriet Pearson, Founder & CEO, Axia Advisory LLC | 6:30 pm | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Auditorium
AI-powered systems can boost human productivity, but they also may present biased or inaccurate results. In the hands of malicious actors, AI-enabled content and capabilities can also be used to disrupt elections and democracy itself. AI may even pose an existential threat to humanity, according to some experts.
What’s fact and what’s speculative? What can be done to protect our institutions and individuals? Drawing on more than three decades of technology, business, and regulatory experience, Harriet Pearson will present a birds-eye view of AI risk and reward, including:
- AI in action: Examples
- Implications of widespread use of AI
- What is being done now to promote responsible AI and protect against harm
Learning Outcomes: Artificial Intelligence, Technology, American popular culture
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Monday, October 28 | President’s Lecture Series: What Does Political Rhetoric Owe Democracy? with Peter Loge, Director of the Project on Ethics in Political Communication at George Washington University | 6:30 PM | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Auditorium
American democracy is the process by which we decide how to divvy up the stuff and what to do next. People make the best argument for their ideas, we hold a vote, do what we voted to do, and then argue some more. Democracy isn’t the outcome, it’s the process. Democracy is both a means and an end. In this light, when we engage in politics – when we “do” political communication – we have an ethical obligation to politics itself. The broader and better the conversation, and the better those arguments are, the stronger our democracy is. The narrower and worse the conversation and arguments, the weaker our democracy gets. Join this presentation to learn about what our ethical obligations look like to ensure and improve our democratic conversation.
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Monday, November 18 | President’s Lecture Series: Where Do We Go From Here? with Scott Widmeyer, Founding Managing Partner / Chief Strategy Officer at FINN Partners | 6:30 PM | Robert C. Byrd Center CHE Auditorium
Fresh off the critical November 5 elections, political and public affairs strategist Scott Widmeyer who also co-chairs The Stubblefield Institute for Civil Political Communications, will share his thoughts on how civility scored in the 2024 election cycle as part of the President’s Lecture Series for Fall 2024. And, he will tackle a series of key questions, including:
- Why are Americans tuned out and disillusioned with politics?
- What hopeful signs became more evident vis-à-vis civility coming out of the November elections?
- How can colleges like Shepherd and programs like Stubblefield change the equation?
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RUDE MECHANICALS MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE PLAYERS
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Rude Mechanicals present Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST | Nov. 7-10 & Nov. 14-17
November 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16 at 7:30 pm and Nov. 10 and 17 at 3:00 PM.
This fall the Rude Mechanicals will present Shakespeare’s The Tempest. All performances are FREE to Shepherd students (and faculty and staff) with Rambler ID. All performances will be held in Reynolds Hall. Contact Betty Ellzey at mellzey@shepherd.edu for more information.
Learning Outcomes: Cultural and literary history, theater.
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DEPARTMENT OF CONTEMPORARY THEATER STUDIES
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Shepherd University Theater Department presents Our Town | November 1-3 & November 8-10 | Marinoff Theater
Thorton Wilder’s Our Town is a classic of American theater. Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” the play explores the fictional town of Grover’s Corners through the everyday lives of its citizens. Don’t miss Shepherd University’s production this fall and explore the connections to our own Shepherdstown experience and universal themes like loss and love.
APPALACHIAN STUDIES
Appalachian Writer in Residence Week of Activities | Friday, September 20-Friday, September 27 | All events are free and open to the campus and community | See the complete schedule of events HERE
Marc Harshman is a nationally acclaimed children’s book author, storyteller, and current Poet Laureate for the state of West Virginia. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. His collection of poems, Woman in Red Anorak (2018), won the Blue Lynx Prize and was published by Lynx House/University of Washington Press, while his collection, Believe What You Can (WVU Press 2016) won the prestigious Weatherford Award and was named Appalachian Book of the Year by the Tennessee Mountain Heritage Literary Festival. Harshman’s latest poetry collection is Following the Silence (Press 53 2023). Harshman is co-winner of the 2019 Allen Ginsberg Poetry Award for his poem “Poet in the Schools,” and his poem “Dispatch from the Mountain State” was printed in the Thanksgiving 2020 edition of the New York Times. A prolific children’s author, Marc Harshman co-authored with Anna Smucker Fallingwater: The Building of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Masterpiece (Roaring Brook/Macmillan 2017), which was named an Amazon Book of the Month and is the 2024 WV Childrens’ Common Read. The Storm was a Smithsonian Notable Book, with other Harshman children’s books translated into Danish, Korean, Swedish, Spanish and Japanese. Marc Harshman has made his home in the northern panhandle of West Virginia for the past fifty years, where he lives with wife Cheryl Ryan. Sponsored by Shepherd’s Center for Appalachian Studies & Communities, the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the West Virginia Center for the Book.
Learning Outcomes: Literature, creative writing, West Virginia history, and culture.
SHEPHERDSTOWN COMMUNITY EVENTS
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Shepherdstown Film Society
The Shepherdstown Film Society hosts monthly film screenings. This year, these films will be held at the Shepherdstown Opera House. These films are pay-what-you-may (donation) and include post-screening discussions.
Friday, September 6 at 7 pm | The Big Lebowski (1998) | classic comedy (costumes encouraged!)
Friday, October 4 at 7 pm| Citizen Kane (1941) | Orson Welles’ landmark masterpiece
Friday, November 8 at 7 pm | The Monk and the Gun (2024) | Political satire set in an exotic place
Friday, December 6 at 7 pm — Turn Every Page (2022) – Exploration of a famous author-editor relationship
Admission to these films will be on a pay-what-you-will basis. Advanced reservations encouraged given limited seats. Online reservations available until two hours before showtime. Seating is general admission. Reservations and additional information available at OperaHouseLive.com.
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Friday, September 20-Sunday, September 22 | Shepherdstown Book Festival Shepherdstown various locations | https://www.shepherdstownbookfestival.com/
The 2nd annual Shepherdstown Book Festival returns in September with author talks, readings, vendors, book signings, and more. This is an independent non-profit event not affiliated with Shepherd but an amazing opportunity for our students.
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Friday, September 27 & Saturday, September 28 | Appalachian Queer Film Festival | Shepherd’s Frank Arts Center Theater | Limited number of free tickets available for first 50 Shepherd University students
Founded in 2014 to bring Queer and Trans film, from around the world, to Appalachia and to promote LGBTQ+ filmmakers within the region. AQFF will celebrate its 10th anniversary year in Shepherdstown. For more information, visit the Festival site here: https://www.appalachianqueerfilmfest.com/ The event will feature curated films as well as vendor booths, panel discussions, and receptions. Early bird tickets for faculty and staff are available on the Festival website. Note: This event is an independent rental by the Appalachian Queer Film Festival (independent non-profit organization). However, a block of free tickets has been donated to Shepherd University students with valid ID while supplies last.
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Sunday, September 29 | National Conservation Training Center Social and Archives Tour | 1:00 PM (Tour), 1:00-4:00 PM (Social and Food), 4:00 (Free Film) | Free and Open to the Community
You are invited to visit the National Conservation Training Center for their annual free social with tour and NCTC Archive open hours. Come enjoy one of our national treasures. Sponsored by the Friends of the NCTC. For updates and more information, visit www.friendsofNCTC.org or email info@friendsofnctc.org
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