Fall 2018 Issue

Central College faculty presenters explore the concept of community this fall in a lecture series open to all. Join them from 7-8 p.m. in the Boat and Moore rooms in Maytag Student Center.

Anya Butt

Data Builds a Tapestry: Defining and Understanding Our Community Via the Census

Monday, Nov. 12, 2018
Anya Butt, professor of biology, delves into the upcoming 2020 census, explores lessons learned from previous censuses and reflects on the American Tapestry, a detailed demographic description of America’s neighborhoods.

Mr. Pynchon Goes to Iowa: Thomas Pynchon’s Search for Community

Michael Harris

Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019
Michael Harris, professor of English, examines Thomas Pynchon’s portrayal of the Midwest and Iowa. Pynchon initially avoided setting his novels in the Midwest and called the region a cultural wasteland. Later, aversion gave way to recognition.

Do Immigrants Lower Wages for Native Workers? Evidence from the Mariel Boatlift

Tuan Nguyen

Tuesday, March 26, 2019 
Tuan Nguyen, assistant professor of economics, investigates whether an increase in Cuban immigrants following the 1980 Mariel boatlift caused the wages of native workers in Miami to change. Come find out.

Would You Be My Neighbor? Ancient Cosmopolitanism as an Aid to Community

Anna Christensen

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Anna Christensen, lecturer in philosophy, examines how the concept of cosmopolitanism in Cynic and Stoic philosophy—which declares all human beings citizens of a single community—can help us address current political and social concerns.