Free lecture series designed to engage community

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas' University Forum lecture series is in its 28th year, and its purpose of providing engaging presentations to the local community still holds true since its inception.

"The basic idea behind the series is to showcase the world of intelligent minds to the local community," said Steve Parker, the program's director and associate professor in the university's department of political science. "We bring in people to speak in ordinary terms on creative writings and projects they're involved in."

The 13-lecture series, which began in September, is set to run through Dec. 6 in the auditorium of the Marjorie Barrick Museum, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. The talks are sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, with help from KNPR, and feature speakers from universities across the country to one from Podor Senegal, Africa.

Parker said the selection of speakers involves soliciting faculty members to submit proposals for them or someone they know to speak on a topic of interest to the public. A committee of faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts meets at the beginning of the semester and selects the speakers. The lectures are funded through Nevada Humanities, the Dean's Associate fund, which was founded by Christopher Hudgins, UNLV's dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and private donations.

This semester's remaining lectures include topics ranging from a journey through Ireland presented by Stephen G. Brown, associate professor of English at UNLV, to a look at how people use new media to end relationships by Ilana Gershon, professor in the Indiana University's anthropology department.

Parker said attendance at each lecture averages about 100 people, though some presentations draw more people than chairs available in the 130-seat auditorium.

One lecture that nearly filled the auditorium was "Narcotic Wars at the Border and the Body as Parchment in the Writing of Violence," Oct. 11. Ventura Pérez, University of Massachusetts assistant professor in anthropology, discussed the effects of the Mexican drug cartels and the brutal violence that has impacted parts of the nation, particularly Ciudad Juárez.

Audience members were invited to ask questions of Pérez following his talk. Some people were curious about his research in Mexico while others asked about his opinion of how the possible legalization of marijuana would affect drug-related violence. Pérez said he viewed the legalization as having "a considerable impact, as it would weaken one of (Mexico's) biggest revenue streams."

These are the types of discussions that fall in line with the University Forum lecture series' purpose.

"Our goal is to facilitate the local community," Parker said. "Our mission is to bridge the town-and-gown gap."

Parker said though the department does not have a set way in which it seeks feedback from attendees, committee members gauge the success of a presentation by sitting in on each talk and taking notes from audience reaction and engagement. Based on the results, Parker said, some speakers may be invited back, and committee members can get an idea of what the public likes in terms of topics.

Remaining lectures cover subjects in fine arts, English, anthropology, social justice and modern language. For more information, call 895-3401 or visit liberalarts.unlv.edu/forum.htm.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-0492.