Rock Valley College will launch its First Tuesday Lecture Series on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, at 6 p.m. Dr. Dan Blumlo, RVC Professor of History will present The Politicization of History. Throughout the spring, RVC faculty experts will lecture on a wide variety of topics on the first Tuesday of the month. Lectures are in-person in the Educational Resource Center Performing Arts Room on RVC’s Main Campus and streamed live on Facebook. All lectures are open to the public and free of charge.

Here is a listing of all of this semester’s First Tuesday Lectures.

February 1, 2022

The Politicization of History presented by Dr. Dan Blumlo, Professor of History

While not a new development, the debate over historical memory has become increasingly politicized in modern-day America. How should we remember and pay tribute to contributions made by historic figures, while also holding those figures accountable for their actions? Is whitewashing the past, or deliberately trying to conceal unpleasant events from the past, patriotic? Should we judge people who lived hundreds of years ago by today’s social norms? In addressing these questions, this talk will discuss the 1619 Project, the 1776 Report, Critical Race Theory, and “cancel culture”.

March 1, 2022

Calling “BS”: How to Fight the Misinformation War presented by Dr. Sarah Etlinger, Professor of English

During the past presidential administration, calls of “fake news” and disinformation campaigns emerged as a central concern for the health of the nation. Once the pandemic hit, it became evident that we faced two diseases at once: the actual virus, and the devastating health effects such misinformation created. This presentation calls on the speaker’s expertise in rhetoric and research methods to address the value and limits of fact-checking, media biases, and offers some strategies towards better information literacy. Indeed, we can “win the war on truth” if we are well-equipped.

April 5, 2022

Our Darkest Day: The Fall of Saigon – April 1975 presented by Dr. Martin Quirk, Professor of History

In the early morning hours of April 30th, the last 11 U.S. military personnel departed the U.S. Embassy roof in Saigon just as the North Vietnamese tanks advanced into the capital. Their departure marked the end of 20 years of U.S. involvement and became symbolic of American failure and the limits of the nation’s power. Seen by some as a failure, the recent withdrawal from Afghanistan raises significant questions about the limits of our nation’s power. This presentation will discuss the history of the Fall of Saigon in April 1975 in light of these questions, offering this history of the evacuation and its place in U.S. history.

May 3, 2022

2019-2020 Sabbatical Leave Review

Presented by Dr. Tim Hatten, Professor of Fitness, Wellness & Sport This presentation will provide an overview of the activities that Dr. Timothy Hatten was involved in during his sabbatical during the 2019-2020 academic year. Dr. Hatten will discuss his involvement with Redline Athletics, Fusionetics Health Performance Systems, research he performed with the RVC softball program, and application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities to Rock Valley College.

For more information please call Kathy McCarty at (815) 921-4009.
 

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