The University of Arizona’s College of Humanities is hosting the Tucson Humanities Festival, a month-long series of events showcasing the importance of humanities in a variety of ways.
This year’s festival stretches from Oct. 3 to Nov. 7 and includes 10 different events, all united under this year’s theme of “Resistance and Revolution.” The theme explores “moments of principled defiance, quiet dissent and thundering discord” and how these actions can affect change, according to the festival’s website.
Here are a few of the events to check out. For a full schedule, check the festival website.
“Imperfect Legacy: From National Liberation to Meaningful Freedom in Africa”
UA professor of French and Italian Phyllis Taoua will take a look at the process of independence in the different countries of Africa. This includes a closer look at how independence came to be in Ghana and South Africa, and also how decolonization in Africa has affected its residents. The presentation will be Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at the UA Poetry Center.
“Poetry of Resistance: A Plea for Social Change”
This panel, presented by the UA Poetry Center with support from PEN America, will center on poetry as a response to topics including xenophobia, racial profiling, shared identity and more. Martín Espada, a poet who has written on topics like social justice, and Odilia Galván Rodríguez, co-editor of “Poetry of Resistance: Voices for Social Justice,” will participate in a conversation moderated by Mari Herreras. The discussion will be Thursday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at the UA Poetry Center.
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“Virtual Study Abroad: A Digital Humanities Experience”
For this event, UA College of Humanities faculty will take attendees on a journey around the world. Using 360-degree images in researchers’ films, faculty members aim to show attendees different parts of the world. Presenters include Bryan Carter, the director of the Center for Digital Humanities; Ken Mcallister, the associate dean of the College of Humanities; and Judd Ruggill, the department head of Public and Applied Humanities. The event will be Friday, Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. at Owls Club, 236 S. Scott Ave.
“Exploring the Universe: Science and Humanities United”
Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator for the OSIRIS-Rex mission, will discuss the role humanities play in his work. Lauretta, who holds degrees in theoretical mathematics and physics and Japanese, will provide insight on how the latter helped him work with Japanese scientists with the Japanese Space Agency in the exploration of space. The free event will take place at the Flandrau Science Center Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 10 a.m.
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“The Mexican Suitcase: Humanities Seminar Film Screening”
Malcolm Compitello, the director of UA Humanities Seminars, will present this film screening for the festival. The film follows the story of 4,500 recovered negatives taken during the Spanish Civil War by photographers Gerda Taro, David Seymour and Robert Capa. The film will be shown at The Loft Cinema Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. Free tickets are available at 12 p.m. that day at The Loft Cinema and are limited to two per person.
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