2019 Humanities Symposia

By: Shay Herbert

Spring break is approaching, and so is Trine University’s Spring 2019 Humanities Symposia. The Symposia will begin Tuesday, Feb. 26, and continue through Tuesday, April, 9.

Each session will begin at 3:30 pm in Wells Theater in Taylor Hall. The Symposia will open with “Fun with Ragnarok: Learning Norse Mythology through Rick Riordan’s Magus Chase Books,” presented by Dr. Melissa Mayus. This talk will consider the popular book series by Rick Riordan and investigate how the older mythology is being used to teach modern virtues.

Presented by Trine’s Department of Humanities and Communication (HAC), the Symposia allows Trine, and visiting faculty to give enrichment talks about their research outside of the classroom. This allows students, and community members, to be expand their horizons and be exposed to a variety of new ideas.

Dr. Melissa Mayus emphasizes that the Symposia is not just a lecture, and students are encourage to interact with the speakers at the end. Mayus states, “This is a chance to engage with scholars and talk about what they are working on.” Students who attend any one of these talks will receive CHAT credit to go towards their graduation.

The remaining schedule for the Symposia is as follows:

March 19- “The Mighty Atom: Nuclear Energy in Comics and Manga,” Presented by Patrick Ridout, MLS, MIS. Rideout will discuss an overview of the history and how comics have shaped the discussion of the world’s view on atomic energy. 

March 26- "With great power comes great responsibility": Beowulf as Modern Super Hero Presented by Dr. Stephanie Opfer. This talk will outline how Beowulf defines a hero, how that definition compares to modern heroes, and why it is ok that our heroes are flawed.

April 2-  “Shakespeare’s Worst Play? The Unexplained and the Unfinished: An Exploration of Timon of Athens,”Presented by Dr. Jennifer Royston. Royston will discuss one play in particular—Timon of Athens—which has been described as Shakespeare’s “least loved play.” 

April 9- “Oh, The Places You’ll Go…Through Children’s Literature,” Presented by Michelle Blank, MLIS. This talk will lead you on a journey through various pieces of children’s literature.

Trine’s Humanities Symposia is free and open to the public. Convocations last around 30 minutes, but attendees are encouraged to stay after and ask questions. It is encouraged to arrive early if your have a specific seating preference due to the fact that Wells Theater only seats 75 guests.

For more information regarding the Symposia, contact Dr. Melissa Mayus.