The Valpo Core

The Office of Residential Life will be sponsoring a discussion on modern gentrification, its use of the court powers (eminent domain), and whether or not the audience agrees with the argument presented.  The program will begin with a showing of the War on Peace, a documentary produced by Cris Thorne, which has won an Urban Visionary Award for Film and was inducted into the permanent collection at the National Museum of Television and Radio. The piece compares the black panther movement of the 1960s with the hip-hop of the modern era, examining the idea that both were invented by black culture as a positive influence, but were hi-jacked by people outside of that culture to serve an end. One interpretation that will be presented is that the FBI released propaganda on the black panthers, trying to convince white Americans that there should be no change in the status of the black race. There will be a discussion of whether or not attendees agree with this interpretation. Furthermore, the evolution of hip-hop will be examined, with the argument that it was once a positive music of thought and feeling but has morphed into gangsta rap after years of capitalist influence. A discussion will follow regarding whether or not students think this is a fair assessment. The discussion will also talk about what can be done in society to change this trend or to refute the conclusions that were drawn. For a more modern look at another way in which the black community is being exploited, a scene on gentrification from Boyz n the Hood will be shown. The event will begin at 8:00 pm on February 19th in room 112 of Kallay-Christopher Hall.

Tuesday, November 4 @ 7:00 PM
Alumni Hall TV Lounge

[From the event organizers:]

“Citizenship and Service is the theme for this program. We plan to demonstrate this by showing the importance of each individual vote by discussing past elections and their results. We also plan to inform attendees about the importance of helping others whether it be running for office to make a difference or helping an elderly person carry groceries. This event will invite discussion about problems that we face as a nation and how we can address them by enacting our rights as citizens.  We will also explain the usage and history of the electoral college and discuss how votes are counted and apply to this election. Finally, we will discuss concerns and/or controversies that may be present or arise from the results of this election.”

Sponsored by Residential Life

Date, time and place of event: October 4 at 2:00 p.m. (meet at Alumni Hall at 1:40 p.m.)

During our program, we will take our residents to downtown Valparaiso to see the city and to see the Porter County Historical Society Museum.  Here, our residents will learn about what life in Valparaiso was like over a century ago.  Also at the museum is the old Porter County Jail, which has also been turned into a museum. This is a great educational opportunity to learn about the city behind the University, not to mention it’s a great way to get exercise on a Saturday afternoon!

Sponsored by Residential Life

The movie “Fighting Goliath” will be shown in the Crusader Room in the Union at 7 pm on Thursday, September 18th. “Fighting Goliath” is a film created by the Redford Center (of Robert Redford fame) at Sundance and Alpheus Media and tells the story of a Texas community which fought the creation of new coal power plant. The film deals with the moral issues involved in the coal industry, the need to preserve our natural resources and the ways in which those working together were able to put aside their differences to fight for their beliefs and their community. More information is available at: http://www.fightinggoliathfilm.com/.

There will be a discussion of the issues in the film following the movie that will focus on such things as who is responsible for protecting creation (the earth), where the government’s role is as opposed to the individual’s role, and the universality of the issue (e.g., groups working together who usually might seem opposed to each other).

Sponsored by Residential Life.

Spring Break 2009!!!!!!!

April 10, 2008, 9:00 pm, Lankenau Hall Blue Light Lounge

Several students will talk about the mission trips they had over Spring Break, in Peru, Haiti, and Nicaragua. They will talk about their experience and what they gained from going on those trips. There will be information provided on how students can partake in mission trips and alternative spring breaks next year. A snack will be provided.

Sponsored by Residential Life

From the event organizers:

Brandt Hall is working with the VU Career Center to put on a program about internships prior to the Career Fair.  While the program welcomes students of all majors, it is specifically being marketed to liberal arts students since their degrees do not require internships and, thus, they have less incentive to seek them out on their own.  The Career Center will lead a presentation and will discuss some of the benefits of internships more generally and how they can be beneficial even outside the business and engineering colleges.  They will also be providing tips about securing internships, what have been/are currently available, and can answer questions after the presentation.  We have set a tentative date/time of Jan 30th at 7 PM in CCLIR 205.

The GLC (Global Leaders Community) will be putting on a program on Sunday entitled, “Living in a Foreign Country.” The presentation will focus on the experience of applying and planning to leave, current experiences of international students, and reflecting on traveling by students after they have returned.  The presentation will be on Sunday at 6:30 pm in Brandt Hall’s Classroom.

Thursday, November 7, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. in the Alumni Study Lounge

Residents will discuss different political issues and how their perspective on issues may be skewed by the facts to which they have access  or which media outlets they frequently refer to for information. Professor Jennifer Hora has provided resources, including a PowerPoint presentation, and students will have the opportunity to discuss the upcoming year and what to watch for as they prepare to vote in their first presidential election.

Brandt Hall will be hosting Prof. Steinwart for a discussion of Professionalism.  Prof. Steinwart will discuss appropriate communication and actions when working with a supervisor or in an internship.  She will conclude with a question and answer session. The session is scheduled to be in Brandt’s classroom on Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 8:30 pm.

On Thursday, October 25th at 6 pm, come to 807 Mound Street for some good soup and bread and a chance to learn about a widespread problem: hunger.

This informational event will give insight into the nature and extent of world hunger as well as in the United States, with a focus on what can be done here at school to help solve this problem.

Sponsored by the Office of Residential Life and SALT (Social Action Leadership Team).

Approved for Core 5th-hour credit.

Flyer: Focus on Hunger: The Soup Kitchen Discussion