Do Lunch with Michael Ignatieff, Apr. 19

Apr 152013
 
 April 15, 2013  Posted by
Do Lunch with Michael Ignatieff, Apr. 19

Join us April 19th at noon for a wide-ranging discussion on politics and globalization with this year’s Kenan Distinguished Lecturer in Ethics, Michael Ignatieff. Dr. Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian scholar, author, television and radio broadcaster, and former leader of Canada’s Liberal Party (2008-2011). Dr. Ignatieff has published on subjects such as the English penal system, the human need for community, modern warfare, and human rights. His more recent work has also addressed the ethics of waging wars against terrorism. In addition to his non-fiction work, Ignatieff wrote a television play, Dialogue in the Dark, and his second novel Scar Tissue (1993) was short-listed for both the Booker Prize for Fiction and the Whitbread Novel Award. He currently holds joint appointments at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and at the More…

What Is Good Art Opening Reception, Apr. 10

Apr 022013
 
 April 2, 2013  Posted by
What Is Good Art Opening Reception, Apr. 10

Join us Wednesday, April 10th for food and drink as we reveal the works selected for inclusion in this year’s What Is Good Art Exhibition. We will announce the judges’ selections for First, Second, and Third Prizes for this year’s competition, and attendees will have the opportunity to vote for an additional “Gallery Choice” Prize for one artist. The reception will begin at 6pm in the first floor gallery of the West Duke Building. This event is free and open to the public.

The Science of Success, Apr. 2

Mar 272013
 
 March 27, 2013  Posted by
The Science of Success, Apr. 2

How do students’ backgrounds impact their experiences and performance before Duke, at Duke, and beyond? To what extent does preparation affect student success academically and otherwise? How do racial/ethnic and economic differences affect the challenges and opportunities students face during and after their undergraduate experience? Does diversity of experience create more opportunities or more challenges? Join us for a dinner discussion on being successful at Duke, what we know about students’ preparation for life at Duke, and what happens after students graduate from the university. The conversation will feature Peter Arcidiacono, Professor of Economics, Jason Mendez, Visiting Assistant Professor in the Program in Education, and Baishakhi Taylor, Assistant Dean for Trinity College. Dinner will be provided for those who RSVP by Friday, March 29th. When: April 2nd from 6:30pm to More…

Do Lunch with Marc Dreyfors, Mar. 27

Mar 252013
 
 March 25, 2013  Posted by
Do Lunch with Marc Dreyfors, Mar. 27

Come join a lively discussion on the increasing dilemma of biofuels vs. food production in a resource-constraining world. Drought, flood, heat and fires caused by greenhouse gases are affecting land-use and global climate. How will we feed ourselves, much less fuel our growth-dependent economies? Can we lift the 2 billion developing country poor out of poverty while the impacts of climate disruption unfold? We are facing fewer and harder choices, but the answers may lie within the choices we make daily. Marc Dreyfors is a graduate from the School of Foresty and Environmental Studies at Duke. He has tested all aspects of our market economy, willingness-to-pay and decision-making processes through the operations of several green businesses, including fair trade handicrafts focusing on areas of high biodiversity, the construction of a More…

Big Questions: Cultural Preservation and Government, Mar. 25

Mar 222013
 
 March 22, 2013  Posted by
Big Questions: Cultural Preservation and Government, Mar. 25

In France, the L’Académie française decides what qualifies as appropriate French language. In Iceland, a panel of experts passes judgment on which names are “Icelandic enough” to be allowed on official documents. In Canada, a percentage of all media broadcasted must be natively produced. These kinds of government-mandated attempts at cultural preservation are relatively common, but what sorts of ethical dilemmas do they create? Should parents really only be able to name their children based on an official registry of names? Is slang language really not language if it isn’t recognized by the appropriate board of experts? Does “culture” require government protections in order to sustain it? Should culture thrive without state intervention? Join us Monday, March 25th in 103 West Duke Building from 3:30 to 5 for a student-led More…

Do Lunch with Theresa Newman, Mar. 6

Feb 252013
 
 February 25, 2013  Posted by
Do Lunch with Theresa Newman, Mar. 6

Team Kenan invites you to Do Lunch with Theresa Newman, Clinical Professor of Law and faculty advisor to the student-led Innocence Project. Prof. Newman has dedicated her life to bringing justice to those who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes. As the co-director of the Wrongful Convictions Clinic and the associate director of the Duke Law School Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility, Newman has extensive experience tackling the ethical obligations of the legal system to the people it serves. As the advisor to the Innocence Project, Newman oversees a group of students at Duke Law who work to exonerate victims of wrongful convictions, engage in policy reform, and help exonerees in their reintegration to society. She also sits on the board of the international Innocence Network, of which More…

Big Questions: Internet Vigilanteism, Mar. 4

Feb 242013
 
 February 24, 2013  Posted by
Big Questions: Internet Vigilanteism, Mar. 4

Is it possible to crowdsource justice? Do movements to shame bad behavior represent some sort of twenty-first century reputational lynching? Join us on Monday, March 4th at 3:30pm in West Duke 103 for a wide-ranging discussion of the ways we harness the power of the Internet to take justice into our own hands. Are tools to bring attention to bad behavior empowering or terrifying? Can we have justice without due process? Is the threat of shame a better deterrent than the punishments available through the justice system? This week’s topic is inspired by Grace’s recent Devil’s Dilemma post rounding up recent examples of people taking to the Internet to exact justice (or revenge?) on various others. See you Monday!

The Science of Selection, Feb. 21

Feb 112013
 
 February 11, 2013  Posted by
The Science of Selection, Feb. 21

Selection processes aren’t just for the admissions office; they happen all the time across campus and beyond. Rush season spurs all kinds of group decision-making within campus organizations, but the way we form social groups has implications for student life—and life after college. Are you intrigued by student-run selective processes and how they impact students and campus as a whole? What social and psychological factors contribute to the ways students (and people more generally) make decisions about the groups with which they affiliate? When is group diversity desirable and when might it be problematic? Join Team Kenan for a panel discussion over dinner in the Gothic Reading Room. Panelists include Donna Lisker (Office of Undergraduate Education), and Gary Glass (CAPS). Be sure to RSVP to guarantee a free and delicious More…

Big Questions: Animal Ethics, Feb. 18

Feb 102013
 
 February 10, 2013  Posted by
Big Questions: Animal Ethics, Feb. 18

This week’s Big Questions session tackles issues surrounding animal ethics. Do animals have any rights that we should recognize as universal? Should we value wildlife and pets according to different rubrics? Is it okay to eat animals? Under what circumstances is not acceptable to eat them? This topic was inspired by Nihir’s recent Devil’s Dilemma post about a New Zealand economist who has recommended a on ban cats in order to protect the many endemic and endangered species of birds in his country. Join us in West Duke 103 for snacks and conversation Monday, February 18th from 3:30 until 5pm. No RSVP is necessary; this event is free and open to everyone.

TK Food Challenge, Feb. 17

Feb 072013
 
 February 7, 2013  Posted by  Tagged with:
TK Food Challenge, Feb. 17

Preparing meals is more complicated than just adding water. Food is a luxury for some, a scarcity for others, and political no matter who is eating at the table. Join Team Kenan for an afternoon of experiential learning to explore the factors that influence people’s food decisions. For this Challenge, we will be getting out of the lecture hall, into the grocery store and the kitchen. Whether you are sent to Dollar General, Whole Foods, given a car or set off by foot, you and the rest of your family of five for the afternoon will be expected to have dinner on table that evening. Each family’s financial situation will be different, so you will have to budget your time, energy and funds wisely. Over dinner, Kenan Graduate Fellow and More…

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