Tues, Nov 4 @ 5pm: CAS Inquire: “The Political Psychology of Uncertainty: Implications for Decision Making and Democracy”
Dr. Ingrid Haas (Political Science) will explore how uncertainty shapes the way we think, feel, and make decisions—especially in political contexts. It highlights how uncertainty can either open our minds or close them off, with important consequences for democratic values like tolerance, compromise, and support for democratic norms. (Gaughan Multicultural Center, Rm 202)
Wed, Nov 5 @ 11:45am: “Rescue or Ruin: Orphan Life during the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust”
This lecture presented by Andrea Wagh, PhD Student of Department of History, showcases her ongoing dissertation research, which is an examination on how orphanages were used to either rescue victims of genocide or perpetrate genocidal policies against them. Through a comparative study of the Armenian genocide (1915 - 1918) and the Holocaust (1933 - 1945), her research explores how orphanages were manipulated in each case. By understanding the role these institutions played, we can better understand how children are uniquely targeted in mass violence and how orphanages have served as spaces for both good and evil. (Gaughan Multicultural Center, Rm 202)
Wed, Nov 5 @ 3:30pm: The Robert Knoll Lecture Series presents Zack Turpin, “‘The Cushions of the Presidency are Nothing but Filth and Blood’: Walt Whitman on American Dictatorship”
Frequently called the “poet of democracy,” Whitman was banned in his day, and he remains provocative and challenging now. How did a man-loving man, disabled in his final decades and never affluent, come to be widely regarded as the national poet? And how and why did he become an inspiration for democratic movements worldwide? Can he speak to our current political problems (in case you’re curious, he hated tariffs with a passion)? The third in the series, these talks will occur on the 30th anniversary of the Walt Whitman Archive and its 25 year of operation at UNL. Through talks by three prominent Americanists — all with expertise in 19th century American literature, Whitman and digital humanities — we have an opportunity to see how literary studies can speak to cultural change, identity and the possibility of renewal. (Bailey Library, 228 Andrews Hall)
Fri, Nov 7 @ 12:30pm: IGNITE featuring Trent Claus
Trent Claus is an award-winning Visual Effects Supervisor with Lola VFX. He has worked on over 130 feature films, including 20 Academy Award nominees for Best Visual Effects (4 winners), 13 nominees for Best Picture (1 winner), and with a cumulative worldwide box-office of over 47 billion dollars. Trent is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the Visual Effects Society (VES). In 2012, he was awarded the VES Award for Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for his groundbreaking work on “Captain America: The First Avenger”. In 2020 he was nominated for Outstanding Compositing once again for “Captain Marvel”.
Trent was heavily involved with the first era of Marvel Studios films, having contributed to 19 of the 22 films leading up to Avengers: Endgame. Notably he was a VFX Supervisor on “Avengers: Endgame”, “Captain Marvel”, “Captain America: Civil War”, “Avengers: Infinity War”, and others. More recently, he has been working with Lucasfilm on shows such as “Ahsoka”, “The Mandalorian”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi”,and “The Book of Boba Fett”, as well as continuing to work with Marvel on such projects as “Black Widow”, “WandaVision”, and “Deadpool / Wolverine”. (Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts)
Tues, Nov 11 @ 6pm: Great Plains Lecture: “‘Rescuing’ Japanese American Histories of Nebraska” Screening & Panel
Learn about the vibrant histories of Japanese Americans in Nebraska from the late 19th century to the present and the community-led efforts to maintain them in this screening and panel discussion. This event begins with a screening of Nebraska Public Media’s recently aired “Nebraska Stories: Rescuing Japanese Hall” episode (30 minutes), followed by a panel of Japanese American community members, Vickie Sakurada Schaepler (Japanese Hall and History Project Coordinator), Kim Hachiya (community descendant), and Sharon Ishii-Jordan (Professor Emerita at Creighton University and community descendant), and the senior producer of “Nebraska Stories,” Kay Hall. This event will be moderated by Dr. Donna Doan Anderson. This is part of the Paul A. Olson Great Plains lecture series by the Center for Great Plains Studies. (Lied Commons)
Wed, Nov 12 @ 3:30pm: Mo Crist & Ilana Masad: Editor & Author in Conversation
As part of the Colophon Series on publishing, editor Mo Crist of Bloomsbury Books will be in discussion with Ilana Masad, author of the new novel “Beings.” Crist began their career at W. W. Norton, where they acquired and edited a diverse list of titles with a focus on transgressive, intellectually curious, evocative writing. They have edited across genre and subject from literary fiction to deeply researched history and biography, cultural criticism and food writing. Books they have worked on have been nominated for the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize, Lambda Literary Awards, James Beard Award and Dublin Literary Award. Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction and criticism. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, StoryQuartlerly, Catapult, Buzzfeed, Joyland and The Account. In addition to her new novel, “Beings,” she is the author of the novel “All My Mother’s Lovers.” Masad holds a doctoral degree in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has taught a wide variety of creative writing and literature courses and provides editorial services to authors. (114 Andrews Hall)
Wed, Nov 12 @ 4pm: Gap Year for Pre-Health Students
Are you considering a gap year before starting your professional health program but have questions? This workshop is for you! At this workshop we will be discussing the many aspects of a gap year, such as why some students choose to take one and how to use your gap year effectively before starting your program. (221 Love Library South)
Wed, Nov 12 @ 5:30pm: Ilana Masad reads from Beings
In 1961, an interracial couple drove through the dark mountains of New Hampshire when a mysterious light began to follow them. Years later, through hypnosis, they recalled an unbelievable brush with extraterrestrial life. Unintentionally, a genre was born: the alien abduction narrative. In “Beings,” the couple’s experience serves as one part of a trio of intertwined threads: Known only by their roles as husband and wife, Masad explores the pair’s trauma and its aftermath and questions what it means to accept the impossible. In the second thread, letters penned by a budding science-fiction writer, Phyllis, to her beloved, Rosa, expose the raw ache of queer yearning, loneliness, and alienation in the repressive 1960s-as well as the joy of finding community. In the present day, a reclusive and chronically ill Archivist attempts to understand a strange forgotten childhood encounter while descending into obsession over both Phyllis’s letters and the testimony of the first alien abductees. Ilana Masad, who holds a PhD in English/Creative Writing from UNL, is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times, LA Times, Washington Post, NPR, The Atlantic, StoryQuartlerly, Catapult, Buzzfeed, Joyland, The Account, and many more. She is also the author of the novel “All My Mother’s Lovers.” (Francie & Finch Bookshop, 130 S. 13th St)
Thurs, Nov 13 @ 5:30pm: Humanities on the Edge Presents: Allucquere Rosanne “Sandy” Stone, together with Marjorie Vecchio & Megan Malone: “Whatever I Tell You I’m Going to do is Never Going to Happen, So Trans Out, Bro”
Allucquere Rosanne “Sandy” Stone, professor emerita at the University of Texas at Austin and founding director of the Advanced Communication Technologies Laboratory presents the second of four Humanities on the Edge lectures. Stone will be joined by Marjorie Vecchio, filmmaker, and Megan Malone, comedian. The talk is free and open to the public. Now in its 16th year, the lecture series was founded in 2010 and continues to promote cross-disciplinary conversation and theoretical research in the humanities. The lectures are organized by Katie Anania (art history), Luis Othoniel Rosa (modern languages and literatures and the Institute for Ethnic Studies), Marco Abel (English), and Erin Hanas (Sheldon Museum of Art). (Via Zoom; link forthcoming)
Thurs, Nov 13 @ 7pm: No Man’s Land Film Festival
As the premier all-women adventure film festival, No Man’s Land Film Festival (NMLFF) celebrates the full scope of female athletes and adventurers. The goal of the NMLFF is to “un-define feminine” in adventure and sport through film by creating safe and inclusive platforms that further champion women, transgender, and gender-fluid communities and show them the respect, support, and media recognition they deserve. (Nebraska Union, Swanson Auditorium)
Thurs, Nov 13 @ 7pm: “The Political Upheaval in Israel in 1977: It’s Causes & Impact”
Professor Eran Eldar of Tulane University is a distinguished scholar and the author of “Attrition” (recipient of the Moldovan Prize for Military Literature), “The Road to ‘77,” and “By Its Own Efforts.” He earned his Ph.D. in Jewish History from Tel Aviv University and has served as a visiting professor at leading institutions across Israel, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. He has published extensively in English, Hebrew, and French, and received high praise in prominent journals. (Gaughan Multicultural Center, Rm 202)
Fri, Nov 14 @ 12pm: UCARE Info Session
Are you interested in research and creative activity, but perhaps you’re unsure where to start? Bring your questions and learn more about one of many undergraduate research opportunities at UNL: the UCARE Program. This session will focus on undergraduate students; however, anyone who is curious from our campus community may join!
Please register using the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/Cf3vZEx9GH (Willa Cather Dining Complex, Pioneers Suite)
Fri, Nov 14 @ 7pm: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at 50”: Presentations, Film Screenings, Q & A Sessions
In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Miloš Forman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel, Professor Jaimey Fisher will give pre-screening presentations from his forthcoming book (Bloomsbury/BFI, fall 2025) on this landmark New Hollywood film (which is one of only three films to have received the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and both Actor and Actress) and will be available for post-screening conversation. (Ross Media Arts Center)
Tues, Nov 18 @ 4pm: Applying to Health Schools 101
Are you planning to apply to a professional health school in the next couple of years? Even if you are in your first or second year of college, it is important that you learn about the steps in the application process and what you can do now to prepare to submit your best application. This workshop will not cover information about applying to nursing school, radiography programs, or dental hygiene programs. (221 Love Library South)
Tues, Nov 18 @ 5:30pm: EN Thompson Forum: “Belonging is a Practice, Not a Place,” with Orly Israel
Orly Israel is a communication strategist who combines his background as a TV producer with deep volunteer experience in prisons, shelters, and crisis support. He is the creator of The Listening Table, an experiment involving a folding table in a public space with a sign reading “Here to listen. No judgment. No advice. No charge,” resulting in over 1,500 conversations. Israel is a teacher of emotional resilience, empathy, and communication skills and the VP of Warmline.org, a peer support network. In addition to delivering workshops to small groups around Lincoln, Israel will deliver one presentation open to the public focused on belonging as a daily practice. He will offer attendees tools to foster authentic human connection, build strong social bonds, and navigate life’s challenges in an increasingly digital world. (Swanson Auditorium, Nebraska Union)