Author: Lyla Jones

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Competition Between Amoebas: A Fight for Evolution

On April 8th, Dr. Suegene Noh, Colby College’s own Assistant Professor of Biology, contributed to our Presence of The Past lecture series with a presentation titled “How current genomes are shaped by evolutionary pasts.” This lecture was extremely fascinating and certainly stood out from our previous lectures. We have heard a lot about the impact of the humanities, psychology and literature has on our present day interpretation of the past. However, Dr. Noh was the first presenter to introduce explicit science into one of our talks. Her ideas were unique and her presentation was very well articulated. She understood and adapted to the fact that most people in the room did not have extensive knowledge surrounding the concepts of “multicellular aggregated amoebas” – this I really appreciated. Yet, her ideas fully fit into the Presence of The Past series mold. She began the lecture by discussing the context of her profession. Dr. Noh is an evolutionary biologist and primarily discusses the parallel between genetics and social interactions amongst multicellular organisms.

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Pride, Prejudice, and Philosophy

On March 18th, Colby’s own Philosophy professor Keith Peterson contributed to our lecture series with a presentation titled, “The Past that has never been Present: The Changing Role of the a priori in Philosophical Anthropology.” Professor Peterson began his talk by stating how the philosophical mindset is key to interpreting and solving the current beliefs around environmentalism. I was initially intimidated by what seemed to be the content of this lecture since I am not well versed in philosophical thought. However, the speaker explained how philosophy is a vast understanding and topic which encompasses reality, existence and knowledge. From this, Professor Peterson introduced how the concept of “a priori” is a contributing factor in how the average person creates their understandings, especially concerning climate change and our environment. I have never heard of this concept, but Professor Peterson explained how a priori is a thought which is formed from theoretical deduction prior to observations, as opposed to knowledge which is gained from experience. He looked to explain a priori through a series of examples and how it relates to the notion of prejudice. Professor Peterson elaborated on how prejudices are preconceived notions that are created through an a priori manner, and not supported by a personal experience. I found it interesting how the thoughts formed this way are by a lack of “objective validity,” however this is what influences majority of our basic knowledge. This explains the gaps in fundamental awareness surronding climate change because most people do not have direct experience with the negative impacts which surround this topic and consequently do not have the drive to fix it.

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Science and The Humanities: A Recipe for Success

On March 11th, Wai Chee Dimock, a english professor at Yale University, added to our series through a lecture titled, “William Blake and Elizabeth Bishop in the Anthropocene.” The speaker selected literary works by these two poets and really elaborated on how science and the humanities must merge in order to facilitate public understanding of highly relevant environmental  issues. My first impression of the lecture was how it was somewhat similar to a previous talk by Georgetown Professor Nathan K. Hensley regarding “Action After Nature: Climate Crisis & the Force of Literature.” Professor Hensley’s lecture highlighted the importance of the relationship between thought and action, and how it is influenced by past events. I found it fascinating how Professor Dimock drew parallels between the works of Bishop and Blake just how Professor Hensley connected Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to a transitionary period. Having made this connection early on, I paired my previously formulated opinions about this field with Professor Dimock’s knowledge to further understand the parallels between science and the written word.

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To Cure Climate Change, We Must Rebuild Our Thought Process

On February 25th, Nathan K. Hensley, a professor from Georgetown University, gave an insightful talk titled “Action After Nature: Climate Crisis & the Force of Literature.” He began his talk highlighting the importance of the relationship between thought and action, and how it is influenced by past events. He was forward in giving his opinion on how everything we are now, is an expression what has been. From this, he drew the comparison to our physical body, the air we breathe, and the words we speak. I found it particularly interesting how he went into how we speak the past – as we speak the “language of the dead.” We are able to tell from moments into his lecture how Dr. Hensley has a passion for what he was talking about. He employed humor and powerful language into his talk which left a lasting impression. I also enjoyed how he illustrated non-obvious parallels from points of his past to the topic of his lecture. It was not until into about ten minutes into his talk that the class room got a full understanding of the purpose of the talk, which was to prove the powerful force which literature plays in our collapsing ecological world.

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Religious Prejudice on the Reservation

Sonja Thomas, Associate Professor, gave a powerful lecture regarding Indians on the Reservation: Missionary Priests from India and Catholic Settler Colonialism. Her speech really opened my eyes to the injustice which Native American people must overcome in the United States. I find it extremely shocking and almost saddening that I have made it two decades into my life and still have never heard of majority of these issues before this talk. I was alarmed that I have been so isolated from the struggles of Native Americans. I believe that our education system and even new outlets should place a greater emphasis on reporting what is happening on these Reservations. Since without knowledge, Americans are just falling to be bystanders to these hateful acts.

 

I found that the most impactful aspect of Professor Thomas’s lecture to be was her personal narratives. She really captivated the audience by first and foremost stating why she had a passion for this topic. One was able to see her enthusiasm for being able to share her thoughts with the crowd. Professor Thomas grew up in a devoted Catholic community in Montana. She was highly devoted to her religion to the point where she never missed Sunday Mass, read the Bible everyday, and even read the Bible multiple times. This was something that was relatable to my upbringing. While growing up in McLean, Virginia, my family placed a heavy emphasis on our Episcopalian faith. We said Grace every night, attended church every Sunday, volunteered through our Church, and much more. I always had a connection with my Priest and leadership team at Church, and I enjoyed hearing about Professor Thomas’s similar experience. I especially found it interesting how she shared a story about knowing all the Indian Priest throughout the country, no matter where she is. It appeared that those within the Church were her support system. As well, it must have been such an eye opening opportunity to have multiple Priests constantly moving in and out of your family home.

 

As  well, I felt like Professor Thomas’s lecture allowed me to gain a lot of knowledge that I honestly should have already known. I was shocked and saddened to hear about the physical and sexual abuse that infested the Catholic Schools on the Reservation for these Native Americans. It is horrible that such hateful acts continue to happen in today’s day of age. I hope that through spreading the news and educating the general population on what is really happening in these communities, America will feel the pain which is impacting this group of Native Americans. Then hopefully through education, the injustices which were highlighted in Professor Thomas’s lecture will eventually disappear.

 

Following the lecture, an attendee posed a question to Professor Thomas regarding if there were any other reservations in the United States that shows parallels to what is happening in Montana, since this is where the focus of her research is coming from. Professor Thomas took a moment to think and then responded in a very eloquent manner. She started with a smile, as she reflected on a phone call she actually had with an Indian priest about the same topic yesterday. She then talked about how having such a strong faith drives the sense of community. Professor Thomas then noted that these Native American reservations were mostly visible in the rural areas of the United States. However, these reservations deal with far different issues beyond what is happening in typical society. She then dived into the other issues beyond religious prejudice which faces these communities. As well, she notes that Priests have different relationships with their communities and how this differs between reservations. Overall, I was extremely impressed by Professor Thomas’s vast knowledge and passion for spreading this topic and I now know I will have a greater appreciation for it going forward.

 

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Angela Merkel: Memory Construction as a Political Tactic

Last week, Professor Jennifer Yoder gave an insightful lecture on “The Presence of the Past in Angela Merkel’s Political Discourse” which highlighted the political career of Merkel and the role which memory construction plays into it.

Angela Merkel is a German politician who has served as the nation’s Chancellor since 2005. When elected, she became the first female Chancellor of Germany and is now serving her fourth term. Professor Yoder believes and hopes to spread the interesting story behind Merkel’s political reign due to her visibility as a European leader, her role in memory politics and how she continues to talk about the past by connecting it to current times. Continue reading “Angela Merkel: Memory Construction as a Political Tactic”