Last month the Stone House Center for Public Humanities sponsored SRU’s fourth annual Live Like a Stoic week—a program co-opted from Modern Stoicism’s event by the same name. Modern Stoicism is a non-profit organization consisting of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals ranging from philosophy professors to psychologists, aiming to help people better their own lives through the practice of stoicism. Each year the organization builds a seven-day program based around a topic, such as this year’s theme: Living Happily. Each year the organization sees worldwide engagement in the event, coupling an online course with conferences, speakers, and other events. 2017 saw Stoic Week’s largest numbers, with over 7,000 participants. Based on this theme, the Stone House created a three-day event from October 16-18 in SRU’s Ski Lodge, bringing members of the university and greater local community together to discuss how a 2000 year old philosophy can contribute to happiness and flourishing in today's society.
Stoicism originated in ancient Greece and remained popular through Roman times… but how does that apply today? While Stoicism is far too vast a philosophy to sum up in a blog post, there are a few central tenets which unify the discussions had on the stoic view of happiness:

1. Happiness is not a transient feeling, but a state that results from living a good life.
2. A good life is one lived in accord with nature.
3. By nature, humans are rational and sociable.
4. Being sociable in a rational way essentially means being a good person.
5. Having a good life means being a good person.
6. To be a good person, we must determine what it means to be a good person, and work to align our actions with that moral code by cultivating virtues.
7. Focusing on things outside of our control will not contribute to our happiness, so we should try to be indifferent to those things. (The Stoics call them Indifferents).
8. While worldly pleasures are not bad things, they don’t make us better people, so we should only enjoy them to the extent that they don’t interfere with cultivating virtue.

Each evening, the participants were welcomed into the candlelit Ski lodge (the stoics didn’t have electricity!) to openly ponder their own morals and the things in their lives which deserve less attention. On the first night, participants discussed the stoic meaning of happiness, and what it means to be indifferent to things outside of our own control. To demonstrate this point, the participants were asked to remove their jackets, and go for a walk in the 45 degree October darkness, resisting the urge to shiver, complain, or huddle up, acknowledging the cold, but being as unaffected by it as possible. On the second night, the discussion centered around the relationship between happiness and emotion, and how we should work to control intense emotions (known to the Stoics as Passions) such as rage, fear, and bliss, as they would interfere with our natural, rational nature, instead opting for hope, caution, and joy. The third and final night centered on our sociable nature, our duties to our community, and how important and natural it is to care for those around you.
SRU’s Stoic week was a very brief foray into the philosophy of stoicism, but provided an opportunity for like-minded individuals to reflect on their own personal path and methods of personal growth and happiness. It also provided students not just a refuge from the stress of midterms, but also coping
mechanisms for dealing with the stress of our complex world by providing an idea of our own roles within it, and how to fulfill those roles gladly.

​Each month, The Stone House Center for Public Humanities interviews a humanities scholar or community member and asks them everything from why they believe the humanities are important to what they're currently binge-watching. We hope that our blog series, Coffee & Questions, will inspire you, introduce you to a variety of people and fields, as well as create new conversations.
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​Our guest this month is Dr. Jonathan Helmick, Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Slippery Rock University. Dr. Helmick received a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Conducting from The University of Southern Mississippi and a Master in Music Degree in Euphonium Performance, a Bachelor of Music in Music Education Degree, and Bachelor of Arts in Business and Organizational Communications degrees from The University of Akron. Dr. Helmick directs the wind ensemble, concert, band, and marching band at Slippery Rock University. 
 
What inspires you in your current position/role?
Without a doubt, I would have to say my students. I live for those moments when students look into their “rear-view mirrors” and realize how far they have come, the relationships that they have fostered, the skills they have built, and the people that they have intentionally grown into being. I am inspired watching them grapple with new information, musical challenges and obstacles that they never thought possible, only to discover that they are capable of achievement and understanding that extends beyond what they think/thought possible. It gives me hope that they will transfer this belief in themselves, their ability to surmount what they think “impossible,” and build something extraordinary regardless of what circumstance throws at them. Think about it. Every challenge that they undertake and triumph over today is proof to who they will be tomorrow that they are capable of anything. That’s inspirational.   

What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?
While I was working on my doctorate at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), I had the pleasure of being a graduate assistant under Dr. Thomas Fraschillo. Dr. Fraschillo was the Director of Bands at the time and conducted the USM Wind Ensemble. He challenged me both directly and indirectly in ways that I cannot describe or quantify. Understand that watching him bring music to life was more impacting of an experience than I ever thought possible. But more than the study of music, he taught by example what it meant to have integrity, maintain high personal and professional standards, and hold people accountable to themselves and to others. Why was working with him so educational? He taught all of his students how to avoid inertia, shun mediocrity, and have pride in the work that they do.
 
What project(s) are you currently working on?
Well, that is a big question. I will give you the most immediate.
The Wind Ensemble is currently working on premiering Symphony No. 1: Heroes by composer Onsby Rose. This work was commissioned as part of a consortium, the SRU Wind Ensemble as a member. We will have the pleasure of having Onsby on campus in November as he will be joining the wind ensemble to provide insight on his masterwork. This collaboration will be powerful for our students as they will have the opportunity to better understand the mind of an outstanding composer as they bring his piece to life!
 
Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
I think that the humanities remind us that life is more than just surviving, it is about thriving. Life presents us with the opportunity to marvel, connect, discover, understand… I think that we forget that sometimes. Or perhaps, we often put that off in favor of the “checklists” in life. There is a significant focus on professional preparation these days which drives a myopic worldview. While professional preparation is most certainly important, so are the experiences that make life meaningful. The humanities, to me, allows us to experience diversity, understand perspective, and connect to each other as well as our past, present, and future. Furthermore, in the right hands, the humanities can be a laboratory for developing values and sharing beliefs, resulting in powerful actions.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)?
I love running half marathons! It started out as a way to stay connected with a friend of mine after I left Mississippi to come to SRU. Each year, we run a half marathon together – the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Yes, you read that correctly. Each year she and I dress up as Disney characters and run through the parks of Disney. It is so much fun!
 
What shows are you currently binge-watching?
I absolutely love The Blacklist. Raymond Reddington is one of the most well-written characters – a perfect villain!
 
What is your first thought in the morning and last thought at night?
Morning: Coffee…
Night: Coffee…
 
What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
The Name of the Rose
 
What is the worst job that you had while working through your degree and what would you tell your past self now?
I really did not have a terrible work experience while working on my degrees. I think I was lucky in that regard!
 
Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the humanities that people would find surprising?
Music has opened up the world to me, quite literally. I have friends and colleagues all over the world that I have had the pleasure of meeting because of music. It translates language, culture, geographic boundaries – you name it. It is an everyday reminder that we are all far more similar than we are led to believe.
 

​Each month, The Stone House Center for Public Humanities interviews a humanities scholar or community member and asks them everything from why they believe the humanities are important to what they're currently binge-watching. We hope that our new blog series, Coffee & Questions, will inspire you, introduce you to a variety of people and fields, as well as create new conversations.

​Our guest this month is Shelby Heisler, the new Program Coordinator for the Stone House Center for Public Humanities. She is a 2015 graduate from Slippery Rock University, with dual majors in History and Professional Studies with a concentration in Nonprofit Management.  Since her graduation, she has worked with multiple Pittsburgh nonprofits and has grown her own photography business specializing in portraits and weddings. 
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What project(s) are you currently working on?
Currently, I’m working with the CPH to host a local Meet and Greet with local organizations in collaborations with the Student Nonprofit Alliance. Together, we hope to become a valuable tool for local nonprofits and humanities-based organizations to better serve their mission and achieve their goals. I am also working on updates to the Summer Academy and the Humanities Ladder. My main focus has been bringing the humanities into the classrooms of students who would not normally receive humanities education.
 
I am also a professional photographer on the side, and once my wedding season finishes up I have an exciting shoot in the works celebrating all things Halloween-related. The theme is female-empowerment while incorporating some local folklore. I have the incredible pleasure of working with many skilled Pittsburgh artists and vendors and could not be more thrilled!

What inspires you in your current position/role?
My biggest source of inspiration in this role comes from the incredible professors and community members I have the honor to work with daily. I was the first in my family to graduate college, and I was under the impression that secondary education was all about getting in and graduating with the most generic business degree possible.

It wasn’t until I sat through my first history class that I realized how much the humanities had to offer as a career path. The possibilities are truly endless, and the professors here at Slippery Rock University and the many local mentors I've had the pleasure working with were able to show me that. I am truly doing a job that targets all of my passions in life (education, the arts, and community-organizing), and I am constantly working to make that a possibility for others.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia? 
I grew up in a very blue-collar family and had very little to no exposure to diversity in my school or personal life. Before I arrived at college, I very rarely questioned the status quo or searched for any external enrichment. Once I was exposed to philosophy, history, and art I realized how much of the world I had yet to explore. There are multiple viewpoints to every narrative, and with today’s political climate, it is crucial that citizens are both informed and able to take information and arrive to their own conclusions. Studying the humanities gives us the ability to think critically and work creatively to find new solutions to the problems we face everyday. The sciences may be considered the foundations of life, but within the humanities lies the key to navigating and improving our world.

​What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)?
It’s actually more embarrassing than it is interesting – but I own two bearded dragons (pictured above). If you’ve ever seen the movie Holes, bearded dragons play the role of the fearsome yellow-spotted lizards-- minus the yellow spots. Being that Holes by Louis Sachar was one of my favorite books growing up, it was one of the main reason I purchased two as pets. As a joke, I created the pair an Instagram account which in just a few weeks went completely viral. One of their videos recently hit over 3 million views. My husband and I actually received an invite to a reptile show asking us to bring my bearded dragons as local celebrities. Don’t get me wrong—I love my pets, but this all just seems a little ridiculous for two pint-sized reptiles with a somewhat active Instagram account.  Maybe I'm just jealous, though. They have way more followers than me.  

What shows are you currently binge-watching?
I’m currently binging through Dark Tourist, Flint Town and re-watching The Office for the fifth time. Being that I'm constantly on the road though, you can find me binging podcasts more often than TV shows. I highly recommend Hidden Brain, Criminal, Hardcore History, Curious City and My Favorite Murder. 

Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with Gisela Dieter, Associate professor of Spanish at SRU, click HERE.

Rapidly produced and highly topical digital humanities projects are challenging perceptions of the field. Learn more here.

Each month, The Stone House Center for Public Humanities interviews a humanities scholar or community member and asks them everything from why they believe the humanities are important to what they're currently binge-watching. We hope that our new blog series, Coffee & Questions, will inspire you, introduce you to a variety of people and fields, as well as create new conversations.

This month's guest is Gisela Dieter, Associate Professor of Spanish at SRU since 2005.  She received her PhD in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of Pittsburgh, PA in 2008 where she also minored in Spanish Linguistics.  Dieter has a Master of Arts in History from Youngstown State University and two Bachelor of Science Degrees from Clarion University of PA in Communications and Business. Born and raised in Panama, Dieter’s fields of expertise, interest and research are Panamanian and Cuban Literature, Women Writers, National Identity, African Diaspora, Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy.  A passion for learning and teaching drives Dieter’s dynamic classroom style where she strives to offer her students valuable information to help them improve their communicative and cultural competence in the Spanish Language aiming at helping students become effective professionals in our diverse and multicultural job market.  

What inspires you in your current position/role?
In a word:  Students.  That is my personal reality: students inspire me.  Teachers often speak of that moment, that almost sacred moment when the light goes on and there are visible sparks in the eyes of learners…well, that is the moment I seek.  I’m not going to lie, it doesn’t happen every single time, but when it does happen…the daily struggles of the profession are suddenly totally worth it.  I know it sounds cliché, but it is true in my experience.  This past spring semester, in my Reading in Spanish, for instance, students demonstrated such a range and depth of analysis that, suddenly, a Monday evening class was something I looked forward to!  And it was not just academic insight, I was able to witness personal growth as well.  There was this moment, while I was walking around one of the small-reading/discussion groups, I overheard the students saying to one another:  “I can’t believe this kind of stuff actually happened here in the States!  Men, I have to read up on this.  I don’t know &%$#@.”  Seeing my students learning about their own reality and culture in a Spanish class, to me, carries immense weight and truly inspires me in my current position as a teacher.

What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?
Working in the business world for years before becoming a college professor taught me how hard life truly is.  I understand why people outside academia often look at universities as a bubble.  This knowledge helps me guide my students more efficiently and with honesty. They see me as someone who “has been there,” and I value that tremendously.  Working as a volunteer faculty member in the Humanities Ladder Program taught me that regardless of our circumstances, the thirst for learning is always there.  The challenge is to find ways to help those unaware of such thirst to tune into their senses, experience some success, find their passion and ignite their engines to pursue it...to take a sip from that water of knowledge…in other words, finding ways to provide them with a little bit of that proverbial salt, so they realize they are thirsty!

What project(s) are you currently working on?
I have recently applied for a Grant that, if awarded, will allow the Modern Languages and Cultures Department to explore possibilities to establish working relationships abroad, in Panama, my country of origin in a variety of capacities such as service learning, study abroad, teaching English to speakers of other languages and student exchange programs. I am heading to Panama this summer to begin the legwork, hoping to make initial contacts and prepare the way if/when we can begin the actual project.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
The humanities are the key to human development.  In this era of communication, when we are all wirelessly connected, the greatest paradox is the reality that we are lonelier than ever before. This is a surprise to many.  However, it is easily understood if we stop and see, our relationships are all mediated. They are not genuine or real. They are “phony,” pun intended. Therefore, they are not truly satisfying.  The human experience is lost in cyberspace. I believe, the humanities are a venue to restore the “awe” factor and dissipate the sense of loss caused by the frantic chase for new tech.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill,interesting story)?
Every time I get this question, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that, once, a million years ago, I won a beer-drinking-contest against a bunch of people, including several experienced-beer-drinking men. Not my proudest moment…but that has remained my go-to surprising fact about me to this day.

What shows are you currently binge-watching?
I don’t binge-watch shows, per se. I’m a HUGE movie fan, rather than a TV person.  Also, I have two teenage sons, and our “thing” is to watch movies.  So, now, we’ve been binge-watching the entire Marvel Universe, individual super-hero films as well as the Avengers Saga, while at the same time, finishing the Harry Potter series too. 

What is your first thought in the morning and last thought at night?
I’m a spiritual person, so I try to turn my eyes towards heaven as the first thing in the morning, and the last thing at night.

What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I finally got them all.  And I have a challenge with my older son to read them this year…not sure if it will happen, but at least I’d like to get started.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
I ran into a glass door in front of my older son.  We were staying at a friend’s condo in Florida and we were getting ready to have lunch at the balcony. The a/c was on, so my son closed the sliding door after him, just as he has been taught to do when the air is on, but I didn’t realize it…so…lunch plate in hand, I ran into the stupid door.  It was not funny right away, believe me!  But after I picked up my bruised ego, we had a good laugh at the whole thing.

What is the worst job that you had while working through your degree and what would you tell your past self now?
I worked as a receptionist for an Accountants’ Firm in Panama, and the main part of my job was to guess…yes, guess, to have the super-power to be able to tell whether the owner and CEO of the firm was in the mood to take a phone call or not.  I was not allowed to send any of his calls to voicemail. But I was not allowed to transfer any calls to him either, if he was not in the mood for it/them. And he was always in his office behind close doors. So, needless to say, I didn’t last at that job.  I would tell the 21 year old me…”wait until you get married!”

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Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with Michael Dittman, click HERE.

The humanities are usually seen as a subject, however, the effects of humanities occur in everyday life. Recently in New York City, a Girl Scout Troop was established in a homeless shelter located in Queens known as Troop 6000. The troop will soon expand to 14 other shelters and is expected to serve about 500 girls. Troop 6000 currently has 27 members with growth in sight.

This troop is evidence that the humanities intertwine with our every day lives and how important they are to the people around us. This troop will affect the future of homeless care for younger citizens. They have shown us a way to move forward. They have shown us how the humanities play an important role in our everyday lives. 

To read the full article and learn more, click here​​

​Each month, The Stone House Center for Public Humanities interviews a humanities scholar or community member and asks them everything from why they believe the humanities are important to what they're currently binge-watching. We hope that our new blog series, Coffee & Questions, will inspire you, introduce you to a variety of people and fields, as well as create new conversations.

This month's guest is Michael Dittman, a writer and English Professor who lives in Butler, Pennsylvania.  He’s always looking for the next project that gets him too excited to sleep at night. Sometimes it's writing the next book (He is the author of Jack Kerouac; A Biography, Masterpieces of the Beat Generation, and Small Brutal Incidents), hacking together tumblr projects like Ithagram and Pictsburgh, blogging about arts and culture (He reviews comic art exhibits and scholarship for the International Journal of Comic Arts), or experimenting with lo-fi video and photography. Michael is also a member of our Community Advisory Board. Find him at michaeldittman.com 

​What inspires you in your current position/role?
This semester in a class discussion I started talking about the American Suffragettes’ “Night of Terror” in 1917 to contextualize a piece of literature we were reading.  As I talked about how these women were tortured because they wanted the right to vote, one of my students, an Army vet returning to college after several combat tours, said “Wait?  This was in America?” We had an incredible discussion about the American experience and how it does (or doesn’t) get expressed in literature. In one moment, this man who had several lifetimes of experience fighting for democracy had a completely different world opened to him and he dove right in to try to understand the world of people who had never crossed his mind. Moments like those keep me coming back to the classroom.
 
What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?
Working as a writing center tutor at Slippery Rock University showed me what I wanted to do and gave me the chance to figure out best strategies for helping other express themselves and their lives.  Working as a roofer taught me that there was no way I could do that sort of work for the rest of my life.

What project(s) are you currently working on? 
​A story map of Stewart O’Nan’s novel Snow Angels.  The book is set in Butler.  When the map is completed, it will collect all the places mentioned in the book and included images of what the places looked like during the time the book is set as compared to today through interactive maps and scenes with rich multimedia content to make connections in the story more clear and to spark a discussion about nostalgia, among other ideas.  As Umberto Eco writes, “Every text, after all, is a lazy machine asking the reader to do some of its work.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia? 
We have made our worlds very small through the technological creation of ideological walled gardens.  Google has convinced us that knowledge and wisdom are the same thing and easily accessible through a click.  Yet, most of life’s deepest experiences can’t be reduced to an algorithm.  The humanities enable us to share lived experiences and create empathy within informed citizens.   
 
What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)?
I swim and paddleboard competitively – a couple of years ago I was nationally ranked.  The look of doubt in my students’ eyes when they hear this fact out never fails to destroy my ego.
 
What shows are you currently binge-watching?
As a huge comic nerd, I’m embarrassed to say I just finished The Punisher.  I took a long break with Hell on Wheels and so had to start over at the beginning and I just started Babylon Berlin
 
What is your first thought in the morning and last thought at night?
“Why did I stay up so late?” and “Man, I’ve got to go to bed soon.”
 
What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
Moby Dick.  Every summer I promise myself that this will be the year and every summer it sits unopened and mocking on my nightstand.
 
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
While hiking with my wife on a trail a little north of Pittsburgh, we came around a curve to find a youngish couple coming up the hill on the trail towards us.  Completely naked.  We paid each other our “Good mornings” while all of us refused to admit that there was anything unusual happening. 
 
What is the worst job that you had while working through your degree and what would you tell your past self now?
I took care of a colony of capuchin monkeys.  They loathed me and never lost an opportunity to steal my glasses or pull out large chunks of my hair when I was in the enclosure with them.  If I could talk to the 19 year old, I’d tell him, “You think this is bad, wait until we end up at that restaurant.”

Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the humanities that people would find surprising?
I’m a photo enthusiast.  I eschew digital techniques to instead work with photographic processes that re over 100 years old.  Studying and documenting the human experience through two dimensional images and the interplay between photographer and subject is a profoundly humbling experience with an outcome that is also uncertain.  That uncertainty is key to my art and also to the interaction between humans that is expressed through the humanities.

  
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Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with Cindy Lacom click HERE.

If you want to build a team of innovative problem-solvers, you should value the humanities just as much as the sciences, says entrepreneur Eric Berridge. He shares why tech companies should look beyond STEM graduates for new hires -- and how people with backgrounds in the arts and humanities can bring creativity and insight to technical workplaces.

Check out his informative TED Talk here.