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 Cindy Lacom, who has taught at Slippery Rock University for 25 years.  She integrates gender and feminist issues into her teaching and scholarship, and has a deep interest in Disability Studies. She is fascinated by questions about how different bodies are invested with varied meanings as cultural texts (in terms of access to or denial of power, stigma and the "management" of that stigma, how we might change prejudice and bias).  Cindy is also a member of our Community Advisory Board.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
I often say, "I have the best job in the world," and I mean it.  What inspires me?  SRU students, who regularly impress and move me, compel me to think and re-think my positions and ideas.  I am motivated as well by many of my colleagues, who work tirelessly for social justice.  My mom also inspires me because she is so fierce.

What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?
Teaching is at the center of my life, frankly, and it has informed me in myriad and profound ways.  Though we tend in academe to frame "teaching" and "learning" as classroom activities, I'm reminded daily that both activities occur all around us.  One instance occurred when I was an undergrad.  My Philosophy prof posed this question to us: does philosophy belong in the marketplace or the ivory tower?  A couple nights later, I was playing pool in a really dumpy bar and listened to two men talking about life choices (one man's daughter had just gotten married because she was pregnant). They interrogated the ethics of her choice, the ethics of their judgments, the degree of her individual agency, and the merits and drawbacks of marriage as in institution.  I wrote my paper the next night, and my response was squarely in the "marketplace" box. 

My work for non-profits has also fostered insights and shaped my goals.  I don't think idealism and pragmatism are mutually exclusive, though I probably once did. But what I have learned in an exec board capacity for non-profits is that a mission is almost certainly bound to founder without strategic goals, specific policies, and economic and social sustainability.  Dreams and passion are key, but a vision for social justice change has to supported by practical details to thrive.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
I'll use an example from the field of Disability Studies as an example to explore this question. Because the Humanities invite us to consider something like statistics within a historical, philosophical and embodied framework.  Reading Disability Studies scholar Lennard Davis's "Constructing Normalcy" reminds us that statistics is not value-neutral but has been used to produce and maintain norms in everything from BMI to productivity ratings to intellectual measure that contribute to ableist biases that understand disability as "less than."  Because reading feminist philosopher Julie Kristeva allows us to integrate ideas of abjection when we analyze the creature in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in trying to figure out, "Why might Victor Frankenstein's recoil from his 'child' be so extreme when it first comes to life?  What about the creature marks it as 'monstrous'?" What happens when, in psychology or therapeutic/rehabilitative/medical fields, we use the discourse of "recovery"?  How might that reinforce ableist stereotypes that disabilities is something that needs to be "cured"?  How might scientists benefit from understanding their unconscious bias in research on sexuality?  None of these questions are discipline-specific; all of them have answers which are enriched by a Humanities perspective.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you (hobby, skill, interesting story)?
I'm an avid hiker and camp every summer in the mountains of northern California.  

What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
Great question.  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

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 telemarketer for two weeks.  it was soul-destroying. I thought I needed the money but we were ripping off vulnerable people in what amounted to a money-making scheme.  I wouldn't have any advice for my past self because I had to work that awful job to decide that I would hopefully never do anything like it again. ​

~~~
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Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with Shawn Francis Peters click HERE.

​Poems today do not get the recognition they deserve. Science, art and literature are a large part of the humanities. Poetry comes from the extensive languages the human race obtains.

Literature in itself is like poetry. There is beauty and meaning in the different way words can be intertwined.

Language is one of the main ways the human race communicates. Words hold a depth of emotion and meaning, and poetry is a powerful tool in which language can be expressed as an art form. The following poem is an excellent example of the power of the humanities:
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Humanities
by Julie Lumsden
 
A frog is always a frog, a moth
is a moth, swallows
flying in their own manoeuvre.
Watch how it works.  Insects
in and out of these garden petals
as Mum talks about my birthday
and how 1966 was the year
they stopped giving any girl –
Mum’s own name, Myra.
 
Only people can break, change
or mix the rules.  We’ve seen
that young woman smiling
on Saddleworth moor. In prison,
her Open University essay
on the banquet scene in Macbeth
was ‘a pleasure to read.’
Look at the photograph of her
gowned in her graduation pose.
​

​~~~

Want to learn more about the Stone House Center for Public Humanities and how the humanities are helping our community? Click here to learn more.

​Sources:
http://poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/humanities/

Each month, The 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 Jason Stuart, Assistant Professor of English at Slippery Rock University. He teaches in the Professional Writing track. In addition, half of his credits are taught in first-year, Basic Requirements courses for the Liberal Studies Program. His research interests coincide only with his teaching and assessment duties. He studied Writing History and Theory at Case Western Reserve University and his course content focuses on media history - particularly book and computing history - as well as computer-mediated writing and publishing.

Though Jason prioritizes his local campus community, and confers primarily with his colleagues in the PASSHE system, he is a member of several academic societies. He doesn't get to attend often, but considers Computers & Writing a valuable conference and community.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
Right now I’m trying to develop more informal, web-based learning for students in our program. We’re starting to think in different ways about where you produce work, and what “counts” as academic work, because the challenges for students outside of their academic work are so different now. It’s so much more difficult to get up and running with contemporary media skills, which, if I’m honest, didn’t change all that much during the first half of this decade. But you can’t always go as deeply into the technical and representational possibilities of communications technology in the classroom as you’d like – you only have so much time.

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?
I don’t think people generally identify what’s important as part of the “humanities,” not explicitly, and so sometimes it’s hard to deliberate about what’s good. It’s not like people pick up their iPhones and say “the STEM disciplines are really just so important to me.”
 
When you think about the problems that people face, though, the stuff that’s on the phone is right at hand for many people; what kind of questions do the technicians who make those solutions ask? The only thing an app really does is make some activity more convenient to that group of people who are able to use it. When those people mistake what’s convenient for what’s good, humanistic concerns become less important. So I think people who advocate for vulnerable or under-represented communities will draw on parts of that tradition to counter those who believe that automation is important, and kind of pull public discussions back into balance.
 
What shows are you currently binge-watching?
I’m watching season 3 of Fargo right now. Spoilers ahead. There’s this scene where the bad guy, who’s more or less the literal devil, greets this sadsack character who thinks he’s doing the right thing, who thinks he’s doing good in the face of evil. The bad guy says, “The problem is not that there is evil in the world. The problem is that there is good. Because, otherwise, who would care?” Feel free to apply that quote, probably irresponsibly, to your personal position on why the humanities are important.
 
I actually watch TV in pretty much the same way I did when I was young: weekly. I remember getting together with friends every week and watching MacGyver in college. And then I went looking for friends who liked better TV and I found people who watched Twin Peaks, so, I’m excited to watch the new season of Twin Peaks. Fun fact: they rebooted MacGyver, too, and somehow made it worse.
 
What's a book you've always wanted to read but haven't gotten around to?
I should probably write something impressive, but plausible, like Infinite Jest. I don’t want to read that book, though.
 
What is the worst job that you had while working through your degree and what would you tell your past self now?
I was a dishwasher at a lot of places. It sounds bad, but it wasn’t really. One time they made me host at a Pizzeria Uno, though, and that was the worst job I’ve ever had. All I had to do was put people in tables and make the occasional Caesar salad, and somehow people managed to yell at me constantly. The jukebox played Duncan Sheik’s “Barely Breathing” 918 times per shift.
 
I would tell my past self to put ten dollars’ worth of “The Boys Are Back in Town” directly into the jukebox. I would tell him to sit back and watch. It’s really an amazing song, though.

~~~

Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed our previous interview with Dr. Phil Harling, click here.    

In today’s society, higher education is largely marketed for its ability to better prepare individuals for the real world and securing a career, but rarely is it marketed for aiding individuals in their ability to pursue a good life. Studying the humanities allows us to dive into the depths of what it means to be human, and in turn, take part in the ongoing dialogue of what it means to live a good life.
​
The humanities offer enlightenment on what constitutes the good and exemplifies the importance of virtuous characteristics, such as altruism, charity, civility, compassion, and generosity. The various lessons we can learn from the humanities transfer into the flourishing of individuals and society. Here are some examples:

• Studying great literature helps us appreciate and enlarge our horizons on the human condition, while increasing our capacity for empathy.
• Studying history provides us with a window into the past and allows us to understand human nature and society, allowing us to make wiser choices in the future.
• Studying art challenges us to see reality through new perspectives, while introducing us to aesthetic values and providing a gateway to the good in the guise of the beautiful.
• Studying philosophy forces us to confront the most basic intellectual questions: What can we know? What is human nature? What is of value?

Studying the humanities allows us to see how rich a human life can be and what makes a life worthwhile.

Want to learn more about the Stone House Center for Public Humanities and how the humanities are helping our community? Click here to learn more.

Science has two important yields: increased understanding of the world within and around us, and solutions to specific problems. But even the most profound scientific knowledge won’t solve world problems such as hunger, poverty, environmental damage, or even dinosaur attacks if we fail to respect, understand, and engage cultural differences.

All this considered, here are just some of the reasons why students pursuing science careers should enhance their education with a strong foundation in the humanities:

1. The humanities prepare you to fulfill your civic and cultural responsibilities.
2. Studying the humanities allows you to become familiar with and use the creative ideas from great minds outside of science.
3. The state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and techniques you learn in college have a limited shelf life; mastering the humanities provides tools for extending it.
4. Humanities strengthens your ability to communicate and work with others.
5. You will gain knowledge of foreign languages and foreign cultures.
6. The walls that exist among disciplines has been lowered and students can move across disciplines more freely.
7. Students can benefit from advice on which courses to take.
8. Humanities help you understand the impact that science, technology, and medicine has had on society and understand the future scientific needs of society.
9. Interdisciplinary learning adds value to one’s degree.
10. Humanities teach you that the supposedly sharp dichotomies that separate science from humanities do not really exist.

With aid from the humanities, those in scientific disciplines are better able to consider society’s needs, enabling them to carefully consider where he or she chooses to work, what projects they undertake, and what role it will allow them to play within society.

Want to learn more about the Center for Public Humanities and how the humanities are helping in our community? Click here.

​Studying the humanities allows for the development of well-rounded and informed citizens that are essential to the flourishing and success of any democracy. Through the exploration and study of the humanities (philosophy, art, anthropology, literature, history, etc.) we are able to:
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• Develop critical thinking skills that enhance our capacity for reason and provide us with the tools for effective decision making.
• Understand justice and foster social equality.
• Contemplate the meaning of democracy through the understanding of other cultures and human rights.
• Foster empathy and compassion by addressing ethical questions.
• Appreciate the variances and similarities that reside within different cultures.
• Understand what it means to be a citizen.
• Think creatively and ask questions that can provide insights into all sectors of life.
• Add to our knowledge about our world through researching the human experience.
• Gain a better understanding of the past while grasping a clearer picture of the future.
• Contemplate what it means to live a good life.

All of these shape the thoughts and behaviors of citizens across the globe, which can lead to the creation of a harmonious world and a stronger democracy among the people. To learn more about the humanities, and how the Center for Public Humanities is helping in our community, click  here.

Each month, The Center for Public Humanities will interview a humanities scholar or community member and ask 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 third guest is Karen Pierce, director of the Slippery Rock Community Library. Karen loves books, loves talking about books, loves finding new books to read, and well, loves helping people to find books and information. Ms. Pierce used to sell books for children and the position of librarian was a perfect fit. She is pursuing her degree in library science at Clarion University. Karen notes the best part of her job is working with the people who walk through the library door. Ms. Pierce is "information central" and can answer most any question posed to her and if she doesn't know, she knows where to go to find the answer. She has been working at the library since 2008.

What inspires you in your current position/role?   
I really like my job at the Slippery Rock Community Library.  I enjoy being able to help people find information and solutions.  I like being a point of information for the community.                                                
What work experiences (past or present) have been the most educational for you, and why?  
I was an Independent Educational Sales Consultant for Usborne Books.  I learned so much from that job -  marketing skills, including marketing not only the books but myself as well, working with the public,  customer service and some computer skills.  I loved selling kids books - really they sell themselves - they still are some of my favorite books!                    

What project(s) are you currently working on?     
We are currently working on building a new library!  I am very excited.  We are located right now in a room that is 283 square feet and we've outgrown that room a long time ago.  We've been raising funds and are ready to build a new library at 465 North Main St that will be around 2700 square feet.  Our community is ready for this!                                                                                                             

Why do you believe that the humanities are important to everyone, and not just people in academia?  
I think the study of humanities is important for everyone!  Humanities is the study and interpretation of language, literature and history among other things and I think it's good to be able to understand the context of a conversation.  For example, a conversation in our current time is about the Constitution and how it was written by the founding fathers and how it is being interpreted today.  Are we interpreting it the way our founding fathers intended? How has society changed in 200 + years?  This is but one example of why humanities is an very important part of our education.  Think of the other things we interpret - Religious texts, historical documents, ancient history - before the written word.  We are shaped as a community by events that happened in the past and the things that happen today will shape how our community looks, acts, responds in the future.   

What shows are you currently binge-watching?    
I rarely watch TV live.  I record Timeless and The Walking Dead. I am restless though so I usually can't sit through an entire episode without pausing it and doing something else for a while.        

Thank you, Karen, for sharing how you're bringing humanities into our community. We look forward to the new library!

Check back next month for more Coffee & Questions. In case you missed Seth Bruggeman's interview, click here.

Want to be interviewed? Contact us.   

Humanities empower students to succeed by providing a framework for understanding the complexities of the world, while fostering empathy for others and a desire to become active and effective citizens. Our Humanities Ladder program builds these skills through mentoring relationships with Slippery Rock University professors.  Each week, professors provide engaging opportunities for students to practice reflective critical thinking in disciplines like aesthetics, philosophy, anthropology, history, and more. 

Since the program started in fall 2015, these under-represented students have already exhibited increased educational goals, a deeper appreciation for the humanities, and an overall greater confidence in academics and civic participation. In fact, there was a 50% increase in students motivated to apply for college admission.

We are currently looking for SRU teachers and student mentors to participate in our spring 2016 Humanities Ladder program. Scroll down to learn how you can get involved.