WHAT: “The Post-socialist Changes in Europe and the Roma Minority: Importance of Educational Strategies to Future Improvement,” Gbor Darczi, Director, Roma Youth Network
WHEN: Thursday, October 20 @ 2 p.m.
WHERE: 1080 Lucy Ellis Lounge, Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana
From the event description: “The Roma of Eastern Europe have undergone seismic social changes in the last twenty years, brought on by the political changes of 1989 and the admission of most Eastern European countries into the European Union. The advent of democracy has allowed for the Roma community to develop politically and to raise its profile culturally, but for many Roma, this period has been disastrous: the end of state socialism has meant both the withdrawal of a robust social safety net and the end of the limitations on free speech and rigidly enforced state monopoly on violence that hid racial tensions under a veil of oppression. Meanwhile, state policies discriminating against Roma in law enforcement and education persist in both Eastern and Western Europe.”
WHAT: “American Paper Mills: Five Hundred and Still Counting.” John Bidwell
WHEN: Friday, October 21 @ 5 p.m.
WHERE: 346 Main Library, 1408 W. Gregory Dr.
From the event announcement: “John Bidwell, expert in the history of papermaking, will offer an account of his attempts to identify and describe paper mills operating in this country between 1690 and 1832. Many of these mills have been unrecorded until now. New information found in archival sources, census returns and newspaper reports makes it possible to follow the fortunes of a rapidly growing trade, an important source of cheap newsprint during the colonial period and a vital component of book publishing projects during the early industrial era. By 1832 Americans could compete against imported goods with a complete array of wrapping, writing, printing, and specialty papers, some of them made on the recently invented cylinder and Fourdrinier machines. Technological developments will be noted, the business exploits of prominent papermakers will be mentioned, and the lecture will be illustrated with contemporary views of mills and manufacturing facilities.”
WHAT: “Orientalism Russian Style,” Natalya Khokholova, PhD candidate, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
WHEN: Tuesday, October 25 @ 12 noon
WHERE: 101 International Studies Building, 910 S. Fifth Street, Champaign
You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that’s the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are several events going on in town this week. Check out one or more of them if you have time. Get your learn on, as they say, and join the cognoscenti. It’s free, you know. Plus, sometimes there’s free food, too!
If you have a community event, speaker, or film event that you’d like to see featured on Listen Up!, send the event information to joelgillespie [at] smilepolitely [dot] com by Friday the week prior to the event. Listen Up! runs on Tuesdays when classes are in session.