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.
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 Mondays.
WHAT: CABER Bioenergy Series: “Wind Energy Trends in Illinois,” by Kevin Borgia, Executive Director, Wind for Illinois
WHEN: Monday, March 16 @ 4 p.m.
WHERE: Monsanto Room, LIAC
It cracks me up that ACES holds so many of their renewable energy events in the Monsanto Room. This may not be the most progressive talk, as Wind for Illinois appears to be primarily a lobbying group to the state legislature.
WHAT: “Death of Alternate Sexualities in Bollywood Cinema,” by Darakhshan Khan, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
WHEN: Tuesday, March 17 @ 12 noon
WHERE: Lucy Ellis Lounge (room 1080), Foreign Language Building
This should be worth a look if you’re into Bollywood and/or queer studies and you have free time over lunch. So, for both of you that fit that description, get thee to this speaker.
WHAT: “Growing Jatropha curcas for Renewable Energy: Biodeisel Production in Haiti,” by Tim Lindsey and Joe Pickowitz, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center
WHEN: Wednesday, March 18 @ 12 noon
WHERE: Stephen J. Warner Conference Room, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, One E. Hazelwood Dr., Champaign
Jatropha is a perennial oil-producing plant that, while inedible, is useful for fuel uses and grows well in marginal soils in tropical areas.
From the announcement: “Tim Lindsey and Joe Pickowitz of ISTC will discuss their recent trip to Haiti with Kathleen Robbins who works with the organization PARTNER FOR PEOPLE AND PLACE, which provides planning and technical assistance for humanitarian and environmental projects on the frontline of poverty. The group operates a Haitian nonprofit business, Jatropha Pepinye, to support the cultivation of Jatropha curcas, a plant that provides a cash crop to farmers, and oil for value-added products like biodiesel and soap.”
WHAT: “Where’s the Money? Finding and Securing Grant Funding”
WHEN: Thursday, March 19 @ 3 p.m.
WHERE: 314 Main Library
WHAT: “Past Writer’s Block”
WHEN: Friday, March 20 @ 1 p.m.
WHERE: 314 Main Library
A couple of grad student seminars to close out the week, as two issues that face many people are discussed. Get some momentum going heading into spring break with these.