• January 21
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• Port Hadlock

Privacy in the Digital Age

Is privacy dead? What are our privacy rights? Is it possible to protect our online personas? In the age of celebrity culture and the rapid growth of online communities, personal privacy is under threat. Recent allegations of the U.S. government tracking, reading, and sharing email communications have reignited the debate over privacy and security. How […]

• January 22
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• Auburn

Rap 101: The Message behind the Music

If all art is political, what are the political, cultural, and societal implications of rap? What does rap convey about the state of society today? Using music as a catalyst for discussion, Rap 101 explores contemporary popular culture, diversity issues, and social justice through the lyrics of popular rap music. Sometimes called modern day poetry, […]

• January 25
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• Shelton

History in your Backyard

“So many stories, all changing by the minute, all swirling and braiding and weaving and spinning and stitching themselves one to another,” writes Brian Doyle in the novel Mink River. These words could just as well apply to LLyn De Danaan’s book Katie Gale: A Coast Salish Woman’s Life on Oyster Bay, about a pioneering […]

• January 28
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• Yakima

Fandango and the Deliberate Community

Can an age-old dance build community and bridge social and cultural divides? Experience the complex attributes of the fandango, a lively traditional dance from Veracruz, Mexico that features convivencia, a deliberate convening through music, dance, and verse. Having a sense of belonging is not only a basic human need, it also creates community. The fandango […]

• January 30
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• Langley

Seriously Funny: Humor, Film, and Philosophy

Can films teach us about philosophy? Is what we feel while watching a film linked to what we learn? Film holds tremendous power to shape the thoughts of audience members. Many types of films exist today, from the deeply philosophic to the comedic. What happens when you combine the two concepts into one discussion about […]

• January 30
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• Richland

Religion and Human Rights: Allies or Enemies?

What is the relationship between religion and human rights? Does religion affirm and support the concept of human rights, or does it prevent a society from recognizing the rights of all of its members? The state of Washington has been at the forefront of the civil rights debate recently with the legalization of marijuana, physician aided […]

• February 2
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• Everett

Ripe for the Telling: Surprising Stories of Washington Fruit

What is the messy and juicy history of Washington’s produce industry? Who was Cashmere’s Cider King? From apples to oranges, huckleberries to durian, anthropologist Julia Harrison will cover how these perishable products preserve historic events and reflect our changing relationship to the natural world. This discussion includes a large cast of characters: pioneers, entrepreneurs, orchardists, labor […]

• February 3
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• College Place

Privacy in the Digital Age

Is privacy dead? What are our privacy rights? Is it possible to protect our online personas? In the age of celebrity culture and the rapid growth of online communities, personal privacy is under threat. Recent allegations of the U.S. government tracking, reading, and sharing email communications have reignited the debate over privacy and security. How […]

• February 3
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• Redmond

Washington’s Music Pioneers

What do Bing, Jimi, and Kurt have in common? The music of artistic giants and Washington sons Bing Crosby, Jimi Hendrix, and Kurt Cobain span generations. Their music belongs to us all. Washington state holds the unique position of being ‘on the edge of the world’ from both musical and geographic standpoints. This placement provided a […]

• February 3
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• Lynnwood

Rap 101: The Message behind the Music

If all art is political, what are the political, cultural, and societal implications of rap? What does rap convey about the state of society today? Using music as a catalyst for discussion, Rap 101 explores contemporary popular culture, diversity issues, and social justice through the lyrics of popular rap music. Sometimes called modern day poetry, […]