For anyone who has ever tried to plow through the densest works in the history of Western philosophy, there is good news: It can all be better understood with wacky jokes! Yes! Had you known, you could have saved all that money you paid your roommate to write your philosophy term paper.

What makes a song? What makes us want songs in our lives? Where do songs come from? Jim Rooney will answer these and other questions - and sing!

Freedom of speech is an individual’s right to articulate ideas without fear of retaliation. Academic freedom is a commitment that scholars are free to teach ideas that are unpopular without being targeted for repression. Joanne Berger-Sweeny will use examples from her tenure as President of Trinity College to explore the limitations of these principles and describe the challenges of putting them into practice.

Every day the eyes of the world focus their attention on the White House. The pressures of managing the enormous responsibilities of the federal government are staggering. With a challenging economy, a divided Congress, and a number of hot-button issues on the national and global agenda, much is at stake for America’s future.

Debby Kittredge Irving has worked since the 1980s to foster diversity, inclusiveness, and community-building. In her book, Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race, Irving uses her experience of being a white woman coming to terms with the complexity of racism in the United States and her own perceptions as a lens to explore the role white allies can play in racial justice work. Irving notes that she wishes someone had handed her a book like her own decades ago, as it would have helped her examine and change her own cultural, racial, and class assumptions.

Richard “Rick” Van Wickler has been the Superintendent of the Cheshire County Department of Corrections since June of 1993. His career in corrections began in 1987 at the Merrimack County New Hampshire Department of Corrections. Superintendent Van Wickler was appointed by the Cheshire County Board of Commissioners in 1993 to assume responsibility for the Cheshire County Jail, which faced significant litigation in Federal Court, and to revitalize an agency that was in need of training, structure, and professionalism.

From 1968 to 1998, in a period of time euphemistically known as “The Troubles,” violence ruled Northern Ireland.  Today, 50 years since The Troubles began and 20 years after they “ended,” what is the state of contemporary Northern Ireland? Are the sociopolitical vulnerabilities exposed by the prolonged x-ray of The Troubles still present?  Or has Northern Ireland rebuilt differently enough to ensure non-recurrence of violent conflict? Has the conflict been transformed into a win-win situation for both sides?

When the civil war in Somalia began, Abdi Nor Iftin was five. He and his brother became the sole providers for the family and were forced to attend a madrassa run by a man they called the “Angel of Punishment.” Amidst the bullets and the beatings, Iftin had one escape: American movies and music. At neighborhood showings of Rambo, Commando, and The Terminator, Iftin learned of America, taught himself English, and began to dream of a life in the United States.

When attending a chamber music concert, you are no doubt transported by what you hear. It is an artistic experience. But you are also witnessing interpersonal exchange, teamwork, and connection. That is one of the beauties of chamber music: a small group working together as a unit, without barriers and walls, to reach a goal.

Constitutional attorney Jeff Clements is a founder and current President of American Promise, the national organization leading the cross-partisan campaign for the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The organization has thousands of members in every state, including New Hampshire.