Called “A voice the food world needs” by the New York Times’ Dwight Garner, Tracie McMillan explores food and class in her first book, The American Way of Eating: Undercover at Walmart, Applebee’s, Farm Fields and the Dinner Table. As she chronicles her journey through three jobs in America’s industrial food system, McMillan makes the case that good food is not elitist. She will begin her talk with stories from her experience researching her book as she worked—and lived and ate—alongside indigenous farm workers, the white working poor, and immigrants to New York City.

Christie Hager will speak about health reform and what it means to all of us. “Health reform” historically has referred to states striving to expand access to health care for their residents, whether with federal assistance or through consumer-oriented insurance regulation. Since March of 2010, health reform has meant a new era of partnership between the states and federal government. There are new ways for individuals and businesses to access health insurance, new investments in public health, and movement toward transformation of the US health care delivery system.

What’s going on? What can be done?

For far too long, the history of how American women won the right to vote has been told as the tale of a few iconic leaders, all white and native-born. Why They Marched uncovers a more diverse story.

Is children’s popular culture mere child’s play, unworthy of critical thought or questioning? Such a view may lead adults to miss problematic patterns in children’s culture such as gender role stereotypes and racial bias. In her presentation Rebecca Hains makes the case that children’s popular culture deserves our attention.

Noted author Gish Jen has long been known as a chronicler of the American experiment. She is also given to throwing a curveball. Her newest book, The Resisters, was a surprise even to her. How did she come to write a post-automation, surveillance state, feminist baseball dystopia?

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.