The Summer Forum replaces regular church services during the summer. The Summer Forum's objective is to present to the wider community a diverse array of speakers for thoughtful commentary and discussion. The presentations start at 10:00 AM and last until about 11:30 AM. Most presentations include a Q&A period. Child care is available.
Click here for the press release about the Summer Forum.
June 15
Sustainability on College Campuses-What's Going On?
Craig Forster, Director, Office of Sustainability, University of Utah
Kerry Case, Environmental Center Director, Westminster College
Colleges and universities are shifting the future of our world by infusing sustainability principles into the education of the next generation of citizens and leaders. These rapidly evolving learning laboratories are attempting to illustrate how to make the pillars of a more sustainable future - environmental stewardship, economic security and social responsibility - a part of everyday life. Comprehensive changes in campus academics, administration, daily operations and community outreach are helping students, and the broader community, learn how to tread more lightly on the Earth while striving to maintain ethical norms and a sense of social justice. Craig Forster and Kerry Case will share their experiences in fostering a more sustainable future.
June 22
Utah Theater Project
3 plays by Elaine Jarvik
Elaine Jarvik is a local playwright with a remarkable gift for bringing the essence of the senior experience to life through short, funny, often poignant one-act plays. The plays summon up a variety of responses from audiences, from laughter to tears.
Yogurt Security, about a couple in their 60s at the airports and their feisty encounter with a TSA screener;
Cruising, about a widow and widower who meet during an exercise class and talk about the past and, possibly, the future; and
Dead Right, about an older couple reading an obituary about an acquaintance and ruminating about their own obits.
June 29
The Celestial Thread
Cynthia Douglass and other Utah harpists
Hear about the healing roots of harp music and different types of harp therapy in use today, shifting paradigms about music and healing in the field of medicine, and individual personal experiences using the harp in healing settings. And, of course, enjoy the celestial music of five harps!
July 6
The Fallacy of a Colorblind Society: Understanding White Privilege
Irene Ota, Diversity Coordinator & Diversity Instructor, College of Social Work, University of Utah
Whites, as a race, occupy a place of privilege in the United States and are typically unaware they occupy that place. This unawareness has led to a belief in the possible worth of a colorblind society. Therefore, a colorblind ideology will not provide equality of opportunity or condition until Whites deal with their own identity issues. A deeper awareness, understanding, and acknowledgment of our unique history of race and racial identity formation for White people in the United States can help society gain a better comprehension and an enhanced empathy of racial issues. This, in turn, may facilitate equitable treatment of all people.
July 13
Unpacking Anti-Immigration Rhetoric: False Hope and the Rule of Law
Theresa Martinez, Associate Professor of Sociology and Assistant Vice President for Academic Outreach, University of Utah
The New Sanctuary Task Force
Lately, discussion here in Utah about immigration has been accompanied by some overtly racist, xenophobic, and even violent rhetoric. At the same time, some of the rhetoric has attempted to appeal to the general public in more subtle ways. This talk will unpack some of the more subtle anti-immigration rhetoric, particularly, arguments of "false hope" and the "rule of law" in relation to opportunities for undocumented students and their parents. The state is certainly at a crossroads on these issues and we will need to decide how to act wisely and justly with regard to a significant but vulnerable segment of our population.
July 20
The Maize Maze: Complexities of Corn and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Alyson Brennan and Tim Loftis
Are rising gas prices and deteriorating air quality in the valley making you re-think the currently available alternatives in auto transportation? This presentation will attempt to help you make an informed decision before you invest in hybrid, ethanol, natural gas or bio-diesel vehicles. Learn about vehicle costs, alternative fuel costs, miles per gallon, and emissions quality.
July 27
Notable Women in Utah History-Firsts and Foremost
Paula Julander, two-term Utah Senator and two-term Member of the Utah House of Representatives
Women have made terrific contributions in all areas of society, but history has generally ignored them. Paula Julander will set the record straight by emphasizing women's accomplishments in Utah Politics.
August 3
Enriching Communities: The Example of Utah Symphony/Utah Opera
Melia Tourangeau, President & CEO, Utah Symphony/Utah Opera
What is the role of a large arts organization such as the Utah Symphony/Utah Opera? Entertainment, education, bringing people together, artistic reflection on contemporary issues? Melia Tourangeau, the new President and CEO of Utah Symphony/Utah Opera, will describe the many activities that her organization is currently involved in and discuss her vision for the Symphony/Opera's future. She will also help us understand what we as a community can do to make this vision come true.
August 10
Our Wounded Earth, Our Wounded Selves: Can We Heal Both?
Bill McKibben, Author and Founder of 350.org
Noted writer, educator, and environmentalist, Bill McKibben authored The End of Nature in 1989, focusing on the impacts of climate change. More recently, in Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and The Durable Future, McKibben makes the compelling case for moving beyond “growth” to an economy that creates community and ennobles our lives. This year McKibben founded 350.org. He is spreading the urgent message that unless we can reduce the amount of atmospheric carbon, we will cause huge and irreversible damage to the earth and to ourselves.
August 17
Healing the Great Divide: Mission Impossible?
Deen Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Utah
The ideological divide of liberalism/conservatism has become a moral wedge in today's political culture, polarizing the country and undermining the prospect of a robust public reason vital to a flourishing democracy. Through an examination of key topics of current relevance, this talk will look at the social, cultural and political realities of the divide, assessing the role of civic dialogue for public policy debates and attempting to reframe the terms of the debate to heal the divide. The forum will explore the traditional paradigms of liberalism and conservatism and their limits in responding to the pluralistic challenges of the 21st century. It will look for a substantive and resilient liberalism to see if liberalism can accommodate the demands of political and religious conservatism without filtering itself of its normative pronouncements as a precondition for public deliberation.
