Eckerd College offers myriad activities and programs as a service to the community. All events are held on the Eckerd College campus and are free and open to the public, unless otherwise stated.

Eckerd College is located at 4200 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Programs and events are subject to change. For more information, email events@eckerd.edu, visit eckerd.edu/events or call 727.864.7979. To see all International Cinema Series at Eckerd College offerings, visit eckerd.edu/international-cinema. To see all Environmental Film Festival offerings, visit Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature.

SPEAKERS

Elie Wiesel: A Passion for Celebration
Tue., March 5, 7 p.m., Triton Room
Known for his eloquence as a survivor of the Holocaust, his accomplishments as a literary master and his unyielding activism as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, the late Dr. Elie Wiesel made “celebration” a key term in his personal lexicon of life and work. Avraham Rosen, Ph.D., a professor of literature and religion at Boston University, aims to show how Wiesel’s passion for celebration—cultivated over decades—served as a driving force behind his vocation and message.

Deej: Inclusion Shouldn’t Be a Lottery
Thu., March 7, 5 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Abandoned by his birth parents and presumed incompetent, DJ “Deej” Savarese found not only a loving family but also a life in words, which he types on a text-to-voice synthesizer. As he made his way through high school and dreams of college, he confronted the terrors of his past, society’s obstacles to inclusion and the sometimes paralyzing beauty of his own senses. In his advocacy on behalf of other nonspeaking autistics, he embraced filmmaking and poetry, and discovered what having a voice can truly mean. In this first-of-its-kind collaboration between a veteran filmmaker and a nonspeaking autistic, Robert Rooy and Savarese share editorial control as they attempt to navigate the challenges of representing autism. Deej, the result of this often difficult partnership, is a story told largely from the inside, by Savarese—not by his parents or autism experts or even the camera. At its core, Deej reflects the sort of participation that disability-rights advocates insist upon: “Nothing about us without us.” Sponsored by the EC Feminists student organization.

This Is My Body: A Conversation About Gender, Race, Faith and Communion
Thu., March 7, 7 p.m., President’s Dining Room
In this interactive presentation, Rev. Nannette Banks will engage in a conversation about gender, race, faith and rituals of communion with Rev. Libby Shannon ’05 (Office for Advocacy and Gender Justice), Dr. Ronald Porter (Office of Service-Learning), Rev. Doug McMahon (Center for Spiritual Life) and student leaders of the Eckerd College Afro-American Society. In a recent article, Banks wrote, “I was connected to this body and intended to lead a new way of life … This rising gave me joy and reasons for fear all at the same time. How do I not let the fear of what this means as a black female living in America take over?” Sponsored by the Center for Spiritual Life, Office for Advocacy & Gender Justice and Office of Service-Learning.

The Conceptual Possibility of De-Extinction
Mon., March 11, 7 p.m., Sheen Science Auditorium
A number of influential biologists are currently pursuing efforts to restore previously extinct species. But for decades, philosophers of biology have regarded “de-extinction” as conceptually incoherent. Once a species is gone, it is gone forever. This talk—led by Dr. Matthew H. Slater, professor of philosophy at Bucknell University—argues that a range of metaphysical, biological and ethical grounds for opposing de-extinction are at best inconclusive and that a pragmatic stance that allows for its possibility is more appealing. Sponsored by the Philosophy, Animal Studies and Environmental Studies disciplines.

The Golden Dinosaur: Delicious Vegan Cooking
Wed., March 13, 7 p.m., Fox Hall
Come learn from Audrey Dingeman, owner of St. Petersburg’s Golden Dinosaur, how a plant-based diet can bring amazing dishes to the table! Save the Earth while taking care of yourself! Sponsored by the Vegan Club.

Ecowomanism: African-American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths
Thu., March 28, 7:30 p.m., Fox Hall
Ecowomanism is an approach to environmental ethics that centers the voices of women of African descent and uncovers their contributions to the environmental justice movement. Melanie L. Harris, Ph.D.—founding director of African American and Africana studies and full professor of religion and ethics at Texas Christian University as well as visiting professor of ethical leadership and global environmental studies at the University of Denver—will engage theory and praxis as she introduces the ecowomanist method and discusses the significance of the environmental justice paradigm; a theoretical lens through which one can see the intersections between racial, gender, economic and environmental injustices. The lecture also will invite participants to reflect on their own eco-stories and earth justice commitments. Part of the Burchenal Lecture Series of the  Center for Spiritual Life.


ART

Hidden Treasures and Recent Acquisitions VIIWorks from the Permanent CollectionMain Gallery, Nielsen Center for Visual ArtsJan. 14–Mar. 15
Gallery Hours: Mon.–Fri., 10 a.m.–5 p.m.


FILM

Inventing Tomorrow (2018)
Fri., March 1, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Laura Nix (English, 87 min., 2018)
Inventing Tomorrow follows six young scientists from Indonesia, Hawaii, India and Mexico as they tackle some of the most complex environmental issues facing humanity today—right in their own backyards. Each student is preparing original scientific research that he or she will defend at Intel ISEF, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Framed against the backdrop of the severe environmental threats we now face, this documentary immerses the audience in a global view of the planetary crisis, through the eyes of the generation that will be affected by it most. Part of the College Program Series and the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature: Environmental Film Festival.

The Devil We Know
Sat., March 2, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Jeremy Seifert (English, 95 min., 2018) Introduced by Co-Director Jeremy Seifert with a Q&A after the film
Since its inception in the 1960s, Teflon has become a staple in the modern world, finding its way not just into cookware but into furniture, clothes and even our bloodstreams. The Devil We Know traces the effects of Teflon manufacturing on humans, animals and the natural environment over the past 50 years. Part of the Visions of Nature/Voices of Nature: Environmental Film Festival.

The Wild Pear Tree
Fri., March 8, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkish with English subtitles, 188 min., 2018)
An aspiring writer returns to his native village, where his father’s debts catch up to him. Village Voice described the latest film by Turkish master filmmaker Ceylan as a “philosophical journey through the mind of an aspiring artist trying to figure out who he is and where he belongs.” Sponsored by the International Cinema Series.

What Is Democracy?
Fri., March 29, 7 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Directed by Astra Taylor (English, 107 min., 2018)
Director Astra Taylor’s idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’s groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism’s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor. Sponsored by the International Cinema Series.


MUSIC
Hearing Havana: An Evening of Cuban Song, Rhythm and DanceWed., March 6, 7 p.m., Roberts Music Center 104
Aymé Abreu will be visiting Eckerd College from Havana, Cuba, with her group of musicians and dancers. The evening will include a performance of Afro-Cuban traditional song and dance, including a demonstration of Cuba’s rich traditions of polyrhythmic improvisation on bata drums and other percussion. Sponsored by the EC Creative Arts Collegium.

University of North Georgia Concert Choir
Mon., March 11, 7:30 p.m., Wireman Chapel
The University of North Georgia’s excellent Concert Choir and select ensembles share their latest repertoire with the Eckerd community as part of their spring tour. Directed by John Broman, Ph.D. Sponsored by the EC Music discipline.

Superheroes & Spies
Thu., March 14, 7:30 p.m., Fox Hall
Eckerd’s Concert Band, String Orchestra and Small Ensembles channel the forces of good and evil in music from The Incredibles Theme to the bittersweet Finale of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony from the Stalinist Era. Directed by Professor of Music Joan Epstein. Sponsored by the EC Music discipline.


THEATRE

Live HD St. Pete EventsGet your tickets at livehdstpete.com—$25 for the general public and $22 for members of the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC) and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

Live HD St. Pete: La Fille du Régiment
An Opera by Gaetano Donizetti
Sat., March 2, 12:55 p.m.,
Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena team up for a feast of vocal fireworks on the Metropolitan Opera stage. Maurizio Muraro is Sergeant Sulplice, with Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. Enrique Mazzola conducts.

Live HD St. Pete: I’m Not Running
A Play by David Hare
Fri., March 8, 12:55 p.m.,
Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
Pauline Gibson has spent her life as a doctor, the inspiring leader of a local health campaign. When she crosses paths with her old boyfriend, a stalwart loyalist in Labour Party politics, she’s faced with an agonizing decision. What’s involved in sacrificing your private life and your peace of mind for something more than a single issue? Does she dare?

Live HD St. Pete: The Sleeping Beauty
A Ballet Performed by the Bolshoi Ballet
Fri., March 15, 12:55 p.m., Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
On her 16th birthday, Princess Aurora falls under the curse of the Evil Fairy Carabosse and into a deep slumber lasting 100 years. Only the kiss of a prince can break the spell.

Live HD St. Pete: Die Walküre
An Opera by Richard Wagner
Sat., March 30, 12 p.m.,
Dan and Mary Miller Auditorium
The second installment of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle, Die Walküre stars heroic soprano Christine Goerke as the warrior goddess Brünnhilde, whose encounter with the mortal twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, sung by Stuart Skelton and Eva-Maria Westbroek, leads her on a journey from Valhalla to earthbound humanity. Philippe Jordan conducts.

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