Guest Lectures Gear Up in February

JENNIFER McMANAMAY
College relations staff writer

The College will be hosting a number of distinguished lecturers who will speak on a range of subjects during the spring semester. Here’s what’s coming up in February.

U.S. State Department Historian Discusses Asia’s Influence on Cold War Feb. 7
U.S. State Department historian Evan Dawley will present “The Decision to Intervene: U.S. East Asian Policies and the East Asian Origins of the Cold War” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 in the Browsing Room at Cochran Library. Contact John Ashbrook at Ext. 6174 or jashbrook@sbc.edu for more information.

Lyman Lecturer is ‘Imagining Evil’ on Feb. 7
David Frankfurter, professor of history and religious studies at the University of New Hampshire, will present this year’s Lyman Lecture. He will speak on “Imagining Evil Conspiracy: Terror, Fascination and Prurience from Early Christian Cannibalism to Satanic Ritual Abuse” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 in Pannell Gallery. A book signing will follow. Contact Cathy Gutierrez at Ext. 6249 or cgutierrez@sbc.edu for more information.

Kluge-Ruhe Director to Lecture in Pannell Feb. 8
Margo Smith, director and curator of the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia will present an illustrated lecture, “Awaken the Dreaming: Australian Aboriginal Art and Culture,” at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 8 in Pannell Gallery. Smith, who has master’s and doctoral degrees in anthropology from the University of Virginia and has conducted field studies in Central Australia, will speak about the origins of aboriginal art, as well as its contemporary forms. Members of the Sweet Briar community are invited to join the Survey of Art History class for the lecture, followed by lunch at Prothro Commons. For more information contact Rebecca Massie Lane at rmlane@sbc.edu or Ext. 6248.

Honors Program Guest Lecturer to Address Meaning in a Material World, Feb. 21
The Honors Program Colloquia’s guest lecturer for the spring semester is Owen Flanagan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy and professor of neurobiology at Duke University. He will present “The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World” as part of the College’s yearlong conversation on “Mind and Body.” The talk will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21 in the Boxwood Room at the Elston Inn & Conference Center. Contact Julie Hemstreet at Ext. 6473 or jhemstreet@sbc.edu for more information.