Learn about how trends in society are affecting how we live in the world at the Northern Arizona University Humanities in Action Showcase and Publications Fair from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, in NAU’s Ashurst Auditorium.
Through interactive exhibits, posters and public presentations, faculty and students showcase projects that foreground the importance of the humanities to individuals and communities. Publications and books by faculty in the NAU College of Arts and Letters also will be on display.
“Our faculty and students are presenting projects they’ve been working on that show the relevance of the humanities in contemporary society,” said Alexandra Carpino, department chair for NAU Comparative Cultural Studies and organizer of the showcase.
Poster presentations tackle thought-provoking issues such as Walmart funding for its Crystal Bridges Art Museum, human-cyber relationships, technophobia and what it means to live a “good life.” The new media world of 3-D printing is showcased through body scanning, and on the other end of history, the myth of the “Wild West” is debated using Tombstone, Ariz., as an example.
Public presentation topics range from healthcare ethics and Twitter as a classroom learning tool to teaching Spanish conversation in the community and interpreting self-exploitation in social media through art. The short film “Dog Tags” will be screened and discussed, along with the history of NAU’s South Campus, the Writing Commons and the diverse programming of the Office of Philosophy in the Public Interest.