Get Lost!
Judy Katz
In the 2008 Convocation Address to open the academic year, Dr. Judy Katz welcomed
new students with a paradox, asking them to "get lost." As her talk developed, she
made it clear that her metaphor encompassed a call to plunge into life's possibilities,
even when those possibilities lead in unknown and frightening directions. By the end
of the talk, Dr. Katz had explored a variety of possible ways for first year students
to lose themselves intellectually and explore new ideas.
Smart Robots on Mars: Deciding Where to Go and What to See
Kiri Wagstaff
The extraordinary success and unanticipated longevity of the Mars Exploration Rovers
has led to a new way of interacting with these robots. Rover time is valuable, and
the communication time between Earth and Mars is so long that if human drivers had
to be responsible for all of the Rovers' movements the Rovers would be sitting idle
a good part of the time. This has obliged the team of scientists in control of the
Rovers to give them some instructions and a leash. A similar challenge had to be met
in determining which of the images captured to send back to earth. The Rovers have
proven teachable and the mission scientists have developed a new relationship with
robots that must be smart.
Benjamin Abramowitz Discusses the WPA Graphic Art Project
John Stewart
One of the last living participants in the WPA Graphic Arts Project discusses his career, his philosophy of art, and his experiences in the project during the late 1930s.
All of the Above: New Directions in Energy Policy
Senator J. Bennett Johnston
Drawing on the expertise he honed as chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources, Former Senator John Bennett Johnston, Jr., Democrat from Louisiana, urges
the United States to pursue an energy policy that incorporates a variety of sources,
including fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewable energy.
What The Hell Happened?: The Financial Crisis of 2007-?
Brad Andrew
The meltdown of the financial sector of 2007-2008 occurred due to a synergy among
seemingly unrelated government and corporate policies, actions and inactions. Seven
factors played a role. These included, the repacking of mortgages as securities and
the sale of those securities to other entities, the backing of those securities by
credit default swaps as a kind of insurance, the extending of credit to many borrowers
who were not credit-worthy, inappropriate models to assess the risk of mortgage-backed
securities, the option of banks to select which government agency would have regulatory
oversight of their operations, the extremely low interest rate available to lending
agencies along with extremely low capital requirements, the profit incentive of corporate
managers to take enormous risks even as they were being told of the risk by financial
engineers, and changes in bankruptcy law. These factors converged to produce a "perfect
financial storm."
Why Lincoln Matters
Phillip Stone
Abraham Lincoln ranks as the most respected and effective American President. His
personal integrity permitted him to educate and persuade the troops and the citizenry
on the moralaspects of the struggle to achieve his twin objectives: maintain the Union
and liberate slaves. It was his character, particularly his reputation for honesty,
that made the American people trust him.
Teaching American Politics During an Election Year
Dennis L. Plane
The historic presidential election of 2008 became an opportunity to provide political
lessons for Juniata students, thanks to the imagination and efforts of Dennis Plane.
Beginning before the election, Plane organized activities to increase students' interest
and involvement in the election. He then arranged for students to attend the Democratic
National Convention, the Republican National Convention, and the inauguration of Barak
Obama. In this talk given before faculty of Juniata College, Plane describes his efforts
and the results of students becoming more knowledgeable and engaged in the political
process.
The Last Flight of the Gypsy King
V-E Day
Katherine Young
Two poems written by this widely published writer based in Maryland.
Hemlock
Poetry
Peter Goldstein
Juniata professor of English offers two poems from his recent work.
March 8th, 2008
For the Standing Stone Coffee Company
Ice Fishing at Mountain Lake An Hour Past Dawn
Jack Troy
Three poems composed by poet and ceramicist Jack Troy.
Zip Code Man
After Reading A Wealthy Woman's Confession That She Had Never Changed a Bedsheet
Erin Murphy
This pair of poems was written by Penn State Altoona English professor Erin Murphy.
A Trillion and Change
Loren Rhodes
Professor Rhodes paints an optimistic technological future as he shares his passion
for computers and technology and describes some of the advancements therein that will
affect everyone. Through cognizance of these rapid technology changes and the promises
they make, we can influence progress for a positive world.
Coming to "Know Thyself" at Juniata College
Peter Marzio '65
The Director of the Houston Museum of Fine Arts uses his career at Juniata in the
1960s to explain to the class of 2008 that Juniata isn't "weird." It continues to
pursue its mission of teaching humility, teamwork, community tolerance and self-knowledge.