Just Talk Archive

Join us at Just Talk After to discuss Kevin Hines speech on Suicide Awareness on February 6th. Immediately after the event, participants are encouraged to join us at Clyde's and have an open dialog about your response to the speech and more discussion on suicide awareness. Learn more about the event below.

Suicide Awareness with Kevin Hines

Two years after he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder (at 19 years of age), Kevin attempted to take his own life by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. The fall would break his body, but not his spirit. Today, Kevin dedicates his life to saving lives by spreading the message of hope and sharing his art of living mentally well. Come join us in this event to highlight the importance of suicide awareness so that we can work on this issue together as a community. This is a free event with first come first serve basis.

The Heller Center for Arts & Humanities in partnership with MOSAIC and Just Talk invite you to a viewing of the 2017 Academy Award winner for Best Picture: Moonlight. After the movie a lively discussion will follow about the representation of black queer masculinity in film, media, and our cultural consciousness.

Join us for a film screening of In the Shadows: Undocumented Immigration in America, followed by a panel discussion, on February 28th. Learn about the plight of undocumented immigrants living in the shadows and join in a discussion with a special guest panel including Dr. Emily Skop, UCCS; Edwin Ruiz, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition; and local DREAMERS advocating for immigrant justice.

This Just Talk event is presented by the UCCS Global Intercultural Research Center and Citizens Project.

(Free event parking is available in lots 222 and 224)

Join us for a discussion with artists, activists, and academics about the power and the use of arts in our prison systems. This Just Talk event is in conjunction with the UCCS Theatre and Dance Program's production of Our Country's Good at the Ent Center for the Arts, Osborne Theatre, which runs from February 23 - 25th, and March 1 - 4th.

Join us on Wednesday, March 7th, to experience the day-to-day realities of life with a shortage of money and an abundance of stress. Please RSVP mbell4@uccs.edu if you plan to attend. 

Lately there have been an overwhelming number of sexual misconduct allegations in the media.  From Oprah's inspirational speech during the Grammy's to Larry Nassar's sentencing, the MeToo Movement is impossible to ignore.  How does this MeToo Movement help us to navigate campus sexual assault in this time of uncertainty?  Is #MeToo enough to change our culture?  Is it a passing trend or is it here to stay?  Join Respect on Campus and the Department of Communication for a conversation about the #MeToo Movement.

Join us at the theater to watch Black Panther (tickets NOT included) and see what all the hype is about.  After the movie, engage in a discussion lead by Dr. Christopher Bell about the film. Please RSVP through the link below if you are interested. 

The lack of affordable housing is a national issue impacting many working Americans. Join representatives from the City of Colorado Springs, nonprofit sector, and Housing & Building Association to explore how this issue impacts our community locally. Participants will engage in a meaningful conversation around this important issue.

Hosted by Citizens Project, Global Intercultural Research Center, and Just Talk.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of religion in the free exercise clause, and freedom from religion in the establishment clause.  Mike's book: Religious Freedom in America, 2018, ABC-CLIO, 350 pp. explores more than 200 years of U.S. history in how society grappled with those two concepts and how they influenced U.S. politics.  It details all the U.S. Supreme Court watershed cases that defined the meaning and boundaries of the religious freedom debate.

We encourage all attendees to join us after the summit to continue discussion on topics covered and how they relate to UCCS. If you were not able to attend the summit or were not able to attend every session, you will have the opportunity to hear about what was covered and give your own input to the topic of Academic Freedom, Free Speech-Expression and the "Idea of the University."

An Outrage is a documentary film about lynching in the american south. Filmed on-location at lynching sites in six states and bolstered by the memories and perspectives of descendants, activists, and scholars, this unusual historical documentary educates even as it serves as a hub for action to remember a long-hidden past. 

An unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising told by the activists who live and breathe this movement for justice. In this film, watch Black Lives Matter in action as empowered parents, artists, and teachers come together as freedom fighters to protest police brutality in the U.S.

Film will start at 7pm in UC 303 and the discussion will take place immediately after the showing.

Learn more about the Just Talk series. 

Join us on Tuesday, April 17, from 2:30 to 4pm in the 3rd floor Library Apse for a discussion about the Quest for Prosperity.

What does it mean to think of prosperity in moral terms? It is the sense that our lives have meaning because we are part of a greater group that informs our identity, that expects us to balance our duties and rights in a way that is virtuous and considerate of others. It is a reasonable lived reality that fosters collaboration among neighbors and an appreciation that our accomplishments owe as much to unknown others as to our own effort. Only with a commitment to collaboration and cooperation and a transformation of notions of scarcity to those of abundance may the sufficient conditions for personal and communal prosperity be sensibly fulfilled.

Over the last 50 years, our media has shifted from major networks and newspapers to specialized sources with specific audiences. In other words, we can 'shop' for the news that suits us and limit our exposure to news that we don’t like. We often hear that this results in a culture of polarization. But is that actually so? In this conversation we explore the world of how politics has become "not to be discussed", what happens in our relationships with others as a result of having specialized media sources and our lack of common understanding. We also ask for what type of political climate we aspire to...so we can envision it together.

Learn more about the Just Talk series

Marathon for Justice tells the story of past and present environmental inequalities in the United States, and explores some of the ways in which people of color have been disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals and poisonous releases in the air, on the land, and in the water. Come to explore how this issue impacts our community locally. Participants will engage in a meaningful conversation around this important issue.

Hosted by Citizens Project, Global Intercultural Research Center, Sierra Club, Office of Sustainability, and Just Talk.

In conjunction with the Center for Civic Engagement's Constitution Day event, featuring Kathleen Hynes of the ACLU, the Kraemer Family Library will host a discussion following the speaker to debrief and discuss the concepts in greater depth.

Engage in a discussion led by guest speaker Horizon Gitano about the vastly different infrastructure and social and economic constraints each country faces in green transportation.

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

Today's political climate has become increasingly inimical to academic freedom. We have recently seen legislative and gubernatorial attacks on individual faculty members, course offerings, governing boards, the institution of tenure, and, generally, the institutional autonomy of colleges and universities. Websites such as Professor Watchlist are monitoring activities of faculty members and denouncing departures from what they view as acceptable. These activities have led to targeted harassment of faculty members. This presentation provides an overview of the concept of academic freedom, recent attacks on academic freedom, and how you can defend academic freedom.

Hans-Joerg Tiede is the Senior Program Officer in the Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance at the American Association of University Professors. He is also the editor of Policy Documents and Reports (the AAUP “Redbook”) (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015) and author of University Reform: The Founding of the American Association of University Professors (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2015).

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

Join us for a discussion immediately after the performance.

A Letter to My Nephew is an intimate, impressionistic collage for nine dancers, setting a portrait of Jones’s beloved nephew Lance T. Briggs—a talented dancer who struggled with illness and addiction—against the political landscape of the present. This dramatic work is an evocative and moving composition of imagery, movement, and sound. Featuring Janet Wong’s haunting projections, composer Nick Hallett’s delirious score, and live performance by baritone Matthew Gamble and Hallett, Jones’ cultural critique is rewritten for the time and place of every performance, flashing by each night like a feverish hour of the evening news.

Join Dr. Kathleen Hynes for the discussion "Defending the Constitution" on Thursday, October 25, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the 3rd Floor Library Apse.

Dr. Hynes is a highly sought-after volunteer speaker for the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.  For over a decade, she has worked throughout Colorado on behalf of the ACLU on a variety of issues, including: Juvenile Justice, Privacy Rights, Immigrant Rights, Prisoners’ Rights, Government Transparency, School Vouchers, Free Speech, Voting Rights, Ending the Death Penalty, and Knowing Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement. 

In addition to speaking, Dr. Hynes has written and given testimony on matters before the Colorado legislature because there is no better way to ensure social justice than by protecting, defending and extending the civil rights and civil liberties of all people. 

Dr. Hynes held a faculty appointment at the University of Colorado School of Medicine for several years before starting her own research business producing customized research and assistance in business development for almost three decades. 

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

Facing the Divide is a video series designed to bring psychological science to the conversation regarding the connections among race, racism and health. The videos are designed to help facilitate constructive dialogues around race in the classroom or workplace. The first video in the series outlines the complex issues associated with race-related stress and fosters group discussions that promote critical thinking, increase empathy, and encourage social perspective-taking.  Dr. Andrea Herrera will moderate a conversation based following the film.

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

Every week there seems to be at least one news story about another police interaction gone wrong.  Regardless of whether it’s an uptick in violence or a greater awareness of the topic, the end result is that some communities don’t feel safe with the police.  Please join us for this conversation with a member of the UCCS Police Department to explore the difficult topic of police brutality.

When: Tuesday, December 4

Time: 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Where: UC 302

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

The presentation is designed to help you better understand the nature of the conflicts that arise on campus and in everyday life and give you the skills and confidence to deal with them in an effective and positive way. The focus is on understanding the underlying dynamics of conflict and language tools to pivot a conflict conversation to focus on the needs of the parties, understand the impact of conflict, and ultimately create lasting resolution.

Kerri Quinn M.S. has been a mediator, facilitator and peace weaver for 15 years. Her trauma responsive restorative communication work has been used throughout the country in schools, correctional facilities, families for profit and nonprofit organizations. She is currently an adjunct at UCCS teaching restorative dialogue, and at Creighton Law School teaching mediation, facilitation, organizational conflict systems design. Her specialty is the language and dynamics of conflict.

Just Talk is the Kraemer Family Library's programming series that is designed to promote open and honest dialogue about equity, diversity, and inclusion on the UCCS campus and beyond.

Join us on Monday, March 4, at 4:30 p.m. in the Library 2nd Floor Apse, as Dr. Elizabeth Daniels presents "Powerful Women: How Media Images of Female Athletes Can Positively Affect Girls' and Young Women's Body Image."

This event is hosted by the UCCS Kraemer Family Library's Just Talk series, the UCCS Wellness Center and is part of #UCCSBodyPositive Week!

Join the Black Student Union to discuss the experience of race on campus. We will delve into experiences of people of color on campus and share in appreciation of our differences! This is in collaboration with M.O.S.A.I.C , ASA, APISU, and Mi Gente.

Kerri Quinn M.S. has been a mediator, facilitator and peace weaver for 15 years. Her trauma responsive restorative communication work has been used throughout the country in schools, correctional facilities, families for profit and nonprofit organizations. She is currently an adjunct at UCCS teaching restorative dialogue, and at Creighton Law School teaching mediation, facilitation, organizational conflict systems design. Her specialty is the language and dynamics of conflict.

The ancient practice of Mindfulness, or present moment awareness, can be an effective tool for taking ethical, culturally inclusive action. Research shows that mindfulness practices can mitigate our implicit/unconscious biases, allowing us to build deeper, more authentic relationships across social differences. Mindfulness can also be used for noticing white supremacist social conditioning and other forms of oppression in ourselves and in others, so we can challenge them effectively. In addition to discussing the roots of Mindfulness and the benefits of it, we will engage in a few practices to be better equipped in taking ethical action to create more culturally inclusive spaces, and lives.

Tuesday, April 30, 2019 | 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. | UC 302

Join us at 7:00 p.m. on September 9 at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theater for a special Just Talk (After), immediately following Prologue Town Hall: Curating the Political Divide.

Art is political. But have you ever wondered how artistic directors and curators navigate those risky waters? What is conservative art? What is progressive art? We have gathered local curators Aisha Ahmad-Post, Caitlin Lowans, Daisy McGowan, Kevin Landis, Scott RC Levy, and Ryan Bañagale to unpack the fascinating details that go into picking a season in a fraught political environment.

As always, Town Hall encourages discussion. We will end the evening with refreshments and break out sessions to continue the conversation.

The event is free but registration is required: Register Online.

In partnership with the Kraemer Library Just Talk Series and the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College. Co-presented with Theatreworks.

The current refugee crisis is unparalleled in history in its size and severity. According to the UNHCR, there are roughly 70 million refugees worldwide, the vast majority of whom are refugees as the result of wars and other military actions. This social and political crisis—1 in every 120 humans is a refugee—cries out for a response. Morally and politically, how should we understand this crisis? What, if anything, do we owe war refugees, and why?

Join UCCS Philosophy Professor Dr. Jennifer Kling as she discusses her latest book, War Refugees: Risk, Justice, and Moral Responsibility, published in April 2019 by Lexington Books. 978-1-4985-6248-5.

When: Wednesday, September 18th, 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

Where: 2nd Floor Library Apse

Are you attending the October 16 event An Evening with Jonathan Haidt at the Sheppard Arts Learning Studio? Join us afterwards and continue the discussion at our Just Talk (After) event!

When: Wednesday, October 16, immediately after An Evening with Jonathan Haidt

Colorado Springs is facing an affordable housing crisis that's getting worse every year. Join the organizers of the Colorado Springs Pro-Housing Partnership to discuss its root causes and how, by mobilizing our community, we can begin to move towards solutions. 

Six years after the founding of Black Lives Matter and four months after the shooting of De’Von Bailey, what is the state of the relationship between the police and the Colorado Springs community?  Do different communities within Colorado Springs experience the police differently? Do they have different relationships with law enforcement?  Our panelists will provide context for a dialogue about how we might begin to bridge the gaps between the disparate parts of our community.

Leaders of local NGOs discuss how the national debt affects specific organizations in our community of Colorado Springs. By 2048, the highest category of spending will be on the interest of debt, bypassing R&D, Defense, and Infrastructure... keeping that in mind how will the government continue to support our national and state parks of Colorado Springs, homeless shelters, and even subsided school lunches for elementary students? Learn about the effects of government on these fields and how they predict it might hurt or help them in the next 10-20 years.

Come to this panel discussion to understand what is happening with refugees globally. We'll explore the extent of the global refugee crisis, and then seek to understand the resettlement and integration process here in Colorado. Our panelists come with a variety of perspectives, including research, state government, and lived experience as a refugee. 

Panelists include:

Bidur Dahal, Refugee Stabilization Coordinator, Colorado Refugee Services Program

Jennifer Kling, Assistant Professor Philosophy

Meg Sagaria-Barritt, Integration Partnerships Coordinator, Colorado Refugee Services Program

Emily Skop. Professor and Chair Geography and Environmental Studies

Dominican sisters, Carol Gilbert, OP and Ardeth Platte, OP, were present at the United Nations in 2017 joining witnesses and ambassadors, testifying and advocating for passage of the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. They return to the UN annually to monitor nations regarding the treaty. The sisters have dedicated their lives to raising their voices for justice and global peace. Don’t miss hearing their story and perspective on the global community’s response toward nuclear disarmament.

Whether you know it or not, video cameras are used to record events and activities on campus and in Colorado Springs for several purposes, such as improving safety and security on campus, ensuring we comply with traffic laws throughout the city, and even as a means of conducting academic research. Our own smart devices may even contribute to this data gathering. What ever happened to the right to privacy, though?  Is this even a valid concern in 2020?  Join us for a thoughtful discussion of the legality and morality of surveillance in Colorado!

Join us for a reading and discussion with LaToya Council and Caroyln Choi, authors of the first kids’ book about intersectionality.

Join us on Wednesday, April 17, from noon to 1:00 p.m., in the Library 2nd Floor Apse for this special event that is part of Sexual Assault Awareness Week. This community and college panel will address issues around identifying as a survivor of sexual abuse/assault/harassment.