Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962

Rachel Carson is depicted just after the publication of Silent Spring and 18 months before she dies of breast cancer. Warning of dangers of pesticides and pollution, Silent Spring races to the top of the bestseller list, and Rachel Carson is attacked on all sides by the chemical industry. Proclaimed founder of the Environmental Movement, she is still maligned … Read more

Sports and Humanities

This presentation traces the importance of sport to antiquity and around the world – we begin with sports “propaganda” on Grecian urns and end with a discussion of the who “owns” the modern athlete. Marketing campaigns and the evolution of sport also explored, along with the role of women in sport throughout history, “GOATs,” and … Read more

A Poet and the Gift of Blindness

Humphries sees with more than her eyes; she perceives with her entire being—signature of a stride, voices as distinct as thumbprints, memory as toned and sleek as an elite athlete, blended with sense of humor and common sense. Ann’s sensory inventory infuses her poetry, which in turn operates as a vehicle for sense to explore … Read more

The Joys of Laughter

Did you know that laughter and crying are a baby’s first means of communicating? A speaker laughs 46% more than the people listening? Or that about 1300 AD, Giotto painted the first human smiling? These questions, their answers, and a half-dozen pertinent cartoons are the subject of this Q and A presentation.

The Joys of Aging

Did you know that the peak age for psychological well-being is 82? That prune juice outsells orange juice in Miami? Or that 94% of Clemson faculty and staff remain in the immediate area after retirement? These questions, their answers, and a half-dozen pertinent cartoons are the subject of this Q and A presentation.