Fall Program 08.22

HUM NITIES NORTH DAKOTA MAGAZINE

the

08.22

FALL PROGRAM issue

CONTENTS THE FALL PROGRAM ISSUE 02 ALL ENCOMPASSING: ETHICS IS EVERYWHERE

by Kaylyn Bondy

06 THE FORMS (AND SOUND) OF POETRY

by Shadd Piehl

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08 WHY BELONGING MATTERS FOR DEMOCRACY

by Samantha Larson

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SPACE FOR DIALOGUE

by Raffi Andonian

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EMPATHY IS HARD. READING THIS ARTICLE IS NOT.

by Jenna Currie-Mueller

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20 BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS AND POTENTIAL VOTING PITFALLS

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by Todd Van Orman

24 IN DEFENSE OF STORYTELLING

by Rebecca Chalmers

30 OJIBWE LANGUAGE GRAMMAR I

by Alex DeCoteau

32 HUMANITIES NORTH DAKOTA MAGAZINE is published by Humanities North Dakota.

To subscribe, please contact us: 701.255.3360 info@humanitiesnd.org humanitiesnd.org

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota.

UNDERSTANDING THE COURT: PROFILES AND PORTRAITS OF THE JUSTICES

by David Gray Adler

38 WHY STUDY U.S. PRESIDENTS?

by Rick Collin

42 PUBLIC UNIVERSITY FALL PROGRAM CATALOG

BRENNA GERHARDT

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Back to school for everyone!

I love walking into Target to see the start of back-to-school sales. The anticipation of a new school year and the possibilities for personal growth for my children fills me with hope and happiness. Knowing that we can offer that same experience to the out-of-school general public through our Public University program makes this time of year even more joyful for me.

Humanities North Dakota’s program coordinator, Sue Skalicky, spent her summer curating a roster of twenty classes covering a variety of humanities subjects. She recruited a faculty of top-notch scholars from across the nation who are eager to welcome you into their virtual classrooms. We offer a variety of formats and class times to help meet the demands of busy schedules and different learning styles. The best part is that there are no grades! Public University is learning for learning’s sake.

Research shows that lifelong learners live longer, have more friends, advance farther in their careers, and are overall happier than non-learners. I hope you find a class or event that sparks your curiosity and excitement so you can experience all the benefits lifelong learning offers.

Remember to invite a friend to join you!

Much heart, Brenna Gerhardt Executive Director & Fellow Lifelong Learner

ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST, DR. ANGELA ERDRICH Dr. Angela Erdrich was raised in Wahpeton, North Dakota. She was encouraged to be an artist from a young age and learned watercolor painting from her high school art teacher. She studied art and pre-medicine at Dartmouth College and graduated from Dartmouth Medical School in 1994 and the U of Washington pediatric residency in 1997. An enrolled Tribal member in the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, she and her husband have worked as doctors in Native American communities since 1997. Angela would like to paint more birds and plants that are specific to North Dakota. She is nostalgic about North Dakota landscape, old buildings, businesses and the interesting natural history of North Dakota towns and prairies.

Cover artwork is from the children’s book Josie Dances, written by Denise Lajimodiere and illustrated by Dr. Angela Erdrich.

Josie is being presented to the pow-wow world with her parents at her side.

The Humanities North Dakota Magazine has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

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ALL ENCOMPASSING:

ETHICS IS EVERYWHERE

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Social media companies have evolved from social media monitoring to what is tagged as social media listening.

by Kaylyn Bondy

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recently connected with good friends and discussed our upcoming, overly-anticipated summer plans. We discussed gardening, travel, reunions, even some home renovation plans. Our excitement grew while discussing warmer weather and the opportunity for late nights on the patio.

One of my friends mentioned his recent purchase of a Solo Stove. Some of the group hadn’t the slightest idea what that was. He explained that a Solo Stove is a brand – a portable, stainless steel fire pit for camping or outdoor entertainment that creates efficient, high-heat, smoke-free flames.

A portable bonfire without the bonfire smell or smoke? What a dream. How do we purchase?

A friend from the group requested the name of the product the day after in a text-message thread, and we joked about how we had already mentioned it so many times the night before that it would be just moments before it would show up in our social media feeds. If you’ve noticed anything about how social media target its ads to desired audiences, they’ve got us pretty pinned down. The number of relevant ads that have come across my social media feeds is uncanny. I’ve learned about things I never would have known about, and I’ve been quite appreciative.

Though social media companies have been targeted for listening to conversations through the microphone on our phones or other smart devices, they have repeatedly denied such claims. Social media companies state that they are able to show you these eerily relevant ads because they have a shockingly detailed picture of our lives. They have such detailed information because we hand it over ourselves. Social media companies state that they don’t need to spy – our own behaviors provide a wealth of data. Information gleaned from our activity all across the web, on multiple devices, even if we’re not logged into a social media platform, likely indicates to advertisers a wealth of information, including where we live, what we like, who our friends are, how much money we make, and our political beliefs. So when we get ads for something we’ve talked about out loud, it’s almost certainly just advertisers being very good at predicting our interests.

Social media companies have evolved from social media monitoring to what is tagged as social media listening, which involves pulling data from all social media platforms to see how customers interact with brands, products, the entire industry – including competitors. Understanding this macro3

| FALL CATALOG ISSUE | level view of brands and products, companies can mitigate risk and inform their organization about how best to strategize and respond to customer needs. As this process is much more complex and time-consuming than social media monitoring, few brands are using social media listening to understand their audiences.

However, when we use social media, sign up for a mailing list, or download a free app onto our phones, we agree to the provider’s terms of use. These agreements are often challenging to understand for everyday people like us, but they set the terms for how a company can use the personal data they collect from us. Despite terms and conditions, data misuse can occur when personal data is used outside those stated intentions. The cost of data misuse has a vast range. Data misuse cases have taken center stage multiple times in recent years, many with significant ramifications for the company and its customers.

One recent example of data misuse from 2018 occurred when news outlets revealed that a UK political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, acquired and used personal data from Facebook users that was initially collected from a third party for academic research. In total, it is said that Cambridge Analytica misused the data of nearly 87 million Facebook users, many of whom had not given any explicit permission for the company to use or even access their information. Since the uncovering of this information, Cambridge Analytica is no longer in business. Facebook, however, was left with a $5 billion fine from the Federal Trade Commission.

Additionally, in 2014, Uber was fined $20,000 by the Federal Trade Commission for its “God View” tool which allowed Uber employees to access and track the location and movements of Uber riders without their permission. As a result of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, Uber paid its fine and agreed to hire an outside firm to audit its privacy practices through 2034.

With more internet-connected products and services, from smart thermostats to fitness trackers, the data these devices collect is sold, shared, and can potentially be hacked. Deciding your level of convenience versus the risks you’re 4

comfortable with is a part of making an informed choice. The risks associated with products and services that share data vary; there’s no single, comprehensive federal law regulating how most companies collect, store, or share consumer data. The United States doesn’t have a singular law that covers the privacy of all types of data.

Instead, it has a mix of laws, some of which may be familiar: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), or The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

A simple conversation about summer plans with friends has left me pondering the ethical issues – or the quintessential, moral right versus wrong - surrounding the use or misuse of personal information by businesses. As we browse internet sites, make online purchases, enter our information on websites, engage with different businesses online. and participate in social media, we are constantly providing personal details. As these companies gather information to hyperpersonalize our online experiences, to what extent is that information actually impeding our right to privacy?

The treatment of information, people, and the communities we live in are often the subject of scrutiny and can signal the difference between ethical and unethical behavior. There isn’t a day that goes by when ethical reasoning doesn’t come into play for me – whether that be in my personal or professional life. I find it vital to reflect on what ethical foundations guide our decisions and actions. Even when we least expect ethics to be the core of a conversation about summer plans, ethics is all encompassing. Ethics is everywhere. l Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Ethical Explorations Wednesdays: Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 6-8pm CST. This course is an interactive, discussionbased look at ethics in our daily lives. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor KAYLYN BONDY currently serves as the vice president for student affairs at Bismarck State College (BSC) in North Dakota.

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THE FORMS (AND SOUNDS) OF POETRY

by Shadd Piehl

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have been thinking of North Dakota’s state Poet Laureate Larry Woiwode and his recent passing as the deadline for this article approached. I can’t claim that I knew him well, but Larry’s legacy, in large part, is a reason I am writing this and why I will be teaching a second Forms of Poetry course this fall for Humanities North Dakota’s Public University.

When Larry asked me to be one of his associate poet laureates, he told me that taking him up on the offer would look good on my resume.

Well, it has, but another of Larry’s reasons for creating associate poet laureates has more resonance: to bring living, breathing poetry into the communities of North Dakota. Larry believed his associate laureates would help him in this endeavor, and I like to think this course is an extension of that work.

I started writing poetry because I loved words and the sounds of words, and at its essence poetry is the sounds of words spoken or on the page. Elementally, more than subject, theme, meaning, elements, etc. is sound. Working at various forms of poetry can help hone the sound of your words as a poet. For example, read aloud

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these ending lines from poem “48” in Woiwode’s collection Even Tide: The wind sprang upon the window at even tide (three violins keep time) And brought her name full circle and tied it (finger cymbals) to rhyme; The sheaves lay down and shed their seeds scented with timothy and thyme, And no ribbed clouds above lowered to make the memory of eleven years malign, As sheathed in her sheaves of movement she moves me and these through time, Pours water over lips, tears sheets of paper and tears sheets, applies rhyme, And shakes my head up against the hard dies of the confined, but unconfining Sublime.

Even if you didn’t read them aloud, I bet you couldn’t resist the sounds those words make on the page. This effect is heightened by each line’s rhyme (an uncommon technique to end-rhyme: seven consecutive lines) while the opening three stanzas of the poem have no governing rhyme scheme or set meter. The overall effect is one of the poet’s bursting out in song, as if the poem could no longer contain itself. Beautiful!

In this course, we also may read some Thomas McGrath, a poet described as North Dakota’s gift to the 21st century: History All night the wind Yelled at the house, The trees squeaked and hushed But the wind would not.

All night the trees complained And the rain rushed and rained.

Now in the cool Morning the trees stand, tall, Still and all composed– Sun on their sunny pages.

Of the storm only the riled Creek remembers, and rages.

I feel that working within various forms can sharpen a poet’s sensibility when it comes to

| FALL CATALOG meter and sound, rhythm, and rhyme, which in turn can strengthen and deepen free verse, other forms of poetry, and even prose.

The last time I facilitated this course, Covid caused Humanities ND to move the Public University online. Although there was some trepidation about holding courses via Zoom, I think it opened the class up to more people geographically and temporally. We are all too busy, but going to class on a Thursday evening in your sweatpants and slippers reduces that burden. Heck, we even had a North Dakota expat sitting in from her place in Florida.

So, if you are interested, this eight-week course will meet for 90 minutes on Thursday nights. It explores various forms of poetry, and I’ll ask you to write poems reflecting those forms, such as haiku and tanka, couplets, sonnets and

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blank verse, free verse, prose poems, lyric and lyrical forms, and perhaps even the relationship between poem and song. If you love words and the sound of words, what would you have to lose? l Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Writing the Forms of Poetry Thursdays: Sept 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, 6:30-8 pm CDT. This class is presented in a workshop format that introduces participants to different forms of poetry and approaches to writing those different forms. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor SHADD PIEHL’S poetry has appeared in the anthologies, Between Earth and Sky: Contemporary Cowboy Poets, Maverick Western Verse, Brushstrokes and Balladeers, and the magazines Aluminum Canoe, Pemmican, Red Weather, Dry Crik Review, and On Second Thought, among others. Shadd is an associate poet laureate for the state of North Dakota.

I started writing poetry because I loved words and the sounds of words, and at its essence poetry is the sounds of words spoken or on the page.

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“Othering is the problem of our time. Belonging is the solution.”

– John Powell

WHY BELONGING MATTERS FOR DEMOCRACY

by Samantha Larson

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n 2019, 61% of Americans reported feeling lonely. The number had jumped 13% from the previous year. Even before the pandemic, sensations of being left out, feeling poorly understood, and lacking companionship were on the rise (Renken, 2020). People were feeling more excluded, as though they had no place to belong. This trend has only increased since COVID-19, leading to an epidemic of loneliness. This fall, I am eager to bring people together to explore the history of how we got here, how it has impacted the health of our people and democratic institutions, and strategies for building a greater sense of belonging. The course is called Belonging and Democracy. Largely informed by the innovative work of the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, here are a few highlights of the discussions we will embark on and the tools that participants will gain for building a world where all people belong.

We will begin with a deep dive into individualism: “a social theory favoring freedom of action for individuals over collective or state control.” This has been part of the American ethos from the beginning.

The Declaration of Independence is revered as a foundational document and still often cited as a symbol of freedom for all. But we also know that the men who crafted and signed it were highly dependent on controlling and exploiting others to ensure their own “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.” Enslavement of Africans had been a practice for more than 150 years when they put pen to parchment paper. At least 41 of the 56 signers owned slaves themselves (Andrews, 2019).

The institution of slavery was a critical component of the American economy when the French government granted Alexis de Tocqueville a trip to study the experiment of democracy in 1831. The year

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| FALL CATALOG before, the U.S. Census reported 2,009,048 African Americans living in slavery (O’Neill, 2021).

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was well underway at the time, forcing thousands of indigenous people into exile. Yet de Tocqueville observed that the prominent white Americans he interviewed “acquire the habit of always considering themselves as standing alone, and they are apt to imagine that their whole destiny is in their own hands.”

This myth was maintained long after Emancipation, the violence of the Civil War, and the failed period of Reconstruction. Rugged individualism was further embedded into the American identity with westward expansion to places like North Dakota. As the federal government continued driving native people onto reservations to make room for European immigrants, the frontier fostered a sense of selfreliance that was far different from the collective societies many of the settlers had come from.

A recent endeavor to address this issue attempts to show how the “total frontier experience” (TFE) of a county has residual effects in the present. Researchers have examined counties between 1790 to 1890, calculating TFE by the number of years that each county spent on the frontier based on population sparsity and isolation from urban centers. They have found that counties with higher TFE continue to demonstrate a greater rugged individualism amongst the people that live there (Bazzi et al., 2020). And this situation has actual impacts. For instance, in response to the COVID-19 health crisis, studies have shown the same TFE counties with greater degrees of “rugged individualism” exhibited far less social distancing, less mask use, weaker policy responses, and lower vaccination rates (Bazzi et al., 2021; Bian et al., 2022).

In this class, we will review similar studies that show the strengths and weaknesses of individualistic economic and political philosophy.

The case for individualism is often made by those who note a strong correlation between capitalistic competition, innovation, and growth. On the other hand, individualism is also highly correlated with emotional and social isolation, which has

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The case for individualism is often made by those who note a strong correlation between capitalistic competition, innovation, and growth. severe but often overlooked consequences. In fact, loneliness has been reported to be more dangerous to health than obesity. Social isolation can be as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Other health implications include early mortality, depression, anxiety, heart disease, substance abuse, and domestic abuse.

Our class discussions will explore the false narrative of individualism, expressions of individualism in contemporary society, and how individualism is a characteristic of white supremacy culture. We will examine health implications. And our conversations will include brainstorming about how individualism affects us, our communities, and how it shapes how we see the world and relate to each other. For instance, in addition to feeling 9

| FALL CATALOG ISSUE | isolated, people also begin to feel responsible for solving problems on their own. They have less experience working as part of a team. They become uncomfortable in group environments.

And perhaps most damaging, this anxiety leads to a growing fear of others.

Individualism leads to entire groups of people being labeled as the “other” and marginalized.

We will explore both past and present instances of othering, “a set of dynamics, processes and structures that engender marginality and persistent inequality across any of the full range of human differences based on group identities.” We’ll explore examples, such as the way refugees and immigrants have been demonized throughout American history, as well as the disproportionate rate at which Black people are racially profiled and categorized as criminals, and the rise in gun ownership that correlates with higher and higher degrees of gun violence, mass shootings, racist hate crimes, and suicide (Gramlich, 2022; Narea et al., 2022, Metzl, 2019).

This class will create space for an important first step. It will demonstrate how to move from isolation to belonging by recognizing the common humanity of all people. Yet, as defined by the Othering and Belonging Institute (2022a): Belonging means more than just being seen.

Belonging entails having a meaningful voice and the opportunity to participate in the design of social and cultural structures. Belonging means having the right to contribute to, and make demands on, society and political institutions.’ Belonging is more than just feeling included ‘in a legitimate democracy, belonging means that your well-being is considered and your ability to design and give meaning to its structures and institutions is realized.

One of the keys to this class will be linking two ideas: 1) how we define who “belongs” and who is “othered” and the well-being and life outcomes of people, and 2) how belonging and othering impact our fragile democracy. Democracy depends on actively engaged and informed citizens who 10

may disagree and have many differences while still holding a shared fate and shared identities. In Last Best Hope, George Packer (2021) looks for a common American identity to bridge the many divides plaguing the United States, proposing our passion for equality of opportunity as one path to bring people together. Similarly, we will go on a quest to discover a shared identity in in-class brainstorms. One of several strategies students will also take away includes a method for bridging differences with people while still allowing for a personal sense of self (Shigeoka & Marsh, 2020; Othering & Belonging Institute, 2022b).

It may go without saying that the goals of this course are aspirational. America feels more divided now than it has been in modern history.

In 2021, 46% of Americans believed a future civil war was likely (Gale & West, 2021). As Abraham Lincoln famously said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” With hope and humility, this class will create a space for participants to share our thoughts, fears, ideas, risks, and reflections on the possibility of changing the narrative of rugged individualism and the larger structures that hold it in place to heal the divides in our democracy. That is to say, the goal of this class is to imagine a path forward, together. I hope you’ll join us. l

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Belonging and Democracy Tuesdays: Sept 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 6-8 pm CST. In this course, students will examine related theories, strategies, and tools which focus on building trust, creating a sense of belonging, and advancing community cohesion. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor DR. SAMANTHA LARSON serves as an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She is also Deputy Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research.

INVITE A FRIEND to become a member of Humanities North Dakota!

It shouldn’t be difficult, frustrating, or expensive to pursue the journey of lifelong learning. That’s why since 1973, Humanities North Dakota has developed affordable and engaging classes and events. We are a nonprofit dedicated to helping you experience the benefits of lifelong learning.

800-338-6543 info@humanitiesnd.org humanitiesnd.org

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SPACE FOR DIALOGUE

by Raffi Andonian

How do we interpret narratives of contested memory?

What do these narratives say about who we are and who we wish to become as a society?

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ow we remember historic events shapes how we view our society, our political framework, and our place in the world. Consider recent issues regarding Confederate monuments, reparations for American slavery, the role of identity in politics, and subsequent polarization of national dialogue. These complicated matters are often simplified by opposing sides into neat, meme-worthy positions, with uncomplicated messages playing on who we think we ought to be, based on a perception of who we think we have been, from whence we came, and how that shapes our current society. This power of historical memory manifests in regularly occurring fights over school textbooks and curricula, public portrayals of historical figures, and the framework of remembrance for historic events.

The creation and use of the atomic bomb—born of the Manhattan Project during the Second World War—and its resulting nuclear history has long been a controversial topic. The use of the bomb was debated even before its creation, and for decades since disputes surrounding nuclear technology have continued in various contexts: warfare,

diplomacy, energy, healthcare, and the environment. This contested memory is one reason the decadelong effort to create the Manhattan Project National Historical Park failed in September 2012. Although the park ultimately was established later as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the debate about it revealed opposing narratives based on layers of nuclear legacies, stemming from 1945 through the present, pervading the public’s historical memory of the Manhattan Project.

The years of efforts to organize the park, its failure in Congress as a bill (and later passage as part of a defense spending bill), and the discussions about it raised many questions: What is worth preserving? What is the meaning of our national parks? How do we interpret narratives of contested memory? What do these narratives say about who we are and who we wish to become as a society?

Creating space for dialogue about places with complicated histories is perhaps the leading reason to advocate for their protection and interpretation.

Remembrance of the stories surrounding the atomic bomb and the subsequent narratives of nuclear history provide a case study

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on the challenges of telling these stories. A closer look at this globally significant history, along with the way we choose to remember it, provides some insight into how we may choose to deal with sites that have pasts now seen as controversial. In this era of political polarization and of rhetoric dismissive of the “other” side, do places with complex stories provide a unique capability for creating much needed conversations?

Indeed, these scarce forums for discussion should become even more cherished.

Establishing places to interpret many narratives creates spaces in which willing participants may have conversations with family or strangers that they might otherwise never have— triggered by place, environment, education, interpretation, and reflection. The relevance of creating dialogue on conflicted histories with the power of place, now when so little space for understanding each other exists, becomes important today more than ever.

Interpreting the history of the atomic bomb provides a case study about how we might evaluate historical memories in public spaces.

Its implications could affect how we view Confederate monuments, sites of the Jim Crow era and civil rights struggles, the likeness of historic figures with pasts we now disapprove, and other sites that represent apartheid, fascism, totalitarianism, and more. Therefore, a case study can help establish a roadmap with the guiding questions we may apply to many contested historical topics: - Why remember?

- What is the history to be remembered?

- What does it mean to remember?

- How to remember?

These questions—in this sequence—allow us to consider the significance, the accuracy, the meaning, and the messaging for each particular circumstance. By providing a blueprint for contested historic sites, we have a way to move forward together with diverse perspectives, without devolving into a series of accusations. l

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Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Conflicts in History and Memory of Americana Tuesdays: Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 - 6:30-8:30 pm CDT. Learn about the differences between historic sites and monuments, what makes some of them so controversial, and how we can better understand each situation. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor RAFFI ANDONIAN is Amazon best-selling author of 3 books, professional public speaker, and producer and host of a streaming TV show that challenges the present by inquiring the past.

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EMPATHY IS HARD.

READING THIS ARTICLE IS NOT.

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by Jenna Currie-Mueller

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ur world is rife with conflict, and we experience it every day. We hear about geopolitical conflict from the news, and we experience conflict at work, at our family gatherings, or while scrolling through our Facebook feeds. Some of us may even experience unexpected conflict when we are abruptly cut off while driving on the Interstate! If you have not experienced that last type of conflict, I urge you to start using your blinker and stick to intown roads while driving.

Conflict is inevitable. Understanding why it happens and what to do with it is important because what happens during a conflict and the moments afterward is what sticks with us. Consider the following wisdom from one of the greatest contemporary poetic voices, Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I am sure each of us can relate to Angelou’s wisdom. In a perfect world, we would think Angelou is referring to nonstop positive and uplifting feelings.

Yet our world is not perfect, and so we can extrapolate that the feeling Angelou refers to is most likely inclusive of negative and positive feelings.

When we consider it, conflict is usually tied to a negative feeling, but it does not have to be. Conflict can be a good thing, the result of two different perspectives brought to light. Yet, often conflict results in negative actions, words, and feelings. What matters during a conflict and the moments following it is what can we do to help mitigate some of the negative feelings attached to it.

Is there an option we can pursue that prevents unnecessary conflict? If we

experience conflict every day, is there something that can effectively help to reduce the amount of negative conflict we experience?

I think the answer to these questions can be found in empathy, a powerful tool. Empathy allows us to understand the experiences of others and encourages us to share our own experiences. In the crucial moments of a misunderstanding or conflict, it can help us to make sense of what is happening and identify what factors may be contributing to that exact moment. In discussing the science of empathy and the medical field, Helen Reiss describes empathy as creating a shared bridge constructed from shared needs, desires, and experiences. I like this perspective as it places the onus on relationship-building, which makes sense as she primarily focuses on the patient-provider relationship. But there is something unique here in that empathy is dependent upon knowing another person.

Conflict is inevitable.

Understanding why it happens and what to do with it is important.

Knowing another person requires engagement and dialogue. In Ich und Du (I and Thou), the philosopher Martin Buber described how our reality is formed through dialogue. In engaging with one another and the world, we begin to construct that shared bridge together. We begin to humanize each other, relating to one another as 15

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authentic and without judgment. The alternative causes us to view reality through an I and It lens, where we dehumanize and relate to another as an object, void of empathy in our communication.

I am certain we can identify moments in history or in recent years where an I and It approach can be identified in communication patterns or actions and the danger that approach can bring.

Martin Buber has been on my mind for the past several weeks. [In the interest of full transparency, I never thought I would write that sentence, and I might just contact my rhetoric and philosophy professors from graduate school and share that notion with them, if only to bring them joy.

In fact, I took a picture of the above and texted both professors completely out of the blue. It is nice to bring joy into people’s lives.] But back to Buber: his philosophy has been on my mind since Humanities ND hosted Eli Saslow during the Inaugural Marilyn Hudson Brave Conversations Event in Fargo. Saslow, a journalist for The Washington Post, recounted the experience of writing his book, Rising out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist. During the event, Saslow relayed how he learned about how Derek Black, who grew up steeped in white supremacy ideology and was shielded from alternative influences, was treated by students on his college campus after being identified for who he was. Saslow explained that there were two groups of thought: one group reflected the I and It approach, wanted Black removed from campus, and did not want anything to do with him.

Another group adopted an I and Thou approach and invited Black to weekly dinners surrounded by people who represented the groups and ethnicities Black was taught to hate. Over time, the dialogue present at these dinners and in their relationships moved Black to be confronted with his worldview and eventually to reject it. This group of students exhibited empathy in their actions and relationship with Black.

If we trace the word empathy back to its 16

origins, it comes from the Greek word, empatheia.

It means being able to identify with someone or understanding others by entering through their perspective. Colloquially we understand this to mean, standing in someone else’s shoes.

Personally, I love shoes. If you are wearing a cute pair and they are my size, I would not think twice about standing in them. However, you might not like that I am in your shoes, and I understand that you might not like me in your shoes, an example of how I can understand your perspective – voila, shoe empathy!

Walking back to the topic of empathy, hopefully in new shoes…how does an I and Thou approach produce empathy and how does it work? Interand cross-cultural researchers often consider how empathy functions. For example, Benjamin Broome advocated empathy as a third space or culture that develops between individuals. This space is where an individual is free to experience the world through another’s feelings, removes their own feelings, and creates the foundation of effective communication. The students who invited Black to dinner created physical space around their dinner table and removed their feelings about an individual who hated them.

All empathy takes is for us to create a third space, dialogue with others, develop relationships, and see things from another perspective. That seems simple enough, right? If you said yes, you are lying. Empathy is important, but it is difficult! If anyone tells you differently, they are wrong.

Empathy requires mindfulness, the need to be open to new information, and an awareness that multiple perspectives exist. Similar to how mindfulness needs practice, so does empathy.

Researchers have discovered that empathy declines during medical training, repetitive tasks, or experiences. In the medical field, if empathy is missing or decreased during a patient’s care, it can lead to dissatisfaction – and rightfully so. The larger implications can be irreversible

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Practicing empathy can structure our minds to think and behave in a certain way. We can train ourselves to have increased empathy.

for a patient; they may avoid future care or distrust other providers. Empathy is essential in healthcare.

Recognizing that empathy is a skill that is learned and practiced, some medical schools incorporate specific training. Researchers and educators in Japan, for example, included a communication skills training program for students and discovered their students had increased empathy throughout several checkpoints in their six-year study. This is great if you are in medical school, right? What about developing empathy outside of medical training?

A few years ago, I read a study about video games and empathy. While video games often solicit a strong response about violence in adolescents, this study stood out to me because it did not study violence. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison developed a game that taught empathy to kids in middle school using an alien avatar. Kids learned how to identify emotions and recognize facial expressions while solving problems in the game. Using brain scans and self-reporting, the researchers were able to show how learning empathy rewires our brain to think differently.

Taking the above information together, it is encouraging to know that practicing empathy can structure our minds to think and behave in a certain way. We can train ourselves to have increased empathy and in doing so know that our minds will be supportive!

In my previous career, I taught undergraduate and graduate students. One of my favorite classes was Intercultural Communication. Each semester I introduced the model, describe-interpret-evaluate or DIE. I admit the acronym is…well…just look at it. Imagine teaching a group of young adults with

this acronym, I often chose to not use it but inevitably every semester my students would figure it out.

The describe-interpret-evaluate model is useful in developing empathy. At the core of the process, a person takes a step back from a scenario, for example, a conflict. At the foundation, a person makes objective descriptions and separates those from subjective descriptions. As they move on to the interpret phase, the person moves beyond the objective and speculates about what is not known. Last, during the evaluate phase, the person makes an evaluation or judgment about the conflict.

This model is helpful in developing empathy when dialogue engagement may not be available to build a shared bridge. Likewise, information from a relationship can be helpful in the interpretation phase. Earlier this week I experienced a conflict with a coworker and friend. We had a large gathering where my coworker had worked hard to bring together people from across the community, coordinate schedules, and arrange a day of fun activities for participants. At one point, I asked for a resource and received a very short response. Because I have an established relationship with her, I was quickly able to describe-interpret-evaluate within seconds. Description: there are lots of people here. Interpret: She’s been working really hard the past several months and there are lots of people needing things from her.

Evaluation: my coworker is overwhelmed; she is not mad with me; I should see where I can be supportive of her. The next time we saw each other, she apologized for being short, and I told her it was okay and that I figured she was 17

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With the seemingly ever-increasing division throughout our nation and communities, practicing empathy is crucial.

overwhelmed at the time.

However, had I had that interaction with someone I did not know, I may not have had the same response, or I may have thought about the interpretation phase for a while before arriving at an evaluation. While I would like to tell you that my evaluation would be one of empathy, I admit I, too, need to be mindful and practice empathy and do not know if I would have arrived at the same conclusion. Hopefully, I would have.

Empathy is not a simple skill to develop.

It takes time and practice. The upside in practicing your empathy skills is the deeper knowledge of potential conflicts that we gain.

What may have resulted in an argument with a friend several months ago may be simply a verbal acknowledgment that you are available to support them. Harkening back to Maya Angelou’s words that people remember how you made them feel, knowing that you are supported during a difficult time is an incredible feeling to have. Other upsides you may experience is a decrease in your everyday conflict and your power to mitigate potential conflicts. Consider the individual who abruptly cut you off on the Interstate – perhaps they are in a hurry and forgot to use their blinker, or maybe they are rushing to see a loved one who is ill. By placing yourself in the shoes of others, you are able to reduce the amount of negative conflict in your life.

Likewise, empathy has incredible power to provide you with insight into understanding other perspectives and worldviews. You may not agree with them – you certainly do not need to; I do not think any of the students who invited 18

Black to enjoy dinner with them each week agreed with his worldview. What their empathy did provide was the ability to understand how Black had the perspective and worldview he did and gave them the ability to engage in difficult conversations over several years. With the seemingly ever-increasing division throughout our nation and communities, practicing empathy is crucial.

I admit that incorporating empathy into your communication style is difficult. I wish empathy were like protein powder. It would be so simple to sprinkle a scoop of powdered empathy into my morning yogurt each day! I suppose if it were that simple, we would take it for granted. I invite you to share your experiences in learning, providing, and receiving empathy this Fall in my Public University class, Communicating with Empathy. We will examine empathy and the powerful role it plays in effectively communicating, explore incorporating empathy into our personal and professional lives, and together we will develop the confidence to embrace difficult conversations. I hope to see you there! l

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Communicating with Empathy Wednesdays: Sept. 14, 28, Oct. 12, 26, and Nov 9, 5:30-7:30 pm CDT. This course is a powerful exploration of empathy in our personal and professional lives. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor JENNA CURRIE-MUELLER is an awardwinning researcher, champion of all things Fargo, and cannot make up her mind whether she is an extrovert or introvert. She loves big challenges, bringing people together, and dinosaurs.

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BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS AND POTENTIAL VOTING PITFALLS

by Todd Van Orman

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s I write this, we are approaching Primary Election Day in North Dakota, with midterm elections to follow in November.

When we think of economics, we often think of money, but perhaps a more apt definition for economics would be the study of choice.

Sometimes those choices involve money—what to buy, whether to spend or save, how to invest— but the concepts of economics can be applied much more broadly. And what better time to look at our process for making choices than when approaching an election, during which our choices have outsized impacts on not only our present but on our futures, and not only for ourselves but for our fellow citizens.

Economics is at its heart a social science, with data based on the decisions of individuals.

Behavioral economics is primarily concerned with how individuals arrive at those decisions. And as much as we like to believe that our decisions are always correct or, at the very least, that our decision-making processes are sound and make sense, research shows it not always to be the case. In 1979, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky published “Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision Under Risk,” in which they discuss the basis for many heuristics and biases that can lead to error in our decision-making processes. (I should specify that when we discuss biases here, we are talking about cognitive biases, not racial or other biases. I specify not to minimize the effects that these biases can have, but simply to clarify

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Economics is at its heart a social science, with data based on the decisions of individuals.

that they are not the focus of this discussion.)

This paper served as the basis for Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast & Slow (and also for his Nobel Prize in Economics), which discusses two systems of thinking that we humans utilize. One system operates intuitively and automatically, while the second is more intentional. Both of these systems are necessary at times, but problems arise when we make decisions using System 1 that would be better off left to System 2. For any number of reasons—laziness, emotion, being overwhelmed with information or choices—sometimes we let our intuitive system take over to make complex choices when deeper, more purposeful analysis should be utilized. What follows are some concepts which could lead to suboptimal decisions for voters.

REPRESENTATIVE HEURISTIC Even before their seminal work on decisionmaking theory, Tversky and Kahneman were looking at specific heuristics. (A heuristic is simply a rule of thumb, or shortcut, that our minds make when using System 1 described above.) Their 1972 work “Subjective Probability: A Judgment of Representativeness,” explored the representative heuristic, which is, essentially, how we make snap judgements about a person based on limited knowledge about them, or even similarities between them and others we know, as in this example: You know Nancy enjoys listening to classical music, but you know nothing else about her.

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Which is more likely?

1) Nancy is a violin teacher at a music conservatory, or 2) Nancy works as a nurse at a hospital Many people would say that she is more likely to work as a violin teacher. However, knowing nothing else about her, it is much more likely she works as a nurse, simply because there are so many more nursing positions than teachers at a music conservatory.

This heuristic keeps us from learning as much as we should about a person, in this case potentially a candidate. Could you or have you ever made judgments about a candidate based on where they are from (Midwest vs. the Coast?), a previous career (lawyer, doctor, athlete?), or some other characteristics without truly taking time to learn about their position on the issues?

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE AND CONFIRMATION BIAS We like to think well of ourselves, and we like to think that we make good decisions.

But sometimes the evidence would tell us that we made a poor choice, and this realization makes us feel uncomfortable. The discomfort leads to a concept 22

known as cognitive dissonance— essentially the struggle between believing that we make good decisions and the fact that we did not make a good decision.

George Akerloff and William Dickens (1982), and discussed further by John Nofsinger (2018), indicate that our minds deal with this in one of three ways: 1) Ignore, reject, or minimize one of the memories or beliefs; 2) Change one or both of the ideas so they match better; or 3) Add a third, related idea that can attenuate the dissonance Related to the idea of cognitive dissonance is confirmation bias, whereby we interpret or seek out only that information which conforms to our view of the world (Nickerson, 1998). In other words, rather than allowing our minds to even get to a point of discomfort and forcing a response, confirmation bias simply ignores all information that could potentially cause discomfort.

Imagine a scenario in which the candidate you voted for during the last election has won.

It is easy to imagine that you would vote for the same person again, and it may be perfectly logical if the candidate acted as you had hoped they would. But

what if they have not? Would you still vote for the candidate again?

It is sometimes difficult to admit (even to ourselves) that we made a mistake, and this difficulty could lead to continuing to vote for a candidate that no longer aligns with our views on the issues or how to govern.

HERD BEHAVIOR Also known as “groupthink,” the idea of herd behavior is simply that it is more comfortable to go along with the consensus of the group with which we surround ourselves, whether at work or in social settings.

Robert Shiller (1995) (another Nobel prize winner in Economics) discusses how this tendency extends even to political issues.

Essentially, many would rather be wrong as part of a group than right on their own. While it is certainly possible that we are simply forming our groups based on those who have similar beliefs and values, the research also shows that our neighbors, friends (both in person and on social media), and colleagues can exert tremendous influence.

Again, imagine a scenario in which your friends are convinced and vocal about a certain candidate or issue. Would you be willing to speak up and

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Cognitive dissonance or confirmation bias may lead us to vote for a candidate that we would not have, if we had accurately and fully researched their voting record. potentially cause an argument? And while the actual voting process is confidential, if a conversation on how you voted comes up, would you be comfortable discussing your decisions? For many, the answer is “no,” as any of us who have made decisions in the face of peer pressure may know.

CONCLUSIONS Before concluding, let me address a couple of questions that may have arisen in your minds as you read: 1) How do you define a decision as “correct,” particularly when dealing with complex issues?

Here we lean on a concept from the behavioral world known as libertarian paternalism (Thaler & Sunstein, 2003). The idea here is not that these biases and heuristics lead us to make decisions that are not the best as judged by ourselves. For instance, cognitive dissonance or confirmation bias may lead us to vote for a candidate that we would not have, if we had accurately and fully researched their voting record.

2) Does the fact that I have been subject to these heuristics or biases mean I necessarily made the “wrong” decision?

It does not. It is entirely possible that, had you gone through the System 2 thought process, you would have come to the same conclusion. Utilizing a representative heuristic doesn’t mean that you necessarily would have voted differently if you had gone through the process, simply that you might have, had you taken more information into account. We live in a world that most often focuses on results, and the focus here is to improve the process.

Sometimes we make poor decisions that nonetheless turn out ok, and sometimes we make good decisions that turn out poorly.

Choosing to drive drunk and getting home safely does not mean you made the right choice.

These are, of course, just a few examples of behavioral economic concepts and how they can impact our judgments and decisions.

And, certainly, they can be applied in any number of areas of our lives, not just elections, but in choices that occur on an everyday basis. However, given the importance of our election decisions, it behooves us to understand the potential pitfalls and to take the time to improve our personal decision-making processes. l

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Behavioral Economics: Rationally Irrational Tuesdays: Sept 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, 6-8 pm CST. In this class you will learn how our decision making is influenced by our emotions, our relationships with others, and even the weather!

Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor TODD VAN ORMAN, MBA, BFA, is an Assistant Professor of Finance, and the Program Director of the Financial Services and Banking Program with the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.

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F

ull confession: I love a good story. Give me one that’s well told, with invigorating language and quirkily realistic situations, and I’m yours. In the Southern household of my childhood, stories were the coin of the realm, and family stories were seductively irresistible. After all, who doesn’t want to know the deeply hidden secrets deemed inappropriate for any other audience? And, besides, how else do we begin to understand what’s behind the way our families operate? In my family, “Do you remember” would start a conversation to which each of my adult relatives might contribute a piece to an already-familiar story. . . with one difference: the individual contributions would go much further than any mere recitation of facts. Everyone’s comments began to paint a clearer picture of some past situation that would contextualize a present-day reality for me, give me an “aha” moment. Such recollections got at the truth of our familial lives in ways that nothing else could.

As an inveterate night owl even in my youth, I learned early on that adults kept the best stories for late hours, after the children were tucked in for the night.

I often crept downstairs or hid in the shadows of a hallway to catch a juicy bit of adult conversation when I was meant to be asleep. I loved the sound

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IN DEFENSE OF STORYTELLING

by Rebecca Chalmers

of it, how the tone of the discussions shifted once we children weren’t around and I had to lean in to catch something from the hushed voices. More often than not, without the benefit of context, I misconstrued the bits and pieces I overheard, but I loved the inventive part of story creation even then and could devise my own assumptions about the random pieces of information I collected over the night air, my immature brain popping with questions and possibilities.

Family gatherings provided the best sources for new material, and, given the proximity of both my father’s and my mother’s families—probably no more than a 60-or-so-mile diameter from any relative on either side—we got together regularly. Most weekends involved a family conclave of some kind.

Relegated to the children’s table for meals, my cousins and I initially talked about dumb-kid-stuff or ate in silence until we could escape to play, preferably outside, away from the boring-oldpeople’s conversations. As I got a bit

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older, though, the adult conversations drew me to the enlightenment they provided on issues about which I knew very little. Besides, sometimes they were genuinely hilarious or terrifyingly sad—the real world that adults inhabited.

Still, I had one significant problem: as a child who, from her earliest memories, found language rivetingly, spellbindingly fascinating, I struggled with the concept of “storytelling.” Let me explain: in my immediate family, while storytelling as an art form was highly prized, storytelling (i.e. “lying”) was not. You see, in my house, the words “lie,” “lying,” and “liar” were never spoken, implicitly forbidden—I’ve never been quite certain why, though I have a theory—and replaced with “story,” storytelling,” and “storyteller.” Imagine my confusion. Storytelling is creative art, and we like it very much; storytelling is another word for “lie,” and that’s a no-good-very-bad thing. Or when my mother would ask, “Are you telling me a story?” implying that I may be embellishing an experience or creating it out of whole cloth when she wanted the facts of some situation, I’d sometimes think, “Hmmm. Maybe she’d demonstrate more interest in what I’m saying and believe me if I were more inventive.” With my budding interest in words and literature, I couldn’t wrap my childhood head around this paradox. How could one usage be so laudable while the other languished in the area of sinfulness?

In my parents’ defense, I suspect that, especially for my mother, their concern about usage began with a love of language that rivaled my own. They understood the power of language and the implications inherent in its misuse. Thus we children were guided to be as fair and accurate in our speech as possible and routinely cautioned against both overstatement and poor usage. Or we were redirected to more appropriate language than the everyday terms we might pick up on a playground or at a friend’s house—never in a ridiculing way but with 26

Some critics have for centuries downplayed the importance of good fiction-writing as merely the work of dissemblers. a constructive reminder, as one of them would repeat a more appropriate turn of phrase—as in “I think you meant to say”—to replace the one we had used. Even as a teenager, my sarcastic, eyerolling “Excuse me?????” would be repeated in a more suitable tone as “I beg your pardon.”

I don’t recall that any of my friends or those of my siblings had the same admonitions in place regarding the use of “lie,” but I recall quite clearly the first time I repeated “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” a common enough childhood expression of contempt, and received a quick tutorial. I’ve come to believe that their appropriation of the terms “story” and “storytelling” for “lying” simply reflected my parents’ sensitivity to harsh expressions in general, particularly those emanating from the mouths of their children.

But it is undeniably the case that the words over which I puzzled have informed my thinking about language, its power, and, ultimately, the importance of fiction.

My parents weren’t alone in this approach to usage. In our near past, you may recall how long major newspapers like The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post, as well as network television news broadcasts, resisted the use of “lies” to discuss a recent President’s falsehoods, even when those falsehoods were evident. Their reluctance reflected a certain sensitivity, a certain desire to maintain respectability and to avoid such blatant accusatory language while offering, as much as possible, accurate news stories—“accurate news stories,” an expression that begs the question, doesn’t it?

And, while this linguistic digression may

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seem unimportant, it nevertheless touches on a serious underlying consideration of the study of fiction of all types: some critics have for centuries downplayed the importance of good fiction-writing as merely the work of dissemblers, people who can’t be trusted because they are in the business of making it all up, lying to us. In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1821 “The Defence of Poetry,” he argues that “poets [by which he meant ‘writers’] are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” If only it were so, or, rather, if only it were thought to be so.

Wrap your head around this question for a moment: of what use is good literature? After devoting much of my adult life to its study, I can feel my heart beat a bit faster and more intensely, my throat constrict, when I hear it, as if I, like Shelley, must rise to its defense. What I would say is that truth lies in fiction—a paradox, to be sure— but not just immediate, situational truth, of course.

It’s where we find big-T Truth.

In a 2018 article for The New Yorker, famed author Salman Rushdie waxes thoughtful on “Truth, Lies, and Literature” and acknowledges that “the truth is that truth has always been a contested area” that differs substantially from the factual. But how about today, when we live in an era when even facts are sites of contention?

How does literature reveal truth now? Here’s my favorite part of Rushdie’s argument, and the point I would make about the study of literature in such fraught times. He notes that, when we read literature we like, or even love, we find ourselves in agreement with its portrait of human life. Yes, we say, this is how we are, this is what we do to one another, this is true. That, perhaps, is where literature can help most. We can make people agree, in this time of radical disagreement, on the truths of the great constant, which is human nature.

Yes, I want to shout, and, as I do, I recall a course evaluation from a literature class I taught

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many years ago. I can still quote the student’s comment verbatim: “Fire Prof. Chalmers. No kidding. And find someone who doesn’t believe that literature can solve the problems of the world.” I had obviously failed to convert that student—though I’m convinced that I could have with a little more time—but I have treasured that response to the class ever since. It’s hands down my favorite over a long career.

Still, it has been the case for quite a long time that university departments that focus on the study of literature have had to defend their existence as important to humanity (and the humanities), but never more so than in this moment. Not all that long ago, a former Dean (I’m happy to report the “former” part) actually asked in my hearing why it might be important to have literature specialists when some other discipline could just as easily discuss the historical or theoretical importance of a piece of literature. I felt absolutely gobsmacked by the implication that my professional pursuits may not be worth as much as I knew them to be, not just to me but to the next generation of adults who inhabited my classes, though, as Shelley says in his piece, I digress. . . but not really. If literature gets at truth, and if literature specialists don’t have an opportunity to help students get at that truth of human existence, what do we all lose as a result?

I’ll leave you to formulate your own answer to that question.

Perhaps another question might be more relevant these days: why is book-banning more prevalent now than it has been for a long while?

I suspect it’s because, wittingly or unwittingly, negative critics of any book understand something about it that they are loath to admit: literature— usually fiction—is the powerful arbiter and revealer of Truth. Truth is sometimes frighteningly uncomfortable for those who want to control the concept of “truth” rather than to allow readers to understand the intrinsic nature of human existence as expressed in and by literature. Storytelling 27

| FALL CATALOG ISSUE | Storytelling asks deeply resonant questions of existence and forces us to question who we are, how we operate, and how we think about our place in the world. both reflects the era in which it is created and fixes readers’ attention on the universal truth(s) it reveals. . . an unsettling reality, isn’t it? Moreover, it asks deeply resonant questions of existence and forces us to question who we are, how we operate, and how we think about our place in the world.

Some will argue that novels are the best medium through which to explore human experience, but short stories are, I believe, more particularly helpful in this regard. For one thing, they are by definition shorter, designed to be read in just one sitting, a condition that allows us to read them over again, to get at what’s really afoot, to make sense of them in real time. We have the leisure to explore a bit more in a form that is, on the whole, more manageable.

I would also argue that, no doubt because of our increasingly short attention spans, short stories are the ultimate American literary medium.

We seem to be good at them, too, and have far more short-story writers than any other nation.

Further, while it seems counter-intuitive, good short stories are more difficult to write than novels. Why? Because short fiction contains all the important qualities of a novel and must incorporate them elegantly in a compressed form. They take more skill. And one more thing: their brevity can directly increase the impact of their effect on the reader, rather like a sudden, powerful wallop gets our attention much more profoundly than a series of short, less-powerful jabs over an extended period.

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In the same way that family stories can illuminate and clarify the truth of our closest relationships, fiction—stories in particular—can help us to clarify the truth of our broader human interactions with a kind of telltale specificity. They can provide a road map—or GPS setting, if you will—to find our way forward to agreement on what’s important: our common humanity. They do so subtly—sometimes with humor, sometimes with tragedy—and help us to recognize our own foibles and craziness and misperceptions. As Rushdie says in closing his article, “let’s start there.” I agree. It seems like a very good place to start. l

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class The American Short Story Wednesdays: Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16 - 2-4 pm CDT. An insightful exploration of the short story format. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor REBECCA CHALMERS has spent her adult life in the study of literature. A Ph.D. in English (with concentrations in American literature, film studies, and critical theory) led her to a rich and rewarding academic career, the last thirteen years of which were spent with the English program at the University of Mary in Bismarck, and in regular work with the Humanities North Dakota.

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Artwork from the children’s book Josie Dances, written by Denise Lajimodiere and illustrated by Dr. Angela Erdrich. Josie shakes the hand of Emmett “His Many Lightings” Eastman who is welcoming her into the pow-wow arena.

OJIBWE LANGUAGE GRAMMAR I

by Alex DeCoteau

Boozhoo ndinawemaaganidog!

Greetings All my relatives, you!

Apii gwiiwizensiwiyaambaan, gaawiin gikinoo’amaagozisiwaang ji ojibwemong. Mii ko noondawagwaa nookomisiban naa nimishomisiban ezhi anishinaabemowaad. “Howa’! Aapiji minotaagwad iwe inwewin!” ngii inendam. Ziibiing initaagwad, bimijiwang.

“Apegish ge niin ji nisidotamaan ji izhi giiweyaan igaye!

Ingoding igo ge niin nga anishinaabem!” ngii inidiz.

When I was a little boy, we weren’t taught to speak Ojibwe.

I used to hear my grandma and grandpa speak Indigenous.

“Wow! That language sounds so beautiful,” I thought. It

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One day I’m going to speak Indigenous!”

I said to myself.

Ngii mawadisaag wejibwemowaad gagwejimagwaa. Ngii anamitoonan ikidowini mazina’iganan. Ngii pabizindaanan aazhawewesijiganan.

Mii go gaye gaa pi gikendamaan ezhising Ojibwemowin. Ba nisidotamaan ezhising, mii iwe gaazhi wiiji’igoyaan ji nisidotawagwaa wejibwemowaad ji ojibwewisidooyaan gaa inendamaanin igaye.

I visited the Ojibwe speakers asking them questions. I read dictionaries. I listened over and over to recordings.

And I learned the pattern of Ojibwe language. After I understood the pattern, it helped me to understand the Ojibwe speakers and to put into Ojibwe what I was thinking.

Ni noonde dibaajindaan owe Ojibwemowin Ezhising l gikinoo’amaadiwin. Gekendaming iwe ezhising wenda wiiji’iwemagad ji nisidotaming Ojibwemowin ji ozhitoong igaye. Mii iwe wenji apiitendaagwak awenen igo netaa ojibwemod ji gikendang.

I want to talk about this Ojibwe language Grammar l class. Knowing the pattern really helps to understand Ojibwe language and also to create it.

That’s why it is essential for anyone who wants to speak Ojibwe.

Bakaanadoon Ojibwe aki wiin idash Zhaaganaashi aki. Mii ba izhinaagwak ezhi izhisingin onow inwewinan.

Bakaan ezhinamowaad aki. Miisago naa, bakaan igo ezhi dazhindegin.

The Ojibwe world and the English world are different. That is evident in

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the pattern of these languages. They see the world differently. Therefore, it is spoken about differently.

Mii iwe wenji aanikanootaabii’igaadesinog memeshkwad. Gaawiin ge gii izhinaagwak. Mii sa go geniizhi oshki maajitaayang daabishkoo go iwe abinoojiiyensing eniizhi ojibwemod.

Ge bi gikendamang da onjibaamagad Ojibwe akiing eta.

That is why they cannot be translated back and forth. It is not possible.

Therefore we will go along starting new, as a baby learns Ojibwe. What we will learn will come from the Ojibwe world only.

Ambe dagwiin eniizhi beshwaabandamang Ojibwe aki! Geget igo naa aapiji onizhishin!

Come join as we take a closer look at the Ojibwe world! You’ll see it truly is very beautiful!

-Gechitwaabandang -Dreams Holy Alex Decoteau

Like this article? Want to learn more?

Join the fall Public University class Ojibwe Language Grammar l Tuesdays: Sept 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 15, 6 - 8 pm CDT. This course is about Ojibwe language grammar patterns.

Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor ALEX DECOTEAU is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. He teaches Native Language at the high school on his reservation. He has been teaching the Ojibwe language since 2004.

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UNDERSTANDING THE COURT:

PROFILES AND PORTRAITS OF THE JUSTICES

by David Gray Adler

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n 1984, in a lecture to law students at the University of Minnesota, Justice William H. Rehnquist vigorously defended the efforts of President Ronald Reagan to shape, mold, and pack the United States Supreme Court.

“There is no reason in the world why a President should not ‘pack’ the Court—appoint people to the Court who are sympathetic to his political and philosophical principles.” As presidents throughout history have recognized, the virtually lifetime tenure of Supreme Court Justices provides historic opportunities to influence the direction of judicial policymaking, the meaning of the Constitution, and the life of the nation for years and decades beyond a presidential term of office.

Justice (later Chief Justice) Rehnquist’s candid acknowledgment that presidents nominate to the Supreme Court men and women whom they hope will share and implement their “political and philosophical principles” reflects Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes’s rejection of the myth that the court is comprised of impersonal oracles and dispassionate decision makers. Indeed, Holmes likened the Justices to “nine scorpions in a bottle.”

Perhaps presidents may be forgiven their exercise of constitutional authority to nominate to the Court candidates who will extend their world view, their social, political and cultural values and, yes, their legacies. Nobody would

expect presidents to name men and women who were wildly unsympathetic to their political, philosophical, and policy views. Presidents since George Washington have grasped a simple fact: Justices shape the institutional behavior and direction of the Supreme Court. Indeed, can anyone doubt the proposition that those who serve on the High Court at a particular time can alter the course of the nation? The Justices who introduced the separatebut-equal doctrine in 1896, in Plessy v.

Ferguson, could not have participated in the Court’s historic reversal of that infamous doctrine in 1954, in Brown v.

The Board of Education, which struck down segregation in public schools and denounced separate-but-equal as “inherently unequal” and a violation of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection and Due Process provisions.

The question of whether, when, and to what extent the personal and political views and values of Supreme Court Justices influence their decisions pervades the scholarly literature.

Some Justices have addressed it. In his book, The Supreme Court (2004), Chief Justice Rehnquist recounted his experiences as a law clerk to Justice Robert H. Jackson during the 1952 Term

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when the Court, in the landmark Steel Seizure Case, declared unconstitutional President Harry S. Truman’s seizure of the steel mills to maintain production of steel while the nation was at war in Korea and engaged in a mammoth project to rebuild Europe. Rehnquist wrote that he believed that this was “one of those celebrated constitutional cases” in which the Court was influenced by “the tides of public opinion” which ran against Truman. The eminent Harvard Law School Professor Paul Freund observed that the Court is influenced by “the climate of the era,” rather than “the weather of the day.”

The question of whether the Justices reach decisions that are grounded, to some degree, on their own personal and political values, or those of the citizenry, remains an issue of absorbing interest and surpassing importance to the American citizenry. After all, the legitimacy of the Court lies in the perception, and expectation, that it is a law court and not a political court.

In any case, an answer of sorts may be glimpsed in the fact that as hard as they try to place like-minded souls on the Court, presidents, sooner or later, come to grips with the reality that there are no guarantees that their appointees will effectuate their general political values, let alone their specific aims and wishes. Many presidents have expressed sharp disappointment in the opinions and votes of their appointees.

President Theodore Roosevelt, for example, was distressed by the positions taken by his famous appointee, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, particularly in a landmark anti-trust case.

Roosevelt enjoyed victory in the case but was beside himself with Holmes’s “anti-anti-trust” vote. Roosevelt declared: “I could carve out of a banana a Judge with more backbone than that!” Holmes, a legend in American law, replied to colleagues that he would “call the shots as I see them in terms of the legal and constitutional setting.” A few years later, while attending a White 34

You shoot an arrow into the far-distant future when you appoint a Justice and not the man himself can tell you what he will think about some of the problems that he will face.

House dinner, Holmes spoke candidly to a labor leader: “What you want is favor, not Justice. But when I am on the job, I don’t give a damn what you or Mr. Roosevelt want.”

President Truman, stung by defeat before the Supreme Court in the Steel Seizure Case, declared that “packing the Supreme Court simply cannot be done. I’ve tried and it won’t work.

Whenever you put a man on the Supreme Court, he ceases to be your friend. I’m sure of that.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower could feel Truman’s pain. He had named to the Court two well-known Republicans, Earl Warren and William Brennan, with impeccable conservative credentials. Early in his presidency, Eisenhower was asked by reporters to indicate some of his biggest mistakes. Without hesitation, Eisenhower named as his “biggest damned mistakes” the appointments of Warren and Brennan, both of whom had become leaders of the “Warren Court Revolution” that overturned precedents and expanded the protections of the Bill of Rights.

What presidents have come to realize, despite their hopes of nominating those who would extend their politics and philosophies, is that nominees often change their views once they assume a seat on the Court. Justice Felix Frankfurter echoed the views of others whose views about the Constitution and the role of

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judges changed once they donned a black gown.

Frankfurter said, “If he is any good, he does!”

Chief Justice Warren acknowledged that service on the nation’s constitutional tribunal “changes a man.” The awesome responsibilities and duties of interpreting, upholding, and declaring the law of the land, and deciding when the Court should intervene to exercise the power of judicial review, Warren observed, “alter a Justice’s view of the world, and rightly so.” Chief Justice Warren said that he did not see “how a man could be on the Court and not change his views substantially over a period of years, for change you must if you are to do your duty on the Supreme Court.”

The inability of presidents to nominate with precision men and women who will implement their world views, without undergoing a transformation affected by new-found responsibilities, has led judicial scholars to suggest that the attempt is likely futile. Alexander Bickel, an eminent constitutional scholar at Yale, once observed: “You shoot an arrow into the far-distant future when you appoint a Justice and not the man himself can tell you what he will think about some of the problems that he will face.”

The impact that individual Justices have on the Supreme Court and the performance of its great responsibilities, including the development of constitutional law and resolution of some of the great issues confronting our nation, invites consideration of their personal backgrounds, compelling experiences, views, and values. This is particularly important since Americans lack a full understanding of the work of the Court, the department of government still shrouded in some mystery. The citizenry is accustomed to reading and analyzing the decisions and opinions of the Court but often puzzle over the fact that Justices can disagree about the meaning of the constitutional text, precedents, and their application. Because eminently qualified men and women can reach different views about the

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architecture of the Constitution suggests other factors are at play that deserve scrutiny.

How is it that Justice William O. Douglas could write a landmark decision in which he perceived in the text of the Constitution a “right to privacy,” but that Justice Hugo Black, his old friend, fellow New Dealer, and reliable ally in defending civil rights liberties, dissented and, indeed, rejected the premise of a constitutional right to privacy?

How is it that Justice Harry Blackmun could author the Court’s opinion in Roe v. Wade, declaring for women a fundamental, constitutional right to abortion, while Chief Justice Warren Burger, in whose wedding party he served, and whose roots and views were so similar that they were dubbed “the Minnesota Twins,” dissented and rejected the existence of such a right? How is it that the Supreme Court, the closest institution that America can claim to a mythical Mount Olympus, could include a virulent anti-Semite, Justice James McReynolds, who refused to be in the same room with Justice Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish Justice to serve on the High Tribunal?

And how is it that the extension to women of the great principle of the equal protection of the law could be championed by Justices such as Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg but ignored for so long by male Justices who carved out glorious careers for their advocacy of equal protection for people of color?

Americans, it seems, know virtually everything they want to know about presidents and even candidates for the presidency and, indeed, often more than we care to know. But we citizens lack a good grasp of the men and women who have served on the Supreme Court and interpreted the Constitution in a manner that has altered the life of our nation. There is great value in learning about these men and women, and not simply about their views and values but about the seminal moments and events in their lifetimes that have shaped their views about the Court, 35

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the role of judging, and their embrace of various doctrines and approaches to their work. There is also great value in better understanding how the Justices interact inside the Marble Temple that is the Supreme Court of the United States, how they compete with one another for influence and power, how they negotiate the difficult task of writing opinions that will declare the law of the land and establish the scope of governmental power and individual freedom.

The course that I will teach this fall for Humanities North Dakota, “Profiles and Portraits of Supreme Court Justices,” will open a window onto the work of the Court and offer a behind-the-scenes look at the dynamic interplay of the Justices, those whom Justice Holmes once colorfully described as “Nine scorpions in a bottle.” We will seek a better understanding of the dynamic nature of the Supreme Court by learning more about the lives of the Justices who have served for the past 250 years. We will take account of the rivalries and jealousies that have shaped the Court, the temperament and skills of the Justices that have enabled the Court to navigate some of the most difficult challenges any democracy could face, and the changing experiences and philosophies of the Justices over the years that have influenced the meaning of the Constitution.

Who knows what surprises may emerge and rattle the foundation of our nation before the Court begins its next Term on the first Monday in October? After all, who could have expected a leak of the draft opinion of Justice Samuel Alito in a case that could reverse the landmark ruling of the Court in Roe v. Wade and upend what the Court has affirmed several times as a fundamental right? By the time our course begins, we will certainly know whether Roe has been affirmed or overruled and where each member of the Court stands on the issue of reproductive rights. And, with some luck, we will know who leaked the Alito opinion and why. Our course promises to be fun, stimulating, and educational. Come join us! l 36

But we citizens lack a good grasp of the men and women who have served on the Supreme Court and interpreted the Constitution in a manner that has altered the life of our nation.

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Profiles and Portraits of Supreme Court Justices Mondays: Sept 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, Nov 1, 7, 14, 21, 6-8 pm CDT. This class profiles several Supreme Court Justices. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor DR. DAVID ADLER is President of The Alturas Institute, a non-profit organization created to promote the Constitution, gender equality, and civic education.

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Q U I P P I N G T U D E N T S W I T H N O W L E D G E A B O U T U R D E M O C R A C Y N D O U R O N S T I T U T I O N

We the People

Part of your HND membership donation supports civics education. This includes textbooks for North Dakota social studies teachers and high quality training from nationally recognized constitutional scholars.

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WHY STUDY U.S. PRESIDENTS?

by Rick Collin

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hose of us who have been fortunate enough to mark life across several decades use various means to recall notable moments and events. Certain songs from the late 1960s and early ‘70s evoke vivid memories of my high

school and college days – some worth remembering and others I’d surely rather forget. Fashions, like cuts of jeans or eyeglass styles, also mark notable days gone by. And don’t get me going on haircuts and mustaches!

The shared experiences of historical events also mark memorable days in our lives. Baby Boomers of a certain age remember where they were on November 22, 1963, the day President Kennedy was assassinated. The trauma from that day hit me particularly hard. Living in a Washington, D.C., suburb at the time, the news coverage was intense. As a third grader in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, I first heard the news when the school secretary activated the school’s P.A. system and announced that the President had been shot in an ambush but that he was still alive. In my 8-year-old mind, my first thought was that some man had jumped from a bush and shot President Kennedy. When the news of his death came a short time later, classes were dismissed, and we were all sent home for the rest of the day.

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On a lark, in eighth grade I compiled a book on all the Presidential elections from 1789 through 1968.

At home, television news reports updated the progress of Air Force One’s flight from Dallas to Washington, D.C., bringing the President’s body back. As it was nearing Andrews Air Force Base, just eight miles from where we lived, my 14-year-old brother, Tom, and I went outside.

Sure enough, we saw Air Force One fly over our house, with a red light flashing, another plane with it, preparing to land.

A short time later, we watched President Lyndon Johnson’s brief talk on the airport tarmac.

As he spoke about the tragedy and asked for “your help – and God’s,” I remember thinking he was a big man, hugely reassuring to a boy too young to understand all the ramifications of that day’s horrific events, but old enough to know the nation had suffered a terrible loss. We listened nonstop to the television news coverage of that long, dark weekend, culminating with the President’s funeral on Monday. Later, I wrote to Mrs. Kennedy expressing my condolences, and remarkably, received a reply from the White House thanking me for the letter. Her reply is one of my most valued treasures.

My passion for the Presidency had begun.

When I was 9, I began helping my older brother deliver The Washington Post around our neighborhood. Later, I had my own delivery route, throughout high school, with the now defunct Washington Evening Star. As I carried newspapers from door to door, I would read the headlines and front page stories of the day, which extensively covered national events, often from the perspective of the current President in the White House. Memorably, much of the coverage was about President Johnson and his torturous conduct of the Vietnam War.

On a lark, in eighth grade I compiled a book on all the Presidential elections from 1789 through 1968. I wrote a brief summary about each election and color coded a U.S. map showing how each state voted in that particular election.

I still have that book, continuing to update it for several elections after 1968.

Later, as the editor-in-chief of my high school newspaper in Maryland, staff writers and I were often drawn to national events because we were so close to the nation’s capital. Our paper, the DRUMBEAT, received a free ticket to cover President Nixon’s second inauguration in 1973, so I grabbed my camera and notepad and traveled to D.C. to watch the event unfold. I wrote in my journal: “My free ticket was worth $50, so it was good to have. … Parade was great. Whole thing very impressive. I was within 20 yards of the President in the motorcade.”

Another highlight as editor was the opportunity to interview Helen Thomas, longtime reporter for United Press International, who by virtue of her many years as a White House reporter was the dean of the White House press corps. Our October 10, 1972, visit took place over lunch at what’s now the St. Regis Washington, D.C. Hotel. We ran the interview in a Q-and-A format in the newspaper, including this: QUESTION: Do you have any goals left as far as reporting goes?

HELEN THOMAS: I’d like to go on being a White House reporter and try to be a better one every day. You’re only as good as your last story, really. In this job, you’re constantly learning and constantly tested. I would always like to rise to the occasion and keep 39

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I began to appreciate the value of understanding the history of our nation through the lenses of who was President at the time. the people better informed than I think we’re doing now. If the people aren’t concerned about everything that’s going on, we have failed. When you cannot arouse people to think this is your money, this is your life, this is your government, then there’s something really wrong. But you’ve got to keep trying.

It’s Kennedy’s definition of happiness, which is the fullest use of one’s power along the lines of excellence. And I feel that reporting is that demanding. Anything that makes you try, anything that excites you when you wake up in the morning and you are happy to go to work and when you pinch yourself and walk down the path and say, ‘This is the White House,’ very few jobs can replace that. You’re an eyewitness to history every day, and I have kept that in mind every day I have ever been there... You can be a great public servant by being a great reporter.

That summer, after graduating from high school, I interned with The Baltimore Sun in its D.C. Bureau. It was a news-packed couple of months, with Nixon fighting for his political life as the Watergate Scandal consumed his Presidency.

The nation was gripped by the Senate Watergate Committee’s televised hearings, and I was able to attend some of them. I remember pinching myself more than once, thinking I was actually in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Building, watching history unfold up close.

Four years later, as a history major at the University of Maryland and reporter for the college newspaper, The Diamondback, I attended the inauguration of Jimmy Carter. I’ll never forget 40

the excitement Carter created when he became the first President to walk along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House after the inauguration ceremony. Now it’s expected, but then it was electric.

In addition to living near Washington, D.C., some excellent history and government teachers also helped fuel my interest in the Presidency, and, more and more, I began to appreciate the value of understanding the history of our nation through the lenses of who was President at the time.

Many years later, a highlight of my professional career was being appointed by Governor John Hoeven in December 2005 as North Dakota’s representative to the Abraham Lincoln National Bicentennial Commission, with the responsibility to coordinate statewide events during the official commemoration of Lincoln’s birth, observed February 12, 2008, through February 12, 2010. This process included bringing the original copy of the Homestead Act that Lincoln signed in 1862 from the National Archives to exhibit at the North Dakota Heritage Center and working with a legislative committee to organize a joint session of the 2009 Legislative Assembly celebrating Lincoln’s 200th birthday on February 12, 2009.

Have I mentioned I love books? Books about American Presidents fill shelves of nearly every room in my house. During my 16 years as a staff member of the State Historical Society of North Dakota and beyond, I also had the opportunity to teach classes on the American Presidency as an adjunct instructor at Bismarck State College and the University of Mary.

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It’s been nearly 60 years now since that terrible day in Dallas, and my interest in the Presidency has never waned. I relish every opportunity to learn about and talk to others about this subject. While my three daughters grew up, we had countless mealtime conversations about Presidents and their families, and I always told anecdotes about them as a way to bring them to life for the girls. One particularly memorable moment was when my youngest daughter said her seventh grade teacher asked the class if anyone had heard of Watergate. She was the only one who had. Even my young granddaughters are learning about them as we review a colorful set of Presidential flashcards that I post on Facebook.

That’s also one of my goals in the Modern Presidency course I will be teaching this fall through Humanities North Dakota’s Public University – to make the nine Presidents I will cover, from FDR to Reagan – come to life, not only through key events and policies of their administrations, but also through the personal stories that will make each of them seem a bit more approachable.

Every day, as history continues to unfold, I am thankful for the perspective I have as I compare what our nation is experiencing now with similar events of the past and the Presidents who were in the Oval Office at the time. I am thankful for all that I’ve learned and experienced as a student of the Presidency throughout my life. l

Like this article? Want to learn more? Join the fall Public University class Examining the Modern Presidency: FDR to Ronald Reagan, 1933-89 Thursdays: Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10, 7-9 pm CDT. This class is a study of nine U.S. presidents: Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Register at humanitiesnd.org.

Instructor RICK COLLIN is a historian with a passion for history told through stories.

Rick has worked for the State Historical Society of ND, taught The American Presidency, The History of World War II, America in the 1960s, The United States To 1877 and The United States Since 1877 at the University of Mary and Bismarck State College.

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THE BEAUTY OF BEING WRONG

David Bjerklie Sundays: Nov. 6, 13, 20, 1:30-3 pm CST ABOUT THIS CLASS: We really don’t like how it feels to be wrong. It’s uncomfortable, even embarrassing, and it trains a spotlight on our doubts, ignorance, and failures. No wonder we go to great lengths to deny being wrong in the first place! But many researchers believe we miss out on the best part of being wrong: the opportunity to see the world and ourselves in a different light.

The degree to which we can recognize that our beliefs might be wrong—some call it intellectual humility—can be a superpower if we allow it to be.

Join us as we explore how we are wrong about what it means to be wrong.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Brad Kroupa Wednesdays: Sept 7, 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 9, 16, 5:30-7:30 pm CDT

FALL 2022 Public University classes are free for members Registration is currently open Class sizes are limited

ABOUT THIS CLASS: Discussion topics will include selected economic, social, political, and educational issues, as well as contemporary cultural revitalization movements of tradition, language, and ceremony. Contemporary Issues of Indigenous Peoples will offer an Indigenous perspective and provide a window into the modern Native American experience.

CONFLICTS IN HISTORY AND MEMORY OF AMERICANA Raffi Andonian Tuesdays: Sept. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 - 6:30-8:30 pm CDT

ABOUT THIS CLASS: We can better understand the world today by studying the provocative people and events of the past. Learn about the differences between historic sites and monuments, what makes some of them so controversial, and how we can better understand each situation.

Conflicts over stories and spaces derive from their contested narratives, but how do we decide which perspectives are appropriate in each circumstance? We will examine a number of major case studies, develop strategies for evaluating their histories, explore tools for helping 42

THE EASTERN THEATER OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

Jeff Hoffer Tuesdays: Sept. 6, 13, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 22, 7pm - 9 pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: Join retired military officer and former Civil War battlefield guide Jeff Hoffer as he takes you through the scene of some of the Civil War’s most pivotal campaigns and actions. With the assistance of personal accounts, maps and an in-depth understanding of the period, Jeff will take you into the Civil War’s Eastern Theater through descriptions of the Confederate and Federal military operations in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania from 1861 to 1865. Each campaign from the war’s start to its finish will be set into its context, complete with causes and effects that lead our nation through the most tumultuous and bloody period in the history of the United States of America.

WRITING THE FORMS OF POETRY

Shadd Piehl Thursdays: Sept 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, 6:30-8 pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: A remote 8-week course presented in a workshop format that introduces participants to different forms of poetry and approaches to writing those different forms, such as free verse, prose poems, haiku and tanka, sonnets and blank verse, couplets, lyrics and lyrical forms.

EXAMINING THE MODERN PRESIDENCY: FDR TO RONALD REAGAN, 1933-89 Rick Collin Thursdays: Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10, 7-9 pm CDT

ABOUT THIS CLASS: This course will examine the policies and personalities of the nine men who occupied the White House from the depths of the Great Depression and World War II through the space race, Vietnam, Watergate and the end of the Cold War—Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. The course meets ten nights—the first night will be an introduction, then each night after that will be devoted to a particular President. The goal of this course is to profile each of these Presidents and the times in which they served, while also providing ample time for discussion among class members.

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us understand beyond our own opinions, and discuss as a group how we can all learn more and contribute constructively around us.

ETHICAL EXPLORATIONS

Kaylyn Bondy Wednesdays: Oct 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov 2, 6-8pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: This interactive, discussion-based course will guide participants through topics such as values formation, an examination of forming value judgments, an introduction to ethical theories, and their applications to contemporary moral issues.

Enjoy a supportive environment to share perspectives and learn with others.

Participants will leave the course with a better understanding of different forms of poetry, approaches to writing in those forms, and a collection of 6 to 8 poems.

No texts though many poets, poems, examples, sites and sources will be shared in the course.

Register at humanitiesnd.org/classes 43

F A L L 2 0 2 2 Public University Classes

THE AMERICAN SHORT STORY

Rebecca Chalmers Wednesdays: Sept. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16 - 2-4 pm CST ABOUT THIS CLASS: Aside from the reduced time commitment that a short story demands—after all, we should be able to read it in one sitting—what determines its beauty and its merit? How is the art of short fiction demonstrated in and by stories themselves?

Who writes them? How long is too long? How short is too short? Join us in an exploration and discussion of the attributes of some of the finest American short stories ever written. * Please note: people registered for this class will need access to a copy of The Oxford Book of American Short Stories, 2nd ed. 2012, Ed. Joyce Carol Oates. ISBN-10-0199744394, ISBN-13 978-0199744398

COMMUNICATING WITH EMPATHY

Jenna Currie-Mueller Wednesdays: Sept. 14, 28, Oct. 12, 26, and Nov 9, 5:30-7:30 pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: Do you willingly embrace difficult conversations or shy away from them? In this class, we will explore empathy and the powerful role it plays in effectively communicating. Empathy is a crucial skill to develop that helps us to understand the experiences of others and aids in sharing our own experiences. We will explore incorporating empathy into our personal and professional lives and developing the confidence to embrace difficult conversations.

math; if you miss a class, it will be harder for you to connect the current lesson to the past lesson. Daily practice at home with your family will help you all in understanding the language and create the capacity to carry on into the next lesson.

PROFILES AND PORTRAITS OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICES David Adler Mondays: Sept 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, Nov 1, 7, 14, 21, 6-8 pm CDT

ABOUT THIS CLASS: This course opens a window into the work of the United States Supreme Court. We citizens read the Court’s opinions and analyze its reasoning, but its conclusions, and thus the development of constitutional law, are shaped as well by factors beyond our immediate grasp. In this course, we discuss these factors through profiles and portraits of various Justices across the decades of American history. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes rejected the myth that the Justices are impersonal oracles and dispassionate decision makers. He regarded them, rather, as “nine scorpions in a bottle,” who bring their experiences and philosophies to their work on the bench. In an effort to more fully capture the work of the Court, we will profile some of the most important and interesting men and women who have served on the Court, with a focus on their judicial philosophies, personalities and temperament, as well as their character, friendships and rivalries.

OJIBWE LANGUAGE GRAMMAR

Alex DeCoteau Tuesdays: Sept 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 15, 6 - 8 pm CDT

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ABOUT THIS CLASS: A description and practice of the Ojibwe language grammar patterns. Designed to give students an understanding of grammar parts and practices to foster their ongoing and independent study of Ojibwe language. From root words to complete sentences. No tests, homework optional, students self-assess. Grammar is like

Register at humanitiesnd.org/classes

Chris Cavanaugh Wednesdays Sept 14, 21, 28, Oct 5, 12, 19 , 7-8:30 pm CDT

ABOUT THIS CLASS: A 6-week online adult course on civic education. This course takes you from the philosophical foundations of the U.S. Constitution through the modern interpretation and application of its ideals. The course follows the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution Level 3 textbook, which has been used throughout the country to further understanding of our government and its fundamental principles.

What You Will Learn • The philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system • The creation of the U.S. Constitution • The Bill of Rights and other amendments to the Constitution • The role of federalism and the branches of government • The rights protected by the Bill of Rights • Challenges facing American constitutional democracy in the twenty-first century

BELONGING AND DEMOCRACY

Dr. Samantha Larson Tuesdays: Sept 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 6-8 pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: Inclusive engagement of all people is essential to successful and sustainable democratic governance. Readings, materials, and activities will be drawn from academic resources and other curricula developed by the Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. More specifically, the course will be designed into three sections: 1) Individualism: this section will create space to reflect on how individualism may be part of our own unconscious worldview and assumptions in ways that are at odds with our values for equity and justice. Participants will identify and create positive counter-narratives that move the conversation from individualism to linked fate, opportunity and fairness. 2) Bridging Differences and Building a Bigger “We”: this section will focus on the concepts of bridging and breaking, and develop an

understanding and appreciation of shared fate and shared identities across differences.

Participants will gain experience expressing identity that bridges differences and still speaks to personal sense of who each person is. 3) Belonging: this section will build understanding of the frameworks of othering and belonging and the circle of human concern, giving participants the opportunity to apply these concepts to their lived experience and organizing and advocacy strategies.

BEHAVIORAL ECONOMICS: RATIONALLY IRRATIONAL Todd Van Orman Tuesdays: Sept 6, 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, 6-8 pm CDT

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THE CITIZEN AND THE CONSTITUTION

ABOUT THIS CLASS: Classical economics requires a number of assumptions in its theories, one of the foremost of which is perfect rationality of thought and decision making. However, anyone who has interacted with another human being—or who has truthfully reflected upon our own decision making—knows that we are not always rational beings. Behavioral economics delves into how psychology influences our actions, showing that not only are we irrational, but we are irrational in predictable ways, and discusses how we can be “nudged” in the right direction.

INFORMATION DISORDER IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Dr. Nigel Haarstad Thursdays: Sept 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, 7-9pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: How is today’s disinformation different from Yellow Journalism or propaganda? What makes people susceptible to “fake news,” and why some more than others? What can we do, personally, to avoid falling victim to it, and how might we help others? Drawing primarily on social science research, case studies, and current events, we will take an a-political approach to making sense of what some researchers have termed “information disorder” in the digital age.

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F A L L 2 0 2 2 Public University Classes

THE HUMANITIES AND THE FREE AND OPEN SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY Brian Palecek Mondays: Sept 12, 19, 26, Oct 3, 10, 17, 24, Nov 7, 6-8 PM CDT

ABOUT THIS CLASS: Participants will experience pleasure and passion exploring the full range of the Humanities fields and determining their personal next steps on their path of learning and growth. Philosophers Socrates, Montaigne, and Martha Nussbaum will show up.

A THOUSAND POEMS

Brian Palecek Tuesdays: Sept 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 8, 15, 6-8 pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: Participants will read dozens of mostly English language poems from Old English to current Rap and everything in between with a focus on the short lyric poem with some longer narratives. The course will emphasize the reading experience, discussion, exploring diversity of styles, forms, and poets throughout history and the contemporary poetry scene.

THE ART OF THE SHORT STORY WORKSHOP

Tayo Basquiat Tuesdays: Sept 27, Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1, 7-9pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: This workshop blends study of craft with practice. Participants will be asked to read and analyze one classic published short story (6 total) that we will study in the first half of the workshop. Participants also will create and share ONE original short story for workshop and in return you’ll get reader-response feedback. Learn new craft tricks, make some new writing friends, and enjoy a safe, supportive environment for sharing and nurturing your creative self.

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THE ART OF MEMOIR WORKSHOP

Tayo Basquiat Thursdays: Sept 29, Oct 6, 13, 20, 27, Nov 3, 7-9pm CDT ABOUT THIS CLASS: We’ll consider memoir as a form, the relationship between identity and memory, key elements of great literary memoir, the connection between the particular and the universal, catharsis and conflict. Participants will be assigned some models to analyze and discuss for each session and we will do a variety of generative exercises to get you started on your own memoir. Each participant will be asked to create and share one short piece to be workshopped.

MALCOLM X BOOK TALK

Charles Pace Monday, Oct. 24, 6:30-8 pm CST Book: Malcolm X Talks to Young People: Speeches in the United States, Britain, and Africa People of all ages have been participants in Public Programs led by Charles Everett Pace for more than four decades. In this book discussion, Pace will further internationalize the discussion with observations from his own Public Diplomacy experiences abroad. There he communicated ideas about the relevance of Malcolm with young people in Britain and Africa, as well as the United States. And, the fact that this program will be presented virtually means that: “What I previously, as an assistant professor of anthropology and American studies at Centre College of Kentucky, did with 30 students at a time, now thanks to Humanities North Dakota, I am able to communicate with the ‘whole-wide-world’.”

Register at humanitiesnd.org/classes

HUMANITIES NORTH DAKOTA WELCOMES DR. HAMZAT A. KARIKO

Hamzat is the Chair of the North Dakota New American Foreign-Born Immigrant Advisory Board. With a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations, he teaches Research Scholars in the Honors Programs at the University of North Dakota. As a playwright, he wrote, among others, L’ombre de nuit, Quand L’oiseau S’envole. He worked as an actor and director in France and Togo, crossing paths with Robert Wilson. He is the CEO of Kori-ko, LLC and Kori Art and serves as the Director of Praxis Africa. In addition, he is the Community Outreach Specialist for the City of Grand Forks. He speaks multiple languages and is a 2021 NEA Translation Fellowships recipient.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS & STAFF HND Board of Directors CHAIR

Dennis Cooley, Fargo

VICE CHAIR Linda Steve, Dickinson Lyle Best, Watford City Dina Butcher, Bismarck Patty Corwin, Fargo Angela S. Gorder, Bottineau Eric L. Johnson, Grand Forks Dr. Hamzat A. Koriko, Grand Forks Jessica Rockeman, Richardton Prairie Rose Seminole, Garrison Barb Solberg, Minot Amy Stromsodt, Larimore Rebecca Thiem, Bismarck Sarah Vogel, Bismarck

Staff

Brenna Gerhardt, Executive Director Kenneth Glass, Associate Director Nick Glass, Fiscal Operations Assistant Sue Skalicky, Program Coordinator Naomi Vetter, Membership Coordinator Lacie Van Orman, Marketing Coordinator Rebecca Chalmers, Editor Humanities ND Magazine

800-338-6543 info@humanitiesnd.org

HumanitiesND.org

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system? These pursuits form the humanities and without them we would not know who we are or what we stand for.

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GET CLUED IN It’s game on at Humanities ND as we continue to create quality, engaging classes and events to bring lifelong learners together.

You’re in the game, so let’s have some fun!

Register for an upcoming class or event today at humanitiesnd.org.