There's always a lot going on at Harper College.
We want to make sure you're aware of it.
With that top of mind, we'll begin using one blog post a week to summarize the latest campus news -- from public events to student and professor triumphs.
Here's the first edition. Enjoy!
Top Bond Rating: A national investor service has awarded Harper its highest rating, translating to lower interest rates for taxpayers. Moody’s Investor Service assigned its top Aaa rating to the College’s $4.9 million General Obligation Limited Bonds, Series 2013, issued last week for capital projects campus-wide. Moody’s cited Harper’s strong management team, “very healthy” financial profile and manageable debt profile among the College’s financial strengths, amid the
challenges. Harper has maintained the top rating since 2001.
Professor Reads from New Poetry Book: Associate Professor Jessica Walsh will offer a free public reading from her new book of poetry, “The Division of Standards,” on Harper's campus this week. The book, Walsh’s second poetry compilation, examines relationships, pivotal moments and flashes of unexpected connection between people. “Poetry is how I connect with others,” says Walsh, who has taught English at Harper since 2002. “When I’m working on a poem and I feel like I’ve found the words I’m looking for, that feeling is one of total peace.” The reading is at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 in the Drama Lab, Room L109, Building L on Harper’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine.
Free Panel Inspired by Bestelling Novel: Women’s issues from the 1950s through today are the focus of a Harper-hosted panel discussion inspired by the bestselling novel “The Help.” The discussion, running from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Monday, March 11 in the College’s Drama Lab, Room L109 in Building L, is part of Harper’s One Book, One Harper initiative. It will highlight the evolution of women’s roles since the era portrayed in Kathryn Stockett’s book about race relations in 1960s Mississippi. Art, psychology and sociology faculty will discuss what it means to be a woman in the 21st century. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Do Aliens Exist? Author Weighs In: Nearly 40 percent of Americans believe UFOs exist, and millions believe they’ve spotted one, according to a 2012 National Geographic poll. California-based author and professor Jerry Kroth, who dissects the likelihood of alien existence in his latest book, will discuss the popular topic – and the facts behind the sensationalism – at a Harper lecture this month. The conversation, hosted by anthropologist Lee Minnerly, will delve into the varying opinions on alien life and the evidence behind the beliefs. It runs from10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 9 in the College’s Wojcik Conference Center. The lecture precedes a popular “Explaining UFO” Saturday morning course benig offered by Harper this spring. That noncredit class begins April 6. For more on Kroth’s lecture or the UFO course, call 847.925.6300 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/ce.
Former Instructor Brings Art Back to Campus: Former Harper instructor Phillip Soosloff has combined sculpture and traditional painting to create three-dimensional artwork for his exhibit “Perspectives and Ideas,” on display now in the College’s Art Exhibition Space. The exhibit is free and open to the public through March 14. Viewing times are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday in Room C200, Building C on the main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road in Palatine.
Lecture Takes Philosophical Look at Global Warming: Dominican University Assistant Professor Tama Weisman suggests the world may be relying too much on technology and not enough on political action in the struggle to address global warming. She’ll discuss that scenario, which she’s termed “techno-madness,” and its potential ramifications at Harper next week, as the fifth guest in the College’s Philosophy Speaker Series. Weisman will examine specific proposed technological solutions to global warming, including human genetics alternations, as part of her discussion. Her lecture runs from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 in Room X212 of Building X in the College’s Avanté Center for Science, Health Careers and Emerging Technologies. It is free and open to the public.
