The ‘No Reservations’ Speaker Series Returns Fall 2021

The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce that the No Reservations Speaker Series returns for its second year of thought-provoking discussions presented by UW-Green Bay’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS). The first event will livestream Tuesday, September 21 at 6:30 PM on the Weidner Center’s YouTube Channel.  

CAHSS is filled with brilliant teachers, scholars, and creatives. Each month, scholars from across the college will present and lead a discussion on topics ranging from emotions to U.S. Refugee Policy. 

No Reservations is a conversation series designed to provide a forum for sharing bold, challenging, and provocative ideas. The format blends presentation and discussion, with viewers invited to submit questions that we engage with during the program” says CAHSS Dean, Charles Rybak.  

All No Reservations events will stream live from Fort Howard Hall in the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts and will include a short presentation followed by a live Q&A session hosted by Charles Rybak. All viewers are encouraged to participate and submit questions during the livestream. 


The Fall 2021 No Reservations Schedule

Beyond “Funny”: Humor as Catharsis and Social Action

September 21st, 6:30: Dr. Jennie Young (English)

This talk will address the power of humor when it transcends entertainment. In particular, it will look at the role of comedy in dark or difficult times. It will also feature excerpts and a discussion of some of the humor that’s emerged from the pandemic.

Jennie Young is an English professor and humor writer based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She’s studied at The Second City and has work in McSweeney’s, Slackjaw, Weekly Humorist, The Satirist, HuffPost, and others. She has a Ph. D. in rhetoric and discourse studies and is the editor of the academic satire site The Monocle of Higher Education.


When Policy Becomes Identity: Narratives and U.S. Refugee Policy

October 5th, 6:30: Dr. Dr. Alise Coen (Political Science and Public & Environmental Affairs)

The stories we tell ourselves about who we are intersect with politics in important ways. Based on her work studying the intertwinement of U.S. refugee policies and domestic identity narratives, Dr. Coen will discuss how policy positions become embedded in identities. 

Dr. Alise Coen is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Public & Environmental Affairs. 


Emotion or action? Cultural Differences in Parental Socialization of the Moral Brain

November 18th, 6:30: Dr. Jason Cowell & Dr. Sawa Senzaki (Psychology)

Almost as fast as the snap of our fingers (200 ms) our brains can tell right from wrong. This is a complex product of our upbringing, culture, and evolution. Dr. Cowell and Dr. Senzaki will discuss their ongoing international research collaboration exploring how culture and parenting mold children’s moral brains.  

Dr. Jason Cowell is an associate professor and a vice-chair of Psychology. He is also a director of the Neuroscience Lab at UW-Green Bay.

Dr. Sawa Senzaki is an associate professor. She is also a director of Child’s Lab at UW-Green Bay. Together, Dr. Jason Cowell and Dr. Sawa Senzaki co-direct the NIH sponsored Culture and Brain Development project.


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