Humanities & Society

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s move to strip or significantly narrow his state’s public-sector workers’ collective bargaining rights has significant implications for all unionized workers, both in the public and private sector, says Marion Crain, JD, the Wiley B. Rutledge Professor of Law at Washington University in St. Louis and director of the Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Work & Social Capital.

Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British ambassador to the United States, will deliver a major policy address at 4 p.m. Friday, March 4, in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. His talk is the annual T.S. Eliot Lecture, which is named in honor of the famed poet and author who was the grandson of WUSTL co-founder William Greenleaf Eliot. 

The Supreme Court should affirm the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, contends Washington University in St. Louis law professor Greg Magarian, JD, because the Act fits comfortably within a proper understanding of the federal-state balance of power. Magarian, a constitutional law expert, says the basic argument against the constitutionality of the health care bill is that some parts of the bill, most notably the requirement that people purchase health insurance, exceeds Congress’ power to regulate interstate commerce.

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter (above and below, seated left on panel) spoke about her vision for ending the mental health crisis before a packed crowd in Graham Chapel on Feb. 14. A panel discussion featuring local and state representatives of the mental health community followed Carter’s remarks.

“Faces of Hope,” a campus-wide celebration of civic engagement and community service sponsored by The Gephardt Institute for Public Service at Washington University in St. Louis, will take place again this year at 4 p.m. April 7 in Whitaker Hall. All students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to participate. Applications must be completed by Monday, Feb. 22.

Members of the Center Aisle Caucus, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-Mo.) and U.S. Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) will discuss “A Vision for Civility” at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in the main dining room of the Charles F. Knight Executive Education Center at Washington University in St. Louis.

Seven finalists were selected Feb. 10 from a field of 45 to compete for $100,000 in grants in April at the 2011 YouthBridge Social Enterprise and Innovation Competition (SEIC) offered by the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at Washington University in St. Louis.

How have race relations in America evolved since the civil rights movement of the 1960s? Was the election of President Barack Obama a milestone in this regard? Did it truly serve as a turning point in America’s history of racial inequality? Later this month, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Washington University in St. Louis will explore these questions and more with a symposium titled “Race in the Age of Obama.”  

Teen mothers who eat breakfast have healthier weights and snacking habits and may influence healthy eating habits among their children, says a recent study by obesity prevention expert Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. “It’s important to look at dietary patterns among postpartum teens to help reduce weight retention and prevent intergenerational obesity,” she says. “Overall, breakfast consumption among postpartum teens is low and interventions are needed to encourage breakfast consumption among teen mothers.”

Strobe Talbott (right), president of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., and former deputy secretary of state from 1994-2001, was on campus Feb. 7 and 8 speaking and meeting with students.