Humanities & Society

Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, whose latest book outlines his distinct views and values, will give the College Republicans address for the Assembly Series. “From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 STOPS for Restoring America’s Greatness,” the title of his book and his talk, will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 4 in Graham Chapel on Washington University’s Danforth Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Eminent British archaeologist Lord Colin Renfrew will speak for the Assembly Series on cognitive archaeology and how we become human at 4 p.m. March 22 in Graham Chapel.

An American Indian Pow Wow, a presentation on American Indian mascots in sports, and a traditional food tasting are among the highlights of the University’s American Indian Awareness Week April 9-14. The annual awareness week and Pow Wow allow the University’s American Indian students to share their unique cultures with the rest of the campus and the St. Louis community. All events are free and open to the public.

A team of investigators at the School of Medicine and other centers around the United States is evaluating dietary supplements to determine if they can prevent some of the damage from age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in Americans over the age of 65.

Political developments affecting American business and new challenges and directions in political risk analysis will be the focus of a public forum from 8 a.m.-noon March 23 in the May Auditorium of Simon Hall on the Danforth Campus of Washington University.

Moms can reap financial benefits from a college degree.A social work professor at Washington University in St. Louis says that despite the latest evidence that single and married mothers can reap financial benefits from a college degree, current social policy discourages post-secondary education for women in poverty. More…

Stewart GoldsteinRon Himes in *King Hedley II* (2006)Can African-American theater survive? In recent years, several leading African-American companies have been forced to cut staff, cancel seasons or close their doors entirely. “We’ve lost a half-dozen of the larger companies,” says Ron Himes, founder and producing director of The St. Louis Black Repertory Company and the Henry E. Hampton Jr. Artist-in-Residence in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. “Nobody seems to quite understand why.” More…

An illustration from “When Grandpa Comes Home: A Story About Stroke,” an online book that teaches children how to cope when a relative suffers a strokeSpeedy treatment is essential to saving lives and preventing brain damage during a stroke. But the rapid pace of events also can leave patients and family members confused about what has happened and what to expect. That’s especially true for children whose parents or grandparents have a stroke. Now an online book is available to teach children about strokes at www.strokecenter.org/patients. More…

Local culture impacts cotton production in India. In a study published in the February issue of Current Anthropology, Glenn D. Stone, Ph.D., professor of anthropology and of environmental studies, both in Arts & Sciences, at Washington University in St. Louis, explores how the arrival of genetically modified crops has added a new layer of complexity to cotton farming in a key area of the developing world. More…

On the battlefield, a soldier’s hearing can be permanently damaged in an instant by the boom of an explosion, and thousands of soldiers returning from Iraq have some permanent hearing loss. But what if soldiers could take a pill before going on duty that would prevent damage to hearing? Research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis suggests a medicinal form of hearing protection may someday be a possibility. More…