Humanities & Society

Defining the line between fun and frightenedIn American culture, Halloween is an intriguing mix of ghastly imagery and holiday fun, and at the forefront of all the excitement are children. But how much is too much when it comes to Halloween fun? In the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, Dennis O’Brien, research associate in psychiatry, provides insight into the psyche of children on Halloween.

EarlySt. Louis’ “striking history” in baseball is not getting the national attention it deserves, says Gerald L. Early, Ph.D., the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis and a noted essayist and baseball fan. “Boston is the big story,” says Early, an American culture critic who served as a consultant on the Ken Burns documentary “Baseball” for the Public Broadcasting Service. “All the stuff about the Red Sox curse, how it’s been so long since they’ve had a World Series win, how they’re the sentimental favorite to win, the East Coast bias — it’s all about Boston.

Severe calorie restriction prevents certain aging-related changes in the brain, including the accumulation of free radicals and impairments in coordination and strength, according to a WUSM mouse study. However, the dietary changes did not seem to prevent mice from developing some cognitive deficits associated with age, such as declines in memory.

A great range of social, political and economic issues hang in the balance of the imminent presidential election outcome. These issues, and their significance to the American public, will be explored in a “Town Hall” style meeting with Washington University faculty members for the Nov. 3 Assembly Series. The event, to be held at 11 a.m. in Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus, is free and open to the public.

ChideyaFew people are more knowledgeable about the complicated reasons why young adults in America, as well as the traditionally disenfranchised groups, don’t exercise their right to vote. Farai Chideya will explore the reasons for this and discuss ways to reach these large groups of Americans, at her talk on Oct. 27.

In his most recent book, The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America’s Response, published in 2004, author and poet Peter Balakian describes the systematic deportation and murder of as many as 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks during World War I. The book was a New York Times Notable Book and a New York Times best seller.

He was nominated for his seventh collection of poetry, The Rest of Love: Poems; it’s the second time he’s been up for the prize.

National experts addressed the most pressing political issues in health care at the Oct. 7 “Health Care Challenges Facing the Nation” conference at the Washington University Medical Center. Prominent among the bevy of hot topics were discussions about limiting access to health care to help alleviate rapidly escalating health care costs. Read more in the following St. Louis Post-Dispatch article by Rachel Melcer.

John C. Danforth, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, will deliver a major policy address at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22 in Graham Chapel. Danforth has a distinguished record of public service. Best-known for his 18-year run as Republican senator from Missouri, he also has served in a number of special capacities, most notably as special counsel to investigate the federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, and as special envoy for peace to Sudan.

The Center for the Study of Ethics and Human Values, in conjunction with the John M. Olin School of Business and the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, will present a tax ethics forum on Oct. 29. “An Ethics Forum for Tax Practitioners” will be held from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29, preceded by a continental breakfast at 7:45 a.m., at May Auditorium in John E. Simon Hall. Peter J. Wiedenbeck, the Joseph H. Zumbalen Professor of Law, and Nancy Pechloff, CPA, of the Olin School of Business will moderate the forum featuring five panelists.