UnCommon Core
The UnCommon Core is an annual favorite at Alumni Weekend. Chicago faculty members and alumni lecture and lead discussions on a variety of topics. All sessions take place at the Donnelley Biological Sciences Learning Center, 924 East 57th Street, except where noted. There is no advance registration for the UnCommon Core classes. Space is available first come, first served. Special programs offered for families with children are noted with a 
.
Session I—Friday, June 6
1:30–2:45 p.m.
Who Was Socrates, and What Did He Do?
Room 115
Explore the relationship of Socrates as he's represented in Plato's Dialogues to the Sophists, particularly Protagoras, and to the earlier pre-Socratic thinkers, particularly Parmenides and Timaeus. Cicero said that “Socrates brought philosophy down out of the heavens into the cities and homes of men.” Herman Sinaiko, Professor in the Division of the Humanities and the College and winner of the 2003 Norman Maclean Faculty Award, will discuss what this means and how the shape Socrates gave to philosophy has persisted to the present.
Your Inner Fish
Room 109
Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today’s most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish. In Your Inner Fish, anatomy professor Neil Shubin (who also serves as provost of the Field Museum of Natural History) tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth. By examining fossils and DNA, Shubin shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our head is organized like that of a long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genome look and function like those of worms and bacteria.
The Rise of China … or the Return?
Room 008
"The Rise of China" as a topic is ubiquitous in the world's media (including China's). It usually refers to the events of the past 15 years, during which the Chinese economy has grown at a rate unprecedented in human history. This recent period was preceded by the equally impressive rise of the "Confucian” East Asian rim. How do these phenomena appear when viewed in the temporal framework of millennia instead of decades? What does China's rise represent in the entire course of human history? Guy Alitto, Associate Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations, will discuss these questions.
Exploring the Universe Begins at the South Pole
Room 001
Join us for a presentation by Astrophyics Professor John Carlstrom about the new telescope his team built at the South Pole and how they plan to use it to explore the universe. His research involves looking for clues in the cosmic microwave background—the fossil radiation from the big bang—about the origin and evolution of the universe. The first key project for the new South Pole telescope is an experiment to help unravel the mysteries of the nature and origin of the mysterious dark energy in the universe.
Remembering the ’60s Now That We Are in Our 60s, Part I
This session will take place in the Gordon Center for Integrative Science, 3rd Floor Conference Room, corner of 57th and Drexel.
The ‘60s were years of protest and experimentation at the University and in society. The Class of 1968 is convening a panel to look at that time, what it meant then, and how we think about it now, with a focus on several significant events of the times: the Students Against the Rank sit-in of 1966, Chicago’s open housing demonstrations (summer of 1966), the Special Vietnam Convocation of 1968, and other Vietnam War protests leading up to the Chicago Democratic Convention in the summer of 1968. Participants will include peace activist Dorothy Chin (class of 1967), Class of 1968 alumni Howard Lorber and Dan Kocher (both actively involved in the protest movement), and conservative commentator Phil Giraldi. Whatever your feelings were then, they inevitably shaped who you are now. You will not want to miss this communal reflection.
UnCommon Tour: A Community in Bloom
Bus departs from the Donnelley Biological Sciences Learning Center, 924 E. 57th St.
Sonya Malunda, Assistant Vice President and Director of Community Affairs, will guide a tour through Hyde Park, Kenwood, and Woodlawn and discuss recent changes in the University’s vibrant, growing neighborhood.
Session II—Friday, June 6
3:00–4:15 p.m.
2008: An historic election in context
Room 109
As the voters consider the choice between first black candidate and the eldest applicant for the presidency, as voters weigh the state of the economy and national security and the performance of the incumbent administration, what are the main influences on their decisions likely to be? In this session, John Mark Hansen, Dean of Social Sciences and the Charles L. Hutchinson Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Political Science and the College, and one of this country’s leading scholars of American politics, will offer his perspective on the upcoming races for the White House and for Congress, separating the signal from the noise in the fall election campaigns.
The Five-Ring Circus
Room 008
Economist Allen Sanderson will speak about what he terms a five-ring circus in the world of amateur and professional athletics, and how the application of a little economic theory and some quantitative "elbow grease" can shed light on the business side of sports. His rings include: Chicago's bid to be the host city for the 2016 Olympic Games; the overall impact of player draft systems, such as the one recently completed by the National Football League; the relative roles and importance of ability and chance in determining winners and championships; the shameful state of big-time college sports programs; and some different perspectives on the steroid controversies and the use of performance-enhancing substances. Seminar participants should come ready to "play ball" on these and other topics for an hour.
How to Know a Poem When You See (or Hear) One
Room 115
William Blake's "The Tyger" is the most anthologized poem in the English language, yet the version of the poem that is most familiar to us bears only little resemblance to the poem that Blake printed in 1794. Why, then, do we consider the anthologized version of the poem to be the same poem that Blake wrote? Assistant Professor in English Robin Valenza will guide a discussion that looks at and listens to "The Tyger" from many different angles in order to consider how literature is transformed by its context.
Jazz Duo: The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree
This session will take place at Mandel Hall, 1131 E. 57th St.
Bobby Applebaum, SB’63, MAT’66, and his son Mark will play a jazz duo on piano. It will include original music and offer interesting musical insights on composing and recording.
Remembering the ’60s Now That We Are in Our 60s, Part II
This session will take place in the Gordon Center for Integrative Science, 3rd Floor Conference Room, corner of 57th and Drexel.
Part II of this panel will focus mainly on questions from the audience.
Session III—Saturday, June 7
1:30–2:45 p.m.
The Final Countdown
Room 109
The presidential race is gearing up for its grand finale. Join New York Times columnist David Brooks, AB’83, for a discussion of up-to-the-minute politicking. He’ll share his take on the candidates and the campaign and offer insights into what divides voters culturally and ideologically. After a brief talk, he’ll open up the floor for questions and answers.
The Rest of the Animals
Room 216
Reacquaint yourself with our invertebrate brethren. In his teaching lab full of strange and wonderful creatures, biologist Michael LaBarbera will talk about the revolution in our understanding of invertebrate animals and illustrate with living animals both terrestrial and aquatic. Come play with a sea urchin and learn about the animals we seldom consider.
Human Rights Panel: Planting Seeds: Human Rights Internships and Life
in the Real World
Room 001
What are human rights? How are human rights secured and protected? At the University of Chicago, research and teaching in human rights integrate exploration of the core questions of human dignity with critical examination of the institutions designed to promote and protect human rights. As the Human Rights Program celebrates its 10th Anniversary, alumni discuss how their education at the University of Chicago has affected their careers and lives. Panelists: Ev Meade, Daniel Pepper, Maureen Tracey-Mooney, Cristina Moon, Nick Juravich, Rohini Jonnalagadda, and Jacob Haar.
An Alternative History of the Hindus
Room 115
How does one go about telling the story of the Hindus? The ancient Sanskrit texts, usually dismissed as the work of dead Brahmin males, in fact reveal a great deal about women and the lower castes, and are often very sympathetic to them. They are sometimes masked by narratives about dogs (standing for the people now generally called Dalits, formerly called Untouchables), cows (standing for women, but also for Brahmins of any gender), and horses (standing for the feared but admired warrior castes as well as the foreign conquerors of India, particularly the Muslims). Divinity Professor Wendy Doniger will trace these stories through the centuries to show how the attitudes to these marginalized groups constantly shifted.
UnCommon Tour: Hyde Park—Then and Now
Bus departs from the Donnelley Biological Sciences Learning Center, 924 E. 57th St.
Max Grinnell, AB’98, AM’02, author of Images of America: Hyde Park, Illinois, will discuss the community’s diverse, and at times contentious, social and cultural history. The tour ends at the Donnelley Biological Sciences Center, where Mr. Grinnell’s book will be available for sale and signing.
President Session—Saturday, June 7
3:00–4:00 p.m.
Conversation with President Robert J. Zimmer
Room 109
President Zimmer will report on recent events and future plans and then take alumni questions.
Session IV—Saturday, June 7
4:15–5:30 p.m.
Addressing the Challenges of our Energy Future
Room 109
Alumni Medalist Mildred Dresselhaus, professor of electrical engineering, computer science, and physics at MIT, will present an overview on the grand challenges to the science community in meeting global energy needs for the 21st century. Major advances in our current capabilities will be needed for energy production and storage and for its conversion from one form to another. These advances are likely to come from the discovery and development of new materials, many on the nanoscale. She will focus on basic research and the role young people will play in addressing these challenges in the coming decades.
Sibling Rivalries: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
Room 205
Inter-religious conflict is once again at center stage of our geopolitical consciousness. But how should we think about this conflict? History Professor David Nirenberg asks: Is it inevitable, a constant of interaction between monotheisms? Or was there a “golden age”—in Islamic Spain, for example—when everyone just got along? Is one of these faith traditions more prone to violence than the others? Is one of them better at tolerating diversity? Through a brief discussion of the long history of co-dependence between these three faiths, we will approach—though certainly not answer—these and other questions.
The Quads Must Be Crazy: Messages Found in the University of Chicago Magazine
Room 001
In its first century of reporting on the University and its alumni, the University of Chicago Magazine reflected both the changing institution and its changing times. Editor Mary Ruth Yoe takes you on a tour of times past, and with Magazine photographer Dan Dry, answers your questions about the Magazine today. Following the session, Magazine photographer Dan Dry will sign copies of the Magazine’s centennial book of campus photographs (which will also be available for purchase).
The Problem with Men
Room 115
Explore the gender gap in test scores with Harris School Professor Dan Black. Using data from the 1979 and 1997 cohorts of the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth (NLSY), he and his colleagues have documented a large improvement in the test scores of women relative to men. Because parents of males and females have the same levels of human capital and genetically determined ability, and because males and females grow up in similar environments, this substantial improvement poses a problem for a couple of the competing explanations for the existence of racial, ethnic, and gender gaps in test scores.