Levan Center Programs


...PROGRAMS include Public Lectures and Events, Faculty Colloquia, Book Discussion Groups, Faculty Summer Grants, Faculty Summer Fellowships, Humanities Essay Scholarships and Visiting Scholars

Public Lectures and Events

Wednesday, April 3, 2013 7:00 p.m.
To many, Socrates is a revered figure, unjustly put to death by the citizens of Athens. To his contemporary, the Greek playwright, Aristophanes, however, Socrates was a buffoon and, more, a subversive thinker who, with his constant questions and odd ideas, threatened the hallowed traditions of the great city of Athens. In his play Clouds, Aristophanes holds Socrates and his way of life up to ridicule and criticism. Come and see the BC Theater Department’s reading of this comic and controversial masterpiece.
This event is open to the public, free admission and parking. For information call 395-4339.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013. 7:00 p.m.
Annual Norman Levan Center for the Humanities/St. John's College lecture, David Carl, Director of the Graduate Institute of St. John’s College, Santa Fe, New Mexico will present his lecture WILLIAM BLAKE AND THE METAPHYSICS OF POETIC GENIUS.
What is truth? Philosophy criticizes poetry for being removed from truth, and for offering us images and illusions in place of reality. How does poetry respond to this critique? Through an examination of the metaphysical foundations of the poetry of William Blake, Dr. Carl will attempt to defend the poet’s claim that without the imagination there would be no reality, and that truth is more a poetic construct than it is a philosophic construct.
Dr. Carl has a BA and MA in philosophy and received his Ph.D. in comparative literature from UC Davis.
Lecture and parking are free to all.

David Carl, Director of the Graduate Institute of St. John’s College, Santa Fe, New Mexico

President's Scholars Great Books Seminar Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
Humanities Book Discussion Group The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Community Classics Seminar Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
For information on these events call 395-4439 or email Dr. Hernandez

Bakersfield College

Community Resources

To encourage and support the scholarly and creative work of Bakersfield College faculty the Norman Levan Center for the Humanities has established an annual summer grant program. The details of the summer grant program are on the attached flier and will be widely publicized on campus. We hope that you will consider submitting an application for this summer. The deadline is April 1, 2013. If you have any questions about the grant please email Jack Hernandez. The Norman Levan Center Faculty Scholarship Committee— Anna Agenjo Jack Hernandez Daymon Johnson Lynn Krausse Ginger Le Blanc Liz Rozell Kristopher Stallworth
This spring three faculty members who received 2012 Levan Summer Grants are giving presentations about their work: Why Read, Why Teach The Other Wes Moore? Thursday, February 28th, from noon to 1:00 p.m. English professor Wes Sims will discuss his view of The Other Wes Moore. He will discuss the book in light of the U.S. prison system, especially how it may hinder students from thinking critically about the place and purpose of U.S. prisons. The Presentation Will Not Be Televised: Paulo Freire and Contemporary Educational Practices Wednesday, March 13th, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Philosophy professor Matthew Morgan will discuss the educational philosophy of Brazilian writer Paulo Freire and its relevance to teaching at Bakersfield College. Freire is the author of many books, including Pedagogy of the Oppressed. My Journey Through Deaf Education Friday, April 5th , from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Math professor Tom Greenwood will discuss his research to make teaching math more effective for Deaf students, and share what he has learned from visiting several institutions of Deaf education that applies to all classrooms. — All of these presentations are in the Levan Center, and faculty, staff, and students are welcome.