The month-long celebration features guest lectures, musical performances by students, faculty and staff and an original theatre production honoring the university’s namesake, Alexander Von Humboldt.
“From our outstanding Arts program to our interdisciplinary majors, including our newest program in Criminology & Justice Studies, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is home to more than 20 undergraduate programs serving the diverse needs of our students,” says Dean Kenneth Ayoob. “We’re proud to showcase our programs and achievements through the month of November with a series of events for the campus and community.”
The college currently enrolls over 3,000 full time equivalent students. The most popular majors are Art, English and Anthropology.
The celebration kicks-off with a lecture by Peter Singer, author of “Animal Liberation,” “Practical Ethics,” “The Expanding Circle,” and most recently, “The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter,” 7 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Van Duzer Theatre. Sociology Professor Sing Chew presents the “HSU Scholar of the Year” Lecture 5 p.m. Nov. 19 in the Van Duzer Theatre.
The College has a long history of entertaining the community. In 1925, HSU students established the Humboldt Lyceum, a traveling road show that featured dancers, acrobats, one-act comedies, dramatic monologues and an orchestra. The Lyceum helped establish HSU’s reputation as a cultural center on the North Coast, according to university historians.
The college will continue that tradition with series of performances highlighting the work of students, faculty and staff beginning Nov. 1. The lineup includes student piano, horn and voice recitals; the Humboldt Symphony; and a Redwood Jazz Alliance performance by the Fred Hersch Trio Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. in Fulkerson Recital Hall.
On Nov. 9 at 8 p.m., the Humboldt Bay Brass Band presents “A Century of Brass Behind the Redwood Curtain.” In honor of Centennial, the performance includes original compositions from each decade, historic marches and nostalgic selections from “South Pacific,” the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway classic and 1958 movie.
HSU also has a long history of entertaining the local community with theater. In 1914, a year after its founding, Humboldt State Normal School premiered its first theater production, “Her Own Way,” at the Minor Theatre in Arcata.
In that same spirit, the College presents “Humboldt Unbound,” a play exploring the life of Prussian naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt. Showing through the month of November, the production was created by HSU lecturer Michael Fields (‘92, Theatre Arts MFA) with help from students in HSU’s Theatre, Film and Dance Department. Every year, students in the department get hands-on experience producing 4 to 5 major shows at the Van Duzer Theatre and other local venues.
The college’s showcase month also includes a guest lecture by Tim’m West Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Gist Hall Theatre. As part of the Campus Dialogue on Race, West presents “Deconstructing Dis/ease: The Body as a politicized site for healing self and community.”
The College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences is home to more than 20 undergraduate programs, ranging from Native American to Critical Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies. Students get hands-on experience through the college’s numerous facilities, programs and internship opportunities.
Special programs include the Humboldt Center for Evolutionary Anthropology, the Kosmos computer laboratory for training in geographic visualization and practical application through the Institute for Cartographic Design, the Humboldt Film Festival, and the Sustainable Futures Speakers Series.
Most recently, the college launched a program in Criminology and Justice Studies. The major provides students with a broad foundation in crime and justice, while addressing current systemic issues such as racial and class inequalities and mass imprisonment.
For a full listing of the college’s showcase events in November, visit humboldt.edu/events.