Salt Lake Community College is offering students a super level cultural experience on Friday November 11.
The college will host the 4th Annual Regional Undergraduate Student Philosophical Conference. The conference will be split into two sessions designed to bridge professional philosophy and broad culture using art.
“This conference promotes us as a school and gives SLCC students recognition for the value of what they do,” said director Dr. Alexander Izrailevsky. His fundamental intention is to show students the cultural connection to philosophy.
Organizers chose the famous Friedrich Nietzsche to challenge the narrow interpretation of philosophy being separate from art. Nietzsche believed them to be one in the same.
The first session on the 11th will be dedicated to discussing different aspects of Nietzsche’s’ moral, social and political philosophies. It will take place in the Oak Room of the Student Center at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Charlie Huenemann, a professor of philosophy at Utah State University.
In addition to Huenemann, there will be a student panel with participants from SLCC. Also in attendance will be student representatives from Johns Hopkins University, Radbound University in the Netherlands, University of Utah, Weber State University, Utah State University, Utah Valley University, Brigham Young University and Westminster College. All representatives will be discussing their assignments dedicated to Nietzsche.
The second session will be held at the Grand Theatre on South City Campus from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The keynote speaker will be Maestro Adam Sklute, the artistic director of Ballet West. Sklute will be discussing the “Radical Balletization” of the Western Culture, followed by a performance from Ballet West’s lead dancers. This will be the personification of philosophy in artistic form.
One of the main desires of Izrailevsky is to provide the best academic opportunities for Salt Lake Community College students on a national level. His fundamental intention is to show students the cultural connection to philosophy. He believes this is an extraordinary opportunity for student academic expression.
This year’s conference is receiving support on both a local and international level. Salt Lake City Mayor Peter Corroon wrote a letter to participants personally welcoming them and shared his support for this event in the community. In addition, Professor Dr. Paul J.M. van Tongeren, the chair of the Moral Philosophy Department in Nijmegen, Holland, will be giving a real time greeting to attendees via video conferencing. He will also be announcing openings for student candidates to complete a research master or Ph.D. program at his university.
The conference is open and free to the public. The conference will provide an opportunity for students, particularly those studying the humanities and social sciences, to be involved in meaningful and proactive extracurricular work.
