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Lisa Kristine's images document the pain of slavery and the hope of freedom.

Mark Your Calendars for These Spring Semester Opportunities

Among the eminent speakers who will visit campus this spring are those who inspire their audiences through media as diverse as photography and text, comedy and public policy.

Their work offers a broad range of perspectives but all springs from common roots in humanitarian concerns. It demands a response and provokes meaningful dialogue about the human condition.

Humanitarian photographer Lisa Kristine presents powerful images of modern-day slavery, creating a narrative that shares the humanity in each of her subjects, no matter how distant or isolated. Her images are not intended to shock, but rather to inspire the thought that we are all related as one people and all have beauty in ourselves. Kristine has been featured on CNN and Reuters, and has given TED talks. John C. Sweeney, a director of the United Nations Association of New York, says, “Lisa Kristine’s sensitive and beautiful portrayal of isolated and distant peoples helps us to better appreciate the diversity of the world. She captures the sheer beauty of the differences in people and places and allows us to comprehend the shared nature of the human condition: its hope, its joy and its complexity.” Kristine presents “The Faces of Modern-Day Slavery,” March 1, as one of the Norman Miller Lectures In Public Understanding. An associated exhibit of her work runs Feb. 29-April 1 in the Baer Gallery.

Saturday Night Live’s Sasheer Zamata will Skype in as part of the “Sasheer Awesomeness Video Fest” at the Cassandra Voss Center (CVC). The actor, writer and stand-up comedian joined SNL during a period when the show was drawing criticism for its lack of ethnic diversity; when she joined the show in 2014, she was the first black female cast member in several years. The March 14 event is a signature program in the CVC’s series.

Stand-up comic Hari Kondabolu characterizes himself as a Brooklyn-based, Queens-raised political comedian. He has been featured on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” “Conan,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and NPR’s “Fresh Air.” His work revolves around social justice issues that include poverty, racism and a rejection of Indian stereotypes seen in media. Kondabolu and social justice scholar bell hooks appear in dialogue April 19. The conversation, sponsored by the Cassandra Voss Center, takes place during at ÀÏ°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±¼Ç¼.

Parker Palmer is the founder and senior partner of the Center for Courage & Renewal and focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the author of nine books including his latest, “Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit,” which was chosen by Spirituality & Practice as one of the best books of 2011 on contemplation and social activism. .

Ramu Damodaran, chief of the United Nations Academic Impact initiative, wraps up the Great Decisions Lecture Series later in the semester. His work aligns institutions of higher learning and research with the objectives of the United Nations. Damodaran is also the secretary of the United Nations Committee on Information. He has served as executive assistant to the prime minister of India as well as in the diplomatic missions in Moscow and to the United Nations. Damodaran’s lecture, “,” takes place on April 13.


Feb. 2, 2016