11th Annual Humanities Days

10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | Virtual
Host: Jarvis Slacks, Professor of English|jarvis.slacks@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes

This presentation will discuss how Generative AI does the same thing that humans do: absorb and push out. But, unlike machines, there is a growth of one's identity that matters for the future of humanity broadly and creative writing specifically.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Chip Gladson, Professor of English|chip.gladson@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Shayla Atkins and Gina Wesley

Explore what makes machine-generated text different from human writing and discuss the value of authentic voice. Established in 2009 by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Day on Writing celebrates composition in all forms – from journals, poems and letters to text messages, essays and digital stories. Share your authentic voice and embrace the human experience of writing.

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Angela Lanier, Instructional Designer, ELITE|angela.lanier@montgomerycollege.edu
Guest speaker: Peter Brooks

Soothe your soul as Peter Brooks, under the authority of the Piscataway Indian Nation, speaks on the eternal power of gratitude by delivering a version of the Haudenosonee “Thanksgiving Address: Greetings to the Natural World.” Which are also known as the “Words Before All Else.” Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to participate in an ancient Native American ceremony which is designed to embody the spirit of thankfulness as a path to inner peace.

9:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Virtual
Host: Daniel Jenkins, Professor of Philosophy|daniel.jenkins2@montgomerycollege.edu

Guest Talk Title: Opacity, Accountability, and Understanding AI
Many AI systems that make important decisions are black boxes: precisely how they work is opaque even to their developers. This is because they are extremely complex and because they are trained with machine learning rather than explicitly programmed. This opacity is an obstacle to ensuring proper accountability for the use and impact of AI systems.

Biography
Will Fleisher is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Research Professor in the Center for Digital Ethics at Georgetown University. His areas of specialization are in the ethics of AI and in epistemology. Will’s research concerns the ethical, political, and epistemic implications of contemporary and near-term AI systems, particularly those developed using machine learning techniques. He has written about algorithmic fairness and explainable AI. 

9:30 a.m. -10:45 a.m.
In-person: GT-BE 160 | Germantown Campus Mapnew window
Host: Maria Sprehn, Instructional Faculty Anthropology |maria.sprehn@montgomerycollege.edu

Join us for another Montgomery College talking circle as Jess McPherson facilitates discussions aimed at supporting our authentic human experience in a growing landscape that emphasizes technology and artificial intelligence. A talking circle is a strategic listening tool encouraging open thought contribution on difficult or important subjects in a respectful environment free from judgement. It is a methodology commonly used in and attributed to Indigenous communities. Jess McPherson is an artist, master craftsperson, and arts & culture strategist. She carries a strong belief in the ability of the arts to build robust and thriving communities, central to her approach to social impact and change making. She is a Native of the lower Susquehanna, a Susquehanna Indian of Pennsylvania German and Shawnee descent. She currently owns and operates Jess McPherson Arts & Consulting in York, PA, serving Native and non-Native communities throughout the MidAtlantic.

10:00 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
In-person: RV-Mannakee Building (MK) 122 | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Sue Haddad, Interim Associate Dean|sue.haddad@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Lisa Evans

Facilitated conversations in the Healing Circle encourage self-reflection, openness, and communication among the participants. This is an initiative of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU), with a steering committee at MC.

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
In–person: TPSS-P3 217 ​| Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Map
Host: David Lott, Professor of ELAP TPSS and Poetry Editor, Sligo Journal|david.lott@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Hosts: Heather Satrom

This session shares a few short samples of verse poetry by Chat GPT and by MC faculty and features a discussion with the audience of key differences in the poems (if any!).

11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
In-person: GT-BE 160 | Germantown Campus Mapnew window
Host: Maria Sprehn, Instructional Faculty Anthropology |maria.sprehn@montgomerycollege.edu

Join us for another Montgomery College talking circle as Jess McPherson facilitates discussions aimed at supporting our authentic human experience in a growing landscape that emphasizes technology and artificial intelligence. A talking circle is a strategic listening tool encouraging open thought contribution on difficult or important subjects in a respectful environment free from judgement. It is a methodology commonly used in and attributed to Indigenous communities. Jess McPherson is an artist, master craftsperson, and arts & culture strategist. She carries a strong belief in the ability of the arts to build robust and thriving communities, central to her approach to social impact and change making. She is a Native of the lower Susquehanna, a Susquehanna Indian of Pennsylvania German and Shawnee descent. She currently owns and operates Jess McPherson Arts & Consulting in York, PA, serving Native and non-Native communities throughout the MidAtlantic. 

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Deborah Taylor, Professor|deborah.taylor@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes

Students will create a presentation discussing how the humanities can shed light and complicate the use of AI to generate artwork and writing. Students might address ethical questions as well as questions about power. The presentation would be 25 to 30 minutes. Following that, students will present questions to allow groups to discuss.

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
In-person: TPSS-ST Atrium Ground floor | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Mapnew window
Host: Stacey Peterson, Professor and Chair ELAP, Linguistics and Communication Studies, Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus|stacey.peterson@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-host: Schnell Garrett

Montgomery College Community Listeners will be available to lend their ears and provide heart-centered, judgment-free listening about anything you want to chat about.

12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
In-person: GT-Globe Hall | Germantown Campus Mapnew window
Host: Vivian Chang, Administrative Aide III, ELAP, Linguistics, and Communication Studies|vivian.chang@montgomerycollege.edu

Raised in New York City under the tutelage of the great bassist Jamil Nasser, Muneer Nasser’s exposure to the jazz idiom was early and powerful. He attended Shaw University, where he hosted a weekly jazz broadcast on WSHA; then, he transferred to Howard University, joining a thriving jazz scene in Washington DC, and earning his BBA. An award-winning author, Nasser has performed at the Lincoln Theatre, Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, Takoma Station, Westminster Church, and the Kennedy Center, as well as in Paris, Turkey, Morocco, London, and Geneva, and has written and conducted original music for the University of Maryland jazz ensemble. Light refreshments will be served. 

1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.
In-person: TPSS-CU 105 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Mapnew window
Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes, Professor and Director of The Global Humanities Institute|cinder.cooper@montgomerycollege.edu

Khanh Ha is a nine-time Pushcart nominee, finalist for The Ohio State University Fiction Collection Prize, Mary McCarthy Prize, Many Voices Project, Prairie Schooner Book Prize, The University of New Orleans Press Lab Prize, Prize Americana, and The Santa Fe Writers Project. He is the recipient of the Sand Hills Prize for Best Fiction, The Robert Watson Literary Prize in Fiction, The Orison Anthology Award for Fiction, The James Knudsen Prize for Fiction, The C&R Press Fiction Prize, The EastOver Fiction Prize, The Blackwater Press Fiction Prize, The Gival Press Novel Award, and The Red Hen Press Fiction Award.

Recommended media: Heartbreak Grassnew window

Light refreshments will be served.

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
In-person: TPSS-P4 203 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Mapnew window
Host: Glenda Hernandez Tittle, Professor of  School of Education|Glenda.HernandezTittle@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Montgomery County Lynching Memorial Project (MoCoLMP)

Conversation circle about the Installation of a Historical Marker to Recognize the Lynching of Mr. John Diggs-Dorsey, 1880.

7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Jona Colson, Associate Professor of English|jona.colson@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Jamie Gillan

How do you write an original poem when "everything" has been written? Let's focus on the twists and surprises of a poem (torque) and what is essential and needed in the poem (profit). No AI can generate this. Participants will examine iconic poems of authentic voices as well as work by new writers as models and prompts.

9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Virtual
Host: Greg Wahl, Professor of English and Contributing Editor|Gregory.wahl@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Michael LeBlanc and David Lott

MC students and faculty will read, interpret, and appreciate poetry from the Sligo Journal. The Sligo Journal is an online, campus- and community-based arts and letters journal which features the work of the Montgomery College-Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus and the Takoma Park/Silver Spring community. The journal features original art, photography, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry in English as well as in Arabic, French, and Spanish with the translation, when possible.

11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
In–person: RV-HU 009 | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Tara Tetrault, Archaeologist & Anthropology Instructional Faculty|tara.tetrault@montgomerycollege.edu

Join Professor MC Anthropology Professor Tara Tetrault; Sugarland Descendant, Suzanne Johnson; and Dorsey Site Assistant Lab Director Caitlyn Adams as they work on artifacts from the Dorsey Site in Sugarlandnew window. The Dorsey site was established post-Civil war as a self-sufficient African American community on 200 acres in Montgomery County. Guests are invited to drop by HU 009 (Rockville Campus) between 11 am and 3:30 pm to learn about the Dorsey history, see what artifacts we are working on, and learn how to support and participate in the project next year. 

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
In–person: Sarah Silberman Art Gallery on the second floor of the Paul Peck Art Building | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Amanda Miller, Professor of Art|amanda.miller@montgomerycollege.edu

Mending makes us care more about what we hold dear. As collaborative artist-in-residence at Montgomery College, Charlotte Richardson-Deppe will explore themes of social and environmental justice via sewing and mending practices. Participants are invited to bring a worn clothing item to repair in way that is both functional and artistic, contributing to a library of creatively mended garments. As they work with found textiles, including their own discarded clothing, students will examine themes of care, sustainability, and consumerism. The workshop will take place in the Sarah Silberman Gallery, Art Building, Rockville Campus.

12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Jenny Hatleberg, Head Librarian for Arts and Humanities|jennifer.hatleberg@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Chip Gladson

Tools like ChatGPT and Bing, which use generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), are having a powerful impact on higher education. As students are working on assignments, they may want to use these tools for a variety of reasons. In this session, we will explore the potential pros and cons of using generative AI for student research, considering questions like: Is it ethical to use ChatGPT to come up with a research topic? How should content from ChatGPT be cited in a research paper (should it be allowed at all)? Which aspects of the research process can only be done well by a human? Participants will have the opportunity to see demonstrations of ChatGPT, discuss ethical and practical questions around the use of generative AI, and consider implications for their education and future careers.

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Michele Knight, Instructional Designer|michele.knight@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Hosts: Angela Lanier

When the words “Artificial Intelligence” are used next to “Creative Arts,” there can be a tendency to view the use of such technologies as a foe to the artistic process. Many creatives are purists, believing that the creative arts and artificial technology cannot peacefully co-exist. While the human element is essential to creative endeavors, this presentation will encourage artistic individuals to explore the intersection between AI tools and human ingenuity to imagine a possibility where creativity flourishes. AI tools for music production and creative writing will be explored. While these tools open new creative horizons, this presentation will show how the AI symphony is steered with human brilliance.

2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
In–person: RV-HU 222 | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Natalie Grindstaff, Associate Professor, Humanities|natalie.grindstaff@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Yolander Lewis and Cristina Butler

Introduce ASL playing some games and questions

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
In–person: RV-SC 152 | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Angela Lanier, Instructional Designer, ELITE|angela.lanier@montgomerycollege.edu
Guest Facilitator: Lauren Kingsland

This hands on workshop will be led by quilt artist Lauren Kingsland. Participants will receive a packet of textiles from which to shape their own object honoring needle arts past and future. Create! Reimagine! Supply kits will be provided; however, you are welcome to bring any of your own special needles, thread, and scissors if you choose. If interested, check out a recommended text, Women's Work, The First 20,000 Years by Elizabeth Wayland Barbernew window, for a look at the history of our oldest technology.

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
In–person: TPSS-P3 217 | Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus Mapnew window
Host: Heather Bruce Satrom, Professor of ELAP|Heather.Satrom@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Hosts: David Lott

Oral history, a collaborative creation between a narrator and an interviewer, can be an effective method for gathering information about the past from a personal perspective. The speaker will share her experience conducting oral history interviews of 17 current and former MC students. The result of the project is an Open Educational Resource featuring recorded interviews and related materials. The interviewees represent 16 countries, including Afghanistan, China, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Syria, Ukraine, and Venezuela. They witnessed some of the most historically significant events of our time and then came to Montgomery County to rebuild their lives. Students who attend this event will learn the basics of conducting oral history interviews, and faculty will learn how the OER could be used as a teaching tool in a variety of disciplines. All participants will discover inspiring stories of resilience and hope.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Esther Schwartz-McKinzie, Professor of English|esther.schwartz-mckinzie@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Greg Wahl

During this event, participants from the 2022 interview project, Speaking Out: Families of LGBTQ+ Advance the Dialogue, will share their experiences of self-discovery and growth. In addition, members of the MC community will provide insight into current national and local politics... what are the trends, what do they mean, and how can we ensure that members of the LGBTQ+ community feel safe and welcomed in Montgomery County?

For information about the project, see: Speaking Out: Families of LGBTQ+ Advance the Dialoguenew window 

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Sylvea Hollis, African and African American History|sylvea.hollis@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Angela Lanier

This talk explores Professor Hollis’ preliminary thoughts about AI as a site of knowledge production and its implications for everyday people who seek to understand Black History. It foregrounds black feminist theory and asks important historical questions. How accessible is Black History within the AI? How accurate is Black History within AI? What kind of tools/products could be useful in future iterations of this technology? Why do such questions matter? A version of this talk was given before cybersecurity professionals at Squadcon (a part of Black Hat/Defcon) and this version of talk will incorporate their feedback and questions.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Dianne L. Cherry, Professor of Communication Studies|Dianne.Cherry@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Angela Lanier

Artificial Intelligence and other technological advances have influenced our Humanities classes by offering us and our students multiple ways of engaging in learning. Who controls these advances - us, or the technology? Join this Humanities Days session to explore ways to manage "speed of light" educational tools with colleagues from across disciplines.

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Deborah Taylor, Professor|deborah.taylor@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Fiona Glade

A brief presentation about feminist science fiction and cyborgs followed by discussion. Some books covered will be He, She, It by Marge Piercy, Cinder by Marisa Meyer, amongst others. Are cyborgs going to take over the world one day? We can’t know for sure, but feminist fiction imagines the best and worst that cyborgs can do for humanity. Some of the books will make you hopeful, and others, a little scared. The audience will offer its own insights into the place of cyborgs.

Supported by the Women and Gender Studies Program

9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | Virtual
Host: Matthew Decker, Professor of English|matthew.decker@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Sara Parent-Ramos

In response to text-based prompts, Midjourney, a relatively new form of AI, generates images. Since the images depend on the sentence structure, vocabulary, and detail employed by the user, Midjourney creates the opportunity for budding writers to test how their writing is interpreted. Similarly, those who dabble in creative fiction can bring their imagined worlds to life with a simple copy and paste. However, while Midjourney may be a fun tool students could use to harness language skills, generative AI presents an ethical puzzle for users and, of course, creatives! Please join us as we investigate Midjourney's fascinating intersection of language, art, and ethics!

10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Virtual
Host: Megan Howard, Professor of English|megan.howard@montgomerycollege.edu
Co-Host: Chip Gladson

Digital Storytelling uses technology as a vehicle for the expression of human voices and experiences. At the center of digital storytelling is not the technology itself, but the human process of communication and connection through story. At Montgomery College, digital storytelling provides a platform for our diverse students to share their stories with the larger community, both highlighting and amplifying their unique voices. Join the Digital Storytelling Interns as they demonstrate how they prioritize authenticity of human experiences in digital stories.

1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
In-person: RV-TC 136 | Rockville Campus Mapnew window
Host: Joseph Stumpf, Rockville Chair for History and Political Science|joseph.stumpf@montgomerycollege.edu
Facilitators: Andrew Nolan and Sunil Dasgupta

Fears over technology becoming self-aware have played an outsized role in the United States, from the stagings of the dystopic play R.U.R. during the Great Depression to the images of nuclear devastation unleashed by Skynet in the Terminator films. Join a discussion by Andrew Nolan (UMBC History Program Director at the Universities at Shady Grove) and Sunil Dasgupta (UMBC Political Science Program Director at the Universities at Shady Grove) as they explore how concerns about self-aware technology emerged in both twentieth- and early twenty-first-century U.S. culture and how AI also shapes discussions about information, elections, and the ways that people imagine their futures.

Light refreshments will be served.

Dr. Horne holds the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. He is the author of over 40 books including his soon-to-be released, Dare I Say, the Gerald Horne Reader and the recently released, Acknowledging Radical Histories: Conversations with Gerald Horne.

The first 50 students will receive a free copy of Dr. Horne's latest book! Books will also be available for sale in the lobby.

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Host: Cinder Cooper Barnes, Professor and Director of The Global Humanities Institute|cinder.cooper@montgomerycollege.edu
book signing to follow
Doors open:  6:00 p.m.
Reception:  6:30 p.m.
Location: Cultural Arts Center, Main Theater, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campusnew window
Montgomery College
931 King Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Garage parking available. 

Co-Sponsored by: African Diaspora & Heritage Committee; Global Humanities Institute; Institute for Race, Justice, and Civic Engagement; the Paul Peck Humanities Institute; and WPFW (89.3fm)