Posts categorized Society & Culture

July 24 marks the 50th anniversary of the race riots that rocked the city of Rochester in the summer of 1964. A new exhibit in Rush Rhees Library, “Beyond Rochester’s ’64 Riots: 50 Years Seeking to Make One City Out of Two,” showcases a balance of the past and the present-day, in search of a fresh perspective on ways to move our community forward.

In their 59 Days of Independence project, artist and senior lecturer Heather Layton and Brian Bailey ‘09W (PhD) invite people around the world to celebrate the independence of countries other than their own. “By recognizing someone else’s independence, you’re showing that you care about his or her well-being in the same way you care about your own,” says Layton.

The findings of a new study suggest that number learning is a fundamental process that follows a universal pathway. However, the timing of the process depends on a child’s environment.

A 20-minute classroom assessment that is less subjective than traditional in-class evaluations by principals can reliably measure classroom instruction and predict student standardized test scores.

As Brazil kicks off the World Cup, more than the tournament outcome is at stake, according to historians Pablo Sierra and Molly Ball of the University of Rochester. The husband-and-wife team have developed a course, “History of Latin America through Soccer,” that will be taught for the first time this fall at Rochester.

As the June 16 deadline for bids for the library approaches, universities in Chicago, Honolulu, and New York City have expressed interest in housing the Barack Obama Presidential library. Curt Smith offers strong views about the three leading contenders vying for the project.

Films like This is Spinal Tap have built large followings around their use of awkward and cringeworthy comedy. But according to Jason Middleton, assistant professor of English and director of the film and media studies program, the use of staged “awkwardness” extends far beyond the domain of contemporary popular culture and into the earliest days of filmmaking.

The Humanities Project presents a symposium in which 16 distinguished scholars will discuss what it means to be black in the 21st century.

The disturbing imagery of videos games are often accused of fostering feelings of aggression in players. But a new study shows hostile behavior is linked to gamers’ experiences of failure and frustration during play—not to a game’s violent content.

The Politics and Markets Project, a new initiative aimed at fostering discussion among college students about key issues of the day, presents “Wall Street and Your World.”