Every fall semester, IU’s College of Arts and Sciences faculty picks a theme for a Themester, a collection of courses, speakers, films and events that embody a common theme, according to the Themester website.
“Themester events offer a chance for the IU community to come together and learn from one another about living in this town, about the research that faculty undertake on a daily basis and also about the issues undergraduates find compelling or troubling,” said Vivian Halloran, a Themester advisory committee member.
This fall, IU’s College of Arts and Science faculty picked food and called the Themester “Eat, Drink, Think: Food from Art to ?Science.”
“Food connects us all with one another,” said Richard Wilk, the Themester advisory committee chair. “It connects us with the environment, it’s very directly affecting our health and it’s also connected to issues like human rights. From the point of view of economics, sociology, anthropology, chemistry, physics — things that are generally considered very different from one another — a topic like food actually shows how mutually dependent they are on one another.”
Halloran said food studies faculty members from anthropology, American studies, English, cognitive science, geography and political science departments submitted the topic of food 12 to 18 months ahead of time.
“We made the case that food is something we all study, even though our specializations span across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences, and thus, the potential to interest many undergraduates and members of the community at large in attending Themester-sponsored events was already high,” Halloran said.
This fall’s Themester will bring in the likes of New York Times food journalist Mark Bittman and award-winning cookbook author Claudia Roden, according to the ?University.
Tracy Bee, Themester Coordinator and College of Arts and Sciences’ Director of Academic Initiatives, said she is most excited for “Dessert and Discussion,” a series of eight food-related discussions on Fridays in the Indiana Memorial Union Tudor Room over dessert and ?coffee.
“I’m always excited for our ‘Dessert and Discussion,’” Bee said. “I think it is one of the most interesting things we do. It is something I’m excited for students to take part in.”
Wilk said he hopes this fall’s topic will hit home with IU students.
“I hope that students continue to be really interested in food, because I think the No. 1 reason why this topic is growing at IU is because students want to learn about it,” Wilk said. “That’s one of the great things about a university like IU: when people get interested in an issue, we can respond really quickly.”
Themester events this week
Big Red Eats Green
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday in front of the IU Art MuseumAH
This event features local restaurants and growers committed to sustainable practices. Admission is free, and all food samples available for sale will cost $5 or less.AH
Smoke and Pickles: A Conversation with Chef Edward Lee
Noon Wednesday at Indiana Memorial Union, State Room EastAh
Chef Edward Lee will discuss his idea of Asian-American cuisine. Born in Brooklyn and trained in New York City, the Korean-American chef now works at 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky.AH
Beyond Food Porn: Images and Affect in the Politics of Eating
12:15 to 1 p.m. Wednesday at IU Art Museum, Gallery of the Western WorldAH
A lecture from Vivian Nun Halloran, director of the Asian American Studies Program and associate professor of American studies and English, will explore the ability of food art to create political change.AH
Themester Reading Group: Julia Child’s Legacy
7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, online at https://connect.iu.edu/themester2014 AH
Each Wednesday in September, there will be an online discussion of a different text or film, all relating or authored by Julia Child. This week’s is “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child.AH
Trompe l’oeil Painting and the Politics of Food
5:30 p.m. Friday in Fine Arts 102AH
Judith Barter of the Art Institute of Chicago will deliver a lecture about American trompe l’oeil paintings of food and their political and cultural significance.
A brief reception will follow in the IU Art Museum’s Thomas T. Solley atrium sponsored on the museum’s first floor.AH
