Monkey Trial: The Week That Dayton, Tennessee Hosted the Trial of the Century

Presenter: Mr. Rick Bell

In 1925, the nation was focused on Dayton, Tennessee and local teacher John Scopes. The presentation will explore his trial for teaching the Theory of Evolution and its impact on our history.

My Brain Made Me Do It: Genetic Influences on Crime

Presenter: Dr. Jessica Bilbrey-Worthington

This presentation will discuss genetic influences on crime such as the MAO-A gene (the “warrior gene”), altered orbital cortex activity, and problems with the amygdala. The ethical implications of using this information in court proceedings for mitigation or reduction of culpability and sentencing will be explored.

Uniquely Unique: Altered Fingerprints

Presenter: Ms. Suzann Lafferty

Fingerprints are used for identification purposes because they are unique to each individual. This presentation will examine how fingerprints are used for identification and attempts to alter fingerprints. 

No Food, No Water, No Shelter, No Problem: Wilderness Survival Skills

 Presenter:  Ms. Peg Fredi

This talk would provide an introduction to basic skills necessary in a survival situation.

Influence, Story Telling, The Power of a Napkin

Presenter:  Mr. Billy Ivey

Billy Ivey--writer, brand strategist, motivational speaker, award-winning copywriter, humorist, and creator of Napkinisms--will share his thoughts on influence, storytelling, and doing small things to make a big difference in the lives of others. He uses humor and his engaging personality to motivate others to think outside the box about impacting others in a positive way.

CU Nurses Can Help You Learn Warning Signs, Early Detection Skills, and Prevention of Disease and Injury

Presenters:  Ms. Kathy McDearman and Selected Students

CU Nursing students will present on various topics that will promote health through teaching how to detect early warning signs of disease and measures to help prevent certain diseases and injuries.

The Sense is Sensibility

Presenters: Ms. Anna Reed, Mr. Brandon Coons, Mr. Alex Newman-Dixon, and Dr. Valerie King

This will be a discussion of how businesses use senses to market different products and places. 

Nazi Event Marketing: Three Perspectives on the Propaganda of the Third Reich

Presenters: Mr. Lane Howell, Ms. Luca Jöns, Ms. Masa Nalovic, and Dr. Valerie King

An analysis and cautionary lecture on how event marketing and propaganda were used by the Nazi regime to influence and control. Three perspectives will be offered on the topic: Western/American, Eastern European, and German.

Solo Travel Adventures: One Woman's Journey to the Ends of the Irish Earth and Back...and MORE!

Presenters: Ms. Sandee Gertz and Ms. Summer Vertrees

Come hear and see in an IMOVIE a "Tale of Two Trips" to the Westernmost part of Ireland, (where the speaker suddenly found herself traveling solo) as well as Paris, and some parts of Italy. It traces an identical trip taken twice (once alone and once with companions) culminating in a special pilgrimage to Ireland's mysterious and literary Blasket Islands -- navigable only over the rough seas of the Great Atlantic Way. Come if you like tales of backpacks through foggy trails, trains and tears through Irish countryside, near-death experiences on jagged cliffs, Irish music, and the intestinal fortitude to "go it alone..." At the end, Ms. Summer Vertrees will join the discussion to talk about the International Travel Trips of CU and how you can become involved -- most likely NOT SOLO! 

Making the Band: How to Make Money from Your Passion

Presenters:  Mr. Lain Tomlinson and Mr. Lee Austin

The presenters are a part of a country band called Lain Tomlinson & The Lost Troubadours, but the journey to get to this successful point in their music careers was not a straight path. In this presentation, they will discuss how they reached this point and the surprising amount of work involved in making the band. 

Cancer: What do we know?

Presenter: Dr. Laura Bechard

In this presentation, the presenter will discuss how several types of cancers form, and what we know about treating them.

Finding Equality in an Inequality Society 

Presenter:  Dr. Roshanda Odom

The presenter will discuss the struggle of the African American in the US and how we reach equality.

Should Concussed Athletes Drive a Motorized Vehicle?

Presenter: Dr. Jennifer Savage

Sport-related concussions are one of the most complex injuries to assess and manage. Healthcare professionals have focused their attention on returning athletes back to sport and school, but may have not considered returning to drive. Are we putting concussed athletes and other individuals on the road at risk?

The Forgotten Legends of Soccer

Presenter:  Dr. Max Melnikov

The presenter will discuss stories behind and destinies of several superstars of the beautiful game.

Writing Fiction: Student Reading

Presenters:  Ms. Kerry Ann Moore and Selected Students

Students from the Writing Fiction course will read excerpts of their short stories.

Two Senior Projects in Mathematics

Presenters:  Mr. Gavriel Banks and Mr. Daulton Smith (moderated by Dr. Chris Fuller and Dr. Will Tune)

Senior students Gavriel Banks and Daulton Smith will give brief overviews of their senior project research this fall.

Anxiety and Life as a College Student

Presenter:  Ms. Claudia Davis

This presentation will talk about how students can assess themselves for symptoms of anxiety and their impact on daily life and learning. Anxiety reduction strategies that the student can use to manage anxiety in daily life and in classroom and test situations will be reviewed.

Mentoring Matters - Do you Have What It Takes?

Presenters: Dr. Marcia Barnes and Dr. Joy Kimbrell

The presenters will share the benefits of mentoring and the keys to successful mentoring.

Myles Horton: Cumberland University’s “Famous Unknown” Graduate

Presenter: Dr. Joseph Zajdel

Learn about the college years of the founder of the Highlander Folk School, whose participants included Rosa Parks, the Reverend  Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and Eleanor Roosevelt, among others. At Highlander, Myles’ wife, Zilphia, simplified the melody and words to a song that became known as “We Shall Overcome.”

The Stockton University Archives: Preserving Cumberland's History by Preserving Your Own Story

Presenter: Mr. Joshua Baxter

This presentation consists of a short lecture with slides on what archives are, in general and specifically what the Stockton University Archives are and how they function in the life of the university. Students will get to see and handle some of the materials found in the Stockton Archives. Students will also get to preserve a document they have created.

Van Buren Project Summer Internship 

Presenters:  Mr. Charles Ware, Ms. Paige Hrobsky, Ms. Natalie Hershey, and Dr. Mark Cheathem 

Charles Ware, Paige Hrobsky, and Natalie Hershey will give a PowerPoint presentation outlining their summer internship for the Van Buren [transcription] Presidential Papers project located on campus and headed by Dr. Mark Cheathem. Additionally, the presenters wish to highlight this amazing project, located on Cumberland University's campus, and praise the great opportunity it offers undergraduate students. 

A Northern Test for Reconstruction

Presenter:  Dr. Andrew Wiley

One of the first test cases for the 1866 Civil Rights Act happened in Indiana when a black man sued a white hotel owner for his wages. The case was one of the first to test whether the Civil Rights Act of 1866--an act which granted African Americans citizenship and the right to sue--overrode state laws. 

Perspectives on Immigration and Social Justice

Presenters:  Ms. Dulce Castro, Ms. Yosadara Vicente, Ms. Abby Pitts, and the Sanctuary for All Club

This presentation will explain the elements of what it means to be undocumented and will be an opportunity to tell the perspectives of growing up as a minority and being targeted by the American society. The presenters will explain about intersectionality, social justice, and ways to be an ally to advocate for marginalized communities. 

Pop-Up Books: Child's Play or Works of Art? A Brief History and Discussion

Presenter:  Dr. Sara Hays

This presentation will provide a brief history of pop-up books and other movable books, including examples of different techniques and notable "paper engineers," followed by a discussion of pop-up books' cultural position and literary function.

Living Well with Diabetes

Presenters:  Dr. John Anderson and Mr. Bill Williams

John Anderson, MD and Mr. Williams will talk about treating diabetes from both the doctor and patient perspectives.

Continuing to Develop CU's Diverse Identity

Presenters: Dr. Natalie Inman, Ms. Catie Straube, and Mr. Bryce Holmes

Catie Straube and Bryce Holmes will lead the audience through a self-analysis of the diversity of our student population. They will highlight the efforts made over the last year to further develop and encourage diversity and inclusion at Cumberland University.

Understanding and Encouraging Transformative Learning

Presenter: Dr. Robert C. Cox

When we learn in a classroom, we learn the material, but is our perspective on ourselves and the world changing? This research-based discussion focuses on understanding what transformative learning is and what encourages it.

Whodunit???

Presenter: Ms. V. (June) Hunter

In this workshop, the attendees will learn a few techniques that chemists use to solve crime. 

CU Student Film Festival

Presenters: Dr. Michael Rex, Ms. Brianna Bruce, Ms. Paola Del Valle, Mr. Sylvan Friddell, Ms. Bailey Kittle, & Ms. Emma Wright

This is a screening of five original short films written by CU students. Filmed by Radical Arts.