2008 Fall Issues and Ideas Strand

2008 Fall Term

Issues and Ideas Strand

Health Care for All: Why? How do we get there?

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1:30
Mike Huntington, retired physician, will examine some of the following questions:

  1. What is an ideal health care system?
  2. Why should we and how can we ethically set limits within a health care system?
  3. What are examples of good health care systems in other countries?
  4. How are we doing in the United States?
  5. What proposals are being offered for health care reform in the U.S.?
  6. What state proposals are being considered?
  7. What can you and I be doing now to achieve health care reform?
Host: Becky McKenzie

Oregon's Grass Seed Industry

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 9:30
Oregon is known throughout the world for its high, quality forage and turfgrass seed products. Approximately 60 percent of the world's supply of cool-season species grass seed is produced in Oregon. Learn more about this vibrant agricultural industry that now dominates over 50 percent of the cropland in the Willamette Valley. Bill Young, Extension Seed Specialist at OSU, George Pugh of Pugh Seed Farm in Shedd and Aaron Kunzi of AMPAC Seed Company in Tangent will share their knowledge in regard to "how and why" it's grown through an examination of the "art and science" of production "down on the farm," and what it takes to stay competitive in a market-driven ??global economy.
Host: Bill Hohenboken

HP & Corvallis: Bits of Nostalgia, History, and Trivia

Tuesday, Oct. 7, 1:30
HP and Corvallis are synonymous with inkjet printing, but HP started operations in Corvallis in 1976, long before the first drop of ink was ever ejected from a printhead. What was behind HP's move to Corvallis? What other products and technologies were developed during these earlier days and later with the spotlight on the inkjet that grew to dominate the HP Corvallis operation. Bill Kemper retired from HP in 2002 after 28 years with HP and 25 of them in Corvallis. He will share some of his insights and those of others involved in 'the other-HP in Corvallis.'
Host: Becky McKenzie

Sustainable Corvallis: Focus on the Future, Action in the Present

Tuesday Oct. 14, 1:30
Annette Mills, a founder of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, will tell how over 100 organizations and hundreds of individuals are engaged in developing an action plan to lead Corvallis into a sustainable future. See your friends and neighbors on the big screen in a film starring over 600 Corvallis citizens - and learn about free energy-saving tools and services offered through the Corvallis Energy Challenge.
Host: Bill Kemper

Election Time Again! What Do Those Ballot Measures Mean?

Tuesday, Oct. 21, 9:30
Members of the League of Women Voters will present a non-partisan, in-depth look at this year's ballot measures from the point of view of those supporting them and those opposing them. You decide!
Host: Becky McKenzie

Oregon Fisheries on the Threshold of Change

Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1:30
Marine fisheries have long held an important place in Oregon's society and economy and a dominant claim over ocean space. They now face competition on a number of fronts that challenge this position. Susan Hanna and Gil Sylvia, OSU Professors of Marine Economics at the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station, explore the social and economic standing of Oregon fisheries and fishing communities, highlighting their historical development, current status, and emerging challenges.
Host: Bill Hohenboken

The Siuslaw National Forest: A 100 Year Overview

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 1:30
The Siuslaw National Forest is celebrating its first 100 years. Supervisor Barnie Gyant will discuss the history of the creation of the Siuslaw and the role this unique forest plays in the development of the Coast Range, local communities, and Oregon's economy. Issues and trends in contemporary forest management will be analyzed with an emphasis on the ?impact of current changes in the economy.
Host: Ed Heath

The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community by David Korten

Tuesday, Nov. 11, 1:30
Richard Clinton, OSU Emeritus Professor of Political Science, will first introduce this important work on the predicament of Humanity, caused by profligate consumption by an increasing population. Then he will show a one hour video of a presentation made by David Korten at OSU in the spring of this year. Finally, it will be your turn to ask questions or discuss your opinion.
Host: Denis Jarvis

Live Long, Live Well

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30
Live long, live well: Connecting your body and mind for quality of life. Tammy Bray, Dean of the OSU College of Health and Human Science, will talk about the major factors that influence our health: genes -we have inherited; diets - we have been eating; physical activity-we have been doing; quality of relationships - we have with others; community and environment - we have been living in.
Host: Ed Heath

Faith and Medicine

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1:30
With Cliff Hill, MD, Director of the Internal Medicine Program at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, we will explore the relationship of spirituality and health and try to answer some challenging questions: Are religious people healthier? Do they live longer? What is the evidence for beneficial effects of attending church? Or are there any? Does prayer help those who are ill? Does it matter who is doing the praying? If faith or religion is in fact beneficial, should a physician's prescription say something like "take two aspirins and go to church?"
Host: Becky McKenzie

Does U.S. Foreign Aid Work?: A Practioner's Perspective

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1:30
The class will look at the complex realities of U.S. foreign economic assistance, its problems, what works and why, and discuss options. There will be a review of past experiences, changes in the aid and world contexts, and evolving perspectives on addressing poverty. The objective is to close the gap between perceptions and realities, with an eye toward increasing participants' ability to separate the "wheat from the chaff" in our national discussions on this topic. Rob Thurston will bring many insights drawn from 25 years of experience with both grass-roots development in the Peace Corps and within the bureaucracy of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Host: Bill Kemper