arts, books and music

Clash between culture and progress is a perennial New Orleans problem, panelists say — but may be getting better (live video)

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Newsflash: “Neighbors and nightclub clash over live music.” It sounds like a headline from any given day’s report from the City Council chambers, but it’s actually a story that’s nearly as old as New Orleans. Whether New Orleans properly takes care of its musicians and other artists is another never-ending saga — but one that may finally be showing some improvement, according a panel discussion held at Tulane University on Thursday evening. Transformation, not destruction

The panel was entitled “Does Progress Destroy Culture?” and that lead question can only be answered ‘yes’ in literal fashion when a bulldozer knocks down a historic building, said Tulane geography professor Richard Campanella.

arts, books and music

Musicians Ellis Marsalis, Shamarr Allen to join debate on gentrification and economy at Tulane

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How the economy surrounding the culture of New Orleans can lead to gentrification — possibly threatening the authenticity of the culture for the future — will be debated by jazz musicians Ellis Marsalis and Shamarr Allen, as well as professor Richard Campanella, journalist Katy Reckdahl and business owner Mike Valentino in a forum Thursday at Tulane University’s Hillel Center. Admission is free and the doors will open at 7 p.m. For details, see the news release below:

Panelists to Discuss Major Issues Facing the Arts and Gentrification in New Orleans

Tulane Hillel Hosts Third Installment of “The Big Issue” Debate, A New Series Designed to Give All Sides an Equal Voice

New Orleans, the birthplace of Jazz and home to a thriving arts scene, has recently become a hotbed of entrepreneurship, industry and development. The current economic boom raises serious questions about the continued viability of New Orleans as an authentic cultural epicenter. To join this conversation, Hillel at Tulane University is hosting the third installment of The Big Issue debate series. The Big Issue: Does Progress Destroy Culture?

colleges

Steve Gleason: Obama’s comments about football may keep kids from playing

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Public concern about the long-term risks of football on young children — including that expressed by President Obama this week — may ultimately represent the biggest threat to the future of the nation’s most popular pasttime, former Saints player Steve Gleason said during a panel discussion on the issue Tuesday night. Until very recently, it would not have been uncommon for a 6-year-old boy to dream of growing up to be like San Diego Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, Gleason said. But after Seau committed suicide last year — and was subsequently discovered to have signs of a depression-causing degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head injuries — children may now be starting to decide they don’t want to be like NFL players, Gleason said. When the President of the United States speculates that if he had a son, he might not want him to play football, that’s one more major step in that direction, Gleason said. “Now, that kid — and his parents — do not want to grow up to be like Junior.

colleges

“The Future of Football” to be debated by Tulane panel

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A panel of NFL reporters, sports-law experts and a representative of the player’s league will discuss how issues related to injuries will affect “The Future of Football” in an event Tuesday evening hosted by New Orleans Hillel at Tulane University. For more information, see the news release from the Hillel center:

High Profile Panelists to Discuss Major Issues in the National Football League
Tulane Hillel Hosts Second Installment of “The Big Issue” Debate,
A New Series Designed to Give All Sides an Equal Voice

New Orleans, January 13th, 2013 – The city of New Orleans has been a major player in the NFL this year. Between the bounty scandal and being host city to the Super Bowl XLVII, New Orleans has held the attention of national audiences. To join the conversation and launch Super Bowl week, Hillel at Tulane University is hosting the second installment of The Big Issue debate series. The Big Issue: The Future of Football will tackle questions regarding injuries within the league, the New Orleans bounty scandal, and other topics surrounding the current NFL landscape.

elections

Melissa Harris-Perry, former Gov. Buddy Roemer debate lessons of Election 2012 (live video)

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To the casual observer, it might be surprising how often a 69-year-old banker from Shreveport who served as the Republican governor of Louisiana agreed Tuesday night with a Tulane professor of African-American studies who hosts a weekend show on the left-leaning cable news network MSNBC. But for those familiar with the easy rapport between former Gov. Buddy Roemer and Melissa Harris-Perry and the respect each has for the other’s independence of thought, wide agreements between the two were to be expected. Instead, it was the sharp, heartfelt disagreement between the two that came as a shock — and it came on an issue both are heavily personally involved in, education in Louisiana. The nominal topic of the debate Tuesday night at Tulane’s Hillel center was the lessons learned from the recent Presidential election, and on that Roemer and Harris-Perry were often in agreement. Neither felt the re-election of President Obama showed a national movement to the left; Roemer said it represented no movement at all and Harris-Perry said if anything, it was reversion back to the center.

colleges

Former Gov. Buddy Roemer, Melissa Harris-Perry debate Tuesday at Tulane forum

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Tulane Hillel will host a debate between former Governor Buddy Roemer and Tulane Professor Melissa Harris-Perry, who also hosts her own MSNBC show, in a forum called “Is America Moving to The Left? Was This Election About Ideology at All?” on Tuesday evening (Nov. 27). For more information see the following press release from Tulane Hillel or visit the event’s website:

New Forum for Discussion of Major Issues That Affect New Orleans
Tulane Hillel Hosts “The Big Issue,”
A New Series Designed to Give All Sides an Equal Voice

Amidst the rise of reality television, 24-hour news coverage and daytime talk shows, political discourse in this country has been diluted by media portrayals of scandal and fame.