Category: Fun

Nov 06 2015

Veterans Week Activity | Discussions in Progress About Military Life @Main Library

Posted on by Sarah Andrews

Discussions in Progress About Military Life is a four-day event series offered by Military & Veteran Student Services in the Center for Diversity & Enrichment and the UI Libraries. Event will be held Monday, Nov 9-Thursday, Nov 12 in the Main Library Learning Commons. 

Each day will begin with a Call of Duty tournament from 11:30 am until 2:30 pm in Group Room 1103/1105 Main Library, with opportunities to engage in conversation with UI student veterans during the tournament. 

Immediately following at 2:30 will be a discussion on various themes related to video games. Discussions will be in Group Area E Main Library.vets

Monday: “Gamer to Gamer”  As gamers with different life experiences, a veteran (Ben Rothman) and a non-veteran (Kaitlin Jones) will lead a conversation about varying perspectives on the video game “Call of Duty.”

Tuesday: “Video Games & Art” Matt Butler, UI Libraries Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio, will talk about video games as art, tracing how advances in technology have enhanced the realistic look and feel of the gaming environment. Has visual realism prompted game developers to make controversial narrative choices?

Wednesday: “Video Games & the Brain” Michael Hall, UI faculty in psychology and neuroscience, will talk about research on video games and the brain, including areas of the brain activated by gaming, gaming’s effect on the brain’s pleasure centers, early data on whether gaming can be neuroprotective, and what too much gaming can do to the brain.

Thursday: “Stereotypes & Video Games” Hannah Scates Kettler, UI Libraries Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio, will talk about stereotypes and gaming. Arguably more than any other media, video games challenge/re-inscribe our notions about identity. Who gets to participate in gaming? What roles are gamers encouraged to adopt? Do video games promote more fiction than reality regarding military service?

This four-day event series is designed to:

  • teach students how to engage in civil discourse about controversial issues.
  • debunk common stereotypes of military life and wartime experiences.
  • use the popular video game “Call of Duty” as an entry point to discuss specific issues such as violence in media, stereotypes in gaming, the effect of life-like graphics on game content, and video games’ effect on the brain.
  • honor our veterans on Veteran’s Day by encouraging all students to engage in discussions with veterans, get to know them, learn about their experiences and travels, discover how veterans’ perspectives enrich our campus, and create a sense of campus community that includes our UI student veterans.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Brittney Thomas in advance at 319-384-2439.

Complete schedule of Veterans Week activities online.

Nov 04 2015

CinemAbility Documentary on evolution of disability in entertainment |Free screening @Main Library, Thursday, Nov. 12, 6:30pm

Posted on by Sarah Andrews

cinemabilityThe University of Iowa Libraries is proud to present a screening of the documentary CinemAbility on Thursday, November 12 at 6:30pm in Shambaugh Auditorium, Main Library. 

From the early days of silent films to present day, from Chaplin to X-Men, disability portrayals are ever changing. This dynamic documentary takes a detailed look at the evolution of “disability” in entertainment by going behind the scenes to interview Filmmakers, Studio Executives, Film Historians, and Celebrities, and by utilizing vivid clips from Hollywood’s most beloved motion pictures and television programs to focus attention on the powerful impact that the media can have on society.

Do disability portrayals in the media impact society or does the media simply reflect our ever-changing attitudes? Has the media has had a hand in transforming the societal inclusion of people with disabilities? CinemAbility shows how an enlightened understanding of disability can have a positive impact on the world.

Featuring Academy Award Winners Ben Affleck, Jamie Foxx, Marlee Matin, Helen Hunt, Gina Davis, and narrated by Jane Seymour.

The movie is 1 hour and 40 minutes.

This screening will include open captioning and audio description. Please note that the audio description will be audible to the entire audience

Oct 27 2015

One Button Studio |Open House Grand Opening |Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 3pm-5pm

Posted on by Sarah Andrews

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What is One Button Studio?

One Button Studio is a user-friendly way to practice presentations. There are six simple steps:
1. Plug your own flash drive into the system
2. Load your background or PowerPoint slides (we will have several backgrounds to choose from if you don’t bring your own)
3. Activate the lights and camera with the touch of a single button
4. Record your presentation
5. Stop recording by pressing the button
6. Remove your flash drive and go

Why use it?

One Button Studio is a great tool for practicing a presentation. When view a presentation you’ve recorded, you’ll be able to spot verbal tics, hand gestures, and facial expressions that can detract from your presentation.  At this time, we do not have staffing at the library to help you edit your videos.

Examples of studio use:

•UI Instructors and faculty can use One Button Studio for a wide range of class assignments, such as documenting small-group discussions, presentations, and mock interviews. Clinical training can be enhanced by using the Studios to participate in variety of mock patient interactions, such as medical history intake.

•UI staff can use the Studios to create instruction videos for student employees.

•Community members can also use One Button Studio. Popular projects include recording family history and creating presentations.

•If you have some basic video editing skills, you can even use One Button Studio to create a video that includes other elements such as music, titles, captions, photography, and video footage shot outside the studio.

Want a personal tour?
Email Sarah Andrews to set up a time.

Want more information?
See our website.

Oct 21 2015

Raising of America | Hardin Library Film Series |Moderated Discussion November 5

Posted on by Sarah Andrews

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Join us at Hardin Library for the Health Sciences for a screening and moderated discussion  of the film The Raising of America.

Thursday, November 5, from 6-8pm, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences
RSVP for the event

More information about the Hardin Library Film Series is available online.

About the film
The Raising of America will reframe the way we look at early child health and development. This ambitious documentary series by the producers of Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? explores how a strong start for all our kids leads not only to better individual life course outcomes (learning, earning and physical and mental health) but also to a healthier, safer, better educated and more prosperous and equitable America.

Discussion Panelists
Resmiye Oral, MD, Director, Child Protection Program, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics-General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Renita Schmidt, PhD, Associate Professor, Teaching and Learning
Christine M. Catney, PharmD, MA, Clinical Assistant Professor, Applied Clinical Science

For more information, see our guide.
All 5 episodes are available via streaming for University of Iowa affiliates:
The Raising of America    Once Upon a Time   Are We Crazy About Our Kids?  Wounded Places  DNA Is Not Destiny