Matt Dilworth

Matt Dilworth

History of HIV/AIDS

History of HIV/AIDS

, , , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth, outreach
The history of AIDS, and the human immunodeficiency virus that causes it, has left a long and bloody mark on world history, moving from an academic concern, to an always-fatal but poorly understood disease, to an inflection point in civil rights, to what is now, in much of the world, a survivable chronic condition.  It has been an instrument of death and division which has cost perhaps 35 million lives. HIV was a zoonotic disease transmitted to humans from apes, mutated from the related simian immunodeficiency virus.  While the nature of its first transfer to humans remains a point of debate, it spread rapidly via unsterilized injections (commonplace in most of the regions of Africa where infected apes were known) … Continued
African Americans in Film

African Americans in Film

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
African American History Month offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on cultural and artistic achievements of African Americans. They have been making films as long as the medium has existed but faced unique challenges. African American film grew out of a caricatured, othered presentation of black culture to mainstream audiences, and had to reclaim its own narrative.  But the pernicious influence of cultural stereotypes was not the only challenge. African American cinema blossomed from decades of black performers limited to working for white directors, producers, and censors; to films that now enjoy African American talent in the writing, direction, editing, and production (and independent of white capital), which allows for richer self-expression.  But earlier films should not be ignored; African … Continued
How To Trust the News

How To Trust the News

, , Matt Dilworth, Research
In examining the current news environment, it can be disheartening to see the vast divide in political perspective that colors or slants vital reporting.  While partisan reporting allows consumers to feel more comfortable, having their own biases reinforced, it makes searching for the facts that inform opinions more difficult.  It also complicates finding common ground amongst differently aligned stakeholders. A deeply divided and partisan press has been a hallmark of American media since the beginning, when the Gazette of the United States (supported by Alexander Hamilton and unrepentantly Federalist) and the National Gazette (funded by Thomas Jefferson and rabidly anti-Federalist) were representative of the leading newspapers of the day.  Moreover, anyone could print up leaflets, broadsheets, or pamphlets with whatever … Continued
Academic Video Online: Selected Films, from Counseling to Continents Bicycle Tours

Academic Video Online: Selected Films, from Counseling to Continents Bicycle Tours

, Frances Yates, Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
IU East subscribes to Academic Video Online and through the “Build by Choice” program we gain perpetual ownership to the titles most used during the previous year. Selections include group psychotherapy for survivors of sexual abuse, legal interviewing, and the five-year journey of a Swiss endurance athlete. In this blog we highlight several interesting offerings. Falsettos was nominated for five 2017 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. It is a humorous, yet poignant look at a modern family, revolving around the life of a gay man, his wife, his lover, his son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbians next door. The 25,000 Mile Love Story chronicles the amazing 5-year journey of Swiss endurance athlete Serge Roetheli as he endeavored … Continued
History with the Eyewitnesses

History with the Eyewitnesses

, , Library Resources, Matt Dilworth
244 years ago, on Christmas Day of 1776, General George Washington led a force across the Delaware River to attack a Hessian outpost in Trenton.  His army, which up until then had lost battle after battle, was near the point of dissolution – the enlistments for most of the men would expire at the end of the year, extinguishing the American ability to field an army. The Battle of Trenton was one of the most unexpected, as well as complete, victories American forces had achieved, and it reinvigorated the flagging army at the point when the fragile nation was closest to disintegration.  Soldiers reenlisted, and observers both foreign and domestic realized that American troops could, in fact, stand up to … Continued