Other

Other

Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer

Harry Houdini: Fake news fighting pioneer

, , , Other
The immigrant born as Ehrich Weiss became more than a star.  Throughout his career, Harry Houdini continuously upended public perceptions of magic and reality with daring escapes, feats of mentalism and, toward the end of his life, debunking the claims of spiritualists.  As committed as he was to furthering magic, he was equally devoted to the pursuit of truth and spent much of his last years exposing fraudulent mediums, spirit photographers and others who claimed to communicate with the dead.  Spiritualism began as a religious awakening movement in 1848, when two sisters, Kate and Margaret Fox, stated that they had been able to contact the spirit of a deceased peddler, “Mr. Splitfoot”, and began to hold séances in their home … Continued
How accurate is Hamilton?

How accurate is Hamilton?

, , , Other, Research
Hamilton, the ten dollar Founding Father musical released in May 2015, is among the most successful musicals in history.  With the all-time best selling cast recording and a total gross of $463 million by January 2019, not to mention 11 Tony awards and a thoroughly lovable collection of alternative “Hamildrops,” the musical continues to remain in the popular imagination.  But one question that needs to be asked is – Just how true to its history is Hamilton? Alexander Hamilton, by John Trumbull (1806) Nobody listens to a musical for a history lesson.  While a new play by novelist Ishmael Reed asks rather pointed questions about the musical’s accuracy, it can be stated that Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, went … Continued
All are welcome here

All are welcome here

Frances Yates, Other, Programs
“Indiana University East is an inclusive and welcoming campus that recognizes, celebrates and embraces differences and commonalities.” This first sentence from the Indiana University East Diversity Mission Statement is a guiding principle for the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Appointed by IU East Chancellor Kathy Cruz-Uribe, members of the DI Committee can provide program support, facilitate program planning, and promote opportunities for diversity education of students, faculty, and staff. There are a variety of curricular and co-curricular happenings on campus throughout the Spring semester. The Diversity and Inclusion resource guide highlights events ranging from cultural food days and Black History month films, to several LGBTQ programs and an Appalachian poet and woodworker.  Meetings of the DI Committee are open and we … Continued
Fake News: The Games

Fake News: The Games

, , Other
Still confused about fake news?  Well, maybe all you need to do is play.  Both adults and children use play as a learning tool, and over the past few years a handful of good quality online games have been developed around the theme of fake news.  Each one takes a slightly different focus, which gives them a different level of skill and playability.  But most importantly, they’re all FREE, so you can play all of them! First comes a game developed by FactCheck.org, one of the most reputable sources for seeking out accurate information.  Newsfeed Defenders places you as an admin for a social media news feed.  Your job, as you work your way to the highest administrative level, is … Continued
Books about Books: Book Art Workshops and Resources

Books about Books: Book Art Workshops and Resources

, , , , Other
As an archivist with a background in rare books and manuscripts, I’ve been interested in learning about bookbinding and book art for several years now. This led me on a search to find classes on bookbinding and last year I joined the Cincinnati Book Art Society (CBAS). They offer a series of beginner bookbinding classes and we meet once a month to learn a new style of book binding. This past week we learned about the Coptic Stitch Binding, both single and double needle techniques. The Coptic binding was used by the Copts, early Christians in Egypt, as early as the 2nd century AD and it is a popular binding style that is still in practice today among book art … Continued