Trine Humanities Symposia begins Tuesday

ANGOLA (02/25/2019) — Trine University will launch its Spring 2019 Humanities Symposia on Tuesday, Feb. 26, with a look at Norse mythology through the lens of a modern youth fantasy series.

The Symposia, presented by Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication (HAC), continues through Tuesday, April 9. Each session will begin at 3:30 p.m. in Wells Theater inside Taylor Hall.

The Humanities Symposia is a series of presentations and discussions that cover a wide range of topics related to the humanities. It was created as a university outlet for scholars and artists searching for a place to present their research outside of academic conferences. The Symposia allows them to share their research with Trine as well as the local community.

The spring Symposia opens with "Fun with Ragnarok: Learning Norse Mythology through Rick Riordan's Magnus Chase Books," presented by Melissa Mayus, Ph.D., assistant professor in Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication.

With Norse mythology making recent appearances in popular books, movies and TV shows, the talk will consider one such popular book series and investigate how the older mythology is being used to teach modern virtues.

The remaining schedule for the Symposia is as follows:

March 19 - "The Mighty Atom: Nuclear Energy in Comics and Manga," presented by Patrick Ridout, MLS, MIS, assistant director of information services at Trine University's LINK library.

March 26 - "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Beowulf as Modern Super Hero," presented by Stephanie Opfer, Ph.D., assistant professor of English at Tiffin University.

April 2 - "Shakespeare's Worst Play? The Unexplained and the Unfinished: An Exploration of Timon of Athens," presented by Jennifer Royston, Ph.D., assistant professor in Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication.

April 9 - "Oh, The Places You'll Go … Through Children's Literature," presented by Michelle Blank, MLIS, director of academic support services at Trine University.

Trine's Humanities Symposia is free and open to the public. Talks usually last about 30 minutes and are immediately followed by time for any questions, which usually leads to a total time of one hour. Wells Theater seats 75 guests, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early if they have specific seating preferences.

For more information about the Symposia, contact Melissa Mayus, Ph.D., assistant professor in Trine's Department of Humanities and Communication, at mayusm@trine.edu.