What's the Sci-Fi Password?

On Saturday, April 29, Viterbo University's Philosophy Club will be sponsoring their third annual “Philosophy and Pop Culture” conference. The program will run approximately from 9am to 3:30pm. It will include ten presenters and one panel discussion. The event will be hosted as a part of Viterbo University's Scholar's Day, a day dedicated to the celebration of academic achievements and scholarly discoveries throughout campus.

Every year, the conference's presentations follow a theme; for example, last year's theme was “Virtue and Vice.”

Philosophy professor and director of the event, Dr. Robyn Gaier explains why thematic direction is important, "A theme that intersects with both philosophy and pop culture was selected primarily to help focus possible presentation topics and to generate a more cohesive conference program." She also mentions that relating philosophy to pop culture brings the chance to have conceptual familiarity, for both attendees and presenters, when discussing philosophical concepts (through literature, television, games, art, comic strips, etc). This year the conference's theme is “Science Fiction and the Human Condition.”

The theme will be seen in action through the various presentations, for instance, through the first project on the roster. Physics and Ethics major Amber Drewek’s presentation is titled, "An Emotional Trek," and it will be discussing the relativity of emotions through a lens of Star Trek, analyzing the characters, Spock and Data, as models for her research.

Drewek found her appreciation for philosophy by taking an Introduction to Ethics class her freshman year. She states, "I find philosophy fascinating for the questions that it asks. I love knowing why and how things work." Her enjoyment in the class led her to add Ethics as an additional major. A major in Philosophy is not required to present, but many of the presenters are enrolled in a class within the department. However, both Dr. Gaier and Drewek feel this educational opportunity is different from the familiar classroom setting. The preparation, the research and actual presenting provides students with an experience of conveying their theories to an audience in a forum format, which is knowledge that can be applied in many real-life scenarios.

Along with Drewek, Viterbo student presenters include Allana Haas, C. J. Trussoni, Marne Boehm, and Luke Wodzak as well as, the first-ever panel-presentation, exhibited by Jacob Wilkinson, Alayna Holderman, and Jedidiah Barton. In the past, the program has also included Vitebo alumni and undergraduate student presenters from other institutions, such as Western Technical College and the University of Iowa.

Drewek says, “I highly recommend the conference to all, as it gives a chance to explore some of the deep questions of Philosophy through the filter of Pop Culture to make them easier to conceptualize. It is a brilliant excuse to get your nerd on and have a blast, while also gaining a better understanding of life and the universe."

Dr. Gaier has a similar perspective on the value attendance will bring and looks forward to the event, stating, "This conference is truly a collaborative effort, and I am grateful for the support of both my colleagues and members of the Philosophy Club for their help and input, (for) what promises to be both interesting and intriguing discussions about the human condition." The conference will be held in the Nursing Building, room 195. It is open to the public with free admission.