Conference on World Affairs

Each year in spring, the University of Colorado at Boulder, hosts a weeklong event called the Conference on World Affairs. If you think that sounds like a pretty broad topic for a conference, you can't even begin to imagine the reality. Here is a smattering of the titles of some of this year's talks:

-Tiny Houses and Liveable Cities
-Bioengineering: Designer Babies and More
-Brexit and the Future of the EU
-Do Your Brain a Favor: Spend Time Outdoors
-The Power of a Story
-Laughing Matters: Humor in an Unfunny World
-Space Tourism for Fun and Profit
-China and North Korea: It's Complicated
-Fireside Chat: Dogs and Us
-CWA Book Club: Hillbilly Elegy Discussion
-The Best Two Parties Money Can Buy
-Oh Heck, I'm Up to My Neck...in Student Loans

I heard about the CWA only last year, after it had already ended, and I was determined to attend this year. It's free and open to the public without registration; anyone can browse the catalog of panel discussions and performances and show up to learn about whatever topics strike their fancy. In browsing this year's offerings, I was intrigued to note that speakers ranged from CU professors to eminent inventors and adventurous to MacArthur Genius Grant winners to celebrity chef Rick Bayless. Needless to say, my hopes were high.

I was not disappointed. Despite a somewhat hectic week, I managed to attend four talks and a movie screening. I was actually rather grateful for my busy schedule; selecting panels to attend would have been all but impossible without constraints to work around. Nearly everything sounded fascinating. I found myself drawn mostly to sociology and education, and attended "Education: Separate and Still Unequal" (about de facto school segregation); "At-Risk Kids: Breaking the Cycle"; "Let's Talk About Race"; and "Will Congress Ever Work Again?" (in which one panelist compared Trump to a yeast that was causing conservative mindsets to ferment and another, memorably, quipped that he was more like a yeast infection). Sessions were either 50 or 120 minutes long, depending on how meaty the topic, and I found that the time flew by.

I was particularly inspired by a speaker who appeared in two sessions I attended ("Separate and Still Unequal" and "Race"), James Bell. Mr. Bell is the founder and head of the San Francisco-based Burns Institute, which works on equity in the judicial system, particularly as it is applied to youth. After spending his childhood in Alabama during Jim Crow, Mr. Bell moved to San Francisco to attend UC Hastings for law school. He was one of the first students admitted as part of affirmative action protocols and was, therefore, one of the only black students in the school. His reception, he said, wasn't always warm, but as a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Grant, I think it's safe to say he's had the last laugh. During the wrap-up comments in one panel, he said that this was his first time at the CWA. He'd had a great time, he said, and it had exceeded his expectations. I was delighted to hear that he'll be returning.

Ed and I also went to a screening of a film I'd wanted to see anyway called The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. I simply cannot recommend this documentary highly enough. It tells the story of a group of international musicians who share their stories, cultures, and backgrounds through gorgeous music and deep friendships. We couldn't stay after the final credits, alas, but one of the musicians from the film was there to discuss it with audience members. SO cool.

So if you're itching to visit Colorado, learn something new, or both, consider heading to this part of the world in mid-April next year. The only possible negative aspect of coming to Boulder for the CWA is agonizing over the seemingly endless line-up of lectures, discussions, and performances.