FreeMindsAustin

Hey alumni! We’re excited to share with you a calendar of events for the fall semester. We hope to see you at as many as you have time for, starting with Clayton Stromberger’s upcoming master class on Thursday, September 22. He’ll be discussing The Tempest, the Shakespeare play assigned to this year’s Free Minds class. There’s also an opportunity to see The Tempest live on Wednesday, September 28.

All events are free and, unless otherwise noted, will take place at the Community Engagement Center (1009 East 11th Street #216).

SEPTEMBER

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
Master class, 6:30 pm.
Clayton Stromberger, Outreach Coordinator for UT’s Shakespeare at Winedale program, is excited to offer a one-night workshop for Free Minds alumni. Come prepared to get out of your chair, onto your feet and flat on your back for an action-packed reading of The Tempest. Clayton will help you practice blocking, word emphasis, and other techniques for bringing the Elizabethan prose to life. Come to the master class, then see the play on campus!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Play, 7:30 pm.
Actors from the London Stage present Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Join this year’s Free Minds class in our annual trip to the UT campus to see Shakespeare come to life onstage. The Tempest is a tragic romantic comedy about Prospero, the former duke of Milan, and his beautiful daughter Miranda, who are exiled to a desert island until a magical storm turns their fortunes around. UT’s B. Iden Payne Theatre (23rd and San Jacinto). RSVP by 9/16 for free tickets.

OCTOBER

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13 Master class, 6:30 pm.
ACC History Professor David Lauderback will discuss Karen Armstrong’s The Battle for God, a book about how religious fundamentalism evolved as a violent reaction to the modern world. This class will explore the causes and consequences of fundamentalism in the West and the Middle East. Dr. Lauderback “looks forward to the opportunity to work with the remarkable students at Free Minds!”

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27
Walking tour, 6:30 pm.
Dr. Ted Gordon, Dept. Chair of African and African Diaspora Studies at UT, will give a 2-hour walking tour focusing on the racial geography of UT. This tour will feature some of the university’s most famous landmarks, from the clock tower to the residence hall controversially named after a former Klan leader. These landmarks carry the legacy of Confederate racism, says Dr. Gordon, but he also points to more recent changes on campus, such as the statue of civil rights champion and former UT law professor Barbara Jordan. Littlefield House (24th and Guadalupe). To carpool, meet at the Community Engagement Center at 6 pm.

NOVEMBER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
Master class, 6:30 pm.
“Food for Thought” with Elizabeth Engelhardt, UT Professor of American Studies. Whether it’s slow-cooked barbecue, fast-food biscuits, or homegrown tomatoes, the foods we choose tell stories of race, class, ethnicity, gender, and region in the United States. We will use food as a lens into local and national histories and cultures by exploring our individual food traditions.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Master class, 6:30 pm.
“Transition to College Success” with ACC academic advisor Julie Cuellar-Reck. Learn tips and tricks for transitioning to college after Free Minds. This information session will cover how to find money for college, career planning, and making an educational plan. “Julie is my lifeline while I navigate through college,” says a Free Minds alum who’s now in her third year at ACC. Come with questions, leave with answers.