Alumnae/i College
Engage in an afternoon learning adventure with Wheaton professors.
The 2008 Presidential Election:
A not-so-early look
Jay S. Goodman, professor of political science
The 2008 primary season has unleashed some great political drama! What do the candidates' Web sites and commercials and speeches tell us about the campaign? What variables - Iraq, the economy, health care, immigration - will prove to be the key to the White House? Professor Goodman will present alternative head-to-head scenarios for the general election and discuss each party's strategies.
Too Clean?
Elita Pastra-Landis '69, professor of chemistry
No peanuts, no dairy, no nuts? Allergies are on the rise in developed nations. In this session we will learn about the remarkable complexity of the human immune system and the inverse association between allergic disorders and childhood infections. With improved hygiene in industrialized Western countries we have eliminated harmful pathogens and notably reduced infant mortality. But having removed the good microbes we cannot coach our immune systems properly. We still need to be clean, so how do we protect our children from allergies?
The U.S. Economy in Recession: How Long, How Deep, and What to Do?
John Miller, professor of economics
The U.S. economy may be facing its most serious financial crisis since World War II. How bad will the economy get now that the housing bubble has burst? Are predictions credible for the worst mortgage crisis ever, a decade of economic stagnation, or even a depression-style debt-deflation? And why has the Federal Reserve Board, which managed earlier crises, been unable to pull the economy's fat out of the fire this time? Finally, what ought to be done to stabilize the economy and improve the economic prospects of most Americans?
Registration
Reuning alumnae/i, make your course selection with your Reunion registration available online here.
Non-reuning alumnae/i, make your course selection on your registration form (print or online). Confirmation and details will be sent to you after May 7, including advance reading where applicable.
