You are here

Home › Salons

Salon: Past Events

Salon Information

Thu, 05/09/2024 - 12:00am — Daniel.Curtis

Salon Program
Jefferson Center Salons present topics of interest to our community, and provide a forum for lively discussion afterward. Topics are selected by a committee of members. We serve refreshments contributed by volunteers and have a brief social time before the start of the program. Salons are typically held on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm at The Jefferson Center, 208 Oak Street, Suite 101 in Ashland. Guests of members and interested visitors are always welcome to join us. See the Future Salons list for information about upcoming events.

04/10/2022 - 3:45pm Black Freethinkers in America

From times of slavery onward, attitudes toward religion and spirituality in Black communities have been diverse. Racial stereotyping, however, has obscured the breadth, depth, and variety of Black American Freethought. A 25-minute video of a talk by Prof. Chris Cameron of UNC Charlotte highlights the history of these thinkers. The talk was originally delivered at the 2021 convention of the Freedom from Religion Foundation.
Our online discussion, facilitated by Sandra Coyner, will explore our reactions to the information in the video, how American racism has distorted important aspects of the Black experience, and implications for efforts to promote free thought and rational inquiry while dismantling racism. To register for this event, click on the title to the left.
03/13/2022 - 4:00pm Separation of Church and State: 2021 Perspectives

Recent years have seen a phenomenon called “Christian nationalism” which seeks explicitly to make our country into a “Christian nation” espousing and furthering a particular type of Christianity. Continuing to keep church and state separated is a primary goal of several national organizations, including the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Jefferson Center member Olena Black attended FFRF’s national convention in Boston in November 2021. A Zoom program features her insights and experiences, as well as short videos of key presentations from that conference. Click to see highlights and resources here: Reference Materials

To register for this event, click on the title of this event shown to the left.
02/13/2022 - 3:45pm Sexual and Relationship Violence: Time for Change

Why aren’t sexual violence and relationship violence gone from our society? Susan Moen, Executive Director and co-founder of the local, non-profit Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), will review risks, social norms, and stereotypes that encourage sexual violence. She will outline programs and strategies for prevention of harm. Please register for this Zoom conversation by clicking on the event title to the left and then clicking the meeting link in the full event description.
01/09/2022 - 4:00pm Adapting to Life with Wildfire in our Region

Here we go again! Smoke…and another fire! What should we do?

Charisse Sydoriak will lead a discussion on living in a fire-adapted community (FAC). To gain a deeper appreciation of how we can adapt to life with fire she will introduce the basics of wildfire dynamics, define key terms, and identify components of a FAC. We’ll delve into five of ten FAC components: mitigating fire potential, engaging the community, reducing vulnerabilities at home, response strategies, and personal safety. Charisse looks forward to hearing the group’s thoughts and ideas on how to overcome challenges and leverage opportunities so that Southern Oregon can become a fire-adapted region.

Please join us! Click on the salon title for more information and for the Link to Register for this Zoom meeting.
11/14/2021 - 4:00pm Practical Cyber Security

Ken Brown will lead an informational discussion about practical applications of security in the technical age. Topics will include:
• A brief dive into generally how computer security works.
• An awakening to the reality that no system is completely secure.
• How you can best protect yourself regardless of the inescapable flaws.

NOTE: The slide deck and recording of the salon are available if you click on the name of the salon to the left.

For questions and/or the Zoom link, Email graf@sou.edu
10/30/2021 - 6:00pm Halloween Party 2021!

Our next Salon is a Halloween party! Join in via Zoom Saturday October 30th, 6 PM. Explore virtues vs. vices, demons vs. saints and keep others guessing which are your favorites. Superstitions? Have any? What are they, that have such power? Come share your ideas. And for trivia fans, there will be scenes from scary movies—guess the movie and win accolades. Wear and share a costume! We’ll gorge on our own food and beverages at home, but please no fangs or blood. This is a family gathering. Contact Joe Graf at graf@sou.edu for Zoom login details.
10/10/2021 - 4:00pm Brainstorming the Future of Our Rogue Valley – a facilitated Zoom discussion

As we begin to emerge (we hope) from the worst of the pandemic, and reconstruct after devastating fires, we in the Rogue Valley face big challenges resuming “normal” life, but we want to explore opportunities to move beyond the old normal. Many topics could come up, and most are interconnected. That’s one reason an open discussion can help clarify for ourselves what the future of our communities might be like and how we might shape it. Jefferson Center Member Tony Davis will facilitate this discussion on Zoom.
07/11/2021 - 4:00pm How some in our community are learning how to be anti-racists

Let’s gather to hear a brief presentation from Jefferson Center Board President John Tyler and Tamsin Taylor about the anti-racism group they started last year.
Self-titled “The Mature Anti-Racism Group,” they have met each month since early 2020. They have a reading list and a list of videos and other resources which they make available to their members. The purpose of the group is to help members learn more about the history of racism in this country and how white privilege has advantaged those of us who are white.
03/08/2020 - 4:00pm Salon: Can Secular Folks be Moral?

Why do some religious people think that non-believers can't have morals? Is it true that as societies become less religious they disintegrate into ethical chaos? David Drury and Sandra Coyner will talk about the roots of ethics and decency for those who choose to be good without God – moral principles that grow naturally from our upbringing and life experience, our communities and our evolutionary heritage. Join the conversation Sunday, March 8th, 4-6 PM at the Old Ashland Armory, Suite 101, 208 Oak Street, Ashland.
02/09/2020 - 4:00pm Darwin Party! Celebrating the Tree of Life

Come celebrate Darwin’s birthday at the Armory, 208 Oak St, Suite 101, with cake, a raffle, and a live demo of the Tree of Life. Len Eisenberg will show how all living things are related using his unique evolutionary tree and interactive website. Also presenting will be a team of volunteers with exciting ideas for Jefferson Center 2020 event programs and beyond.

Pages

The Jefferson Center 208 Oak Street, Suite 101 Ashland, OR 97520