Contemporary life is full of change: AI, racial reckoning, the COVID-19 pandemic, global warming, etc. All these events generate a sense of uncertainty that signals dystopian catastrophe for some while promising long-awaited possibilities for others. ReggieCon LIVE! 2024: Ruins, Reflections, Creations, and Dreams will be held from Saturday, April 27, to Tuesday, April 30, at Bone Student Center, University Galleries, and other locations across the Illinois State University campus.
ReggieCon was created in fall 2020 to be a forum for generating diverse, creative interactions geared toward directly addressing these ambiguous, challenging spaces. ReggieCon Live! 2024: Ruins, Reflections, Creations, and Dreams is a four-day celebration of the creativity that lies at the heart of these efforts. Members of the ISU community and the public at large will have the opportunity to showcase and encourage the development of these creative skills. Daily events scheduled thus far:
Saturday, April 27
Student creativity showcases—Bone Student Center (free and open to the public)
Creative Technologies student showcases
- CTK game design showcase
- CTK digital music showcase
Department of English student panels
- “Ruins and Archives”
- “Monsters and Popular Culture”
- “New Worlds”
- “Flash Fiction Generator”
- “Writing Through Ruins”
Comic Creation Workshop with New Yorker Cartoonist, Amy Kurzweil!
Slots are still available–faculty interested in showcasing their students’ creativity at the Student Creativity Showcase on Saturday, April 27, 2024, please contact Dr. J. Scott Jordan at jsjorda@ilstu.edu
Sunday, April 28
One-day conference and workshop (free and open to the public)—Bone Student Center, Founders Suite – NOTE: E-Registration required
At the Ruins of Contemporary Culture: What Will Tomorrow’s Minds Write about Today’s Selves?
Creators/scholars presenting
- Dr. Harald Atmanspacher, ETH Zurich
- Professor Ama Oforiwaa Aduonum, Illinois State University
- Dr. Gurpyari Bhatnagar, Sharda University
- Dr. Elisabetta Di Minico, Complutense University of Madrid-UNA4CAREER
- Noah Earle, farmer/songwriter
- Professor John Jennings, University of California, Riverside
- Dr. J. Scott Jordan, Illinois State University
- Ms. Amy Kurzweil, American cartoonist and writer
- Dr. Dylan Trigg, University of Vienna
- Dr. Roberta Trites, Illinois State University
If you are interested in inviting one or more of the scholars/creators presenting at the Sunday conference above to visit one of your classrooms, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. J. Scott Jordan at jsjorda@ilstu.edu to discuss scheduling opportunities.
Monday, April 29-Tuesday, April 30
There will be several invited creator/scholar presentations (free and open to the public)—registration is not required.
- Professor John Jennings, University Galleries—11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on April 29
- Dr. Dylan Trigg: Talk on Horror and Philosophy–3:30-5 p.m. on April 29 (Stevenson Hall 401)
- Dr. Harald Atmanspacher: Talk on Quantum Theory and Reality (time/place TBD)
- Dr. Elisabetta Di Minico: Talk on Dystopia and The X-Men (time/place TBD)
- Viewing of John Carpenter’s “The Thing”, Monday evening (Stevenson Hall 401)–panel discussion with:
- Dr. Dylan Trigg, University of Vienna
- Dr. J. Scott Jordan, Illinois State University
- Edcel Javier Cintron-Gonzalez, Department of English
- Sneh Vora, Department of Philosophy
Once scheduled, additional talks will be posted on the ReggieCon website.
ReggieCon Live! 2024: Ruins, Reflections, Creations, and Dreams is sponsored by:
- Sage Trust Fund
- Society for Mind-Matter Research
- Office of Enrollment Management and Student Success
- University Marketing and Communications
- Department of English
- Department of Physics
- Department of Philosophy
- Department of Psychology
- Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
- Creative Technologies, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Graphic Design, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Illinois State’s School of Theatre and Dance, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
Many thanks to the following faculty/staff, administrators, and chairs/directors for their efforts in bringing this four-day celebration to fruition:
- Dr. Katherine Ellison, Department of English
- Dr. Chris Horvath, Department of Philosophy
- Professor Rose Marshak, Creative Technologies, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Dr. Matthew Smith, Creative Technologies, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Dr. Archana Shekara, Graphic Design, Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
- Dr. Juliet Lynd, Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
- Dr. Daniel Holland, Department of Physics
- Dr. Jana Albrecht, Enrollment Management and Student Success
- Dr. Allison Bailey, WGSS
- Dr. Connie DeVeer, Illinois State’s School of Theatre and Dance
- Julie Mana-ay Perez, UMC
- Dani Schroeder, UMC
- Sean Thornton, UMC
- Edcel Javier Cintron-Gonzalez, Department of English
- Sneh Vora, Department of Philosophy
- Kelly Harman, Department of Psychology
- Angela Davis, Department of Psychology
Please check the ReggieCon website frequently for updates on presentation details as well as additional programming.
