Excerpted from UST News Service. For more information see Bulletin Today 9/21/2011 and the English Department’s Common Context page.

The first event for the English Department’s 2011-12 Common Context, “Hunger,” is tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 22. Students, faculty and staff are invited to join colleagues over the convocation hour at the UST Stewardship Garden behind Brady Educational Center. Participants will learn about urban gardening and food sustainability on campus. Student gardeners also will demonstrate how to make salsa from fresh tomatoes.

This year’s events are focused on numerous aspects of hunger and scarcity on a global and local scale, but they also are designed to inspire the consideration of related dimensions of hunger including desire, longing and the struggle for justice. All students in ENGL 121 Critical Thinking: Literature and Writing will examine at least one text that focuses on this theme of hunger.

Fall Common Context events:

• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Film: “We Feed the World,” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 – Film: “A Screaming Man” (Une Homme qui crie), co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Film: “Our Daily Bread,” co-sponsored by American Culture and Difference and UST Libraries.  The film will be followed by a Q-and-A session with Dr. Kanishka Chowdhury of the English Department. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
• Noon Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Presentation: “Geography of Hunger in the Twin Cities: Exploring the Food Desert.”  Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
• Noon Tuesday, Nov. 8 – Food Issues panel discussion moderated by Todd Lawrence. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer of Justice and Peace Studies, Simon Emms from Biology and student Aaron Hays discuss important issues related to food, hunger and justice. Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Film: “Hunger” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
• Tuesday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Dec. 23: “Food for Fines” food drive with UST Libraries for Francis Basket Food Shelf. Drop-off sites for nonperishable items: Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library and O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.

Common Context events are offered with assistance from UST Libraries, the American Culture and Difference program, the Geography Department, Justice and Peace Studies, the Biology Department, and Environmental Studies.