Writing is a brief, structured practice of responding to a writing prompt, followed by time for individual and group reflection. The writing is for you-the participant. This practice is for everyone. You do not need to consider yourself a 'writer' to participate. This is not a writing workshop, and you are never required to share anything you write. Participants often report gaining new perspectives, thinking about experiences in new ways, and reconnecting with parts of their lives that they value but don't often pause to reflect on.

The congenial pockets of shade cast by Ho Chi Minh City's tamarind trees, dipterocarps, and African mahoganies are, in some very literal ways, colonial shadows. Many of the trees were planted directly by the French, and trees planted by successive regimes also followed the model of those earliest French treescapes. While there is much to cherish about Saigon's trees, they were rooted in a larger colonial discourse through which the French simultaneously justified colonial rule and denigrated indigenous Vietnamese modes of habitation.

note: translation during the post-talk Q&A (English-Chinese) will be facilitated by Karen Shi, an MA student in East Asian Studies.

A different history of Tibet, revealed through music and ritual.

In this talk, Savchnya will share findings from the STRONG study (Stress, Trauma, Resilience Of New Generations), in which her team followed 141 Ukrainian refugee women - mothers and grandmothers who arrived in Kraków after February 2022 - measuring hair cortisol concentration as a biomarker of HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis activity alongside self-reported perceived stress and psychological resilience.

The complex strand of Black radical thought found in Japan pulsates with dynamism that can move in different directions. This talk suggests how to relate to this object of knowledge, or Afro-Asian radicalism. I see this task as an exercise in probing a deep well of commitment suffused with political defeats but also yearning to learn, evolve, and advance found within the intervening space between Black radicalism and Japanese intellectual and creative activities in the twentieth century.

As humans eat a variety of foods (compared to generalist species that eat a limited variety of foods), every day we make choices regarding what and how much to eat. In addition to our individual taste preferences and goals, we also are influenced by other people in our food choices. In this talk, I will discuss existing theoretical frameworks and research from my lab that examines social influences on eating behavior.

https://scholars.duke.edu/person/ilayda.orhan

https://psychology.wfu.edu/veronica-cole/

https://scholars.duke.edu/person/dodge
https://scholars.duke.edu/person/Laura.Gorla

The High Holidays are right around the corner, and Jewish Life at Duke is excited to welcome you to the Freeman Center to observe them. All are welcome to holiday services and meals.

Duke students are invited to enjoy free, kosher High Holiday meals at the Freeman Center for Jewish Life; registration is required here by Wednesday, September 9 at 5:00pm:https://duke.is/HighHolidays

Sunday, September 20, 2026
Erev Yom Kippur / Kol Nidre