Coastal Carolina University's faculty will lead a series of eight community dialogue events on the theme "Creativity and Conflict." The sessions will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays in February and March; they are free and open to the public.

All sessions will be held at the University's Waccamaw Higher Education Center in Litchfield at 160 Willbrook Blvd. behind the Hampton Inn.

"Creativity and Conflict" is the seventh annual community forum series sponsored by the Board of Visitors of Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts. These community dialogues are designed to involve area citizens and the University faculty members in discussions about significant issues. For more information call 843-349-2421.

"Pearl Harbor: From the Japanese Viewpoint"

Wednesday, Feb. 4

Brandon Palmer, Department of History

Most American accounts of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7, 1941) portray the event as an unprovoked sneak attack. Was the attack on Pearl Harbor a random, wanton act of war? If not, what were Japan's motives for going to war with the United States? What role did Pearl Harbor play in Japan's grand strategy? This lecture will answer these and other questions about the day that has lived in "infamy."

"Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon: ?Prostitution and Representation in Modern Art"

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Elizabeth Howie, Department of Visual Arts

Pablo Picasso's 1907 "Demoiselles d'Avignon" not only inaugurated the Cubist movement, but continued a practice of using images of prostitute bodies for radically groundbreaking painting practices. Édouard Manet's "Olympia" of 1865, arguably the first modernist painting, likewise revolutionized painting with a portrayal of a prostitute. This presentation will examine prostitution and representation in the era bracketed by these two works.

"Religion, Communication and Diversity"

Wednesday, Feb. 18

Gary Carson, Department of Communication

At its core, religion is primarily concerned with communication. Attempts to express that which is both physically unattainable and intellectually unknowable creates a communication scenario that relies on metaphor, analogy, comparisons, parable, hyperbole, etc. This presentation will address the complex phenomenon of communication and the inevitable conflict of religious expression.

"The Story of Our Lives: Turning? Experience into Art?"

Wednesday, Feb. 25

Jason Ockert and Joe Oestreich, Department of English

We all have stories to tell. But how do we get these stories on paper? ?Professors Jason Ockert and Joe Oestreich - widely published fiction and nonfiction writers, respectively- will read work inspired by their lives and discuss the process of shaping their experiences into stories and essays.

"Was the Civil War Inevitable?"

Wednesday, March 4

John Navin Wink Prince, Vernon Burton, and Rod Gragg, Department of History

The Civil War cost more than 600,000 American lives. Some Northerners saw it as a war to restore the union. Others considered it a war to end slavery. Many Southerners viewed it as a battle over state's rights or a "war of Northern aggression." Exactly what was this war about and could it have been avoided? Join a panel of Coastal Carolina University historians as they discuss these and other questions related to this national tragedy.

"Your Place or Mine: Global Highly? Radioactive Waste Disposal Policy"

Wednesday, March 11

Ken Rogers, Department of Politics

While it is true that nuclear generated power can be efficient and does not produce greenhouse gasses or air pollution, each year more than 10,000 metric tons of highly radioactive waste is produced globally. This presentation focuses on the various national approaches for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and discusses the need for a global approach to cope adequately with the increasing inventories of highly radioactive waste.

"Ukulele Renaissance?"

Wednesday, March 18

Scott Pleasant, English

Unlike many instruments, the ukulele has a definite and well-known date of birth: 1879. This session will a look at the history of the instrument and the current resurgence of interest in it; a display of noteworthy and unusual ukuleles from the collections of several local ukulele enthusiasts; and a brief ukulele concert featuring faculty, student and community members.

"The Israeli-Arab Conflict"

Wednesday, March 25

Suheir Daoud

"The Oslo 'Peace'" accords signed in 1993 between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) have not brought peace. Many argue that the peace process has died. This lecture will focus on the many obstacles facing the resolution of the conflict that started more than 100 years ago. An introductory background summary of the conflict will facilitate an understating of current events and developments. Topics that will be examined during the session include the unique relationship between the United States and Israel, the internal division of Palestine, the war in Iraq, and the significance of oil in the conflict.