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Salon: Past Events

Salon Information

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 second 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. NOTE: Due to the Covid epidemic, Salons are being held via zoom. See the Future Salons list for information about upcoming events.

03/16/2024 - 5:00pm Spring Equinox Potluck (with Discussion)

Are you ready to start a new cycle? Is your garden ready? The Spring Equinox traditionally marks this transition and has been celebrated throughout history by many secular and religious communities. Join us for the first of what might turn out to be an Annual Spring Equinox Potluck (with Discussion) on Saturday, March 16th, 2023, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Please note the day, date and time for this event, which are different from those of a regular salon. We’ll gather in the friendly confines of The Jefferson Center, Suite 101, Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak Street, Ashland.
Come have a great time with like-minded folks, enjoy good food, hear a few interesting tidbits about the equinox, and experience a research-based technique against misinformation. (something we all will need in 2024).

02/18/2024 - 4:00pm Evidence: How do we know what we know about anything?

How do we (or should we) determine whether to take evidence seriously, since we cannot observe most of it directly ourselves? Charles Darwin, renowned for developing the theory of evolution through natural selection, was born 215 years ago this month. He was a keen observer of the natural world whose cautious and unhurried approach to gathering and synthesizing evidence remains a hallmark of scientific investigation at its best. How do observations “in the wild” (which constituted a large part of Darwin’s evidence) compare with data from controlled experiments? The Jefferson Center will host a roundtable discussion, facilitated by the Program Committee, focusing on the nature of evidence, and how we do and should use it. We’ll examine questions about what constitutes solid evidence. How do these issues play out today? Are we all entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts (evidence), or is that reversed?
The program will be held in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland. Light refreshments will be served.

Please note that the February salon will be held on the third Sunday of the month in order not to conflict with the Super Bowl.
Also, the salon on animal rights which was originally planned for this date has had to be postponed because our guest was forced to cancel for this date.

01/14/2024 - 4:00pm Belief, Behavior, and The Questions of Megan Phelps-Roper

Most of us use our beliefs as proxies for truth but we don't often consider the potential for those beliefs to take us down a 'bad path'. A vivid example is Megan Phelps-Roper, who went from being a purveyor of hatred as a spokesperson for the Westboro Baptist Church to a kind, insightful, and empathetic. person. She has summarized her transformation in the form of questions that all of us should be able to answer to justify our firmly held beliefs. Her questions include: Are you attacking ideas or attacking the people who hold them? Are you willing to cut off close relationships with people who disagree with you, particularly over small points of contention? In this salon, held in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland, we’ll explore Megan Phelps-Roper's questions as they apply to hateful social media attacks as an extreme example of a bad path. We will also apply them to the less harmful but nonetheless unexamined beliefs we might hold ourselves.

12/17/2023 - 5:00pm 2023 Jefferson Center Solstice Party and Potluck

The Annual Winter Solstice Party and Potluck will be held on Sunday, December 17 at5 pm in The Jefferson Center Space, Suite 101 of the Historic Ashland Armory. Stay tuned for more details on this event.

11/12/2023 - 4:00pm Higher Education – Lower Expectations?

Is higher education in trouble? What are the functions and values of traditional higher education – colleges and universities -- in an era with so many alternatives? How much should colleges cater to job requirements, the pursuit of bigger salaries, and garnering credentials? Should higher education aim to lead students toward the best in human achievement and creativity? Is it all wasted on the young, or is the cost simply too high?
The Jefferson Center invites members and guests to a discussion of these and other issues that will be facilitated by Joseph Graf, Jefferson Center Board member and former Dean of Sciences at Southern Oregon University. Serving as resources to aid our discussion of these broad topics will be Charles Lane and Steve Thorpe, former faculty members and administrators at a number of private and public institutions in Oregon, Texas, Hawaii and California.

10/08/2023 - 4:00pm Oppenheimer’s Dilemma

“Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”, quoted Robert Oppenheimer years after leading development of the atomic bomb. Will someone in the future say the same thing about genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, geoengineering, or some other 21st century technology? Who is responsible to ensure responsible use of technology: Is it us?

In this salon, we’ll ponder these dilemmas. What are the responsibilities of scientists, engineers, software developers, and other experts as they create new and transformational technology? What roles should other, perhaps less technically informed people and organizations have? How should the public be informed? We’ll use a few excerpts from The Day After Trinity, a 1980 documentary about Oppenheimer and the development of nuclear weapons, as a springboard for our discussion of these more general issues. The scientists interviewed in that film pose some pertinent and probing questions and observations. Discussion will be led by Tony Davis, Jefferson Center program committee member. Light refreshments will be served.

09/10/2023 - 4:00pm Atheism, Assumptions, and Prejudice

It has been said that an atheist can never be President of the United States—because anti-atheism is so pervasive and strong. One prejudicial assertion is that atheists must be immoral because one cannot have morality without god. Do anti-atheist assumptions, prejudices, and discrimination exist in the Rogue Valley (and in the U.S.), and are people harmed? Do atheists have no morals? Are they incapable of experiencing awe and reverence? What do non-religious (or anti-religious) people think about faith, belief, and the source of goodness? Should non-religious people keep quiet about their ideas to avoid being stigmatized?
The Jefferson Center invites members and guests to discuss ideas on the subject from 4 to 6 pm on Sunday, September 10, in The Jefferson Center in the Old Ashland Armory, in a roundtable discussion format. Very brief opening remarks and facilitation will be provided by the Center’s Program Committee.
This event is a continuation of our discussion in May about what it means to have “no religion.” The event drew a large turnout. Participants had a chance to share personal experiences, but time ran out before we could explore issues in depth. So please join us to continue the discussion, or to add your own perspective if you missed the May salon.

06/14/2023 - 4:00pm Summer Solstice Social Event

This year, The Jefferson Center is returning to our tradition of holding a social event on or near the Summer Solstice. Members and friends of The Center will gather on Wednesday, June 14, at 4 pm at Clyde’s Corner, 4495 South Pacific Highway, Suite 580 in Phoenix (www.https://www.clydescornerphoenix.com/). Good company and good discussions will be plentiful. Please join us as we support a local business and enjoy their food and beverages.

05/21/2023 - 4:00pm Religion, Atheism, and Critical Thinking: A Roundtable Discussion

More than ever, Americans describe themselves as atheists, agnostics, or “nothing in particular” when surveyed about their religious identity (about three in ten, according to the Pew Research Center). But what do these terms mean? The Jefferson Center invites members and guests to discuss their ideas on the subject at our May salon. Having “no religion” might just mean it is not present in one’s life. But claiming atheism or agnosticism suggests that one has pondered the concepts and practices and made a decision not to be religious. At the same time, stereotypes and discrimination against non-religious people, especially atheists, remains strong in our society. Atheists, for example, may be assumed to have no morals because they have no god, or to be incapable of deep feelings such as awe and reverence. (Atheists themselves disagree.) What do non-religious (or anti-religious) people think about faith, belief, and the source of goodness? Should non-religious people keep quiet about their ideas in order to avoid offending the religious? Or to avoid being stigmatized by some religious?
For its next salon, The Jefferson Center will host a “Roundtable” discussion in which participants sit in a circle and everyone has a chance to share thoughts about the topic. Very brief opening remarks and facilitation will be provided by the Program Committee.

The program will be held in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland. Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.

04/16/2023 - 4:00pm Challenges and Strengths of Hispanic/Latinx folks in the Rogue Valley

Virginia Camberos, Rogue Valley Regional Director for Unite Oregon, will be at the Jefferson Center Salon on Sunday, April 16, 2023, from 4-6 pm, to engage in discussion about the background and current issues we face together in creating a vibrant, supportive, and just community for everyone, in the face of sometimes serious obstacles. Among topics we want to address are economic, family, education, language, immigration, legal system, youth, culture-- and legislative actions that can make systemic change.

For 20 years, Unite Oregon has led the fight for social justice in Oregon by empowering communities ignored by the powerful, with emphasis on harnessing the power of people coming together to make change. Its goal is to work across Oregon to build a unified intercultural movement for justice. See uniteoregon.org.

The program will take place in the Jefferson Center space, suite 101, in the Old Armory Building, 208 Oak St., in Ashland. Light refreshments will be served.

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