A Century of War: Chris Hedges

Grinnell College students will have the chance to question a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist during the opening of “A Century of War: 1914 and Beyond.”

Chris Hedges spent two decades as a war correspondent, most of them with the New York Times. On Sept. 16, he will

• Head a question and answer session at 4:15 p.m. in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts in Room 152. Sarah Purcell ’92, director of the Rosenfield Program, will moderate.
• Present a talk, “War is the Force that Gives Us Meaning,” at 7:30 p.m. in the Joe Rosenfield ’25 Center in Room 101.

“Since Mr. Hedges is a journalist who has covered many conflict zones, we thought students would learn from asking questions about his experience and his views on contemporary wars,” says Shuchi Kapila, director of the Center for Humanities.

Hedges’ visit is the first in the center’s yearlong symposium exploring the social, political, and cultural transformations brought about by World War I. The symposium marks the centenary of World War I and explores how the phenomenon of war continues to shape a culture of violence.

The topic of war deserves a thorough examination, Kapila says.

“So many people’s lives have been touched by World War I and World War II all over the world, and we live in an era where conflicts have emerged in many parts of the world, some of which are a legacy of the wars, so we have to continue to think about this topic,” Kapila says.

Hedges’ presentation is co-sponsored by the Center for the Humanities and the Rosenfield Program in Public Affairs, International Relations, and Human Rights.

The events are free and open to the public.