A special opportunity to understand and explore dreams can be found at the Spirit of the Dream Conference at Sonoma State University from June 29-July 3.
This five day conference offers more than 200 diverse presentations by the world's foremost dream researchers, authors, clinicians, and scholars. Included are presentations that focus on psychological, biological, cross-cultural, spiritual, educational, and artistic perspectives on dreaming. and is open to the public.
Sponsored by the SSU Psychology Department and the International Association for the Study of Dreams, special programs include many sessions of interest to the general public.
Throughout human history, dreams and nightmares have intrigued, confused, inspired and even terrified people. In the 21st Century, new avenues for using dreams for emotional healing are being developed but exploring dreams is no longer limited to the psychoanalyst’s couch.
Artists use dreams for creative inspiration, researchers are unraveling the biological functions of sleep and dreams, dreams are being embraced by religious traditions to find meaning and solace, dreams are being utilized to heal trauma survivors, educators use dreams in science and humanities courses, and millions are keeping dream journals and joining dream discussion groups in their communities and online.
The answers to many questions will be featured in a series of presentations by distinguished dream and nightmare researchers, Ernest Hartmann, M.D., Stanley Krippner, Ph.D. and 150 other North American and European scientists, scholars, and clinicians.
A variety of presentations will explore contemporary trends in using dreams for spiritual exploration. Topics include lucid dreams, precognitive dreams, near-death dreams, and how dreams are used in various religious traditions including how dreams are used in the contemporary Islamic Jihadist movement. Researchers from the fields of anthropology, religious studies, and psychologist will present and debate their views.
A juried exhibit of dream-inspired art will be open during the conference at the Sonoma State University Library Art Gallery. A reception takes place July 2 from 4-5 p.m. featuring some of the 37 artists and the exhibit curator, Richard Russo, M.A. who is a past-President of IASD.
The Nancy Richter Brzeski Dream Art Award will be presented to recognize exemplary art related to dreams. During the conference, a wide variety of workshops will be presented, on using the expressive arts to explore the creative dimensions of dreams in the humanities and the healing arts.
Past-President of IASD, Alan Siegel, Ph.D., will coordinate a series of clinical and research seminars on the meaning of dreams with up to 32 CE credits offered for mental health and health practitioners.
Special seminars on working with survivors of trauma such as disasters and abuse will be presented along with many presentations on the meaning of dreams and their use in psychotherapy with children, adults, and special populations.
The conference is open to the public and 400 people are expected to attend. There are 151 presenters scheduled to speak with 6 different breakout sessions to choose from at all times.
The program schedule can be found at http://www.asdreams.org/2007/idx_program_schedule.htm
Prices for attending the full five day conference is $505 (less if attendees become an IASD member), and $385 for students. One-day registration is $160/day. For more information on conference prices, see http://www.asdreams.org/2007/idx_sub_registration.htm
For more information about the conference, contact the conference host, Laurel McCabe, at (707) 664-2130 or visit onlinelaurel.mccabe@sonoma.edu.
MEDIA: Reporters are welcome to cover presentations. Media access to workshops is strictly limited; reporters must receive approval to attend from workshop leaders.
Sonoma State University is now offering a BA Degree in Liberal Studies at Napa Valley College for those interested in re-entering college to complete their degree. At least five courses will be offered each semester at Napa Valley College for academic credit.
To learn more about the Liberal Studies Completion Program, attend one of the information meetings held in the Napa Valley College Transfer Center (Library) on June 25 and June 27 from 4:30-6:30 p.m.
To obtain a SSU application form, contact Carol Tremmel, SSU Extended Education at (707) 664-2611 or use the online application form at www.sonoma.edu/exed/degrees/napa/napa.html.
For more information on the Liberal Studies Napa Program, visit www.sonoma.edu/exed/degrees/napa/napa.html or contact Carol Tremmel at (707) 664-2611.
Thousands of Filipino Americans in the North Bay region are in the health care professions, technical professions,and public service and nonprofit sectors.
Their growing presence is the focus of an educational conference this summer aimed at developing ways to infuse the educational curriculum with knowledge about the Philippines and Filipino American history and cultures.
Sonoma State University's North Bay International Studies Project hosts the multicultural education conference on June 15 and 16 on the SSU campus. The conference is for K-12 educators, students, and community members interested in developing content in K-12 language arts, social sciences, math and the arts.
Early registration is recommended for the "KAPWA: You and I are One" conference and information can be found at http://www.sonoma.edu/projects/nbisp/news6.html.
The conference is part of the Fulbright-Hays Group Project/Study Tour of the Southern Philippines conducted by SSU Professors Leny Strobel and Miriam Hutchins in the summer of 2006.
The grant enabled eleven K-12 teachers from Northern California to participate in a five-week study tour that included lectures, public and private school visits, cultural and environmental education sites, museums,indigenous schools, homestays, and lecture exchanges.
There are three main community organizations in Sonoma County-Filipino American Community of Sonoma County, Filipino American National Historical Society, Sonoma County Chapter, and Filipino American Association of Rohnert Park. In addition to these, there are also Filipino congregations in several Catholic Churches.
SSU has invited the Fulbright In-Country Host, Fr. Albert Alejo, S.J., Ateneo de Davao University in Mindanao, Philippines, as the keynote speaker at the conference. Alejo is most well known for his seminal work on the study of Filipino indigenous philosophy.
On Friday, June 15 at 7 p.m., the evening event features the keynote address by Alejo and an hour-long cultural performance by the renowned Barangay Dance Troup from San Francisco. This event is open to the public and $10 tickets will be sold at the door.
For more information, contact Miriam Hutchins, North Bay International Studies Project, (707) 664-2409.
NOTE: Additonal information on the local Filipino-American community and its history is available upon request.
One person's trash is another's treasure at Sonoma State University as the campus has increased its recyclable office waste by almost 100 tons by turning the handling of office garbage on its head.
The answer has come in the shape of a 5-1/2-inch tall black plastic mini-bin which is now the depository of garbage, such as food wastes, in campus offices. Recyclable material such as paper and plastic bottles are routed into large blue trash cans at personal desks. Final destination is the campus recycling center.
Made from recycled plastic itself, the writing on the mini-bin reads "This is all the GARBAGE I make!"
The program was adopted by Director of Housekeeping Mark Bradley who noticed one day as he looked into a trash bin at Salazar Hall that more than 84% of the trash in a single container was actually recyclable material such as paper and plastic bottles. It seemed to be the same story at other locations on campus.
"Often when we go into the offices we would find a garbage can full of paper and plastic bottles.. almost everything that was thrown away could have been sent to our single stream recycling center."
Bradley set up a pilot project in December, 2005 for one of the campus buildings after a successful experience moved to adopt the program throughout the entire campus.
He supplied every single office with a mini-bin and a larger deskside recycling can. Larger bins for garbage, such as food wastes, were put in strategic places throughout the building.
In one year the campus recycling material jumped from 161 tons in 2005 to 249 tons in 2006. "At first there were some people who hated it," said Bradley.
Bradley's next step is to develop recycling programs for classrooms and residential housing.
Sonoma State University is mandated by the California Integrated Waste Management Board to divert at least 50% of its solid waste from the landfills.
The University has been successful in achieving those numbers in the past, mainly because of the many construction projects that have generated large volumes of recyclable materials.
However, in order to continue to comply withthe state mandate, the University must improve efforts of recycling on campus, particularly since the diversion percentage will increase to 75% in the year 2010.
ABOVE, Barbara Daniella shows off the mini-bin introduced to campus offices that has contributed to the redirection of 100 more tons of office waste to the campus recycling center.
