On Thursday, November 21st, the department hosted the final Inklings gathering of the fall semester. Dr. Alex Kroeger spoke about “The Algerian and Sudanese Revolutions: Prospects for Reform.” His talk focused on revolutions, the reasons for anti-regime protests and the prospects for democratization. The talk was attended by more than two dozen faculty members and students, and was followed by a discussion among the attendees.
Anthony Armendariz, a Political Science graduate student, explained the talk offered “great insight to the process of democratization in developing countries.” He added that he was struck by the fact that in “both cases protests against current leadership have been overwhelmingly peaceful.” Another graduate student in political science, Fanny Mazna, noted that Inklings gatherings allows you to see “in-depth the research interest of faculty and students in the department.” She added the research “helps students to see with who their research interests align with.”
The department’s “Inklings” gathers take their name from a small group of intellectuals (whose ranks included J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) who met weekly at Oxford University in the early and middle decades of the 20th century to read aloud and discuss their works in progress.
