Penn Social

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “The Happiness Workshop,”
 a look at what recent research and centuries of wisdom tell us about 
bringing more joy and contentment to our lives, with Eric Zillmer, 
professor of psychology and the director of the Happiness Lab at Drexel 
University.
Are you happy? If not, how do you get there?
Gain insights into happiness with Eric Zillmer, an award-winning 
teacher who leads a creative think tank that investigates the 
ingredients for happiness among individual people and communities.
You’ll learn how the study of happiness is a growing, evidence-based 
field known as positive psychology, which aims to find solutions to 
happiness challenges that can bring positive change to our lives and 
environments.
Dr. Zillmer will discuss the meaning of happiness and its place in 
our lives and society. He’ll draw from recent science and great thinkers
 in discussing how we can increase our own happiness and well-being, 
throwing out a few practical tips as well.&nbsp;
He’ll talk about whether happiness can be measured and where in our 
brain happiness is located. We’ll look at the influence of socializing 
and social media on our happiness and about the roles that music, humor,
 adversity, and regret have in happiness research.
Dr. Zillmer will discuss what we learn about happiness from 
competitive sports, and he’ll suggest ten actions that you can engage in
 that will make you happier.
Among the questions he’ll tackle: What is the happiest day of the 
week? Can a specific place make you happy? What can we learn about 
happiness from travelling the world? (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-happiness-workshop" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 plus sales
 tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed 
time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: Happiness in the face of a Tibetan Buddhist monk. (Photo by Wonderlane / Wikimedia Commons.)

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: The Happiness Workshop

District of Columbia

Georgetown

District Of Columbia

Profs & Pints DC: The Happiness Workshop

Profs and Pints DC presents: “The Happiness Workshop,”
 a look at what recent research and centuries of wisdom tell us about...

Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown

– Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday, May 5 with Mexican fare and cocktails from 3pm until 11pm in the Courtyard Bar and Lobby Lounge.
Guests will enjoy: 
Bites
Elote Street Corn — $16
Grilled corn, Cotija Cheese, Chipotle Crema, Lime
Tuna Tostada Crudo — $24
Avocado Mousse, Chili Oil, Cilantro
Cocktails
Verde Breeze — $20
Espolon Blanco, cucumber, jalapeño, elderflower
Garden Ember — $20
Ilegal Mezcal, Strawberry, Basil, Lemon
 No reservations are required for Fairmont’s Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Local Event: Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown

Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Fairmont...

– Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown is celebrating Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday, May 5 with Mexican fare and cocktails from 3pm...

Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Torture in the Middle Ages,”
 with Larissa “Kat” Tracy, visiting assistant teaching professor of 
English at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and author or 
editor of ten books on medieval violence.
When Pulp Fiction’s Marsellus Wallace vows to “get medieval”
 on someone we assume that they’re in for some serious pain. 
Torture—that most notorious aspect of medieval culture and society—more 
recently has been portrayed in popular culture in series like Game of Thrones and Vikings,
 through lurid scenes depicting torture and gruesome punishment as 
standard medieval practice. In many modern European cities one can find 
popular museums displaying such gruesome implements as the rack, the 
strappado, the gridiron, the wheel, and the iron maiden.
The dominant mythology suggests that the Middle Ages was a period 
during which sadistic torment was inflicted on citizens with impunity 
and without provocation. The truth, however, is a lot more complicated.
Join Professor Larissa “Kat” Tracy, who has extensively researched 
torture, punishment, and social justice in medieval society, for a talk 
challenging preconceived ideas that popular historians, films, and media
 have promoted about the prevalence of torture and judicial brutality in
 medieval society.
She’ll discuss medieval Europe’s actual use of torture—the 
instruments, the laws, the cultural norms, and the victims—and make 
clear that the act of punishment was actually a very different legal 
event. She’ll argue that the portrayals of medieval torture in 
literature represent satire, critique and dissent; they have didactic 
and political functions in opposing the status quo.
The books that Professor Tracy has written or edited include Torture and Brutality in Medieval Literature; Castration and Culture in the Middle Ages; Medieval and Early Modern Murder; Flaying in the Premodern World, and most recently End Game: Exile and Execution in Medieval and Early Modern Society.
 When she gets medieval on you it means you are going to learn. The 
experience, however, won’t be painful at all. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-torture-middle-ages" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 
plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student 
ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)&nbsp;
Image: Torture instruments on display at Prague Castle. Photo by Clayton Tang / Wikimedia Commons.

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Torture in the Middle Ages

Profs & Pints DC: Torture in the Middle Ages

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Torture in the Middle Ages,”
 with Larissa “Kat” Tracy, visiting assistant teaching professor of...

Come for the&nbsp;games, stay for the&nbsp;mocktails.&nbsp;Try your hand at a variety of board&nbsp;and&nbsp;card&nbsp;games while enjoying our crafted&nbsp;mocktails&nbsp;and&nbsp;maybe meeting a few new friends along the way. Join us for a relaxed&nbsp;and&nbsp;fun evening with over 20 board&nbsp;games to choose from-classic favorites, new discoveries,&nbsp;and&nbsp;everything in between. Sip, play, unwind,&nbsp;and&nbsp;enjoy the warm community vibe at your library.&nbsp;This program is sponsored by Georgetown Library Friends. Date: 5/7, start at 6PM-7:30PM, Address: 3260 R Street, NW. For more info call: 202 834 3557. Adults 18+.&nbsp;

Local Event: Game Night and Mocktails 

Game Night and Mocktails 

Come for the games, stay for the mocktails. Try your hand at a variety of board and card games while enjoying our...

Alden Theatre

Ever wonder how others perceive you? “Seinfeld” writer Pat Hazell goes in search of his own “Permanent Record” in a confessional night at The Alden Theatre filled with humor, heart and humanity. Hazell hired an actual opposition research company to investigate his past, and he is now forced to define himself. Pat opens the vault to his faults, foibles and foul play to turn a stroll down Memory Lane into a high-speed chase down Memory Highway. If you can’t laugh at yourself, why not laugh at him? Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m. (ASL interpreted) $30 Standard/$25 Seniors/$20 MCC district residents.

Local Event: Pat Hazell's "Permanent Record" at Alden Theatre

Fairfax County

McLean

Virginia

Pat Hazell's "Permanent Record" at Alden Theatre

Ever wonder how others perceive you? “Seinfeld” writer Pat Hazell goes in search of his own “Permanent Record” in a...

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Terrors of Irish Fairylore,” an
 introduction to Ireland’s strange and unsettling folkloric “Good 
People,” with Brittany Warman, former instructor at Ohio State 
University, co-founder of The Carterhaugh School of Folklore and the 
Fantastic, and co-author of the new book Fairylore: A Compendium of the Fae Folk.
Today it is common to think of fairies as small, childlike, sparkly 
creatures with glittering wings and dresses made from flower petals. But
 the fae of traditional Irish folklore were no such things.&nbsp;
Amoral, capricious, even malicious when they chose to be, the 
too-frequently forgotten fairies of times long past would, more often 
than not, haunt nightmares.
Join Brittany Warman, a folklorist who has earned a devoted following
 among Profs and Pints fans, as she explores the darker side of Irish 
fairylore.
The figures she'll discuss include: The Leanan-Sidhe, a vampiric 
fairy who gives artistic inspiration in exchange for your mortal spirit.
 The Dullahan, a fairy with a human spine for a whip and a habit of 
hurtling across fields in a death coach made from human skin. The 
Banshee, a mournful fairy whose cry signals a death in the family to 
which she's attached herself.
Dr. Warman also will examine the surprising impact of fairy folklore on two classics of Irish Gothic literature, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Bram Stoker's Dracula. 
It’s a talk that will remind you that the relationship between the 
Irish and the spooky stretches well beyond Halloween. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-terrors-of-irish-fairlylore2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: 
$13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a 
student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: “The Banshee Appears,” an 1862 illustration by Robert Prowse (Wicklow Heritage / Public domain).

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Terrors of Irish Fairlylore

Profs & Pints DC: Terrors of Irish Fairlylore

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Terrors of Irish Fairylore,” an
 introduction to Ireland’s strange and unsettling folkloric “Good...

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Nightmares and Creativity,” on
 the relationship between frightening dreams and real creative 
achievements, with Bernard Welt, emeritus professor of arts and 
humanities at George Washington University, former member of the board 
of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, and 
contributing editor of DreamTime.
Nightmares are associated with creativity—but how, exactly? Why do so
 many famous accounts of genius in the arts and sciences originate with a
 frightening dream?
Explore such questions with the help of Bernard Welt, who has taught 
courses on recalling dreams and dream journaling and written extensively
 on the relationship between dreaming and the arts.
Using excerpts from texts, illustrations of artworks, and clips from 
classic films derived from nightmares, Professor Welt will look at the 
relationship between bad dreams and celebrated innovations and creative 
accomplishments.&nbsp;
You’ll learn why psychologists consider the nightmare to be a key to 
understanding the creative power of the unconscious mind. We’ll consider
 sleep scientists’ definitions of the nightmare, asking why it still 
remains controversial, and explore contemporary theories about the 
relationship between nightmares and creativity from psychoanalysis, 
Jungian archetypal theory, evolutionary psychology, and other sources.&nbsp;
Though dreams have special authority in many cultures, in the western
 world it’s only among the nineteenth-century Romantics that we began to
 see personal accounts of creativity inspired by dreams—curiously, 
preponderantly bad ones. We’ll look at how Frankenstein arose 
from Mary Shelley’s famous dream of a scientist confronted by his own 
fearful creation, and how art’s Surrealist movement taught us to value 
our nightmares.
You’ll learn how dreams of all kinds can result in sudden inspiration
 because they relax inhibitions, transcend habitual trains of thought, 
and permit ideas that would be rejected by the thought processes of 
waking life. You’ll even come to see why we may welcome our nightmares 
as opportunities to expand our vision and our understanding. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-nightmares-and-creativity" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 
with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes 
later.)

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Nightmares and Creativity

Profs & Pints DC: Nightmares and Creativity

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Nightmares and Creativity,” on
 the relationship between frightening dreams and real creative...

Tudor Place

In this talk, Dr. M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska will draw from her book on the 1976 Bicentennial, “History Comes Alive: Public History and Popular Culture in the 1970s,” as well as in-progress research about how Americans are engaging history in order to explore and explain the way that national commemorations help to clarify, crystalize and accelerate emergent trends in historical engagement. How will the upcoming Semiquincentennial reflect what history looks like now?
M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska is an interdisciplinary cultural historian of 19th- and 20th-century United States and an associate professor of history and public history at American University. She is the author of “History Comes Alive: Public History and Popular Culture in the 1970s” (University of North Carolina Press, 2017), which traces the emergence of immersive engagement with the past in postwar American culture and numerous articles in scholarly journals. She is a New America Us@250 fellow and Smithsonian Research Associate. Her work has been profiled in the Washington Post, New York Times, Bloomberg and Time magazine, and in 2022, she was a featured commentator on Netflix’s “D.B. Cooper, Where Are You?”&nbsp;documentary.

Local Event: Landmark Lecture: On National Commemorations

Landmark Lecture: On National Commemorations

In this talk, Dr. M.J. Rymsza-Pawlowska will draw from her book on the 1976 Bicentennial, “History Comes Alive: Public History...

The last owner of Tudor Place, Armistead Peter 3rd, was an artist. Let’s learn about the different styles of art through some of the works that he and members of his family made. Early learners aged 18 months to four years old and their caregivers will be able to explore the art collection of Tudor Place. This program will be taught through group story time, museum artifacts and a hands-on art project.

Local Event: Tudor Tots: A is for Art

Tudor Tots: A is for Art

The last owner of Tudor Place, Armistead Peter 3rd, was an artist. Let’s learn about the different styles of art through some...

Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “When Washington Burned,”
 a detailed look at the devastating 1814 British attack on the Capitol, 
with Denver Brunsman, associate professor of history at George 
Washington University, lecturer at Mount Vernon, and scholar of the 
American revolution and early American republic.
You’ve probably toured several of Washington’s landmarks, but have 
you considered those that went up in smoke more than 200 years ago?
Learn about one of our nation’s greatest scares from historian Denver
 Brunsman, a favorite of Profs and Pints audiences and expert on the War
 of 1812, which led to the infamous 1814 attack. He’ll tell the riveting
 tale of how British troops torched the Capitol and White House and 
burned down nearly all of Washington’s public buildings.
He’ll frame his talk of such mayhem by discussing the origins and 
significance of the conflict that caused it, the War of 1812. In 
addition to helping to cement America’s independence, the War of 1812 
helped give rise to a sense of nationalism among the people of Canada. 
It rallied boosters of the city of Washington—among them, First Lady 
Dolley Madison—to advocate for keeping it as the nation’s capital. With 
the war’s end, American was free to embark on two centuries of growth.
You’ll leave with a much greater appreciation of how our nation has 
withstood tests in the past and how much of Washington D.C. has been 
built upon the ruins of previous losses. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-when-washington-burned" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 plus 
sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. 
Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)&nbsp;
Image: Illustration from the 1816 book The History of England, from the Earliest Periods, Volume 1 by Paul M. Rapin de Thoyras.

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: When Washington Burned

Profs & Pints DC: When Washington Burned

Profs and Pints DC presents: “When Washington Burned,”
 a detailed look at the devastating 1814 British attack on the Capitol,...

HIGHLINE RxR

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints Northern Virginia</a> presents: “How AI Alters Thinking,”
 on dealing with artificial intelligence’s capacity to change and 
undermine our thought processes, with Eli Alshanetsky, assistant 
professor of philosophy at Temple University, principle investigator at 
its Cognitive Integrity Lab, and author of an upcoming book on AI and 
freedom of thought.
Doctors who give bad advice can be sued for malpractice. Teachers 
belong to a profession with set standards. When artificial intelligence 
guides you, however, that guidance comes with a disclaimer: Use at your 
own risk.
Every day millions of people take that risk, and usually AI seems 
genuinely helpful. But even if AI gives us good answers, might its use 
over time do bad things to how we think?
Explore the relationship between AI and our own minds with Eli 
Alshanetsky, whose Cognitive Integrity Lab studies how artificial 
intelligence changes how we think, learn, and build trust. Author of Articulating a Thought and the upcoming book Freedom of Thought in the Age of AI,
 he’s on the cutting edge of efforts to answer AI-related questions such
 as: How can we tell when work is truly our own? How can technology 
support rather than replace authorship and reflection? What does trust 
mean when AI mediates our relationships with others and with our own 
thoughts?
To set up his discussion of potential consequences of AI, he’ll 
describe how social media’s impact on society serves as a preview.&nbsp;
Social media didn’t just give people what they wanted to click on, it
 actually changed what they regarded as click-worthy. It broke attention
 spans and fueled radicalization across millions of very different 
people. It left us with people who doom-scroll for hours, who can’t 
focus, who don’t know what to trust anymore.&nbsp;
If you’d shown people this version of themselves ten years ago, would they have chosen it?
Artificial intelligence is making a similar deal with us, but the 
stakes are higher. It isn’t chasing clicks. It’s optimized for giving 
you the most satisfying response to whatever is on your mind right now.&nbsp;
The risk over time isn’t just that you’ll get lazy. More profoundly, 
even when you think hard, your sense of what counts as good thinking—as 
well as what sounds like you—will shift to match what AI has been 
feeding you.
We’ll consider what kind of person this produces and whether this is 
someone we want to be or want children to become. Professor Alshanetsky 
will lay out a practical framework, which he calls “the interaction 
layer,” for using AI without letting it replace the thinking it’s 
supposed to support. He’ll also talk about what AI-related concerns 
should be the focus of parents and educators. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/nv-how-ai-alters" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets:</a> $13.50 
plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student 
ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: Illustration by David S. Soriano / Creative Commons.

Local Event: Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: How AI Alters Thinking

Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: How AI Alters...

Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “How AI Alters Thinking,”
 on dealing with artificial intelligence’s capacity to...

Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: How AI Alters Thinking

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “How AI Alters Thinking,”
 on dealing with artificial intelligence’s capacity to change and 
undermine our thought processes, with Eli Alshanetsky, assistant 
professor of philosophy at Temple University, principle investigator at 
its Cognitive Integrity Lab, and author of an upcoming book on AI and 
freedom of thought.
Doctors who give bad advice can be sued for malpractice. Teachers 
belong to a profession with set standards. When artificial intelligence 
guides you, however, that guidance comes with a disclaimer: Use at your 
own risk.
Every day millions of people take that risk, and usually AI seems 
genuinely helpful. But even if AI gives us good answers, might its use 
over time do bad things to how we think?
Explore the relationship between AI and our own minds with Eli 
Alshanetsky, whose Cognitive Integrity Lab studies how artificial 
intelligence changes how we think, learn, and build trust. Author of Articulating a Thought and the upcoming book Freedom of Thought in the Age of AI,
 he’s on the cutting edge of efforts to answer AI-related questions such
 as: How can we tell when work is truly our own? How can technology 
support rather than replace authorship and reflection? What does trust 
mean when AI mediates our relationships with others and with our own 
thoughts?
To set up his discussion of potential consequences of AI, he’ll 
describe how social media’s impact on society serves as a preview.&nbsp;
Social media didn’t just give people what they wanted to click on, it
 actually changed what they regarded as click-worthy. It broke attention
 spans and fueled radicalization across millions of very different 
people. It left us with people who doom-scroll for hours, who can’t 
focus, who don’t know what to trust anymore.&nbsp;
If you’d shown people this version of themselves ten years ago, would they have chosen it?
Artificial intelligence is making a similar deal with us, but the 
stakes are higher. It isn’t chasing clicks. It’s optimized for giving 
you the most satisfying response to whatever is on your mind right now.&nbsp;
The risk over time isn’t just that you’ll get lazy. More profoundly, 
even when you think hard, your sense of what counts as good thinking—as 
well as what sounds like you—will shift to match what AI has been 
feeding you.
We’ll consider what kind of person this produces and whether this is 
someone we want to be or want children to become. Professor Alshanetsky 
will lay out a practical framework, which he calls “the interaction 
layer,” for using AI without letting it replace the thinking it’s 
supposed to support. He’ll also talk about what AI-related concerns 
should be the focus of parents and educators. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-how-ai-alters-thinking" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 
plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student 
ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: Illustration by David S. Soriano / Creative Commons.

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: How AI Alters Thinking

Profs & Pints DC: How AI Alters Thinking

Profs and Pints DC presents: “How AI Alters Thinking,”
 on dealing with artificial intelligence’s capacity to change and...

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Demography as Destiny,”
 on understanding the links between population trends and world events, 
with John Rennie Short, geographer, professor emeritus of public policy 
at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and author of Demography and the Making of the Modern World: Public Policies and Demographic Forces.
The size of a family doesn’t just affect food and clothing budgets 
and space needs. If it reflects a broader trend in birth rates, it also 
can have a profound impact on politics, the economy, and world affairs.
Come to Washington D.C.’s Penn Social for a fascinating look at how 
demographic forces shape the modern world and have driven developments 
such as the Arab Spring, political unrest in Sri Lanka and Nepal, 
economic growth in Vietnam and India, the budget crisis in the United 
States, and the rise of nationalist populism in Europe.
Dr. John Rennie Short, who has written several acclaimed books on 
world trends and gives excellent Profs and Pints talks focused on 
geopolitical affairs, will break down how various demographic changes 
can alter nations’ destinies.
You’ll learn how baby booms can dampen economic growth, as has 
occurred in central Africa, and how a “youth bulge” caused by the aging 
of a baby boom provides tinder for social unrest, as happened in the 
United States of the 1960s and 1970s and is the case today in Nepal and 
Sri Lanka.
We’ll look at the “demographic dividend” reaped when a youth bulge 
ages enough to become economically productive and the roles that such 
dividends played in periods of sustained economic growth in Japan, 
China, and, most recently, Vietnam. We’ll look at how the aging of a 
demographic bulge into retirement years can strain national budgets and 
strengthen the appeal of conservative or populist political movements.
You’ll emerge from the talk better equipped to make sense of 
political and economic developments in the United States and elsewhere 
around the world. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-demography-destiny" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing
 fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. 
The talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image by Canva.

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Demography as Destiny

Profs & Pints DC: Demography as Destiny

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Demography as Destiny,”
 on understanding the links between population trends and world events,...

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Popes and Politics,”
 on the history of clashes between pontiffs and world leaders, with 
Vanessa Corcoran, medieval historian at Georgetown University and 
scholar of the history of the Roman Catholic church.
President Trump recently shocked many by unleashing personal attacks 
on Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, in a post on the Truth 
Social platform. Trump has been widely criticized by religious leaders 
for these remarks, made in response to the pontiff’s advocacy of peace 
with the U.S and Israel at war with Iran, and for his separate posts of 
AI-generated images depicting himself as a pope and as Jesus. For his 
part, Pope Leo has told journalists, “I am not afraid of the Trump 
administration,” and has found himself at the center of a heated debate 
over the proper role of any pope when it comes to commenting on global 
politics.
As unsettling as such developments might be to Roman Catholics, 
they’re hardly unprecedented. Disagreements between popes and world 
leaders go back to the Middle Ages, and have played a significant role 
in shaping the Church and its role in the world.
Explore the long history of popes’ conflicts with politicians with 
Vanessa Corcoran, a historian of the Roman Catholic Church who 
previously has given excellent talks on papal conclaves and the 
evolution of nativity scenes.
She’ll discuss fascinating developments such as the fourteenth 
century Avignon Papacy, when Philip IV of France got the upper hand in a
 feud with the Church by pressuring a papal conclave to select a French 
pope and then getting the church’s leadership relocated from Rome to 
Avignon for nearly 70 years.
In drawing parallels between recent events and medieval attacks on 
the Church’s authority she’ll describe how today’s anti-Church memes 
echo the anti-pope and anti-Catholic images that Martin Luther 
disseminated in large numbers with the help of woodcut printing.
We’ll look at tensions between past presidents and past popes over 
not just wars, but issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, and 
abortion access. The talk will leave you with a deeper appreciation of 
the inherent tensions between politics and matters of faith. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-popes-politics" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 
with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes 
later.)
Image: From an 1866 Nicolò Barabino painting of the death of Pope 
Boniface VIII after he was kidnapped and held captive for three days at 
the behest of King Philip IV of France (Usher Gallery / Wikimedia 
Commons).

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Popes and Politics

Profs & Pints DC: Popes and Politics

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Popes and Politics,”
 on the history of clashes between pontiffs and world leaders, with 
Vanessa...

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints DC</a> presents: “Artemis II and Beyond,”
 on how the recent space mission fits into long-term plans for the Moon,
 with Michael J. Neufeld, retired senior curator for the Space History 
Department of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
NASA’s recent, spectacular Artemis II mission is a sign that the 
United States is serious about sending humans to the Moon again.
Gain an understanding of how Artemis II fits in both past and planned
 lunar missions with historian Michael Neufeld, who was lead curator of 
the Smithsonian’s Destination Moon exhibit. He has taught at Johns 
Hopkins, Colgate, and other universities, and is the author or editor of
 nine books dealing with the history of technology.
He’ll start by looking at the aftermath of the Apollo program of a 
half century ago and why it ended only four years after its first lunar 
mission. He’ll consider why no lasting lunar programs emerged from major
 announcements by two presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, 
that astronauts would be going back to the Moon and on to Mars.
His vividly illustrated lecture will then explore how Artemis is a 
product of a human spaceflight program that has changed dramatically 
over the past 50 years. We’ll look at how collaboration with Europe, 
Canada and Japan became integral to the shuttle and International Space 
Station programs, and how the rise of rise of new commercial space 
companies such as SpaceX has enabled NASA to buy both space services and
 space craft.
Both international and commercial partners are involved in the latest
 Moon efforts, with SpaceX and Blue Origin expected to supply the 
landers to take astronauts down to a planned base on the Moon’s South 
Pole. How soon will any of this happen? Probably not as quickly as NASA 
says, but the specter of a Chinese landing on the Moon by 2030 is one 
obvious reason to keep things moving along.
We’ll look at the sustainability of the Artemis space program for at 
least the next decade or so. You’ll emerge from the talk with no doubt 
that exciting days are ahead for space fans. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-artemis-ii-and-beyond" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 
plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student 
ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: The Artemis II mission launch (NASA photo).

Local Event: Profs & Pints DC: Artemis II and Beyond

Profs & Pints DC: Artemis II and Beyond

Profs and Pints DC presents: “Artemis II and Beyond,”
 on how the recent space mission fits into long-term plans for the Moon,
...

<a href="https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Profs and Pints Northern Virginia</a> presents: “Artemis II and Beyond,” on
 how the recent space mission fits into long-term plans for the Moon, 
with Michael J. Neufeld, retired senior curator for the Space History 
Department of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
NASA’s recent, spectacular Artemis II mission is a sign that the 
United States is serious about sending humans to the Moon again.
Gain an understanding of how Artemis II fits in both past and planned
 lunar missions with historian Michael Neufeld, who was lead curator of 
the Smithsonian’s Destination Moon exhibit. He has taught at Johns 
Hopkins, Colgate, and other universities, and is the author or editor of
 nine books dealing with the history of technology.
He’ll start by looking at the aftermath of the Apollo program of a 
half century ago and why it ended only four years after its first lunar 
mission. He’ll consider why no lasting lunar programs emerged from major
 announcements by two presidents, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, 
that astronauts would be going back to the Moon and on to Mars.
His vividly illustrated lecture will then explore how Artemis is a 
product of a human spaceflight program that has changed dramatically 
over the past 50 years. We’ll look at how collaboration with Europe, 
Canada and Japan became integral to the shuttle and International Space 
Station programs, and how the rise of rise of new commercial space 
companies such as SpaceX has enabled NASA to buy both space services and
 space craft.
Both international and commercial partners are involved in the latest
 Moon efforts, with SpaceX and Blue Origin expected to supply the 
landers to take astronauts down to a planned base on the Moon’s South 
Pole. How soon will any of this happen? Probably not as quickly as NASA 
says, but the specter of a Chinese landing on the Moon by 2030 is one 
obvious reason to keep things moving along.
We’ll look at the sustainability of the Artemis space program for at 
least the next decade or so. You’ll emerge from the talk with no doubt 
that exciting days are ahead for space fans. (<a href="https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/northern-virginia-artemis-ii-beyond" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Advance tickets</a>: $13.50 
plus sales tax and processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student 
ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.)
Image: The Artemis II mission launch (NASA photo).

Local Event: Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: Artemis II and Beyond

Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: Artemis II and...

Profs and Pints Northern Virginia presents: “Artemis II and Beyond,” on
 how the recent space mission fits into long-term plans...

Profs & Pints Northern Virginia: Artemis II and Beyond

DC9 Nightclub

D.C. indie folk rockers Night Hawk headline DC9 with Spirit of the Bear on the heels of their new E.P. "Somewhere, Anywhere"
Night Hawk is an American indie rock band from Brunswick, Maine, now based in Washington, D.C. Originally a songwriting vehicle for Colter Adams and Peyton Semjen, the project has evolved into an acclaimed live act, earning a devoted following for its enchanting harmonies and clear-eyed lyricism.
Night Hawk’s music is defined by stark geometry and bold imagery, underpinned by crackling warmth and simmering tension. Drawing on themes of urban isolation, self-discovery amidst challenging transitions, and the catalogue of 20th century painter Edward Hopper, the band blends mellifluous violin and delicate finger-style guitar with the raw energy of barnstorming alternative rock, creating a sonic palette that is as expansive as it is emotionally precise.
The band has collaborated with the Whitney Museum and the Edward Hopper House on the Edward Hopper Recomposed concert series in Nyack, NY. Their debut album, Before We Begin, was produced by Colter Adams and Colin Miller (Indigo de Souza, Wednesday, MJ Lenderman).
Their E.P. "Somewhere, Anywhere," is out on all platforms on May 30, 2026.
***
Spirit of the Bear quickly became one of the most fresh and exciting bands to emerge in the Ohio music scene with their unique blend of indie rock, pop, and electronic sensibilities coupled with their affinity for pop song writing. The band’s years of musical experience are accentuated by their use of two keyboard players, bringing a unique depth to their sound. Consisting of James Harker (lead vocals, guitar), Danny Svenson (keyboards), Ethan Schwendeman (keyboards), Nate Gelfand (Bass), and Jamie Vitullo (Drums), the band has shared the stage with acts such as Crowded House, Our Lady Peace, Ra Ra Riot, and Robert DeLong, among others. The members of Spirit of the Bear have 3 dogs and 5 cats, collectively.

Local Event: Night Hawk with Spirit of the Bear and Jem Wilde

Washington DC

Night Hawk with Spirit of the Bear and Jem Wilde

D.C. indie folk rockers Night Hawk headline DC9 with Spirit of the Bear on the heels of their new E.P. "Somewhere,...

Arlington County

Arlington

Rosslyn

Washington Metropolitan Area

Clarendon-Courthouse-Rosslyn

Clarendon

Michael O'Connell

Ballston

Patch AM Team

Seven Corners

Bailey's Crossroads

Alexandria city

Del Ray

Montgomery County

Gaby Arancibia

Bethesda-Chevy Chase

Maryland

Arlington Language School Marks 40th Anniversary

ICA Language Services

ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of supporting the U.S. military and diplomatic community through language training and testing. Founded in April 1986 as Inlingua Foreign Language Center, a 6-classroom language school, ICA expanded under the leadership of Deidre Doyle, an entrepreneur with a background in organizational management who joined the company the same year. As a military spouse, she had developed a deep understanding of military organizations and culture, helping shape ICA into a trusted provider of language training and testing for military professionals. Doyle became a partner in 1993 and sole owner in 2009, when she changed the name to ICA Language Services. Today, ICA operates a 60+ classroom schoolhouse in Rosslyn and has delivered nearly five million hours of language instruction and more than 30,000 language assessments across 120+ languages. ICA also provides training on military bases throughout the US and abroad. The company is now led by President and CEO Lexie Casey, Doyle’s daughter, who joined ICA in 2009 after a decade in government contracting. Casey became a partner in 2014 and assumed day-to-day leadership in 2015, when Doyle transitioned to Chair of the Board. ICA has employed more than 1,300 individuals from 131 countries, often providing a first job in the United States for language professionals. Certified by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, ICA provides proficiency- and performance-based language training and testing services supporting diplomacy, security, and global engagement. For more information, visit www.icalanguages.com.

ICA Language Services (ICA), a family-owned, woman-led small business based in Arlington, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, marking decades of...

Conflict Resolution Support for Families and Organizations

Rogers Resolution Services

Hi, I'm Shelby! I’m a local mediator who helps neighbors resolve family, relationship, and workplace conflicts in a calm, structured way. Through my small business, Rogers Resolution Services, I offer mediation and conflict-resolution support tailored to your unique needs and help guide people through difficult conversations. I work primarily with co-parents, partners, relatives, roommates, and teams who need help talking through decisions, routines, boundaries, or recurring disagreements. I also support workplaces and community groups facing communication challenges or breakdowns. My role is neutral. I don’t give legal advice or take sides. I facilitate conversations, de-escalate tense situations, and help people reach practical and maintainable agreements they can feel comfortable with. Services include: • Family, community, and workplace mediation • Co-parenting communication planning • Conflict coaching (one-on-one support) • Group and organizational facilitation • Workplace and team communication support Please feel free to reach out if you or a neighbor need help with repairing communication, setting boundaries, and/or creating a healthier dynamic at home or at work. Thank you for reading, and I look forward to helping you!

Hi, I'm Shelby! I’m a local mediator who helps neighbors resolve family, relationship, and workplace conflicts in a calm, structured way. Through...

Integrated Accounting, CFO & Tax Strategy

R2 Advisors

R2 Advisors PC (simply R2 Advisors) is a Tysons, VA–based CPA and strategic advisory firm helping forward-thinking businesses and nonprofit leaders achieve financial clarity, confidence, and growth. Led by experienced CPAs and CFO-level advisors, R2 Advisors provides integrated financial leadership—combining accounting, fractional CFO services, tax strategy, and risk management—to align every financial decision with your mission and long-term strategy. At R2 Advisors (r2.cpa), we believe in Reality × Reflection = Clarity: translating complex financial realities into insight-driven strategies. Our integrated approach bridges data, technology, and human expertise to deliver dynamic outcomes—from smarter reporting and tax efficiency to stronger governance and sustainable growth. Recognized for our client-centered, innovative approach, R2 Advisors PC partners with CEOs, CFOs, and nonprofit executives across the Washington D.C. Metro Area and nationwide. Whether you need a fractional finance team, outsourced accounting, or strategic tax planning, R2 Advisors delivers big-firm capability with boutique-firm care. 👉 Learn more at r2.cpa R2 Advisors PC – Integrated Approach. Dynamic Outcomes.

Tysons Corner

R2 Advisors PC (simply R2 Advisors) is a Tysons, VA–based CPA and strategic advisory firm helping forward-thinking businesses and nonprofit leaders...

Nearby Communities

State Edition

National Edition

Events and Things to Do in Georgetown, DC

Saturday, May 9

Pat Hazell's "Permanent Record" at Alden Theatre

MAY

9

7:00 PM

Alden Theatre, 1234 Ingleside Ave, McLean, VA

Also around town...

Please confirm event details with the organizers before attending

Monday, May 4

Tuesday, May 5

Thursday, May 7

Saturday, May 9

Monday, May 11

Tuesday, May 12

Wednesday, May 13

Thursday, May 14

Sunday, May 17

Monday, May 18

Tuesday, May 19

Wednesday, May 20

Tuesday, May 26

Sunday, May 31

Friday, August 14

Pat Hazell's "Permanent Record" at Alden Theatre

ICA Language Services

Rogers Resolution Services

R2 Advisors