Jefferson Humanities & Health

Calling all Center-City musicians!

Music is one of the most powerful tools we have to enhance our mood, mindset, and behavior. In that spirit, Human Resources is partnering with Thomas Jefferson University student organization, J-Jams, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital employees to bring live music to our employees, patients, and their families.

Music volunteerism has been warmly received for many years at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Having seen the positive impact that music has on patients, their families, and their care teams, we are expanding this positive initiative by piloting a campus-wide program where all Jefferson musicians can come together to share their talents.

The “call for talent” is now open to all students and employees who sing or play an instrument. If you are interested in donating your time as part of this program, please fill out this form. A 2019 calendar will be created for various locations around campus. The deadline to sign up is February 15. Once you complete the form, you will be contacted with more information. Thank you!

CLICK HERE to register now!

Jefferson students can take advantage of student discounts and pay-as-you-wish programs at many Philadelphia cultural organizations, including theaters and museums. For a select list of such programs, click here and scroll to Arts & Humanities. 

Monday, February 25, 12-1 p.m., Scott 200A

Reading: Atwood, Margaret. (2015, July 27). It's Not Climate Change — It's Everything Change [animations by Carl Burton]. Medium.

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers weekly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. To access the reading, participants may self-enroll in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Blackboard, or email Rebecca Harris at Rebecca.E.Harris@jefferson.edu. During Spring 2019, the reading group will explore topics in environmental humanities, discussing how the environment, environmental change and human responses are impacting health. 

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Gold Humanism Honor Society presents

Narrative Medicine Workshop Series

Monday, February 25, 6-7 p.m., Hamilton 208

Interested in writing? Studying literature? Art history? Poetry? Philosophy? Film? Music? Come to the Narrative Medicine Workshop Series!

A series of 5 reflective writing workshops will be held from January through March in which different texts and media (paintings, film, music) will be analyzed, reflected upon and responded to, prompting discussions on mortality, social justice, cross-cultural experience, the narrative nature of human experience and the human condition in health care. 

Contact program organizer and facilitator Carly Slater, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Class of 2022, with any questions: css005@jefferson.edu. 

These workshops are open to all Jefferson students and will be held on the following Mondays from 6-7 PM: 

January 14th: HAM 208

January 28th: HAM 208

February 11th: HAM 208

February 25th: HAM 208

March 18th: HAM 210

April 1st: HAM 210

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Monday, March 4, 12-1 p.m., Scott 200A

Reading: Clare, Eli. (2017). Notes on Natural Worlds, Disabled Bodies, and a Politics of Cure. In Disability Studies and the Environmental Humanities: Toward an Eco-Crip Theory (pp. 242-267). Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press.

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers weekly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. To access the reading, participants may self-enroll in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Blackboard, or email Rebecca Harris at Rebecca.E.Harris@jefferson.edu. During Spring 2019, the reading group will explore topics in environmental humanities, discussing how the environment, environmental change and human responses are impacting health. 

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Broadway Philadelphia: RENT

Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 p.m., Merriam Theater at the Kimmel Center, 250 S. Broad St.

Pre-registration required. Registration will be available HERE starting February 1.

In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway… and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. The story takes place just as the AIDS crisis is sweeping through New York. By bringing the audience to the front lines of this epidemic, RENT exposes the physical and psychological impact of this disease on the individual and the national scale. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters—love.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Tuesday, March 5, 6 p.m., Kanbar Performance Space, Jefferson East Falls Campus

Zoe Strauss is a conceptual artist, born and raised in Philadelphia. She has produced one major project in her lifetime, "I-95," and will begin actively showing her second project "Commencement" in 2020. Ms. Strauss produced "I-95" between 2000 and 2010 as a one day a year exhibition taking place beneath Interstate 95 in South Philadelphia. Photography was her primary medium for "I-95" and she has been identified as a street photographer. Curator Peter Barberie likens her to "Walker Evans or Robert Frank," and has said "the woman and man on the street, yearning to be heart, are the basis of her art." 

Presented by the College of Humanities and Sciences. The Dietrich V. Asten Lecture Series brings prominent speakers in the arts, sciences, government and humanities to the East Falls Campus.

RSVP to annette.solarski@jefferson.edu.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Enlightened Ladies: Trios for flute, cello & piano
Tuesday, March 12, 12-1 p.m., Hamilton Lobby

Join us for a special program that will explore “musical light” as imagined by women composers featuring Adeline Tomasone, flute, Vivian Barton, cello, and Gilya Hodos, piano.

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Monday, March 18, 12-1 p.m., Scott 200A

Reading 1: D’Souza, Radha. (2017). Listening to the Elders at the Keepers of the Water Gathering. In Downstream: Reimagining Water (pp. 197-206). Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. 

Reading 2: Robbins, Jim. (2016, March 28). Is Climate Change Putting World’s Microbiomes at Risk? Yale Environment 360.

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers weekly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. To access the reading, participants may self-enroll in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Blackboard, or email Rebecca Harris at Rebecca.E.Harris@jefferson.edu. During Spring 2019, the reading group will explore topics in environmental humanities, discussing how the environment, environmental change and human responses are impacting health. 

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Creative Approaches to Self Care: Cultivating Self-Acceptance

Monday, March 18, 5-7 p.m., Jefferson Alumni Hall room M23    

Pre-registration required. Registration is available HERE.

Truly accepting ourselves requires a letting go of judgments and longings that impede our capacity for leading fulfilling lives. In this workshop, through art and writing, we will explore how to become comfortable with the process – what tools we have and how to retrieve them when they seem to be missing.

About Creative Approaches to Self Care:

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series, led collaboratively by 3 creative arts therapists and a poet, is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Instructors: Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC; Rebekka Dietrich-Hartwell, DMT-BC, LPC; Adenike Webb, MMT, MT-BC; Cindy Savett

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Gold Humanism Honor Society presents

Narrative Medicine Workshop Series

Monday, March 18, 6-7 p.m., Hamilton 210

Interested in writing? Studying literature? Art history? Poetry? Philosophy? Film? Music? Come to the Narrative Medicine Workshop Series!

A series of 5 reflective writing workshops will be held from January through March in which different texts and media (paintings, film, music) will be analyzed, reflected upon and responded to, prompting discussions on mortality, social justice, cross-cultural experience, the narrative nature of human experience and the human condition in health care. 

Contact program organizer and facilitator Carly Slater, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Class of 2022, with any questions: css005@jefferson.edu. 

These workshops are open to all Jefferson students and will be held on the following Mondays from 6-7 PM: 

January 14th: HAM 208

January 28th: HAM 208

February 11th: HAM 208

February 25th: HAM 208

March 18th: HAM 210

April 1st: HAM 210

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

JCO & Arrhythmias: Musical Extravaganza
Tuesday, March 19, 12-1 p.m., Eakins Lounge

Two venerable musical ensembles join forces for a combined program that showcases both vocal and instrumental tunes. The program will feature musicians from both the Jefferson Chamber Orchestra and the Arrhythmias. You won’t want to miss this exciting ensemble extravaganza!

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Sunday, March 24, 8 p.m., Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St.

Pre-registration required. Registration will be available HERE starting February 22.

Based on Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time follows Christopher, a fifteen-year-old boy with autism. After the untimely death of his neighbor’s dog, the brilliant but unique boy is compelled to investigate the crime. See the world through Christopher’s eyes as he embarks on an extraordinary journey where he challenges assumed truths and discovers life-changing secrets. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a thrilling, heartwarming, and uplifting adventure story that invites the audience to explore the inner-workings of Christopher’s mind.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Monday, March 25, 12-1 p.m., Scott 200A

Reading TBD

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers weekly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. To access the reading, participants may self-enroll in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Blackboard, or email Rebecca Harris at Rebecca.E.Harris@jefferson.edu. During Spring 2019, the reading group will explore topics in environmental humanities, discussing how the environment, environmental change and human responses are impacting health. 

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Wednesday, March 27, 12-1 p.m., Connelly Auditorium, Hamilton Building

Open to the public. Registration is appreciated, but not required. 

Vijay Gupta is a violinist whose interest in neurobiology and mental health issues has made him a world-renowned advocate for the regenerative power of music. Gupta joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007 at age 19, after having completed an undergraduate degree in biology from Marist College and a master’s degree in violin performance from the Yale School of Music. As a 2011 TED Senior Fellow, Gupta founded and began directing Street Symphony, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging underserved communities experiencing mental illness, homelessness and incarceration in Los Angeles through musical performance and dialogue.

Lunch provided; first come, first served.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Monday, April 1, 12-1 p.m., Scott 200A

Reading: Van Dooren, Thom. (2014). Mourning Crows: Grief in a Shared World. In Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction (pp. 125-144). New York: Columbia University Press.

The Health Humanities Reading Group gathers weekly to think critically about health as it is understood through various disciplinary perspectives, social contexts and value systems. This ongoing program is open to students, faculty and staff, and offers an informal learning environment facilitated by participants. To access the reading, participants may self-enroll in the Jefferson Humanities & Health organization on Blackboard, or email Rebecca Harris at Rebecca.E.Harris@jefferson.edu. During Spring 2019, the reading group will explore topics in environmental humanities, discussing how the environment, environmental change and human responses are impacting health. 

Lunch provided; first-come, first-served. No RSVP required.

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Gold Humanism Honor Society presents

Narrative Medicine Workshop Series

Mon., April 1, 6-7 p.m., Hamilton 210

Interested in writing? Studying literature? Art history? Poetry? Philosophy? Film? Music? Come to the Narrative Medicine Workshop Series!

A series of 5 reflective writing workshops will be held from January through March in which different texts and media (paintings, film, music) will be analyzed, reflected upon and responded to, prompting discussions on mortality, social justice, cross-cultural experience, the narrative nature of human experience and the human condition in health care. 

Contact program organizer and facilitator Carly Slater, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Class of 2022, with any questions: css005@jefferson.edu. 

These workshops are open to all Jefferson students and will be held on the following Mondays from 6-7 PM: 

January 14th: HAM 208

January 28th: HAM 208

February 11th: HAM 208

February 25th: HAM 208

March 18th: HAM 210

April 1st: HAM 210

*Students may earn credit for the Asano Humanities & Health Certificate by attending this event.

Creative Approaches to Self Care: Connection

Monday, April 15, 5-7 p.m., Hamilton 224/225

Pre-registration required. Registration will be available HERE starting March 11.

Research has shown that our relationships with ourselves, others, and even nature have a profound impact on physical health and psychological well-being. In this workshop we will use art, movement and music to explore ways of building and maintaining this all-important sense of connection

About Creative Approaches to Self Care:

In order to care effectively for others, we must first learn to care for ourselves. This interdisciplinary series, led collaboratively by 3 creative arts therapists and a poet, is designed to engage students in self-care practices that promote healthy stress management and burnout prevention. Workshops will address topics including how to cope with stress and anxiety, cultivate relaxation techniques, find balance and develop self-compassion.

Instructors: Sondra Rosenberg, ATR-BC; Rebekka Dietrich-Hartwell, DMT-BC, LPC; Adenike Webb, MMT, MT-BC; Cindy Savett

Monday, April 15, 12-1 p.m., Brent Auditorium, Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St.

2019 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo da Vinci, a man so talented in arts and science to be arguably the most creative person who ever lived. His biographer, Giorgio Vasari called him, “Largita da Dio” (a gift from God), and half-a-millennium later we still ponder what made him so special.  Was he a unique genetic fluke or was it all in the upbringing? If only we could unlock his secrets and then nurture those traits in our educational practices, we might be able to produce more creative physicians. This may be especially worthwhile in times when medical education has been accused of hindering creativity. A close look at Leonardo’s personal history may reveal some clues.

Open to the public. No registration required.

Thursday, April 18, 12-1 p.m., Eakins Lounge, Jefferson Alumni Hall, 1020 Locust St.

Open to the public. Pre-registration is appreciated but not required.

Jonathan Metzl is the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry, and the Director of the Center for Medicine, Health, and Society, at Vanderbilt University. He received his MD from the University of Missouri and a PhD in American Culture from the University of Michigan. A 2008 Guggenheim fellow, Metzl’s books include The Protest Psychosis, Prozac on the Couch, and Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment is Killing America’s Heartland (Basic Books, 2019).

Co-sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Lunch provided; first come, first served.