Nielsen Grant Generates Exciting Activities for 25-26
Todd May | September 9, 2025
Last academic year, Warren Wilson College (WWC) was the beneficiary of a generous $1.5 million grant from Helmar Nielsen dedicated to promoting the humanities and important ideas on campus. We had a great year, sponsoring a staff/faculty/student panel on “What is Democracy?” in the fall after Hurricane Helene, and in the spring hosting talks by ethicist Meghan Sullivan and alumnus Cam Cannon as well as organizing a luncheon with our own Keith McDade.
This year should be just as inspiring. In the fall, Chenjerai Kumanyika will be speaking at 7:00 p.m. on October 23rd in Canon Lounge. His topic is “Police, Podcasts, and Politics.” Chenjerai is a Peabody Award winner for his podcast “Uncivil,” and has a recent podcast, “Empire City: The Untold Story of the NYPD,” that premiered last year on Crooked Media and appeared on top ten podcast lists in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post.
In addition, we’re hosting another (free!) luncheon with Professor Scotti Norman on September 18th from 11:50-12:40. Her topic is “Freedom, Family, and Community Collaboration at Boyd Cabin.” Come for the tacos, stay for the discussion!
Finally for the fall, on November 12th at 5:30 p.m., we’re having our second staff/faculty/student panel on “What Makes for a Meaningful Life?” Stay tuned for participants and venue.
In the spring our big event will be a panel on solitary confinement. Jules Lobel, the lead attorney on the famous Pelican Bay case will be joined by one of his clients, Jack Morris (who spent decades in solitary) and prison activist Dolores Canalas. The event will be held in Canon Lounge on March 26th at 6:00 p.m. In addition, there will be another luncheon as well as a staff/faculty/student panel, TBA.
If you have any questions about any of this, or would like to make suggestions for future faculty/student forums, or are a faculty or staff member interested in presenting at a luncheon, don’t hesitate to contact me at todd-may@warren-wilson.edu. This year is going to be an exciting follow-up to our inaugural year!