DICKINSON — Get ready to relive the glory days of Hulk Hogan, Cyndi Lauper, and Ronald Reagan while sporting neon colors and reflecting on the waning years of the Soviet Union. The 2023 Albers Humanities Festival, "Like, It's Totally the 80s," will be hosted by Dickinson State University. It will feature a music trivia contest and a lineup of presentations that promise to transport attendees back to one of the most iconic decades in history.
The event is free and open to the public, taking place at the esteemed Murphy Hall inside the Thompson Auditorium on the DSU campus. The festival celebrates the work in the humanities and pays tribute to the legacy of Everett C. Albers, a DSU professor and member of the North Dakota Humanities Council who founded the Great Plains Chautauqua Society. DSU will honor his dedication to the humanities by exploring contemporary and enduring topics through a wide range of presentations, including lectures, films, panel discussions, exhibits and other presentations.
The festival will feature a lineup of presentations and discussions exploring contemporary and enduring topics through lectures, films, panel discussions, exhibits, and other presentations. The 2023 festival will include a variety of presentations focusing on everything 80s, including Gag Me with a Spoon: Re-Thinking Slang and the Great American Novel, Apocalyptic Concerns and Aesthetics: The Cold War in Politics and Pop Culture, and American Top 40: 80s Music Trivia Contest.
The music trivia contest will take place on Thursday, April 20, and will be hosted by Brian Holder. The contest will have multiple rounds and cash prizes for the winners.
Tuesday, April 18:
4 p.m. – Gag Me with a Spoon: Re-Thinking Slang and the Great American Novel;
Kevin Moberg, linguistical approach to Valley Girl speech;
Brittany Hirth, the great American novel, with focus on American Psycho.
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7 p.m. – Apocalyptic Concerns and Aesthetics: The Cold War in Politics and Pop Culture;
Steven Doherty, the Cold War and defrosting;
Holly McBee, post-nuclear war fashion in movies and music.
Thursday, April 20 –
4 p.m. - American Top 40: 80s Music Trivia Contest;
Brian Holder, music trivia contest with multiple rounds and cash prizes.
The festival is sponsored by Dickinson State University, the Department of Arts and Letters, and the Albers Humanities Institute. For those unable to attend in person, remote options are available. For more information about the festival, including how to attend remotely, please contact Dr. Holly McBee at holly.mcbee@dickinsonstate.edu or Dr. Steven Doherty at steven.doherty@dickinsonstate.edu. Additional information is available on the Department of Arts and Letters website and the 2023 Albers Humanities Festival page.
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