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Let the Vail Symposium broaden your brain

Tracey Flower
Special to the Daily
Special to the Daily/Ben Horton

VAIL SYMPOSIUM SUMMER 2013 PROGRAMS

Community Conversation | Progress at What Price?

May 23, 2013

Antlers at Vail | Vail

Join Rob LeVine, Terry Minger and Stan Zemler in a conversation about a critical issue in our community. Rob is a Symposium Board Member and the General Manager of the Antlers. Terry is a former Vail Town Manager and co-founder and honorary chairman of the Symposium. Stan is Vail’s current Town Manager.

Forced Labor and Human Trafficking | Claude d’Estrée | Hot Topics

June 20, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

Join Professor Claude d’Estrée for a look at the state of modern slavery in the world today. d’Estrée is the Director of the International Human Rights Degree Program and the Human Trafficking Clinic at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver.

Estate Jewelry Show & Lecture | Terry Betteridge | Fundraiser

June 27, 2013

Betteridge Jewelers | Vail

“Estate” denotes rare and exceptional jewelry that once belonged to somebody else. Join Terry Betteridge as he regales his tales of worldwide searches for the rarest and most exciting pieces of jewelry ever made.

Is the Red Dragon Breathing Fire? | Jamie Metzl | Hot Topics

June 28, 2013

Larkspur | Vail

Noon, lunch and lecture

Join Asia expert Jamie Metzl for lunch and a lecture about how China’s rise is transforming both China and the rest of the world, and the growing instability that threatens to undermine both. Jamie is a Partner of the global investment company Cranemere LLC and a Senior Fellow of the Asia Society.

Effective Body Care| Dr. Jordan Metzl | Living At Your Peak

July 5, 2013

Antlers at Vail | Vail

Learn the secrets to recognize and heal the most common sports injuries that affect athletes of all levels and ages from award-winning author, athlete, and sports medicine physician Dr. Jordan Metzl. You’ll learn how to spot these common aches and pains and how to fix them yourself at home.

Adventure with Purpose | Ben Horton | Unlimited Adventure

July 16, 2013

Donovan Pavilion | Vail

In 2008, photojournalist Ben Horton was awarded the first ever National Geographic Young Explorers Grant; he is now a contributing photographer for National Geographic. Ben will talk about his experience shooting for National Geographic and the stories that have come from his work and travels.

No Labels | Mark McKinnon | Hot Topics

Aug. 7, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

No Labels is a growing citizens’ movement of Democrats, Republicans, and everything in between dedicated to promoting a new politics of problem solving. No Labels co-founder Mark McKinnon has been helping solve complex strategic challenges for various causes for the past two decades.

No Maps on My Taps & About Tap | George Nierenberg | Film Series

Aug. 11, 2013

Town of Vail Public Library | Vail

No Maps On My Taps (1979, 58 minutes) and About Tap (1985, 27 minutes) capture both the performances and legacy of some of the most important tap dancers of their time. George Nierenberg is an acclaimed filmmaker whose career has spanned various genres of cinema.

The Human Landscape of Mexican Migration | Gilberto Cardenas | Hot Topics

Aug. 20, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

Join Professor Gilberto Cardenas for a presentation about contemporary issues relating to Mexican immigration. His program will be accompanied with a presentation of powerful pieces of Mexican art. Gilberto is the Director of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Saving our Synthetic Seas | Marcus Eriksen | Unlimited Adventure

Aug. 27, 2013

Donovan Pavilion | Vail

Join 5 Gyres Institute co-founder and Executive Director Marcus Eriksen for a presentation about his adventures and a story about how we must become a society of responsible consumption. The 5 Gyres Institute has sailed over 40,000 miles through the 5 subtropical gyres, where garbage patches reside.

The Rise and Fall of Leadville | Gillian Klucas | Speaking Locally

Aug. 29, 2013

Town of Vail Public Library | Vail

Join Gillian Klucas, author of “Leadville: The Struggle to Revive an American Town,” for a discussion about the clash between an old mining town dedicated to historical preservation and the federal government determined to clean up the toxic mess left from a hundred years of mining.

Integrative Healthcare in the U.S. | Dr. Len Wisneski | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 5, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

Join Dr. Len Wisneski for a presentation on the past, present, and future of integrative healthcare, a patient-centered treatment approach comprised of the best of conventional, complementary and alternative therapies.

Bridging the Gap | Panel | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 6, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

Join integrative healthcare experts, Dr. Brent Bauer, Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, Dr. Lisa Corbin, and Dr. Len Wisneski for a panel discussion on this treatment approach and how it relates to traditional healthcare practices. They will provide powerful examples of how practicing this approach leads to longer, healthier lives for all.

Consciousness, Spirituality & the One Mind | Dr. Larry Dossey | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 12, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

In recent years, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated a profound correlation between spiritual practices and health and longevity. Former physician of internal medicine and former Chief of Staff of Medical City Dallas Hospital Dr. Larry Dossey will examine this emerging image of the mind and the ethical implications of this view.

Healing through Meditation |Panel | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 13, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

Join experts in meditation, consciousness, and spiritual healing Joey Klein and Felix Lopez for a journey on a path of transformation and awakening. Joey teaches internationally, sharing an eclectic body of knowledge from many traditions. Felix is a spiritual leader and a teacher of Mindfulness and Meditation.

Innovations for the Future of Education | Panel | Hot Topics

Sept. 18, 2013

Colorado Mountain College | Edwards

What is the current state of our education system? What innovations should we consider in order to make Colorado education the first in the world? Co-founder of the Kipp Academy Mike Feinberg and Colorado Senator Mike Johnston will suggest answers to these questions and talk about how we can build a 21st-century education in Colorado.

The Evidence for a Higher Consciousness | Dr. Jane Katra | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 26, 2013

Town of Vail Public Library | Vail

Dr. Jane Katra will share her research from various fields relating to higher consciousness, and discuss how functional MRI studies show the neuroplasticity of the human brain, affirming our ability to override the influences of our experiences and environment with attentional training.

The Discovery and Nature of the Life Force | Dr. Claude Swanson | Living At Your Peak

Sept. 27, 2013

The Grand View | Lionshead Parking Structure

In recent years, research in Russia and China has pointed to a new force. It is known by many names, including the Life Force. Dr. Claude Swanson will describe the experimental evidence for this force and explain its relationship to other puzzling and controversial phenomena in science and medicine.

The Art and Practice of Meditation | Dr. Elliot Dacher | Living At Your Peak Retreat

Oct. 5, 2013

Greystone Manor & Estate | Evergreen, Colorado

Join Dr. Elliot Dacher for an intensive one day workshop that will introduce you to an in-depth understanding of the mind and teach you the skills of meditation practice. Dr. Dacher practiced full-time Internal Medicine for twenty-one years. He is the author of Aware, Awake, Alive, Integral Health, Whole Healing, and Intentional Healing.

The course guide will be Dr. Dacher’s latest book, “Aware, Awake, Alive.” If possible, it is recommended that participants purchase the book prior to the course.

Visit http://www.vailsymposium.org for more information about independent workshops led by Living at Your Peak speakers this September.

EAGLE COUNTY — This summer you can embark on a sailing expedition on a raft made out of plastic bottles, venture back in time to Leadville’s early mining days and head to the Arctic on a National Geographic photography expedition. You can explore the intricacies of Mexican immigration, take a trip around the world in search of rare jewelry and take a journey inside your mind in search of a higher consciousness.

And you can do all of it without leaving the Vail Valley.

The Vail Symposium’s summer 2013 season is underway and it is full of programs that will take you to these places and more, provoking thought, sparking debate and inspiring action along the way.



“We have been told by many of our supporters that we need to do fewer yet more relevant programs,” said Symposium President Alby Segall. “This summer we are pairing down and focusing on important and entertaining topics. Our Hot Topics series has the country’s top expert on human trafficking, the founder of the growing political movement No Labels and one of the most knowledgeable analysts on Mexican immigration.

“The Living At Your Peak experience will bridge the gap between traditional and integrative medicine with seven of the nation’s leading practitioners,” Segall continued. “And we are proud to host the founder of Kipp Academy, the most innovative educational experiment in America. Please reserve (tickets) in advance. I think we are in for a sold-out season.”

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Hot Topics

The Symposium’s most recognizable series, Hot Topics, features experts who speak about issues relevant to the community and the world.

First on tap in this series for the summer is “Forced Labor and Human Trafficking” on June 20. Professor Claude d’Estrée, the director of the Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Denver, will discuss the state of modern slavery in the world today and how various organizations and governments around the world are responding to this growing problem.

The series continues on June 28 with longtime Symposium speaker Jamie Metzl discussing “Rising China and the Changing Global Order” over lunch at Larkspur in Vail.

Then, on Aug. 7, Mark McKinnon will talk about the No Labels organization, which he co-founded.

“As one who is fed up with partisan politics as usual — and who isn’t? — it was heartening for me to learn about No Labels almost two years ago,” said Symposium Board Member and General Manager of the Antlers at Vail, Rob LeVine. “When David Walker spoke for the Vail Symposium that same year, he was inspiring. Now, we are incredibly fortunate to have Mark McKinnon, another one of the organization founders, in Vail this summer.”

On Aug. 20, Professor Gilberto Cardenas joins the Hot Topics lineup with a talk about Mexican immigration. The series concludes on Sept. 18 with “Innovations for the Future of Education,” featuring co-founder of the Kipp Academy Mike Feinberg and Colorado Senator Mike Johnston.

Fundraisers

On June 27, the Symposium is co-presenting an estate jewelry show and lecture with Betteridge Jewelers in Vail Village. Terry Betteridge will speak about his worldwide searches for the rarest and most exciting pieces of jewelry ever made, and unique pieces of jewelry will be available for purchase. A percentage of the proceeds from sales at the event will be donated to the Vail Symposium.

Speaking Locally and Unlimited Adventure

It is part of the mission of the Vail Symposium to offer affordable programs to the community; one way that is accomplished is through the Speaking Locally and Unlimited Adventure series, both of which are offered on a pay-at-will basis.

Traditionally a winter series, Unlimited Adventure makes its summer debut this year with two programs featuring intrepid explorers who aim to not only share their stories, but to also incite action.

On July 16 National Geographic photographer Ben Horton will show some of his best images, talk about his experience shooting for National Geographic, and tell the stories that have come from his work and travels, including the tale of his two-month Arctic adventure with National Geographic Explorer in Residence Will Steger, where he used photography to document the effects of global warming.

Then, on Aug. 27, 5 Gyres Institute co-founder and executive director Marcus Eriksen will speak about the growing problem of plastic in the world’s oceans. He’ll use images and stories of his adventures around the world on a homemade raft of plastic bottles to illustrate his message.

The Speaking Locally series gives local leaders, athletes and other prominent authorities and community members a platform to share their ideas and passions with an audience. This summer Gillian Klucas, author of “Leadville: The Struggle to Revive an American Town,” will speak on “The Rise and Fall of Leadville” on Aug. 29.

Film series

On the heels of the Vail International Dance Festival, filmmaker George Nierenberg will present two of his documentaries about the art of tap dancing, “No Maps on My Taps” and “About Tap” (Aug. 11). These films capture both the performances and legacy of some of the most important dancers of their time. Nierenberg is an acclaimed filmmaker whose career has spanned the worlds of independent features, network, cable and international television and corporate productions.

Living At Your Peak

The Symposium’s Living At Your Peak series has evolved since its inception a year ago into a category of programming that incorporates themes not only relating to traditional physical health and wellness, but also to cutting-edge ideas, theories and practices in the area of alternative medicine.

This summer the series starts with a presentation titled “Effective Body Care: Common Sports Injuries and the Easy Home Remedies to Fix Them” on July 5 by Dr. Jordan Metzl. It will tend directly to the physical side of health and wellness, before venturing into the realms of integrative medicine, meditation and consciousness healing with six programs in September. The series will conclude with a meditation retreat in Evergreen in October.

“I hope that we can expand the world view of Vail locals, visitors and longtime Symposium supporters by bringing to their attention the last 50 plus years of research, conclusions and ongoing studies related to topics that fall under the theme of consciousness,” said Living At Your Peak committee member Gary Gilman. “These topics include such things as the mind-body connection, the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, non-local consciousness, energy and remote healing research and modalities, near death experiences, out of body experiences, after death communications and other similar mystical experiences that many people have experienced directly.”

Tracey Flower is the development, marketing and administration officer for the Vail Symposium. She can be reached at tracey@vailsymposium.org.


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