Prof dissects meaning of terrorism

English professor Marc Redfield from Claremont Graduate University presented his paper, "The Humanities and the War on Terror," in front of an intimate crowd last night in the former Phi Gamma Delta house, which now houses the Penn Humanities Forum.

The crowd of approximately 50 was almost entirely composed of graduate students and professors from the English Department, eager to attend this segment of the department's lecture series.

Redfield strived to get at the root of the ideas of sovereignty, war and terror -- to discover where they came from and what these oft-used terms mean. He analyzed the topics within the context of the Bush administration's "war on terror."

"The Bush administration uses rhetoric in extreme and calculated ways, which Redfield helped explain and contextualize both the history and current effects of that rhetoric," said Peter Decherney, a professor of English and Cinema Studies.

Redfield frequently quoted passages in French and made diverse references including Bob Woodward, Romanticism and the Oxford English Dictionary.

During the question-and-answer period following the presentation, the subject of conversation turned from a metaphysical analysis to a more tangible discussion of current geopolitical climate and trends.

"I think it's important to have critics look at politicians' use of the language, and seeing how they use language to manipulate the content," English graduate student Gershun Avilez said.

Redfield weaved in the subject of uncertainty throughout his speech, mainly connecting the idea of the unknown to terror, but concluded that uncertainty does not always equal fear and could also lead to love.

"We have an ethical obligation to leave the space that allows for the possibility of positive change," School of Medicine staff member Liz Chou said, adding that she appreciated Redfield's optimistic conclusion.

Graduate student Jared Richman, who helped organize the event, said, "It was a resounding success, a timely and well-received paper."

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