UIC events mark 100th anniversary of the end of World War I

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I came to an end. The conflict, which resulted in the death of more than 16 million soldiers and civilians, remains one of the most destructive wars in modern history.

To commemorate the 100-year anniversary of World War I’s conclusion, the University of Illinois at Chicago Honors College, in partnership with several campus units, will present “The War that Made Today,” an 11-day series featuring interdisciplinary panels, exhibitions, talks and performances exploring the global impact of “The Great War” and the ways it continues to resonate today.

In conjunction with the series, the Honors College is offering three seminar courses during the fall semester that reflect on WWI’s global influence.

“From technology and medicine to visual art and literature, World War I produced far-reaching changes to the world and to the way we understand society, military and politics,” said Ralph Keen, dean of the UIC Honors College. “This series aims to pay tribute to its profound influence and give current generations a greater appreciation for the heroism, sacrifice and transformative power of the era.”

Admission to the series of events is free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. For more information, visit the series website or call (312) 413-8661.

“The War that Made Today” programs include:

Nov. 1
Kick-Off Event: The War that Made Today – Three Interdisciplinary Conversations. UIC faculty and graduate students from various disciplines will discuss the profound and continued global impact of WWI during three panels: “WWI, Nationalism and the New Global World Order” at 11 a.m., “Art at War: The International Avant-Garde and World War I” at 1 p.m., and “Healing the Walking Wounded: Shell-Shocked WWI Soldiers through a Contemporary Cultural Lens” at 2:30 p.m. UIC Institute for the Humanities, Stevenson Hall, lower level, 701 S. Morgan St.

Nov. 1
Artists Respond to World War I. A one-night, curated exhibition of 3-D work, video art, projected images, and other new media presented in conjunction with the opening of Gallery 400’s “Chicago New Media 1973–1992.” 5-8 p.m. UIC Art and Exhibition Hall, The Great Space, 5th floor, 400 S. Peoria St.

Nov. 2
A Conscientious Objector with a Very Seared Conscience. Tom Sleigh, a nationally renowned poet, distinguished professor at Hunter College, and journalist who has covered the Middle East and Africa, will give a poetry reading and discuss writing about the wounds of war in our contemporary world while looking back at WWI poets such as Wilfred Owen and David Jones. 3-4 p.m. UIC Institute for the Humanities, Stevenson Hall, lower level, 701 S. Morgan St.

Nov. 7
The Nurses of World War I. Talk by Dr. Gwyneth Milbrath, UIC clinical assistant professor of nursing, followed by screening of the short film, “At Home and Over There: American Women Physicians in World War I.” 2-3 p.m. UIC Library of the Health Sciences, Special Collections and University Archives, Room 320, 750 W. Polk St.

Nov. 8
Dangerous Women: The International Women’s Peace Movement Then and Now. A roundtable discussion about Jane Addams’ anti-war efforts and work with the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom in the context of contemporary activism. Panelists will include a Jane Addams scholar, a current member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, a female veteran and member of Veterans for Peace, student activists and community organizers. 5:30 p.m. UIC Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, 800 S. Halsted St.

Nov. 9
Finale Concert – Unanswered Questions: Music, Poetry, and Letters from the Great War. A special performance by UIC School of Theatre and Music faculty, students and alumni. 6 p.m. UIC School of Theatre and Music, Recital Hall (L285), 1044 W. Harrison St.

Nov. 11
Closing Commemoration and Tree Planting. Program begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by a moment of silence to be observed at 11 a.m. The Circle Memorial Grove, located at the northeast corner of Taylor and Morgan Streets.

Concurrent campus exhibitions affiliated with the series are:

Oct. 10 to Nov. 30
Women Physicians in World War I: Traveling Exhibition. The exhibition tells the story of American women physicians who served during the first World War despite widespread discrimination. Driven by patriotism and a desire to serve, these unsung heroines worked in hospitals, dispensaries, canteens, and ambulance units both during the war and in the years that followed. On view 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday. UIC Library of the Health Sciences, Special Collections and University Archives, 3rd floor, 750 W. Polk St., West Campus.

Oct. 22 to Dec. 14
World War I Artifacts and Publications. Display features rare books containing comics drawn by WWI soldiers. Curated by David Greenstein, UIC lecturer in Special Collections and University Archives. On view 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. UIC’s Richard J. Daley Library, Special Collections, 3rd floor south, 801 S. Morgan St.

UIC campus partners for the series are the College of Nursing; department of history; Institute for the Humanities; Jane Addams Hull-House Museum; School of Theatre and Music; UIC ROTC; Office of International Affairs; School of Art and Art History; UIC Library; and UIC Student Veterans Affairs.

This program is co-sponsored by the John Nuveen International Development Fund.