This talk, in three acts with a prologue, intermission, and epilogue, will discuss the rarely funny topic of humor. The prologue will set the tone by providing definitive evidence about why women live longer than men. It is likely that none of the males in the audience will find this section remotely amusing. Act I will introduce the topic of humor and laughter with a few blonde stories thrown in to keep the audience awake. Act II will center on the brain's ability to detect and respond to humorous stimuli. This act will switch awkwardly between jokes and unpronounceable brain regions.

View Presentation Slides

If the audience is smart, it will ignore most of this section and instead look forward to the intermission, where evidence on laughter in animals will be offered. Whether humor has a positive effect on one's physical health will be the focus of Act III. Much information will be presented in this section, but the speaker plans to avoid drawing any firm conclusions, regardless of pressure from the audience. The epilogue will be a poor attempt at tying together the entire topic of humor using high-brow philosophical constructs and low-brow jabs at our current and past presidents.

The City Club of Eugene and the League of Women Voters of Lane County are pleased to sponsor a debate among the four candidates for the office of Mayor of Eugene.

The candidates will answer pre-designed questions, question each other, and receive written questions from the audience. For this debate, the club will break from tradition and allow questions from everybody, rather than only club members.

Meet the Candidates Voting Party

Drop by the DAC on Tuesday May 6, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and you'll find just about everyone who is on the local primary ballot, including nominees for Mayor, County Commissioner, County Sheriff, Eugene City Council and EWEB Board. Rather than have all 25 give speeches, we're just going to host the event as a social gathering. Bring your ballots, interview the candidates, vote informed.

The event is free and open to the public, so bring your friends who are normally busy during our Friday meetings so they can get a taste of what City Club is all about. We'll provide nametags for the candidates to make it easier to figure out who they are. You provide the questions and conversation about the future of our community.

Oregon Country Fair started as a benefit for an alternative school in 1969. Since then, it has evolved into a three-day festival on its own land in Veneta, Oregon. Its entertainment, handmade crafts, good food, and workshops emerge from the intention to "nourish the spirit, explore living artfully and authentically on earth, and transform culture in magical, joyous and healthy ways," according to its website. Outgoing General Manager Leslie Scott characterizes the fair's core value as development of right livelihood, honoring the work of hand and heart.

Leslie will talk about how OCF pays attention to the ways it affects the economy, the environment, and the social capital of those who participate. Different events do different things for communities, she explains. Leslie's presentation will cover a little history, some cool facts, some lessons learned, and some points of pride in OCF's contributions to the community.

Henry Fogel will share his thoughts on the state of classical music in the United States and what orchestras and other arts organizations are doing to build stronger connections with their communities. He will also (perhaps with an assist from Roger Saydack, chair of the last three Eugene Symphony's conductor search committees) discuss what might be the process to find a successor to Giancarlo Guerrero.

The highly publicized racial conflict at the boys' Class A basketball tournament at Mac Court over a year ago exposed deep, systemic issues that divide our Oregon communities, not just our schools.

Facilitated by Johnny Lake, a 4J administrator on special assignment, three students from Churchill and North Eugene High Schools will share their perspectives, experiences, and responses to the incident. They will then focus on the positive and proactive results of work done by students from Churchill, North and Roosevelt High Schools to address tensions over racial and cultural differences. Finally, they will challenge adults in our schools and community to have honest conversations about the deeper systemic issues that produce an environment that allows such an incident to occur.

From state lobbyists to university deans, county commissioners and the Mayor of Eugene, City Club members are the leaders in our community. And this year's annual meeting is all about you: those of you who lead City Club, those who volunteer, those who support us through sponsorships, the many who tune into our weekly broadcasts, those who come on Fridays to listen, and those who come mainly to challenge us. Each of you has made this a great year for City Club, and we want to thank you. This year, we'll welcome you with music and gift you with prizes, and we promise to both entertain and educate you -- just like every other week.