Course & Discourse Newsletter #1
Welcome to the first edition of the Course & Discourse Newsletter. At Course & Discourse we believe the best conversations happen over a shared meal in a comfortable space. Each event pairs a thoughtfully prepared meal with curated discussion, drawing from current events, big ideas, lived experiences, and beyond.
2/9/2026
A look back
Me, Myself, and AI
Last week's Course & Discourse took a bite out of a big topic: artificial intelligence, how it works, and how we interact with it.
The conversation brought together experts and skeptics alike. We read articles on big data and privacy, reviewed surveys of Americans' excitement and hesitation about AI and jobs, and listened to an interview with an AI doomsdayer. Generative AI even created the menu. The main course featured a braised pork shoulder. ChatGPT likened the process of braising to the long, opaque transformation that happens in an AI model, although in this case the black box was my Dutch oven!
Over multiple courses we explored differing perspectives without defensiveness and complexity without the pressure to solve.
Next on the Menu
Love Potions: Facts and Fictions of Aphrodisiacs
February 28th, 7:00 PM
Black, and White, and Grey All Over: Nuance in a Polarized World
March 21st, 7:00 PM
Church and State: Organized Religion in the United States Today
April 11th, 7:00 PM
The Missus: Beyond the Roles, Norms, and Stereotypes
May 2nd, 7:00 PM
Newly Added! More Than the Game: Sports Diplomacy
June 13th, 7:00 PM
With the Winter Olympics upon us and the World Cup just months away, global sporting events offer moments to compete, to bond, and to interact on a world stage. Politics and athletics are deeply intertwined, what opportunities do these events create for diplomacy and where do tensions emerge? The evening will explore sports as an opportunity for soft power, a universal language, and at times, a risk for cheating and distrust.
Guest Spotlight
"Course & Discourse is a really special environment to share a delicious meal with people you might not have met otherwise, and engage with them in a discussion of ideas and opinions."
— Participant from What is Art?