HOUSTON – Who looks forward to another Zoom meeting? In a COVID-19 world, the implications of human interaction in a digital landscape take on new meaning. Though many technologies are designed with human connection and expression in mind, experience has shown that technology can also isolate and repress.

Lone Star College-University Park welcomes Douglas Rushkoff, award-winning author, documentarian and broadcaster, to speak to this conundrum in a virtual presentation on Monday, April 19, as part of the college’s ReadUP initiative. Rushkoff, who was named as one of the world's ten most influential intellectuals by MIT, will deliver an expository look into his 100-statement manifesto, "Team Human," which is the college’s ReadUP book selection for 2020-21. The event is open to LSC-University Park students, employees and the community. 

"We are very excited to have the esteemed author Rushkoff connect with our college," said LSC-University Park President Dr. Shah Ardalan. "’Team Human’ is a very relevant and thought-provoking book, and now our college and community will have the opportunity to hear Rushkoff’s dynamic and timely message. Human interaction in the context of our reliance on technology is a subject that touches us all and will undoubtedly impact our lives in the future."

LSC-University Park's ReadUP program is a faculty-driven initiative that celebrates critical thinking, introspection and lifelong learning through the love of reading. ReadUP fosters collaboration and allows readers to have conversations and meet people they would not otherwise meet.

Now in its third year, ReadUP has become a college tradition. Last year, the ReadUP selection was "What the Eyes Don't See," a nonfiction account of the Flint, Michigan, water crisis by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha. The first ReadUP selection was “Educated: A Memoir” by New York Times bestselling author Dr. Tara Westover. Each author visited LSC-University Park to discuss their work and engage in open dialogue with students, employees and the community.

“ReadUP is an opportunity to create our own mini ‘team human’ on campus and with our community partners," said Kristie Boston, an LSC-University Park English professor and ReadUP committee member. "We see that we are all connected through reading a book which touches various disciplines and pieces of our lives."

Immediately following Rushkoff’s virtual visit, ReadUP will highlight students’ creative endeavors from the pandemic in art, music, poetry and storytelling in “Human Expression: A ‘Team Human’ Showcase.” The college’s 2021-22 ReadUP selection will be revealed during the showcase.

Throughout the year, ReadUP’s committee of faculty and staff organized virtual events focused on themes from the book, such as the need to connect with others and the ways technology can help or hinder that effort, connected with social justice issues and their intersection with digital platforms. Most recently, LSC-University Park hosted a virtual film screening of "2040" on March 9. The movie explores today's best environmental solutions to reverse global warming and provides a positive view of how the world could look in 2040.

Additionally, ReadUP utilized StoryCorps Connect 2020 to encourage students, faculty and staff to share their stories remotely. The audio and a still photo are saved to LSC-University Park's archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

For more information about ReadUP and to view recordings of events, visit LoneStar.edu/UP-ReadUP.