Who belongs here? It's time for another "Chew On This," a special dinner and discussion at Pints&union on Tuesday, September 24.

Next Tuesday's conversation over a meal and libations takes place all across the state of Indiana. This will be our second such event at Pints&union, and seats are available for $25 (plus fee) at the
Eventbrite link

Local sponsors are ArtSeed and Pints&union. Here's the overview, courtesy of ArtSeed.

Join ArtSeed for “Chew On This: Who Belongs Here?” to share a meal and fun yet in-depth conversation with other curious Hoosiers. Chew On This: Who Belongs Here? is presented as part of Indiana Humanities’ INseparable initiative.

Your ticket price includes your meal and unforgettably rich experience. The menu will be a traditional English Dinner. Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, and chocolate mousse.

In literature and pop culture, Midwesterners are sometimes depicted as friendly and hospitable, while at other times we’re seen as closed-minded and suspicious of newcomers and immigrants. To put it another way, sometimes we’re Leslie Knope, rolling out the welcome wagon, and sometimes we’re the townspeople in Hoosiers, turning a cold shoulder to the new guy and skeptical of his new ideas.

What’s the reality of the community where you live—are you more of a Pawnee or a Hickory? How welcoming is your community to people who come from somewhere else, whether another country or just over the county line? What do we mean when we say someone is or isn’t part of a community? Who decides? Why does openness matter—and how can your community be more welcoming?

Tuesday night, we chewed on THAT.

Photo courtesy of Indiana Humanities.

When Julie Schweitzer first mentioned her wonderful idea to stage Chew On This, and I saw Indiana Humanities at the organizational pyramid's peak, it all combined to remind me of this column from May of 2017.

ON THE AVENUES: Are dissidents born or made? A humanities major examines his life and locale.

... You know, if dastardly parasitic humanities majors like me didn’t combat the angst with alcohol and stick around places like Nawbany, confident that any reasonable definition of leadership includes transparency, the ability to hear opposing viewpoints, to weigh available options and to filter the incessant bilge before charging across open ground toward the machine gun nest – tell me, would anyone bother challenging Wendy Dant Chesser and Bob Caesar when they begin spinning those “our way or the highway” whoppers?

That’s okay. You needn't answer. It’s my conscience, and it’s not for sale. However, I’m not going anywhere, and you can buy me a beer any time you like.

The dinner went very well, and hats off to the newspaper for sending Brooke to report it.

New Albany event discusses how to connect across boundaries, by Brooke McAfee (News and Tribune)

NEW ALBANY — The theme of the evening was "division."

But as attendees exchanged thoughts over drinks and a three-course meal at Pints & Union in New Albany, they were united in their goal to build connections between community members of different backgrounds, identities and opinions.

The event, called "Chew on This: What Divides Us?" was one of 10 simultaneous conversations that occurred at restaurants throughout Indiana on Tuesday to explore issues of polarization. The series is part of Indiana Humanities' new INseparable initiative, which aims to connect Hoosiers across dividing lines.

ArtSeed in New Albany was the host of the event, and Roger Baylor, local blogger and beer programmer at Pints & Union, served as the conversation's facilitator. The divisions identified in the conversation included differences of values and political opinions, along with differences between rural, suburban and urban communities.

The dinners took place in Bargersville, Batesville, Carmel, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis (where there were two separate dinners), New Albany, Rensselaer, South Bend and Warsaw ...

"Chew On This" -- a special dinner and discussion at Pints&union on Tuesday, April 23.

It's going to be a unique April evening.

So what’s true? Are we more divided than ever before? If so, why is that? What, exactly, divides us? We’ll dig into these and similar questions on Tuesday, April 23 during a special INseparable-themed Chew On This. Sign up for one of 6 locations around the state, where you’ll share a meal (two courses, dessert and non-alcoholic drinks) and civil yet fun in-depth conversation with other curious Hoosiers. Each table will be led by an expert facilitator, someone who brings special insight into why we do or don’t manage to get along with one another. Your ticket price includes meal and an unforgettably rich experience.

Thanks to Julie Schweitzer and her ArtSeed art collaborative (the evening's host organization), Pints & Union will be one of only seven statewide venues (so far) for Chew On This, an Indiana Humanities dinner and discussion on Tuesday, April 23.

While some might question my expertise, I'll be the discussion facilitator and am looking forward to the experience. We'll be upstairs at the pub, where event seating is limited to 15 persons. You can learn more and purchase your $25 (plus fee) ticket at the Eventbrite link, and although it's a long way off, my guess is these seats will go quickly.