HIV and COVID
The doctor is in, and there's no better time to hear from her. At An Evening With Dr. Angela Dunn, you'll hear what Salt Lake County's health department director thinks of drawing parallels between HIV and COVID-19—the epidemic and the pandemic. While HIV is spread through bodily fluids, COVID spreads through droplets in the air. But there is so much more to this story. Certainly, the public reaction to them has been very different. While public health threats come in many versions, so do the responses to them. You will hear Dr. Dunn's perspective on the significant parallels and what she thinks is the future of public health in Utah. Afterward, you can choose to join a Q&A session with her through the AIDS Foundation's inaugural Public Health Champions Virtual Forum. Virtual, Thursday, Feb. 3, 6 p.m., suggested $25 donation/$50 for Q&A. https://bit.ly/3rA8Nvv

Power of Belonging
Well, if we can't do it in our K-12 schools, maybe we can teach some empathy in higher ed. What is it like to feel different, to have an identity and experiences that are foreign to your peers? And what is it like to embrace a diverse community if you are among the majority? The Power of Belonging seeks to unravel the mystery and ensure that everyone feels a part of the whole. Panelists come from a wide variety of backgrounds dealing with racism and education. For instance, panelist Martell Teasley's major areas of research interests are African American adolescent development, school social work practice and diversity in social work education. Virtual, Friday, Jan. 28, 1 p.m. Free/register at https://bit.ly/3GNRhtX

You're in Session
Utah's Legislature is in session now, and for sure, they're preparing some unwelcome surprises for you. However, you can stay up on what they're doing without trekking up to the Capitol. The Legislature has an easy-to-use virtual platform from which you can choose the dates, subjects and times of meetings you'd like to attend. Are you worried about the bad air or our ongoing drought? You can follow the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environmental Quality Appropriations Subcommittee by going to the website le.utah.gov and clicking on the calendar. You can even observe the floor times in both chambers—always amusing. It might be interesting to see what's hiding among the hundreds of proposed laws. Weekdays until Friday, March 4, free. le.utah.gov

Anger and Shame
In case you missed it, our country grapples with the effects of anger and shame every day and on every level. "We live in an age of anger and shameless disregard for what is true and good. What can we learn from other cultures about better ways to do anger and shame?" ask the Duke University organizers of The Ethics of Anger and Shame and Lessons From Other Cultures. The idea is to create norms of being angry at the right things at the right times. Looking at other cultures may help us better understand our own morality. Virtual, Thursday, Jan. 27, 1 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3fGa9iF