When we think of encampments, we may have militaristic visions of Crusader Kings like Baldwin IV and his tens of thousands marching under banners and flags; we might see the Mongol empire marching behind the great Genghis Khan or perhaps Napoleon on his march through Europe. Conversely, we might see peaceful medieval tournaments with their tents and banners, religious pilgrimages or even their more modern equivalent—music festivals! Two weeks ago, there was an encampment at the University of Chicago, around which much discussion has revolved on and off campus. What kind of encampment was it: peaceful or militaristic? Was it just a peaceful demonstration involving students exercising free speech, or was it an event purposefully planned to disrupt, polarize, and provoke a physical police response? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark continue last week’s discussion about the UChicago encampment and wonder if the general public could see the parallels from history. We invite you to listen and tell us what you see.

—Streamed May 15, 2024

“I heard my momma cry / I heard her pray the night Chicago died / Brother, what a night it really was / Brother, what a fight it really was / Glory be!”

This song about fights between gangs and cops in 1920s Chicago was all the rage back in the 1970s. There’s a lot of appeal to nostalgia in it. But were people nostalgic for violence, or were they longing to be in a dramatic moment—a moment that matters? Last week, the University of Chicago hosted an encampment of protestors who gathered in support of the Palestinians of Gaza and made demands that the University divest from Israel. But the encampment also attracted protestors of issues unrelated to that war, and eventually attracted counter-protestors. The mini “community” that sprang up in the encampment was forcibly (and thankfully, peacefully) dismantled one week later and neither they, nor the counter protestors, nor any police were hurt. Chicago didn’t die! As the ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed these events, we kept returning to the same question: what attracts people to these types of events? Are they simply dedicated to their cause, or do they also long for something more—a connection with others, a feeling of collective purpose? Join us as we discuss. —Streamed May 8, 2024

Once upon a time in the Middle Ages, in a geographic area comprised of a patchwork collection of hundreds of separate Duchies ruled over by hundreds of Dukes, a loyalty was misplaced. Doesn’t sound like a very inspiring fairy tale, does it? But you must admit that it does sound similar to the current landscape of social media. There are hundreds of different platforms within larger platforms for social, news and entertainment media, each with their own “Duke” (or Duchess) demanding trust and loyalty of their followers. Which one do you trust? Are you loyal to any of them? The ladies of the Mosaic Ark discussed how the misplaced trust of the eleventh century’s Hugh IV of Lusignan provided the perfect example of how trust and loyalty have always been a hotly contested issue even as it has always been demanded by people of power and influence. Please enjoy watching our lively discussion, or I’m afraid that Baldric shall have to be very severely beaten! —Streamed May 1, 2024

Agreement between Count William V of Aquitaine and Hugh IV of Lusignan: https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/source/agreement.asp