Arts and Events Calendar

We like to see teenagers push themselves, strive to achieve great things, show they are independent, and take risks. But taking risks can mean putting oneself in dangerous situations. There are the immediate physical dangers of extreme sports, the unpredictable hazards of natural expeditions, the psychological and physical risks of body-focused activities such as ballet, and the more mundane dangers of everyday life, including driving, consuming alcohol, and regularly eating fast food.

How dangerous is too dangerous? How old is old enough? Who should make these decisions?

This question was recently brought to a head as the Dutch authorities struggled with whether to allow 13-year-old Laura Dekker to attempt to become the youngest sailor to circumnavigate the world without assistance. Dekker’s father approved of the voyage, but what of society’s interest in protecting its minors from physical and emotional harm?

Taking part in this panel is Jillian Schlesinger, an independent filmmaker and television writer-producer currently producing a documentary entitled Maidentrip, about Laura Dekker. The film follows both Dekker’s harrowing physical expedition and the profound emotional odyssey of a young woman electing to spend two years alone in the strange, majestic, unpredictable world of the open sea. It strikes at the heart of timely and critical questions, including: How young is too young to attempt a feat that many adults have not survived?

Moderator:

• Lyn Boyd-Judson, director, Levan Institute for Humanities and Ethics

Guest panelists:

• Sharon Lloyd, professor of philosophy, law and political science
• Donna Spruijt-Metz, Keck School of Medicine
• Jillian Schlesinger, independent filmmaker and television writer-producer
• Laura Small, Anthropology student and whitewater rafting guide

To RSVP, click here.