Architecture lecture sheds light on recent events Northeastern’s School of Architecture is hosting a lecture tonight about the decay of the nation’s infrastructure, according to a Northeastern announcement on myNeu. Sarah Williams Goldhagen, architecture critic of the magazine The New Republic, will speak at Raytheon Amphitheatre tonight at 6 p.m. in a talk called “American Collapse: The Silent Scourge Afflicting America’s Viscera.” Goldhagen will discuss two events that happened within two weeks of each other and their implications. The first event she will discuss the bridge collapse in Minneapolis where the bridge along highway I-35 W dropped 60 feet into the Mississippi River, and the second is the explosion of an 83-year-old steam pipe in Manhattan, according to the announcement. The lecture is free and open to the public. – Kate Augusto, New Staff

Lecture to discuss New England ocean wildlife As part of an evening lecture series hosted by the Marine Science Center John Crawford is giving a presentation called “Restoring New England’s Ocean Legacy and the Role of Conservation Areas.” This lecture is taking place Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Marine Science Center and is free and open to the public. Crawford who started a Marine Ecosystem Conservation initiative at the Conservation Law Foundation, will talk about the waters off New England, including the ocean wildlife, the history of human exploitation and efforts to restore ecological health in the region, according to a Northeastern announcement on myNeu. Crawford will also discuss how ocean conservation can play a role in the recovery of ocean wildlife populations and the resilience of ecosystems. – Kate Augusto, New Staff

Spiritual Life, Bouve help relieve stress through Reiki The Spiritual Life Center and the Bouve School of Nursing are hosting free mini-sessions of Reiki today from noon to 3 p.m. in the Sacred Space. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing, according to the International Center for Reiki Training website. Commonly used in hospitals and other health-care settings, Reiki will be administered by a certified practitioner at Northeastern in 15-minute sessions, according to a Northeastern announcement on ,myNeu. Those interested can contact the Spiritual Life Center to make an appointment, as time slots are limited. – Kate Augusto, New Staff

Global Environment kick off begins with movie This Wednesday the Political Science Student Association is showing The Academy Award winning movie “An Inconvenient Truth,” the first event in the November 2007 Political Series on the Global Environment, according to a Northeastern announcement on myNeu. The movie is about former Vice President Al Gore’s attempts to halt the progress of global warming. It will be shown in 310 Behrakis from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is open to the Northeastern community. One of the other events in the series is an “Alternative Energy Sources” debate Nov. 15 at 6 p.m. in 434 Curry Student Center. The final event in the series is a lecture Dec. 5 on the Cape Wind project for Nantucket Sound by Jen Filiault, a representative from Clean Power Now at 6 p.m. in 420 Shillman. Clean Power Now is a nonprofit grassroots organization that educates people on the benefits of renewable energy projects and policies, according to the Clean Power Now website. – Kate Augusto, New Staff Faculty art exhibition opens this week Northeastern’s Department of Art and Design is sponsoring an exhibition of faculty art Nov. 8 through Nov. 30 called “Back to Work.” This annual exhibition will feature paintings, photography, prints, graphic designs, installations, sculptures and videos to recognize the artistic and academic excellence of Northeastern’s studio art and design faculty. The participating faculty artists are Sophia Ainslie, Edwin Andrews, Mira Cantor, Julie Curtis, Isabel Meirelles, John Kane, Ann MacDonald, Neal Rantoul, Andrea Raynor, Matthew Rich, Tom Starr and Ann Steuernagel. – Kate Augusto, New Staff