Free Speech Forum established Jan. 6, 1951
75th Anniversary in 2026
College of Complexes
The Playground for People Who Think
sustaining the academic tradition of “One Fool at a Time”
Saturdays at 5:00 PM CT
Dapper's Restaurant
2901 W. Addison, Chicago, Free Parking Please Note: The college will cease
operation on a weekly basis after the
CTA Route 152 Addison current schedule is exhausted on Feb. 7th,
with meetings scheduled on an occasional
Tuition $3.00 and food/drink purchase basis, probably the first and third
Saturday of each month. All meetings open to the public, no membership is maintained
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Upcoming Presentations:
February
Please Note: The college will cease operation on a weekly basis after the current schedule is exhausted on Feb. 7th, with meetings scheduled on an occasional basis, probably the first and third Saturdays of each month
March
March 21st
Democracy Was the First Casualty: The Decade of the 1850's and the Trump Era, Side-by-Side
How America Learned to Treat Losing as an Act of War
Meeting # 3,857 - college regular Tim Bolger
What can we learn from history?? – Tim Bolger will develop parallels and reflections on what needs to be done.
The speaker stats that "The American Civil War began the moment Americans decided democracy was only legitimate when it delivered the “correct” outcome. Decades before cannon fire, the country normalized contempt for compromise, weaponized grievance, and taught itself to believe that defeat was fraud, tyranny, or betrayal. By placing the moral rot of the 1850s side by side with the Trump era, this talk makes a blunt claim: America is not flirting with crisis—it is repeating a pattern it already knows leads to catastrophe. The most dangerous lie in American politics is not that the other side is wrong, but that they are illegitimate. Once a nation accepts that idea, the question is no longer whether the system survives, but how much damage is done before it breaks."
April
April 4th
The Political Integrity Project (PIP)
focused on holding U.S. politicians accountable to their constituents rather than financial interests
Meeting # 3,858 - Daniel Lobo-Lewis
The Political Integrity Project (PIP) is a grassroots political organization and media apparatus focused on holding U.S. politicians accountable to their constituents rather than financial interests.
Relaunched in early 2026, the project aims to combat the influence of money in politics. Its primary functions include:
The Integrity Index: A database that tracks and grades congressional candidates on their financial and political integrity. It specifically monitors corporate PAC donations, individual stock holdings, and reliance on wealthy or out-of-state donors.
Political Integrity Pledge: A commitment where candidates agree to reject corporate PAC money, support overturning Citizens United, and back bans on congressional stock trading and post-office lobbying.
Accountability Tools: The project recently released a browser extension that highlights politicians' names on web pages and provides a pop-up preview of their financial data and integrity score.
More Information: https://politicalintegrity.us/
April 18th
Special Earth Day Speaker on the Environment
Odd Produce, Inc.
Foraging for Food in Your Neighborhood
"If you can eat it, we will find it"
Meeting # 3,859 - Dave Odd
Odd Produce has been providing some of Chicago's finest restaurants with locally sourced, farmed, and foraged produce since 2009. Mushrooms, microgreens, edible flowers, fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs, spices, and more. You name it, we will find it. Everyday is a non-stop scavenger hunt for us.
Information: https://www.oddproduce.com/
May
May 2nd
Open
Seeking Special May Day Speaker on labor / activist issues
Meeting # 3,860 - contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036 office or (312( 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
May 16th
The Unified AI Imperative: One Institution to Save Humanity
Why US-China Integration is Our Only Hope for Surviving Transformative AI
Meeting # 3,861 - Khullani M. Abdullahi, JD
founder of Techne AI, a Chicago-based consultancy specializing in AI governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) for regulated sectors.
The speaker states: "I am putting forward a definitive thesis: the only way humanity survives the advent of Transformative AI (TAI)/Aritificial Superintelligence (ASI) is if we build it together, under one unified, global institution. Absent this unprecedented effort, all other attempts to ensure AI remains within human control are guaranteed to fail."
Piecemeal regulations, corporate safety boards, and fractured national policies will not be enough to manage the existential risks or capture the benefits of transformative artificial intelligence. This presentation will argue that surviving the AI revolution requires an intense, deeply integrated partnership between the United States and China to lead a singular, worldwide development effort.
Khullani will break down why the current trajectory of international competition and an "AI arms race" leads to inevitable loss of control. The discussion will outline the structural and legal necessities of a unified global institution, challenging the audience to look past current geopolitical animosities and recognize that when it comes to Transformative AI, humanity must operate as a single entity or face catastrophic failure.
Speaker's Bio
Khullani Abdullahi is the founder of Techne AI, a Chicago-based consultancy specializing in AI governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) for regulated sectors. With 14+ years of experience commercializing emerging technologies across cybersecurity, digital health, legal tech, and AI startups, she partners with executive teams to design responsible AI strategies, build operational governance systems, and equip organizations to adopt AI safely and effectively. She is a graduate in philosophy from Carleton College and has a juris doctor from the University of MN Mondale School of Law.
Her work focuses on the institutional layer of AI safety; helping companies in regulated industries, public agencies, and enterprise leaders translate broad policy frameworks (NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, state AI acts) into practical oversight structures, accountability mechanisms, and workforce enablement. She also advises boards on fiduciary responsibilities and risk oversight in an era of rapidly advancing AI capabilities.
In parallel, she contributes to civic and public-interest discussions about AI risks and AI governance as the host of the AI in Chicago podcast, where she convenes researchers, policymakers, and institutional leaders shaping the region’s AI future. Finally, she also facilitates AI strategy courses for members of the general public, including an upcoming series on AI strategy for government leaders and employees.
June 6th
Undeniable Proof of God
Meeting #3,862 - Derrick Michael Reid BS JD Esq, Libertarian running for the 2028 US Presidency
Seeking Someone for a Debate
If anyone would like to debate the speaker, please contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock at at (312) 842-5036 office or (312( 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
June 20th
National Health Insurance: Medicare vs. Medicaid vs. ACA,
or what is left, and the movement for Single Payer, which is called euphemistically " Medicare for All" Americans
Meeting #3,863 - veteran speaker Michael Burack
The speaker states that "This talk will include a short discussion of other industrialized country's approach to providing health care services for an aging, poor and expensive set of coverages given costs going up and the system now being controlled by private equity etc., and the physician shortage caused by the American Medical Association."
Biography
Former president of MRM Group...45 years. A healthcare consulting management group...All but dissertation University of Chicago...currently a writer recently completed an article about Russia 1990 to 2000 where I lived and worked. Now working on health policy issues: especially the current state of Healthcare equity for Americans, the long term outlook for a national program covering all citizens and the plausible financing options for such an undertaking.
July
July 4th, 18th
Open
Meeting # 3,864, 65 - contact the Program Coordinator Charles Paidock if you would like to speak at (312) 842-5036 office or (312( 714-7790 cell, or by email to cpaidock@hotmail.com
September
September 19th
25 Years Later: the Full Story of September 11th
Meeting # 3,870 - the well-researched Bill Lee returns
Bill Lee, noted 9/11 Scholar will explain all aspects of September 11th, 2001, will answer all questions, and clear up any lingering, erroneous conspiracy theories. Not to be missed.
College of Complexes
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"College of Complexes" is a registered trademark with the State of Illinois which may not be used without expressed written permission.
Wanted: Program Coordinator Trainees / Assistants - if you would like to help locate speakers for the CoC for upcoming dates in 2026, hopefully people who haven't spoken before on topics not covered, contact Charles Paidock at cpaidock@hotmail.com or (312) 842-5036, (312) 714-7790 cell
