Weekly 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”
Every Saturday 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.
Tuition $3.00 and food/drink purchase
All meetings open to the public, no membership is maintained
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Upcoming Presentations:
December
December 20, 27
Closed
from the Faculty and Students of the CoC
January
January 3rd
Libertarian of Chicago / Illinois
in progress
Meeting # 3,849 - Justin Tucker
January 10th
College of Complexes Special Program
75th Anniversary (first meeting on January 6th, 2026)
Meeting # 3,850 - established in 1951, an oral history by Charles Paidock
An Eclectic Look at the Assorted College Regulars who Attended, and Memorable Moments at, the College of Complexes over the Years
followed by an
Open Microphone
on has the college improved, or diminished, the general level of conversation, and solved all the world's problems?
January 17th
Lack of Regulation of Medical Marketing of Supplements –
what do terms “treats, prevents, or supports” really mean?
Meeting # 3,851 - Dr. Daniel Herlihy, family practice physician, medical coach and educator, author of 3 books
Website: www.thebestpossiblebrain.com
The speaker states that: "Look at the label for example of a supplement, “Viadin H.” What do you think this supplement does? What is it good for?
It would be very reasonable for you to assume that Viadin H prevents cardiovascular disease. After all, it says it right there on the label: “supports heart function.” But of course, if we put our close-reading glasses on, we recognize that “supports heart function” is very much not the same as “prevents myocardial infarction” or “treats heart failure.” In fact, upon closer examination, we may even realize that “supports heart function” is devoid of any real semantic quality. What does it even mean? Could it mean… nothing?
There’s plenty to complain about in the vitamin and supplement industry: the lack of real regulation, lack of tight manufacturing controls, adulteration, influencers. But deceptive marketing practices, the use of weasel terms like “supports heart function,” really steams my kettle.
But do these weasel terms actually work? Are they fooling anyone? It turns out, yeah, they are, and now we have proof. "
January 24th
Demi Palecek, Candidate for IL State Representative, Democrat
“Demi doesn’t just talk about change, she gets to work and makes it happen”
Meeting # 3,852 -
Progressive veteran, community activist, and Democrat running for State Representative in the 13th District (district includes parts of Northside Chicago and the lakefront, such as Uptown, Andersonville, and Lake View.)
What Demi Stands For
Demi Palecek is running for State Representative to fight for the values that matter most to our communities—from healthcare and housing to justice and education. She brings lived experience, legislative insight, and a record of showing up.
Demi Palecek has dedicated her life to service. A member of the Illinois National Guard, she protected our U.S. Capitol - and our democracy - in the wake of the January 6th insurrection. An advocate for our community, she is an IWIL alum and has held leadership roles with the 46th Ward Democrats & Illinois Veterans for Change. With experience in advocacy, policy, organizing, and communications, she will bring ethics, discipline, empathy, and real-world insight to our legislature.
Campaign Website https://www.demiforillinois.com/
January 31st
US Threats to Overthrow the Venezuelan Revolution
Meeting # 3,853 - Stansfield Smith, expert on central and South American affairs
Since September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted several missile strikes on vessels in international waters near Venezuela. U.S. officials assert these attacks target "narco-terrorists" and are part of a counter-narcotics campaign.
The Trump administration has designated the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua as a "foreign terrorist organization" and has repeatedly accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking.
For 26 years the US government has been trying to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela, put an end to its popular revolution, and take control of its oil, the largest reserves in the world. The US has tried coups, assassination attempts, economic blockade, even inventing their own president, but nothing has worked. Now Washington accuses Venezuela of flooding the US with cocaine, even though the 2025 reports of both the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the US Drug Enforcement Agency 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment do not even mention Venezuelan involvement. Now, every few days Washington seeks to provoke incidents in order to justify a military invasion, creating a new US war for oil. Provocations include CIA activity and bombing Venezuelan origin boats without justification, heinously murdering their occupants in international waters.
Stansfield Smith has been publishing the Venezuela & ALBA Weekly News since May 2014 (on ChicagoALBASolidarity.org). He has written in a variety of publications and has been active in the movements in defense of Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and other Latin American countries since about 1978.
February
February 7th
Marching as a Vehicle for Social Change, a Report on the
"Save America March" to build unity, one step at a time
Meeting # 3,854 -
Ed S. Fallon is an American activist, former politician, talk show host, author and urban farmer from the State of Iowa. He was previously a Democratic candidate for Governor of Iowa and the U.S. Congress, and served as a member of the Iowa General Assembly from 1993 to 2006.
Fallon’s history of marching as a vehicle for social change dates back to 1986, when he organized the Iowa stretch of the coast-to-coast Great Peace March. Since then, Fallon has organized five long marches and walks.
“Our democracy is being supplanted by authoritarian rule,” said Fallon. “We’ll never address the existential threats of climate change and nuclear weapons, or any other pressing issue for that matter, without a functional democracy. Violence isn’t the answer. The approach of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, and Dorothy Day is what will save us.”
“Authoritarianism has been spreading for a while,” added Fallon. “This year, it’s gone from bad to worse. The civility that used to define public engagement is being supplanted by name-calling, lying, and flouting the Constitution.”
Please Note: The college will cease operation after the current schedule
is exhausted on Feb. 7th
College of Complexes
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