The Core 100 program invites students and faculty from the College to join us for our weekly lecture series. Each week, all of the first-year students participate in lecture-discussions with about 400 of their classmates. We have space in the Center for the Arts (Building 1P) Williamson Theatre to accommodate individual guests (no permission needed) and can have as many as two additional classes at each of the lectures. Permission is not required for classes to attend, but please notify Donna Scimeca at 718.982.3405 if you plan to bring a class.
The lectures are 50 minutes and are all in the Williamson Theatre. They meet on the following days/times: Wednesdays at 12:20pm, and Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm.
Please note that in the spring, the Saturday 10:10am lectures are held in the Center for the Arts Lecture Hall, but due to space limitations, we unfortunately cannot accommodate additional classes.
The Lecture Series schedule for the week of Monday, Mar. 16 is as follows:
Wednesday, Mar. 18
-12:20pm: “Women’s Rights/ Seneca Falls,” presented by Michael Batson.
While the American Revolution had a profound effect on the political and social order of North America, it largely left intact the assumptions about gender and the roles of men and women. The colonial mix of customs, religious traditions, and English common law carried over into the new nation and left women in a state of subordination and dependence. Believed to be created by God as a helpmate to man, and created by nature as the weaker and inferior sex, women were denied some of the most basic rights: the right to own property, to vote, to sign a contract, to sue, or even to be sued. In addition, women were barred from most professions and denied anything beyond a rudimentary education.
At Seneca Falls in 1848, a group of women, led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, held a women’s rights convention and the struggle for equality began in earnest. Their “Declaration of Rights and Sentiments” set out the goal of achieving for women full citizenship and social equality.
Michael Batson has been a professor at the College of Staten Island since fall 2000. He teaches history, women’s studies, and Core 100. He specializes in social history and earned his Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies. He is also the father of a wonderful 15-year-old son.
Thursday, Mar.19
8:00am: “The Roaring ‘20s,” presented by Artemida Tesho.
This lecture presentation will be on the period known as The Roaring ‘20s; a period characterized by economic prosperity, and social and culture dynamism. The focus of the lecture will concentrate on the culture of the 1920s, particularly on the Jazz Era, literature, the movie industry, and the flapper—“the new woman.” The lecture will also cover significant events such as Prohibition, The 19th Amendment, and the Sacco-Vanzetti Trial.
Artemida Tesho earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from University of Tirana, Albania. She holds a Master of Arts degree in History from the College of Staten Island, CUNY. Professor Tesho has also a strong background in education, and earned a Post-Master’s Advanced Certificate for Leadership in Education from CSI. She has been a a member of the History and Core faculty since 2006, and a member of the Women Studies faculty since 2008.
10:10am: “American Slavery: Its Origins, Execution and Legacy,” presented by Annette Marks-Ellis.
This presentation will explore the reason for colonial slavery and how its evolution under the Dutch, British, and Americans led it to become an institution that is historically associated with dehumanization, racism, and profit. Students will be shown how this “peculiar institution” left its indelible mark on the United States and its citizens. Using music and an audiovisual presentation, Professor Marks-Ellis will show students the origins of a slave culture and stereotyping as it pertains to African Americans. The legacies of this institution will also be explored.
Annette Marks-Ellis earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Columbia University. She has been at CSI and teaching Core 100 since 1999. She has published several articles on African American history, women’s issues, and Caribbean culture.
4:40pm: “Reconstruction Period,” presented by Anthony Casella. (Professor Casella will also be presenting this topic on Thursday, Mar.19 at the 6:30pm lecture.)
This lecture will examine reconstruction in U.S. history, the period (1865–1877) that followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy, and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war.
Professor Casella earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees from St. John’s University. In addition, Professor Casella earned a Sixth-Year Professional Certificate in Supervision and Administration from CSI/CUNY. Professor Casella has been a member of the Core faculty since 2009.
