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 necessary 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 in length and are all in the Williamson Theatre. They meet on the following days/times: Wednesdays at 1:25pm and 3:35pm, and on Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm.

In the fall, the Saturday 10:10am lectures are held in the Williamson Theatre, but due to space limitations, we unfortunately cannot accommodate additional classes.

The Lecture Series schedule for the Week of Sept. 28, 2015 is as follows:

Wednesday, Sept. 30:

-1:25pm: “Iroquois Influence,” presented by George Sanchez
This lecture will focus on the Iroquois Confederacy and their influence on the Founding Fathers on the inspiration and formation of the U.S. Constitution.

George Sanchez is a Professor and Chairperson of the Performing and Creative Arts Department at CSI.  This is his sixth year of teaching Core 100.

-3:35pm: “The U.S. Constitution- A Product of The Enlightenment,” presented by Willy Fallon
This lecture will focus on the U.S. Constitution, its components, its structure, its limits, and its intentions. It will briefly explain a constitutional democracy, as well as examine judicial review through Marbury v. Madison, 1803.

William Fallon received his Master’s degree from CSI in January 2014. His focus is American history, specifically 20th Century and foreign policy. This is his first semester teaching Core 100.

Thursday, 10/1:

-8:00am and 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 became 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: “Slavery in American Literature,” presented by Natalia Brennan
This lecture presentation will focus on the institution of slavery.  It will briefly discuss plantation slavery and the burdens of bondage.  The lecture will examine pro- and anti-slavery arguments; the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850; and the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Natalia Brennan earned a Bachelor’s degree in History from Moscow State University and Master of Arts degree in History from CSI. She became a member of the CORE faculty in 2011. Professor Brennan also works as a history teacher at St John Villa Academy High School.

-6:30PM: “Slavery in the United States/Servant to Slave,” presented by Patrice Buffaloe
This lecture will take a deep look into the origins of slavery in the U.S. The lecture will have a greater focus on the paradox of slavery and the U.S. Constitution as well as the reasons and justification for slavery. Equally important, the lecture will address the contributing factors that lead to the increased need for more slaves prior to the adjournment of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The lecture will conclude with reflection on the internal and external conflicts of American slavery, which contributed to one of the causes for the Civil War.

Patrice Buffaloe is a teacher at the Department of Education for New York City. She has taught English and American history for nine years. She received both her Master’s in Adolescent Education and Master’s of Liberal Arts from CSI. Patrice began teaching at the College of Staten Island in 2009. Currently, she teaches Core 100; U.S. Issues, Ideas, and Institutions; EDD 602 Studies in Urban and Metropolitan Education; and EDS 201 Foundations in Education at CSI.