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 Oct. 12 is as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 14:

-1:25pm: “How the Emancipation Proclamation Determined the Fate of America,” presented by Deb DeSimone

This lecture series presentation is based on the work of the renowned historian Eric Foner and his analysis of the centrality of the Emancipation Proclamation in defining the nature of U.S. society. This lecture gives a brief history of the Emancipation movement, with particular interest to the views of Abraham Lincoln and why they changed over time. Special attention is given to analyzing the text of the Emancipation Proclamation in order to recognize the truly unique aspects of this historic document.

Professor Deborah De Simone is an Associate Professor of Education in the School of Education at CSI. She has been on the CSI faculty since 1993 and was a member of the cadre of professors who designed and first implemented Core 100. Her specialty areas are social studies education and U.S. History. Her undergraduate degree is from Brown University and her graduate degrees are from Columbia University Teachers’ College.

-3:35pm: “The Civil War or the War of Northern Aggression,” presented by Vincent DePaolo

Is it the Civil War or the War of Northern Aggression? Depending on what part of the country or the state where you attended school, you could have learned a very different version of what happened during the Civil War.

Vincent DePaolo is teaching CORE 100 for his third semester. He previously was an Adjunct Instructor at Long Island University- Brooklyn Campus in the History Department teaching introductory world history survey courses. He received his BA in History and MS in Social Science with a concentration in History and Advanced Graduate Certificate in United Nation Studies at Long Island University- Brooklyn Campus.

Thursday, Oct. 15:

-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, 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 also has a strong background in education, and earned a Post-Master’s Advanced Certificate for Leadership in Education from CSI. She has been a member of the History and Core faculty since 2006, and a member of the Women Studies faculty since 2008.

-10:10am:  “The Honeymoon That Changed the World” presented by Michael Batson

This lecture will explore the Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848.

Michael Batson has been a professor at the College of Staten Island since fall 2000. He teaches history, women’s studies, and Core. 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.

-4:40pm and 6:30pm: “Was There a Real Need for the Civil Rights Movement?” presented by Patrice Buffaloe

The lecture focuses on a series of political movements for equality before the laws that peaked in the 1960s, through discussions on the campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change via nonviolent forms of resistance.

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