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 12:20pm 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 Apr. 4, 2016 is as follows:
Wednesday, Apr. 6:
-12:20pm: “The Roaring Twenties,” presented by Artemida Tesho
This lecture presentation will be on the period known as The Roaring 20s, which was 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 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.
Thursday, Apr. 7:
8:00am: “The Socio-Economics of Comic Books,” presented by Victor Miller and Cassandra Lo Faro
This lecture will use comic book characters as metaphorical representations of various demographics in the U.S. From the richest billionaire to the average middle-class family, the recent surge in the popularity of comics does not only reflect the battle between good and evil, but also situations that deal with socio-economic struggles and constitutional issues. The lecture will be presented by Professor Victor Miller and Cassandra Lo Faro, a student in Professor Steven Kaufman’s Core 100 class.
Victor Miller earned a BA in History at the College of Staten Island in 2005 and an MS in Adolescent Education in 2008. He has been an adjunct of CORE 100 since February 2012 and currently also works for the Office of Academic Support. Victor is the author of the “Summer of ’87” Reacting to the Past classroom simulation and also recently served on the CORE 100 textbook editing committee.
Cassandra Lo Faro is a native Staten Islander and graduated from New Dorp High School in June 2015. She is currently a freshman in The Verrazano School at CSI and although she has yet to declare a major, she is leaning toward a major in Biology, but enjoys taking classes that make her think creatively.
-10:10am: “Uncle Same Wants You to Eat A Big Mac,” presented by Richard Gid Powers
The very food you eat and, therefore, the body you have are flavored and shaped by government regulation. The history of government support for agriculture (crop subsidies) has pushed U.S. agriculture in the direction of monoculture (single crop) concentration on corn, and that, in turn, has turned us into a nation of corn product consumers: hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and Cokes and all recombinations of a single raw ingredient: corn. You’ve seen the MacDonald commercials. This lecture is the dark side of those commercials. Will you still be “Lovin’ It” after you’ve heard this lecture?
Richard Gid Powers has been teaching history at CSI since 1971 and was one of the people responsible for creating Core and having it be a required course at CSI (please restrain emotional demonstrations). He has written books on J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI, American Anticommunism, and FBI in popular entertainment, and has just published a religious thriller, The Mystery of the Trinity.
-4:40pm: “The Great Depression,” presented by Joseph Frusci
The Great Depression is the worst financial crisis of the 20th Century. This lecture will examine the causes and effects of domestic, foreign, fiscal, and monetary policy of the United States that all played a part in contributing to the Great Depression, as well as establishing the New Deal.
Joseph Frusci is a prior service Army National Guardsman who earned a BA and MA in History and is currently pursuing the Doctor of Education degree (EdD) at Northeastern University. He has been teaching with the Core program since 2012, and is the author of “2008 Bailout,” the newest Reacting to the Past game, which engages students in the complexities of the economic crisis of 2007-2008. He also teaches American History and Economics for the New York City Department of Education.
-6:30pm: “The Causes of the Great Depression,” presented by Anthony Casella
This lecture will examine the causes of the worst economic collapse in United States history.
Professor Casella has been a member of the CORE faculty since 2009. Professor Casella holds a BA and MS degree from St. John’s University, in addition to a Professional Certificate in Administration/Supervision from CSI/CUNY. Professor Casella has worked for the Department of Education since 1992 and is currently serving as an Assistant Principal at South Richmond High School.
