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 Williamson Theatre to accommodate individual guests and can have as many as two additional classes at each of the lectures. No permission is needed 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 1:25pm and 3:35pm; on Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm; and on Saturdays at 10:10am.

The Lecture Series Schedule for the Week of Monday, Aug. 29, 2016

Wednesday, Aug. 31 (All Lectures):

Professor Donna Scimeca, Coordinator of the Core Department, will be welcoming the new students to Core 100.

Thursday, Sept. 1:

-8:00am and 10:10am: Core 100 Election Series: “Voter Suppression,” presented by Sean Doyle

Voter suppression is as old as the democratic process itself. White males monopolized voting rights until pivotal events expanded the franchise in the middle of the 19th Century. The post-Civil War era gave African American men voting rights under the 15th Amendment. Women fought for, and won, the right to vote under the 19th Amendment in 1920. Younger voters (over 18) were given the vote under the 26th Amendment in 1971. Restrictions on voting persisted, however, as voter suppression techniques were employed to deny U.S. citizens their democratic rights. This lecture will focus on the voter identification issue, which began in South Carolina in 1950, and spread to almost 50 percent of the states in the union.

Sean Doyle became a high school social studies teacher at the age of 42, working at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn.  Professor Doyle’s wife encouraged his return to school, and he received a General Education Diploma (GED), a Bachelor of Arts in history, and a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts, from the College of Staten Island in the early 1990s. He has been teaching core since 2011.

-4:40pm: Core 100 Election Series: “Principles of the Founding Fathers,” presented by Patrice Buffaloe

This lecture aims to do two things: First, to explain the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans, and second, to briefly examine the influence of the Enlightenment thinkers within each party.

Patrice Buffaloe is a proud graduate of the College of Staten Island. In 2003, she earned her MA in Liberal Arts and in 2005, her Master of Science in Adolescent Education from the College of Staten. Professor Buffaloe holds New York State certification Teaching Licenses in Special Education, Grades 7 – 12, Social Studies, Grades 7 – 12, and Elementary Education, Grades 1 – 6. She has had the pleasure of teaching EDS 201 and EDD 602 The Social Historical Foundation of Education to pre-service teachers with a focus on urban education and the effect of social, economic, and political conditions on the public education system. However, Professor Buffaloe is most proud of the work that she does with the students in the CORE 100 classes. This, by far, has been the most rewarding and challenging part of my professional growth.

-6:30pm: Core 100 Election Series: “The Presidency,” presented by Veronica DiMeglio

This lecture covers the Presidency and how candidates make promises during campaigns that they can’t keep due to the President’s limited formal powers. The Head of State or government is responsible for making decisions that bring about consequences, both positive and negative, for the United States and the future of its citizens. What is the job of the President of the United States? What are the President’s roles and responsibilities? How do the President and the public communicate with each other?

Veronica DiMeglio earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Wagner College and a Master of Science in Urban Affairs from Hunter College. She became a member of the CORE faculty in 2008 and also serves in the Division of Student and Enrollment Services at the College of Staten Island.

Saturday, Sept. 3:

 There will be no lectures today, as no classes are scheduled.