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 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, Sept. 19, 2016

Wednesday, Sept. 21:

-1:25pm: Core 100 Election Series: “Women and the Presidency,” presented by Deborah DeSimone

This lecture explores the women who have run for the presidency and the issues that they have faced, as well as how the present candidates address gendered issues.

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: Core 100 Election Series: “The Role of the Vice President,” presented by Steven Kaufman

This lecture will look at the role of the VP from the founding of our country to today and will review the responsibilities of the position. This will transition into a discussion of the most notable VPs in U.S. history and will conclude with a comparison/contrast of the current nominees for the position in the upcoming presidential election.

Steven Kaufman graduated magna cum laude with both a BA and an MA in History from CSI. Since the summer of 2009, Professor Kaufman has tutored in the Office of Academic Support, specializing in Core. Since fall 2015, Professor Kaufman has also been a tutor for the SEEK Program, specializing in Core, as well as leading weekly study groups for all SEEK students enrolled in Core 100. Professor Kaufman has taught five tutor-intensive groups during Winter and Summer Immersions, starting in 2015, and in the Immersion Program, starting in the summer of 2016.

Thursday, Sept. 22

-8:00amand 10:10am: Core 100 Election Series: “Presidential Debates, Now and Then,” presented by Richard Gid Powers

Beginning in 1960, televised debates between the presidential candidates (and the vice presidential, as well) have been central events of the campaigns, with heavy consequences for the winners and losers. Dr. Powers will review memorable moments in the history of presidential debates, discussing their impact on the nature of modern presidential elections, with particular attention to the relative importance of issues and personalities. He will recap this year’s primary debates, which Donald Trump turned into an unprecedented media extravaganza, and will conclude with an analysis of the pivotal Trump versus Clinton, Kaine versus Pence debates.

Richard Gid Powers is a Professor of History at CSI, and was a debater in high school and college, not that formal competitive debating has much to do with what goes on in these every-four-years spectacles.

-4:40pm and 6:30pm: Core 100 Election Series: “The Supreme Court,” presented by Anthony Casella

This lecture will provide an in-depth look at The Supreme Court of the United States (sometimes colloquially known as “SCOTUS”) the highest federal court of the United States. Established pursuant to Article III of the United States Constitution in 1789, it has ultimate (and largely discretionary) appellate jurisdiction over all federal courts and over state court cases involving issues of federal law, plus original jurisdiction over a small range of cases. In the legal system of the United States, the Supreme Court is the final interpreter of federal constitutional law, although it may only act within the context of a case in which it has jurisdiction. With the upcoming Presidential election, the next President will probably have the opportunity to appoint up to three new justices to the Supreme Court.  Within this lecture, students will be challenged to answer the question: “What type of person would you want our next President to nominate to the United States Supreme Court?”

Anthony Casella has been a member of the CORE faculty since 2009. He received both a BA in History and an MS in Education from St. John’s University. Professor Casella also received an MA in Administration and Supervision from CSI/CUNY. He is currently an Assistant Principal at PS 25R South Richmond HS on Staten Island.

-Saturday, Sept. 24

10:10am: Core 100 Election Series: “The Election of 2016 and the U.S. Supreme Court,” presented by James T. Carroll

The next president will be elected in 2016 and he/she will have an opportunity to name a number of justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. This has been a major issue in both campaigns and it clearly demonstrates the differences between the two presidential candidates. The debate centers around interpretations of the Constitution (textual approach v. “Living Document”), the judicial approach of possible nominees (activist v. doctrinaire), and how basic constitutional rights will be affected by these choices. The possible nomination of three or four justices to the court by the next president makes this issue of paramount importance for the U.S. electorate.

James T. Carroll received his Doctorate in U.S. History from the University of Notre Dame and has been teaching Core 100 for more than 15 years.