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, Oct. 31, 2016

Wednesday, Nov. 2:

-1:25pm and 3:35pm: Core 100 Election Series: “On Taxation and Representation: A Look at Our Tax System,” presented by Robert A. Grosso

This lecture will go through the basics of our tax system in the United States, then go through what both presidential candidates have said they will do to reform the tax system (if they have said anything on the subject). The lecture will also look at previous tax reforms by former presidents as a comparison to the plans of reformation by Trump and Clinton.

Robert A. Grosso has been teaching Core 100 since 2015. He received a BA in both History and Education at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY, and an MA in History at the College of Staten Island. A Staten Island native with a passion for teaching, Professor Grosso currently teaches at two colleges in the Tri-State Area, educating students in a diverse number of topics including Western Civilization, Civics, and Economics.

Thursday, Nov. 3:

-8:00am: Core 100 Election Series: “A Brief History of Immigration Policies/Current Positions,” presented by Victor Miller

For centuries, immigrants have come to the United States for an opportunity, freedom, and a new start. Our nation’s immigrants built and industrialized this nation. However, each new generation faced hardships, poverty, and resistance before they could achieve the American dream for themselves. Various laws were passed in the 19th and 20th centuries both restricting and encouraging new immigration with quotas based on where they were coming from specifically. It is this constant battle between pro- and anti-immigrant advocates and policies that is especially evident today. This lecture will discuss the issues, policies, and attempted solutions regarding modern immigration in the U.S. Some topics will include Reagan’s Reform Act of 1986, NAFTA, the DREAM Act, DACA, and Obama’s recently overturned executive order. Finally, this lecture will include each of the Presidential candidates’ proposals.

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.

-10:10am: Core 100 Election Series: “LGBTQ Rights/Issues,” presented by Jeremiah Jurkiewicz

What are the issues of importance to the LGBTQ community and where does each candidate and party stand on them during this election season? Catch a glimpse of the fight for equal rights that started with the Stonewall Riots and continues today.

Jeremiah Jurkiewicz is the Coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center in the Office of Student Life. He graduated with a BA in Dramatic Arts and minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from CSI in 2012.

-4:40pm and 6:30pm: Core 100 Election Series:  “Scimeca vs. Young,” presented by Donna Scimeca and Robert Young

Some may be old enough to remember watching the explosive and often entertaining intellectual debates between two political strategists — Mary Matalin, a GOP loyalist, and James Carville, a rabid Democrat, during the 1992 Presidential campaign. CSI has its own version of the dynamic duo– onna Scimeca and Robert Young have had a number of similar political debates over their many years of presenting Core lectures. This semester, in honor of the upcoming Presidential election, the two have agreed to debate the issues–from the left–Donna Scimeca, and from the right–Robert Young. This debate will serve as the capstone to the Core 100 Election Lecture Series, so the questions will be coming from the students in the audience. Let the debate begin.

Donna Scimeca earned an MA in History from the College of Staten Island, and is the Core Program and Learning Community Coordinator at CSI.

Robert Young earned his PhD in Military/Modern European History from The Graduate Center, CUNY  and has been teaching Core 100 since 1998.

Saturday, Nov. 5:

-10:10am: Core 100 Election Series: “The Economy,” presented by Peter Ronalds

This lecture will begin with a short history of the issue of the economy in U.S. government from independence to the present. It will examine how the political parties in the United States have historically viewed the subject. Then, it will compare and contrast how the 2016 Presidential candidates view the economy.

Peter Ronalds earned a Doctor of Arts in Modern World History from St. John’s University in 1998. He has been teaching Core 100 and history classes since 1998.