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 (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 focus of the Core Lecture Series, this semester, will be to directly link the program’s curriculum to current events.

 

The Lecture Series Schedule for the Week of Sept. 4, 2017

Wednesday, Sept. 6:

-1:25pm: “Harvey, John, and the Iroqouis,” presented by Deborah DeSimone

This lecture will explore the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and the rationale for the federal government’s involvement in disaster relief. Questions regarding the proper role of government, private property, and unity are explored in relation to the influence on the Founding Fathers of John Locke and the Iroquois Confederacy.

Deborah DeSimone 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. Prof. DeSimone’s undergraduate degree is from Brown University and her graduate degrees are from Columbia University Teachers’ College.

-3:35pm: “‘The Social Contract’ – Its Relevance and Application – Then and Now,” presented by William Fallon

This lecture will begin with a brief analysis of John Locke and his Social Contract proposal. Along with Locke, Thomas Paine will also be mentioned due to his radical viewpoints concerning government. The discussion will then shift toward the Social Contract as it applies to the U.S. today. Challenging questions and issues will be posed to the student body that correlate to the government’s responsibility to the people. Examples of current and present-day issues ripped from the headlines will include (1) Government’s role in the response to Hurricane Harvey, (2) Tax reform, and (3) The North Korean dilemma.

William Fallon is an Adjunct Professor in CSI’s Core program. He is currently in his fifth semester teaching the course. He earned his MA in History from CSI in 2013. His focus is 20th-Century U.S. History and U.S. Foreign Policy.

Thursday, Sept. 7:

-8:00am and 10:10am: “Yellow Journalism and Fake News,” presented by Sean Doyle

During the heightened atmosphere of the Trump presidency, “fake news” has been receiving a lot of attention. This lecturer will discuss the issue of “fake news,” and will also examine the phenomenon of “yellow journalism” from the late 19th Century.

Sean Doyle retired from teaching high school in 2012, and has been teaching Core for six years. Professor Doyle 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.

-4:40pm: “You Have to See It to Believe It,” presented by David Loncle

This lecture will review examples for students exploring the relationship between identity, perspective, and conceptual frames as they impact our social and political systems through themes such as “fake news,” the Syrian refugee crisis, and national populism.  This lecture is intended to enrich and diversify the conversation around these issues and give students novel ways to comprehend volatile issues.

David Loncle is an Adjunct Assistant Professor and has been with the Core program since fall 2015. He comes to Core from the PCA Department, where he has taught studio art since 2009.

-6:30pm: “The United States 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.  In recent months, President Trump, in trying to fulfill a campaign promise (enacting a Travel Ban) signed Executive Orders 13769 and 13780 into law. This lecture will look at the Federal courts’ response to these signed Executive Orders.

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

Saturday, Sept. 9:

-10:10am: Lecture presented by Peter Ronalds

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