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 11:15am and 1:25pm; on Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm; 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 Nov. 4, 2019
Wednesday, Nov. 6:
– 11:15am and 1:25pm: “Immigration: Crisis at the Border,” presented by Arthur Cacace
This lecture will focus on the history of the U.S. southern border with Mexico, how and why the actual border line was created, early attempts to smuggle drugs across, and the current efforts to build barriers to prevent illegal border crossings. The lecture will also discuss the currently increasing number of migrants seeking entry, and how the changing makeup of these groups which include more migrant families with children has complicated the problem. Lastly, possible solutions to help resolve this situation will be offered for student discussion.
Arthur Cacace earned his MS in Social Studies Secondary Education from the College of Staten Island. He has taught history in the NYC Public School System and has been an Adjunct Professor for Core 100 at CSI since 2008.
Thursday, Nov. 7:
-8:00am: “The Boston Tea Party: An Economic Perspective,” presented by John Lentine
The story of the Boston Tea Party has ever been told as a story of a tax on tea by Great Britain. However, there was much more to the story. This lesson will discuss the contemporary economic similarities to the circumstances the colonists found themselves in before this famous event.
John Lentine graduated from the Pennsylvania State University – Capital College, with a BS in Public Policy and an MPA in Public Administration. Studying just outside the State Capitol, he had the distinct honor of working for two of Pennsylvania’s State Representatives. Upon his return to Staten Island, he worked on a City Council campaign management team. He is currently working on his MS in Education at the College of Staten Island and is teaching at New Ventures High School.
-10:10am: “DACA in the Supreme Court,” presented by James Smith
In the context of congressional failure to enact immigration reform, President Obama reluctantly issued a directive in 2012 which ordered the Department of Homeland Security to defer deportation of young, undocumented immigrants who met specified qualifications related to age and background. In 2017, President Trump ordered the DHS to end this program on the ground that it was illegal. The President then called upon Congress to act on broader immigration reform. On November 12, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in three combined cases challenging President Trump’s order. This lecture will review the history of DACA, the constitutional and other legal issues before the Supreme Court, and the prospects for the program. The Court is likely to issue a ruling in June 2020, just in time to place the issue at the center of the Presidential election regardless of the Court’s decision.
James Smith earned a BA in Economics and Political Science, as well as an MA in Modern History from Fordham University. He received a JD from Fordham’s School of Law and an LLM degree from New York University, School of Law. He is currently a PhD candidate in American History at Fordham.
-4:40pm: “Racial Segregation in the U.S. Military,” presented by Niles French
This lecture will explore the history of segregation in the United States through an examination of the experiences of African American soldiers and the legal changes that our nation has faced in the military.
Niles French is the Senior Project Manager and New Dorp Business Improvement District Director for the SIEDC, supervising neighborhood development in the projects division. Niles is also an adjunct professor for the Core Program at the College of Staten Island. He is a graduate of the CSI, and holds an MA in History, and a BA in History and Political Science. He is a native and resident of Staten Island.
-6:30pm: “The U.S. – China Trade War,” presented by Michael Matthews
The trade war between the world’s two largest national economies, China and the United States has been ongoing since 2018, when President Donald Trump began setting tariffs and other trade barriers on China with the goal of forcing the country to make changes to what the U.S. says are “unfair trade practices.” Recently, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross commented that he was confident that the U.S. would soon reach the first part of a trade agreement with China. This lecture will provide an update on this trade dispute and the impact it has had on the U.S. economy.
Michael Matthews earned both his BA and MA degrees at Brooklyn College/CUNY. He also has an MBA from Fordham University.
Saturday, Nov. 9:
-10:10am: “The Boston Tea Party: An Economic Perspective,” presented by John Lentine
The story of the Boston Tea Party has ever been told as a story of a tax on tea by Great Britain. However, there was much more to the story. This lesson will discuss the contemporary economic similarities to the circumstances the colonists found themselves in before this famous event.
John Lentine graduated from the Pennsylvania State University – Capital College, with a BS in Public Policy and an MPA in Public Administration. Studying just outside the State Capitol, he had the distinct honor of working for two of Pennsylvania’s State Representatives. Upon his return to Staten Island, he worked on a City Council campaign management team. He is currently working on his MS in Education at the College of Staten Island and is teaching at New Ventures High School.
By the Division of Academic Affairs
