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 in Building 1P, Room 119.

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 Mar. 9, 2020

Wednesday, Mar. 11:

-11:15am: “The Federal Courts and the Problems of Diversity,” presented by Edward Manganel

The distinguishing feature of U.S. society is its diversity.  Our diversity, or pluralism, has indeed been a great strength of the nation – celebrated proudly, taught from the earliest grades, and when respected, knitting the country together in a mosaic of cultural pluralism. Diversity, however, has also, ironically, been the persistent American dilemma; in our own time, diversity presents a seemingly endless series of challenges and controversies, befuddling the members of Congress and allowing President Trump to eagerly fill the legislative void. The Federal Courts must and have defined the limits of diversity, if any, based on the Constitution and Civil Rights laws.

Edward Manganel received his BA from Marist College and his MA from University of Colorado. He is former Chair of the Social Studies Department and APUS History teacher at Monsignor Farrell HS, teaching at CSI for 25 years and Core 100 for ten years.

Thursday, Mar. 14:

-8:00 and 10:10am: “The 2020 United States Census,” presented by Robert Grosso

Professor Grosso discusses the importance and relevance of the 2020 Census. The lecture will provide a brief history of the Census, review its constitutional origins, the importance to the daily life of citizens, and argue that multiple aspects in our daily lives, from resources to rights, are determined by the Census when it is conducted. The crux of the lecture will try to persuade students that not taking the Census is a loss of power, and that by taking the Census, you are not only getting involved in a civic action, but also guaranteeing your own share of what you deserve.

Robert Grosso has been teaching with the Core Program since 2014, and has lectured on numerous topics in history, civics, and economics for the program’s lecture series. He also teaches at Union County College in NJ, primarily teaching the history of Western civilization.

-4:40pm: “Does Equality Create Inequity?” presented by Patrice Buffaloe

This lecture aims to address the essential question: Does equality create inequity? The lecture intends to tackle the essential question, first by reviewing the historical causes for the Equal Pay Act of 1963, then it will explore the rationale for the recent battle to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2019.

In the second part of the lecture, students will analyze the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2019 to determine if the law innately and instinctively creates inequity, and students will also analyze the law to determine if it creates greater opportunities and options for economic equality between the sexes. Based on their analysis, students will answer the essential question: Does equality create inequity?

Patrice Buffaloe is a proud graduate of the College of Staten Island. In 2003, she earned her MA in Liberal Arts and 2005, her MS in Adolescent Education. 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 she does with the students in the Core 100 classes.

By the Division of Academic Affairs