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; on Thursdays at 8:00am, 10:10am, 4:40pm, and 6:30pm; and 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 Feb. 11, 2019
Wednesday, Feb. 13:
-11:15am: Corelandia, presented by Victor Miller and Faculty
This week in Corelandia, students will learn the difficulty of governing a society. Six classes will play a sample mini-game in preparation for playing Corelandia beginning on Feb. 20, in order to learn how to compromise and how hard it is for a democracy to function when there are so many opinions.
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 in the Center for Advising and Academic Success. Victor is the of author of the “Summer of ’87” Reacting to the Past classroom simulation and also recently served on the Core 100 textbook editing committee.
Thursday, Feb. 14:
-8:00am: “The U.S. Position in the Venezuelan Crisis and Opposition from Russia and China,” presented by Richard Kotula
This lecture will provide a cursory overview of government intervention for and protection of U.S. interests abroad, with a primary focus on the current administration’s position on the Venezuela Crisis. The lecture will seek to engage the audience in a discourse on the U.S. government’s responsibilities to Venezuela and discuss potential measures the U.S. should take.
Richard Kotula has been a member of the CSI community since 2002. From that time to the present, he has completed a BA in Psychology, BA in History, and an MA in History. He joined the Core 100 family in 2014. Since then, Richard has also joined the Political Science and Global Affairs Department and teaches Regional Geography. In addition to teaching, Richard helps run the Remedial Math program for the Mathematics Department. He has also worked as a licensed: stockbroker, commodities broker, and a financial advisor.
-10:10am: “A History of Plagiarism, and How to Avoid a Future of It,” presented by Anne Hays
Assistant Professor and Librarian Anne Hays will discuss all things plagiarism: including the academic honor code, a short history of modern-day authorship and copyright ownership, high-profile cases of stealing and borrowing from popular culture, and how to gain control of your own academic narratives by quoting craftily and citing your sources.
Anne Hays is the Coordinator of Library Instruction and an Assistant Professor. Her research interests explore the intersection between identity politics and print/media culture—including open access, open education, DIY and small press publishing, and zine culture. Her current research investigates how libraries support marginalized communities and provide access points for scholars to locate their own identity-specific cultural heritage in an academic sphere.
-4:40pm: “The Politics of Illegal Immigration,” presented by Natalia Brennan
How do we repair our “broken immigration system?” How should we deal with the issue of illegal immigration? How is President Trump attempting to resolve this problem, as discussed in his State of the Union Address? The lecture will discuss attitudes about immigration and the changing face of immigrants coming to the U.S. It will focus on political debates about Sanctuary cities, DACA, law enforcement and building a wall along the southwest border, and possibility of another government shutdown.
The goal is to help students form their own opinions by sorting through some of the complexity and emotions that this very important topic brings up.
Natalia Brennan earned a BA in History from Moscow University and an MA in History from the College of Staten Island. She has been teaching history at St. John Villa Academy High School since 2004. Professor Brennan became a member of the Core faculty in 2011.
-6:30pm: “States’ Rights vs. Centralized Power?” presented by Anthony Casella
This lecture will examine certain Constitutional Amendments including the Second Amendment, the “right to bear arms,” and the Ninth and 14th Amendments as they apply to privacy rights with regard to a women’s right to choose. Professor Casella will lead a discussion on whether these Amendments are, as currently written, “fitted to the times” in which we live or should our government modify these amendments to better meet the challenges we face in the U.S. today.
Anthony Casella has been a member of the Core faculty since 2009. He received both a BA in History and an MS in Science 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.
