Activities and Events
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Coming Up | Come and Gone
Iraq, Iran, and the Shi'ite Crescent: Myth or Reality
Wednesday, October 15, College Union Ballroom, 4:00 p.m.
Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell University Professor of History at the University of Michigan, president of the Global Americana Institute, and leading scholar and expert on Middle Eastern politics, history, and religion, will deliver the 2008 Roemer lecture. His most recent book is Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East (2007). He is a regular contributor to the online publication Salon, has appeared on the NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, and has served as a commentator on NPR and PBS. He also maintains the blog Informed Comment: Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion.
Panel Discussion: The Current Political Situation in Iraq
Wednesday, October 15, College Union Ballroom, 1:30 p.m.
Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell University Professor of History at the University of Michigan; Isaiah Wilson, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, and Professor of Political Science at the United States Military Academy; Jeff Fischer, founder and former director of the Center for Transitional and Post-Conflict Governance at the Interational Foundation for Electoral Systems; and Feisal Istrabadi, Iraqi ambassador and representative of the Iraq Mission to the U.N. This event will be followed by the 2008 Roemer lecture, to be delivered by Professor Cole.
State Candidates' Forum
Wednesday, October 1, MacVittie Union Ballroom, 7:00 p.m.
A forum featuring the four Supreme Court candidates running in 2008 for the two seats in the Seventh Judicial District: Emma Bellini, Robert Lunn, Paul Riordan, and Joanne Winslow; the two candidates running for the 147th State Assembly District: Dan Burling and Phil Jones; the two candidates running for the 59th State Senate District: Kathy Konst and Dale Volker; one of the candidates running for the 57th State Senate District: Christopher Schaffer; and one candidate running for the 26th U.S. Congressional Distict: Alice Kryzan.
Freedom's Journal and Its Work: Or Facts, Falsehoods and Common Sense
Wednesday, September 24, Newton 214
Frances Smith Foster will deliver the fifth annual Walter Harding lecture. Foster is the Charles Howard Candler professor of English and Women's Studies and associated faculty in African-American Studies and American Studies at Emory University. She is the author or editor of ten books including Written By Herself: Literary Productions by African-American Women, 1746-1892. Her current research centers on feminist sexual ethics, antebellum African-American families and religion, and best sellers and literary societies.
The Future of Democracy
Monday, September 15, MacVittie Union Ballroom, 4:00 p.m.
Dr. Peter Levine is Director of Research and Director of CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, at Tufts University. The non-partisan CIRCLE conducts and promotes research on the civic and political engagement of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25, including voter election data and analysis, civic education, community service, and young people's use of the news and electronic media. Dr. Levine's talk is based on his 2007 book, The Future of Democracy: Developing the Next Generation of American Citizens. His visit to Geneseo is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Division of Student and Campus Life, Residence Life, and GOLD.
Civil Rights: In the Day, Today and Tomorrow
Wednesday, October 24, Wadsworth Auditorium, 8:00 p.m.
Julian Bond is Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He has spent his lifetime championing social and economic justice, civil rights and political reform. From voter registration drives in the rural South to a landmark election decision in the United States Supreme Court to - most recently - a ceremonial funeral burying "the n-word," Bond has been a catalyst for social change. He has earned a reputation for standing firm in controversy, even facing jail for his convictions. Read the complete press release here.
Toward an African Renaissance? Prospects for a Troubled Continent (The 2007 Roemer Lecture)
Thursday, October 11, College Union Ballroom, 4:00 p.m.
Nicholas van de Walle is Director of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, John S. Knight Professor of International Studies in the Department of Government, and Associate Dean for International Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. Professor van de Walle is also a non-resident Fellow of the Center for Global Development in Washington D.C. Among other awards, he won the Luebbert Prize for the Best Book in Comparative Politics from the American Political Science Association for his book African Economies and the Politics of Permanent Crisis (Cambridge University Press, 2001). Reception follows.
The Feminine Mistake
Wednesday, October 3, College Union Ballroom, 1:30 p.m.
Leslie Bennetts, a journalist formerly with The New York Times and now contributing editor of Vanity Fair, will give a presentation on her book The Feminine Mistake, which posits that women should be very cautious about leaving the workforce to care for children fulltime; Bennetts' book makes the case that relying on husbands for financial security is risky and that returning to a professional occupation after years off is often unsuccessful. Reception follows the presentation. Books will be available for purchase and author signing. At 3:30 pm in the Fireside Lounge, there will be a panel of Geneseo faculty members with Leslie Bennetts moderating the discussion. Sponsored by Women's Studies, the Klainer Center for Women in Business, Womyn's Action Coalition, Provost's Office, and the President's Office.
Making Sense of the Madness: Decoding the Many Responses to Black Power
Wednesday, September 26, Newton 214, 3:00 p.m.
Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries is Assistant Professor of History at Ohio State University and affiliated with The Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. He is completing a book manuscript entitled, Freedom Rights: Civil Rights and Black Power in Lowndes County, Alabama. Professor Jeffries will also meet informally with students to discuss his research and work as a college professor from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in Milne 105. (There will be refreshments.) Jeffries' visit is sponsored by the Africana/ Black Studies program, the Access Opportunity Program, the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, and the History Department.
Romancing the Revolution: Jefferson's Declaration (The 2007 Walter Harding Lecture)
Wednesday, September 19, Newton 214, 4:30 p.m.
Betsy Erkkila, the Henry Sanborn Noyes Professor of Literature at Northwestern University, will deliver the fourth annual Walter Harding Lecture. Erkkila, who received her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, has a particular interest in American poetry, comparative American cultures, race and gender studies, and cultural and political theory. She has been awarded fellowships by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Humanities Center, the American Council for Learned Societies and the Fulbright Foundation. Erkkila is the author of numerous books, essays and articles on American Literature and culture. Her books include: Mixed Bloods and Other American Crosses: Essays on American Literature and Culture; The Wicked Sisters: Women Poets, Literary History, and Discord; Whitman the Political Poet; and Walt Whitman Among the French: Poet and Myth.
Teaching for Engagement
Thursday, September 13, MacVittie College Union Ballroom, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
Paul Loeb, author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While, Soul of a Citizen, and Generation at the Crossroads, will lead this special workshop for faculty, staff, RA's, students in education, and students pursuing the Sapphire Volunteerism and Service Leadership Certificate. The session will explore how to teach social commitment to America's future citizens. This session will be interactive with time for questions and answers and discussion. Cosponsored by Activities Commission, Office of the President, Office of the Provost, American Democracy Project, Teaching and Learning Center, School of Education, Residence Life, Division of Student and Campus Life, Center for Community, and GOLD.
Soul of a Citizen: Hope in Times of Fear
Thursday, September 13, MacVittie College Union Ballroom, 7 - 8 p.m.
Paul Loeb, author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While, Soul of a Citizen, and Generation at the Crossroads, will focus on how ordinary citizens can make their voices heard and actions count in a time when we're told neither matter. He talks of how people get involved in larger community issues and what stops them from getting involved; how they burn out in exhaustion or maintain their commitment for the long haul; how involvement can give them a sense of connection and purpose rare in purely personal life. All who are privileged to hear this lecture will walk away with a new sense of possibility, hope, and faith in their own power to act. Cosponsored by Activities Commission, Office of the President, Office of the Provost, American Democracy Project, Teaching and Learning Center, Sociology Department, School of Education, Residence Life, Division of Student and Campus Life, Center for Community, and GOLD.
Francis Bok
Monday, Feb. 5, MacVittie College Union, 7 p.m.
Francis Bok, a native of Southern Sudan, was captured and enslaved during an Arab militia raid on the village of Nymlal on May 15, 1986. Mr. Bok eventually escaped to Cairo, and in 1999 the United Nations resettled him in North Dakota. On September 28, 2000, Mr. Bok became the first escaped slave to testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in hearings that were broadcast live on C-Span. He is currently an Associate at the American Anti-Slavery Group.
The Great War Today
Monday, Feb. 5, Newton 203, 4:30 p.m.
David Kendall, who served as personal attorney to the Clintons since 1993, will deliver Geneseo's fourth annual Phi Beta Kappa lecture. He will talk about World War I, as refracted through its literature and history - the changing and evolving attempts to assess its facts and causes. He will explore the relationship, if any, between the war's literature and history and will talk about the ramifications and influences of the Great War. Read more.
Why Women Don't Run for Office and Why They Should
Thursday, Nov. 2, Newton 201, 12:45 p.m.
Jennifer Lawless, Brown University, will deliver a talk arranged by the SUNY Geneseo Department of Political Science
Walt Whitman's 1855 Leaves of Grass: Think Again (The 2006 Walter Harding Lecture)
Thursday, Sep. 21, Newton 204, 4:00 p.m.
Philosophy Club Debate: The Death Penalty
Tuesday, Apr. 18, Newton 214, 7:00 p.m.
Bill Lofquist, Associate Professor and Chair, Sociology, SUNY Geneseo, and Ted Everett, Associate Professor of Philosophy, SUNY Geneseo, will debate the death penalty at a meeting of the SUNY Geneseo Philosophy Club.
Nora Bredes on Feminism in the 21st Century
Thursday, Apr. 6, Newton 201, 12:45 p.m.
Nora Bredes is Director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University of Rochester.
Civic Engagement Week 2006: February 13 - 17
Film: The Contender
Monday, Feb. 13, Milne 213, 7:00 p.m.
The Contender is a political thriller that takes the audience behind the scenes of political power plays in Washington, D.C. between Congress and the White House. View the film and join and participate in a lively discussion with faculty from the History Department: Dr. Kathleen Mapes, Assistant Professor of History and Dr. Joseph Cope, Assistant Professor of History.
A Perspective on State and Local Courts from Hon. Richard C. Wesley, U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals
Tuesday, Feb. 14, MacVittie Union Ballroom, 12:45 p.m.
Are you confused by the court system and how issues and cases are brought to final resolution? If so, you are not alone. Judge Wesley has experience as a state legislator and as a judge on the New York Court of Appeals (the top court in New York), and he was appointed by President Bush, with unanimous consent of the Senate, as a federal judge.
NY Times Columnist David Carr on the Role of Media in Democracy
Wednesday, Feb. 15, SUNY Brockport MetroCenter (55 St. Paul St., Rochester), 7:00 p.m.
SUNY Geneseo and SUNY Brockport invite students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Rochester Area Colleges to the first Critical Issues Forum on Civic Engagement. David Carr, New York Times columnist on media issues and popular culture, will lecture and take questions. Admission is free. SUNY Geneseo will provide bus transportation for Geneseo students to the SUNY Brockport MetroCenter (the former Chamber of Commerce Building) in downtown Rochester at 55 St. Paul Street. After the lecture, the bus will take Geneseo students to Spot Coffee, where they can discuss the lecture in a relaxed atmosphere, drink free coffee and nosh on a pastry courtesy of the Division of Student and Campus Life.
Criminal Justice and Families: Creating a Chemical Reaction for Change
Thursday, Feb. 16, MacVittie Union Ballroom, 12:45 p.m.
Carol Shapiro, founder and director of Family Justice, will talk about social entrepreneurship, using Family Justice as an example. Established in 1996 in a storefront on New York's Lower East Side, Family Justice has been recognized for its award-winning, evidence-based practice at La Bodega de la Familia. Family Justice draws on the unique strengths of the family and neighborhoods to break cycles of involvement with the criminal justice system by working with government agencies, the private sector, and local partners, providing direct services, consulting and training in its methods, and serving as a resource for public policy makers and the criminal justice system.
Livingston CARES
Friday, Feb. 17, MacVittie Union Room 114, 1:30 p.m.
Students who participated in the January Livingston CARES work trip to Harrison County, Mississippi will share their stories and talk about their experiences working on the hurricane recovery efforts in Mississippi. Come and be inspired by their stories about helping others. Panelists: Christopher Basso, James Bryant, Casey Carrigan, Amanda Gitomer, Kevin Reilly, Tegan Serianni, Laura Shelhammer, Kristy Sirianni, George Sullivan
2006 Phi Beta Kappa Lecture: Judith Reppy on "Bioterrorism in a Historical Perspective"
Thursday, Feb. 2, Newton 204, 4 p.m.
Judith V. Reppy, Professor of Science and Technology and Associate Director of the Peace Studies Program at Cornell University, will deliver SUNY Geneseo's third annual Phi Beta Kappa lecture.
Roemer World Affairs Lecture: NPR's Rob Gifford on "China's Unfinished Revolution"
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Newton 204, 12:45 p.m.
Rob Gifford, who has just returned from China after six years as China Correspondent for NPR, will cover topics relevant to a range of disciplines, including history, business, economics, political science, and sociology. Gifford holds a B.A. in Chinese Studies from Durham University (UK) and an M.A. in Regional Studies (East Asia) from Harvard University. He is currently writing a book based on his NPR series On the Road in China, and will be heard back on air as NPR's London Correspondent from January 2006.
Hurricane Katrina Teach-In
Sunday, October 30, MacVittie Union Ballroom, 2:00 p.m.
The American Democracy Project and the President's Commission on Diversity and Community, together with other members of the campus community, have planned an afternoon of small-group discussions among Geneseo students, staff, and faculty. The purpose of this event is to encourage careful, mindful listening and talking as a supplement to the larger relief efforts being undertaken by the College and surrounding communities. Faculty and staff who wish to contribute brief written pieces as a focus for discussion should contact Beth McCoy, Associate Professor of English.
Honoring Geneseo's Teachers
Thursday, October 27, Milne 203, 12:45 p.m.
Each semester, four Geneseo teachers are honored for their work with students inside and outside the classroom. Artifacts of their work are featured in an exhibit near Milne Library 208. The entire campus community is invited to the reception to recognize the fall semester honorees: Prof. Ed Drachman (Political Science), Prof. Mary Mohan (Communication), Prof. Paul Pacheco (Anthropology), Prof. Sherry Schwartz (School of Education).
David Cohen on Prosecuting War Crimes
Tuesday, October 25, Newton 201, 12:45 p.m.
David Cohen, Chief of Staff for the Office of the Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (UN tribunal prosecuting war crimes), will speak on his experiences in prosecuting war crimes. Mr. Cohen graduated from Geneseo in 1977 with a degree in Political Science.
Race, Class and Poverty: Reflections on Katrina
Thursday, October 20, Newton 214, 7:00 p.m.
Professors Dougie Bicket (Communication), Ted Everett (Philosophy), Harry Howe (School of Business, Accounting), and Lisa Meyer (Sociology) will offer their thoughts on the Katrina catastrophe in a live panel presentation organized by the Geneseo Philosophy Club.
Isidro Morales-Moreno on NAFTA and CAFTA
Tuesday, October 18, 2005, Newton 201, 12:45 p.m.
Isidro Morales-Moreno is Professor of International Relations at Universidad de las Americas, Mexico. He is formerly a Dean at UDLA and is currently a visiting Professor at American University in Washington, D.C. His talk is titled, "A Retrospective on NAFTA, a Prospective on CAFTA."
Philosophy Club Discussion: What is Democracy?
Thursday, October 6, 2005, Welles 111, 7:30 p.m.
Members of the campus community are invited to join the SUNY Geneseo Philosophy Club in examining the concept of democracy. In open discussion, participants will consider what democracy is, whether it is the best form of government, and what conditions must be met if democracy is to function well.
Open Forum With Candidates for Livingston County Judge
Tuesday, September 20, 2005, College Union Ballroom, 7:30 p.m.
This election day, Livingston County voters will elect two of the three candidates running for a ten-year term as Livingston County Judge. Meet the three candidates vying for these two court vacancies at an open forum on the Geneseo campus. The candidates are:
- Dennis Cohen (running on Democratic, Independence, Conservative, and Common Good lines)
- Bob Wiggins (running on Republican and Law and Justice lines)
- Lou Collela (running on Republican and Law and Justice lines)
Candidates will entertain questions from the audience.
Constitution Week 2005
The U.S. Constitution in the 21st Century
Tuesday, September 13, Newton 201, 12:45
- Prof. Jeffrey Koch, Political Science and International Relations
- Prof. Kenneth Deutsch, Political Science and International Relations
- Prof. Kathleen Mapes, History
- Ivan Kenneally, Philosophy.
What is Civic Engagement and Where Do We Start?
Tuesday, September 13, MacVittie Union 319, 12:45
- Distinguished Prof. Bill Cook, History
The Supreme Court...Democracy Redefined
Thursday, September 15, Newton 204, 12:45
- Barbara de Leeuw, Excecutive Director, Genesee Valley Civil Liberties Union
- Katie Piccola, Attorney, Boylen, Brown, Code, Vigdor, & Wilson, LLP