Today’s Schemel Forum Luncheon – China Today: What We Need to Know, will be in the DeNaples Center Ballroom from 12-1 p.m. and not Brennan Hall as stated in the brochure.
Category: Schemel Forum
Health Care Reform Discussion
The Schemel Forum is collaborating with the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce to host a discussion of how health care reform will affect businesses.
This Health Care Reform Panel Discussion will be held on Monday, October 18 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the DeNaples Center on the campus of The University of Scranton. The discussion will feature nationally known speakers Douglas Hastings, Mark Lutes, and Adam Solander, who will look at the issue from four perspectives: the employer, the consumer, the medical professional and the underwriter.
Douglas Hastings is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Epstein Becker & Green P.C. and is a member of the firm’s Health Care and Life Sciences practice in Washington D.C. Mr. Hastings provides a wide range of health care organizations with legal guidance in responding to the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly changing U.S. health care system.
Mark Lutes is a senior member of EpsteinBeckerGreen’s health law practice. He counsels health insurers on reform and compliance issues, and a variety of health care businesses about reimbursement issues and regulatory trends. He has led multidisciplinary teams developing and implementing regulatory and public policy strategies for health care companies.
Adam Solander recently joined EpsteinBeckerGreen from the ERISA Industry Committee where he was Health Policy Counsel. He worked on behalf of Fortune 500 employers concerned with legislative and regulatory developments affecting their employees’ welfare benefit plans. He counseled employers on the impact of health reform legislation and emerging regulation.
The cost for the event is $10 for Chamber members and Schemel Forum members and $15 for all other attendees. A continental breakfast will be served. Please RSVP to Karen Durkin by October 13 at 570-342-7711 or kdurkin@scrantonchamber.com, or visit the Secure Registration page of www.scrantonchamber.com.
University for a Day
Take advantage of the opportunity to become college students for the first time or once again, through an innovative program offered by the Schemel Forum at The University of Scranton. University for a Day, scheduled for Saturday, October 2, allows participants to attend lectures that explore topics ranging from slavery and Confucian philosophy to university professors’ role in the community and books and argumentation.
According to Sondra Myers, director of the Schemel Forum at The University of Scranton, the program provides an opportunity for attendees to come together to explore new topics and forge new relationships. “Participants develop friendships through the collaborative community of learning that these programs provide,” said Myers.
University for a Day includes lunch sandwiched between four lectures/discussions led by university professors and other experts. During one of the programs, University of Scranton professor of philosophy Ann Pang-White, Ph.D., will lead a discussion of eastern philosophy and western philosophers, pose some questions focusing on topics such as ethics and the rights theories, and introduce the concept of care in her presentation titled “Where East Meets West: Confucian Philosophy and a Post-Modern Ethics of Care.” “By learning from other cultures, we can reexamine our own philosophical systems,” said Dr. Pang-White. “Despite the differences among the cultures, there is common ground between the east and west, and when the east meets the west, there can be great synergy that develops.”
Other programs planned are “’Our Peculiar Institution’: Slavery in the South” by Attorney Morey M. Myers; “Scaling the University’s Gates: The Professor in the Community” by Clement Price, professor of African American studies and founding director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Modern Experience at Rutgers University, Newark, N.J.; and “Books and Argumentation: A Panel Discussion” featuring authors Christopher Hitchens and Jay Parini, and moderated by Morey Myers. “Books and Argumentation” is held in collaboration with the second annual Pages and Places Book Festival and will take place at the Scranton Cultural Center. Transportation to the center will be provided.
The University for a Day program will run from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center on The University of Scranton’s campus. Seating is limited and reservations are required to attend. The participation fee is $25 for non-Schemel Forum members. To register, contact Kym Balthazar Fetsko, events coordinator, at (570) 941-7816 or fetskok2@scranton.edu.
University for a Day is made possible through the support of the Wachovia Regional Foundation and the Scranton Area Foundation.
Schemel Forum Fall 2010 Schedule
The Fall 2010 Schemel Forum schedule is here!
As usual, the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Schemel Forum have prepared a fantastic calendar of evening courses, luncheons, and concerts for your intellectual enjoyment. Like Dr. Denise Fulbrook’s six-session evening course on “The Absolutely Fabulous, Suspiciously Witty Work and Legacy of Jane Austen,” or National Museum of American History director Brent Glass‘s luncheon titled “America Engaged in the World: Cultural Diplomacy Still Works!”
We’re especially looking forward to this year’s University for a Day on October 2, when authors Christopher Hitchens and Jay Parini will discuss “Books and Argumentation” with moderator Attorney Morey M. Myers.
If you’d like to join us for an event, just contact Kym Balthazar Fetsko, our Schemel Forum Events Coordinator, at 570-941-7816 or fetskok2@scranton.edu.
The Schemel Forum at your Fingertips
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Miklos Marschall of Transparency International speaks to the Schemel Forum about corruption on March 31, 2010
One of the things we’re most proud of here at the Weinberg Memorial Library is the Schemel Forum, a year-long collection of courses and lectures that brings together internationally recognized speakers, University of Scranton scholars, and the Scranton community for rousing discussions of important issues.
We know, though, that as much as you might want to attend each and every Schemel event, sometimes life gets in the way and you just can’t make it to a program that interests you. That’s why we’re so thrilled that the University of Scranton’s YouTube channel now has a Schemel Forum playlist, where you can catch up on most of the Schemel luncheon talks you might have missed – like David Myers’ talk on “Israel/Palestine, a Tale of Two Truths,” or Parag Khanna’s lecture on “Global Politics and Economics: A 21st Century View.”
Keep an eye out for new videos as they’re posted – and watch out for an announcement of the Schemel Forum’s fall schedule!
Jay Parini speaks on his “found novel”, The Last Station
Scranton native Jay Parini spoke at today’s Schemel Forum luncheon about his 1990 novel, The Last Station, which was recently transformed into an Oscar-nominated film by the same name.
The novel describes the last year of Leo Tolstoy‘s life and focuses on the battle between Tolstoy’s wife Sophia and his disciple Chertkov for Tolstoy’s soul. Parini wrote the novel after reading several diaries written by people who lived in Tolstoy’s house during the tumultuous year. In today’s talk, Parini described his work as a “found novel,” a narrative shaped from the layered viewpoints of those diaries.
Parini has authored 21 books and is currently working on a new novel on the life of Herman Melville. When it’s done, we hope he’ll find his way back home to Scranton for another visit with the Schemel Forum!
P.S. The Last Station has been shown in cities all over the world – but not in Scranton. Tolstoy fans will have to drive to Tunkhannock’s Deitrich Theater, where the film will be shown on three different days (4/14, 4/18, and 4/22) during this month’s Spring Film Festival.
Update: A video of Parini’s talk is now available on the University’s YouTube channel!
CNN’s Jill Dougherty Speaks at Schemel Forum
Sondra Myers, director of the University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum, with CNN foreign affairs correspondent Jill Dougherty
CNN foreign affairs correspondent (and Dunmore native!) Jill Dougherty came to campus today to speak to University and local community members on the topic “Who Runs Russia? Deciphering Moscow’s Centers of Power.”
Formerly CNN’s Moscow bureau chief, Dougherty described her experiences as a journalist in Russia, providing character sketches of former President of the Russian Federation Boris Yeltsin, former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and current President Dmitry Medvedev. She also discussed the evolving nature of Russian democracy and provided insight on demographic changes, Russia’s relationship to China, the reliance on an oil and gas economy, and the importance of civic society.
Dougherty’s talk was the second of this Spring’s Schemel Forum Insights Luncheons, a series focused on discussions of world affairs. Next in the series will be Alex Thier of the United States Institute of Peace, who will present on “Enigma and Dilemma: Our Fraught Relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan” on March 19th at 12pm in the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Heritage Room.
Jill Dougherty speaks in Brennan Hall
Oscar-Scranton-Schemel Connection: Jay Parini’s The Last Station
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Now that the Olympics are over, it’s time to start preparing for the next big event – the Academy Awards are this Sunday! And this year, there’s a Scranton connection.
West Scranton native Jay Parini is the author of The Last Station, a novel about the last year of Tolstoy’s life – and the film adaptation of the novel has received two Oscar nominations. Helen Mirren (who plays Sofya Tolstoy) and Christopher Plummer (Leo Tolstoy) are up for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress, respectively. The Last Station was also nominated for five awards (including Best Feature) at Friday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards. For more details about the film and Parini’s work, see this article from the February 5 Scranton Times-Tribune.
This Spring, Mr. Parini will be making a special appearance on campus to discuss his book and the film at one of our Schemel Forum “Insights” luncheons. The luncheon will be held Friday, April 9 from 12pm-1:30pm in Room 509 Brennan Hall. Registration fees are $20 per person or $30 per couple for the luncheon – and Schemel Forum members get in free. To register, please contact Kym Fetsko at fetskok2 (at) scranton (dot) edu.
Schemel Forum Spring 2010
The Spring 2010 Schemel Forum schedule is officially out!
If you’re into Arthurian Legend, Shakespeare, or medieval books, this semester’s evening courses are for you. University of Scranton faculty members Rebecca Beal, Richard J. Klonoski, Michael Friedman, and the Library’s own Michael Knies will be engaging community members in discussions of books, films, and philosophy relevant to each of their respective topics.
For a look at modern global politics, take a look at this semester’s luncheon seminar series. Author Parag Khanna returns to the University this year on February 17 to discuss “Global Politics and Economics: A 21st Century View.” We’re also looking forward to February 26, when Alex Thier from the United States Institute of Peace will speak on “Enigma and Dilemma: Our Fraught Relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan,” and March 5, when CNN correspondent Jill Dougherty will speak on “Who Runs Russia? Deciphering Moscow’s Centers of Power.”
Finally, be sure to clear your calendar for the Schemel Forum’s spring concerts. On April 18, contemporary Zimbabwe pianist Jeanette Miklem will perform “A Schumann Recital,” while on June 28, “Tango Power Returns!” will showcase the music of tango masters Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla.
For more information or to register for any Schemel Forum Events, contact Kym Fetsko at fetskok2 (at) scranton (dot) edu or 570-941-7816.
Thomas Childers Book Signing
This Thursday, November 12, the Schemel Forum is hosting a lecture and book signing by University of Pennsylvania professor Thomas Childers, author of Soldier from the War Returning: The Greatest Generation’s Troubled Homecoming from World War II.
The lecture will be held at 7:15pm on campus in Brennan Hall, Room 228, but you can also join Dr. Childers at a cocktail reception from 6-7pm at Catlin House (232 Monroe Avenue, Scranton) prior to the lecture. Both the cocktail reception and lecture are free of charge. For more information, contact Schemel Forum director Sondra Myers at myerss2 (at) scranton (dot) edu.
P.S. The Weinberg Memorial Library doesn’t have a copy of Soldiers from the War Returning quite yet, but you can borrow it from another library using Interlibrary Loan. We do have some of Dr. Childers’ other books available in our own stacks, including The Formation of the Nazi Constituency, 1919-1933 and The Nazi Voter: The Social Foundations of Fascism in Germany, 1919-1933.