Wegner The University of Scranton’s Schemel Forum features a distinguished group of thinkers, authors and a Grammy award-winning musician for its fall semester World Affairs Luncheon Seminars.
The series will feature six seminars in total. All take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be held in Brennan Hall’s Rose Room on the University’s campus. In addition, a Zoom link will be provided for those who wish to attend remotely. The luncheon series is sponsored by Munley Law.
“While we didn’t go into this fall’s luncheon series with a specific theme in mind, it’s easy to make connections among the topics, which should be of interest to Schemel Forum members and to people interested in joining a luncheon or the series for the first time,” said George J. Aulisio, Ph.D., dean of the Weinberg Memorial Library and director of the Schemel Forum.
The series opens Friday, Sept. 6, with “Living to Grow Up: How Childhood Death Became ‘Unnatural’,” presented by Perri Klass, M.D., professor of journalism and pediatrics at New York University, national medical director of Reach Out and Read, and author of “The Best Medicine.” Recipient of the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, Dr. Klass will discuss the remarkable human victories over child and infant mortality.
Trained as a pediatrician in Boston during the 1980s, “there was a guiding principle that it’s not acceptable for children to die,” said Dr. Klass. At the beginning of the 20th century, one in 10 children died. Today, thanks to advances in science, medicine, public health and social welfare, that has changed.
“To me, this seems like a huge change in the human condition,” said Dr. Klass. “It might be the best thing we ever did as a human species.”
Dr. Klass will talk about the ways that so many different fields of human endeavor had to work together to change the odds that children would survive. As a society, “we did this,” Dr. Klass said. “Looking at this through a historical lens, parents today can appreciate the incredibly good fortune of being able to keep our children safe.”
Next, on Thursday, Sept. 26, Adam Benforado, J.D., professor of law at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law, Drexel University, New York Times bestselling author, and children’s rights activist, will present “What Do Children Deserve?”
In his acclaimed new book, “A Minor Revolution,” professor Benforado offers a sharp indictment of America’s failure to protect, invest in, and empower children. Through this talk, he will examine how this is not only a moral problem, but also an economic and social one: by neglecting kids today, we doom ourselves in the years ahead.
The fall luncheon series continues Tuesday, Oct. 8, with Jonathan Conyers, acclaimed author of the memoir “I Wasn’t Supposed to Be Here.” Founder of Conyers Media, host of The Professional Winner Podcast, and co-founder of the Brooklyn Debate League, Conyers will share “The Power of Storytelling.” Speaking from the personal experience of lifting himself out of life’s struggles, Conyers will share how the stories of each and every person matter.
Born to two parents addicted to crack cocaine, Conyers’ childhood was defined by both tragedy and triumph. “Now that I’m on the other side, I look back on what happened as an advantage,” Conyers said.
“Writing has taught me so much about my life and journey,” Conyers said. “Things that happen to you don’t define you. You always have a chance to rewrite your story, and you can decide which chapter it will start with.”
On Friday, Oct. 18, Vince Giordano, Grammy-winner, multi-instrumentalist and band leader, will present “There’s a Future in the Past: Leading a Repertory Orchestra /Band in the 21st Century.” Giordano has brought 1920s and 30s jazz to life for nearly five decades. He and his band, Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, have been featured in films including The Cotton Club, The Aviator, and Boardwalk Empire, and have performed at the Town Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Newport Jazz Festival and the 92nd St Y for the past five decades.
Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks will perform in a free and open-to-the-public concert on Friday, Oct. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Houlihan-McClean Center. For more details, visit www.scranton.edu/music.
“Giordano’s luncheon presentation and concert give a new breadth and depth to the Schemel Forum programming and allow us to partner with the excellent programs hosted by Performance Music on campus,” said Dean Aulisio.
On Friday, Oct. 25, Olapeju Simoyan, M.D., professor of psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine, will present “Bridge Over Troubled Water: Harnessing the Power of Music, Art and the Humanities for Better Health.” The health care community has grown increasingly interested in the humanities and creative arts over the past decade. In this discussion, Dr. Simoyan will address numerous ways in which music, art and the humanities are used to bridge the gap between the science and art of health care.
The fall season will conclude Thursday, Nov. 21, with Josef Wegner, Ph.D., professor of Egyptian archaeology, chair of the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, and curator of the Egyptian Section, Penn Museum, University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Wegner will present “Ancient Egypt in Pennsylvania: Excavations, Collections, and New Discoveries.” In what Weinberg Library Dean Aulisio describes as “one of the most unique luncheon programs we have done with the Schemel Forum,” Dr. Wegner will look at recent discoveries in Egypt, as well as the history of Penn’s work and the new galleries which will showcase Ancient Egypt’s legacy in Pennsylvania.
Admission to the seminars is free for University of Scranton and Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine students, faculty, staff and Schemel Forum members. For non-members, the seminars are $30 in-person (buffet lunch included) and $15 for remote access.
To register for the seminars, call 570-941-4740 or email [email protected] . Or, to pay online, visit: www.scranton.edu/schemelforum.
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