Virtual program on YouTube live, 7 p.m

Race and Policing

Raff Donelson, Penn State Dickinson Law
Matthew Guariglia ’12, University of California-Berkeley
Stephanie Jirard, Shippensburg University
Vincent Stephens (moderator), Dickinson College

The murder of George Floyd catalyzed great social upheaval in the U.S. and prompted protests across the world. In addition to Floyd, numerous high profile cases of unarmed Black Americans killed by police, including Breonna Taylor and Elijah McClain, have garnered national and international attention already this year. The names of victims of police violence and brutality have become a rallying cry to “defund the police.” However, detractors of the protests insist that law enforcement officers serve as the “thin blue line,” preventing society from unhinging and degrading into criminality and chaos. This panel will explore the relationships between race and policing in the United States, including discussion of the history of the police and their response (at local, state, and federal levels) to protests since Memorial Day weekend.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Program in Policy Studies, the Women’s & Gender Resource Center, and the department of Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies.

Overview of Read more

Virtual program on YouTube Live, 7 p.m.

Lethal Flows: The U.S. Role in Arms Transfers and Arms Trafficking to Latin America and the Caribbean

Adam Isacson

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Latin America has eight percent of the world’s population, but accounts for 33 percent of its homicides. Yet the U.S. government maintains robust military aid and arms sales programs, while U.S. territory is a hub for small arms traffickers. Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America walks through some of the main ways that U.S.-made weapons flow into the wrong hands throughout the Western Hemisphere, and what we can do about it.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the departments of Spanish & Portuguese and sociology and the Security Studies Program. This event was initiated by one of the Clarke Forum’s student project managers.

Overview of topic written by Amanda Sowah ’22

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Adam Isacson has worked on defense, security, and peacebuilding in Latin America since 1994. He now directs Washington Office on Latin American (WOLA)’s Defense Oversight program, which monitors U.S. cooperation with Latin America’s security forces, as well as other security trends. Read more

Washington University in St. Louis

Unraveled Myths: The Green Revolution and the Gene Revolution

Thursday, September 3, 2020 
Virtual program on YouTube live, 7 p.m.
(Rescheduled from 4/7/20)

Livestream Link

An expert in diverse types of agricultural systems around the world, Stone finds that two of the most cherished narratives of technological success in development aimed at improving agriculture in these communities fall apart under scrutiny.

The program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the departments of anthropology, archaeology, history, and environmental studies and the Food Studies Program.

Overview of topic written by Scout Meredith Best ’21

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Glenn Stone is an anthropologist whose work centers on the politics and ecology of food and agriculture, including smallholder, alternative, and capitalist industrial agriculture and agricultural biotechnology (GMO’s).  His fieldwork has been in Nigeria, India, the Philippines, and Appalachia, with additional research in prehistoric archaeology in the U.S. Midwest and Southwest and in a biotechnology laboratory.  Author of one book and and over 70 academic articles, he has been awarded fellowships by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the School for Advanced Research, and most recently the Simon Guggenheim Foundation. He is Read more

Penn State University

Who Was A Suffragist: A More Diverse View

Wednesday, September 2, 2020
Virtual program on YouTube live, 7 p.m.

This lecture reveals the hidden histories of the Native American, Chinese American, African American, and Hispanic suffragists who not only challenged women’s inequality but also fought against the racial prejudices of the age. They marched in parades, debated with national suffrage leaders, and met with presidents and other politicians. They insisted that women in their communities also deserved the vote.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues and co-sponsored by the Women’s & Gender Resource Center and the department of women’s, gender & sexuality studies.

Overview of topic written by Amanda Sowah ’22

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Cathleen Cahill is a social historian who explores the everyday experiences of ordinary people, primarily women. She focuses on women’s working and political lives, asking how identities such as race, nationality, class, and age have shaped them. She is also interested in the connections generated by women’s movements for work, play, and politics, and how mapping those movements reveal women in surprising and unexpected places. She is the author of Federal Fathers and Mothers: A Social Read more

Sojourners Contributor, Songwriter and Storyteller

Reimagining Citizenship: Thoughts on Relational Violence & The Construct of Whiteness

Tuesday, June 30, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

Ariel will explore how dismantling constructs of superiority can present a broader perspective on relational healing and citizenship within and around us.

Members of the public are invited to watch the discussion and submit questions in the comments section of the YouTube live stream. It is free and open to the public.

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Courtney Ariel is a songwriter and storyteller and her music can be found on most streaming platforms. As a Sojourners contributor, she has written several articles including “For Our White Friends Desiring to be Allies,” and “How White Liberals Perpetuate Relational Violence.” Through her writing and music, Ariel is committed to speaking back —speaking truth — to systems of oppression, which she believes to be at the core of her resistance and pathway to liberation. Despite what middle school adolescence taught many of us, she thinks we are the coolest when we admit we aren’t certain, care deeply and continue trying. Let’s give it a shot.

Raised in Southern California, she graduated from UC Santa Barbara with Read more

Thursday, April 30, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

Participants

Safronia Perry, executive director of Hope Station

In Conversation with:
Linh Nguyen ’20, student project co-supervisor at the Clarke Forum
Carolina Celedón ’22, student project manager at the Clarke Forum

As of Sunday April 19^th, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf updated the state response to the Coronavirus to mandate that essential employees wear masks at work. The wearing of face masks and coverings is very new for most Americans. However, in other countries, this practice was already common to guard against air pollution and the spread of disease. The lack of PPE in the United States during the Pandemic has resulted in health officials suggesting that people make their own face masks and coverings using bandanas and other cloth materials. In American cities in particular, bandanas of certain colors are associated with gang membership and violence. This conversation with Safronia Perry will explore how wearing face masks and coverings could intensify racial profiling and stereotyping of people of color in America.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Safronia Perry is the executive director of Hope Read more

Dickinson College

The Science of COVID-19: Aspects of Infection, Immunity, Treatment and Testing

Tuesday, April 28, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 has been called the “perfect pathogen” due to it being both highly infectious and virulent.  This presentation will provide an overview of our current understanding of how the virus damages the lungs, the good – and bad – of the resulting immune response, the potential for treatments/vaccines, and the mechanisms underlying the various testing strategies.

This event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biography

John Henson is the senior associate provost for Academic Affairs and the Charles A. Dana Professor of Biology at Dickinson College. Henson is a member of the biology department, contributes to the biochemistry and molecular biology and health studies programs, and has taught courses covering aspects of infection vs. immunity, global health and the origins of pandemics. He is a broadly trained cell biologist and comparative immunologist with a long record of external research support from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Henson worked on H5N1 pandemic influenza preparedness along with biological weapon nonproliferation while a William C. Foster science Read more

Thursday, April 16, 2020
Live Stream Event

Panelists

Erika Juran, Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center
Zach King, Singer/Songwriter
Becky Richeson, Carlisle Arts Learning Center
Sarah Skaggs, Dickinson College

The Coronavirus Pandemic and resulting closure of non-essential businesses, the practice of social distancing and shelter-in-place orders have had serious impacts the lives of artists and arts organizations all across the country. In this discussion we will hear from a local musician and several arts organizations and find out how they are adjusting to this new reality.

The virtual panel will take place via Zoom and will be available for live streaming on the Clarke Forum’s YouTube page or by visiting Clarke.dickinson.edu for the live stream link. Members of the public are invited to watch the discussion and submit questions for panelists in the comments section of the YouTube live stream.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biographies (provided by the participants)

Erika Juran serves as Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center’s executive director. She has over 17 years of experience in nonprofit management with most of this experience in the arts sector, including service as a leader at an art museum and a Read more

Wednesday, April 15, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

Panelists

Stephanie Patterson Gilbert, Georgie Lou’s Retro Candy
Tanis Monroy, Destination Carlisle
Kirk Ream, Transformation Training & Fitness

The Coronavirus Pandemic and resulting closure of non-essential businesses and shelter-in-place orders have had serious impacts on small businesses across the nation. In this discussion, small business owners in Carlisle will share the new realities local businesses are adjusting to and how businesses in the Carlisle area are responding to the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Members of the public are invited to watch the discussion and submit questions for panelists in the comments section of the YouTube live stream.

The event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biographies (provided by the panelists)

Stephanie Patterson Gilbert is the owner of Georgie Lou’s Retro Candy, a candy, soda, and pop culture store in downtown Carlisle that opened in 2009 that is known for its elaborate store windows and downtown-wide kids events that is has staged for over a decade.  Stephanie is also the founder and president of Destination Carlisle, a volunteer merchant organization that helps connect downtown merchants to each other and the community Read more

Tuesday, April 7, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

Panelists

Jenn Halpin, Dickinson College Farm
Andrea Karns, Karns Quality Foods
Robert Weed, Project Share

Access to quality food was already an issue for many families in Central Pennsylvania prior to the arrival of the coronavirus. Today, the question of access is more urgent for many more people. Supply chains are also threatened, as our efforts to respond to the health crisis creates all kinds of unforeseen challenges. A panel of experts will discuss food, food supply chains and food access during a time of crisis.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biographies (forthcoming)

Jenn Halpin has been involved with food systems initiatives at Dickinson and within the region for over 18 years. She co-founded the organic farm at Dickinson College in 2007. In addition to directing all aspects of the farm, Halpin helped to establish Dickinson’s Food Studies Certificate Program and develop regional purchasing initiatives at the college. Additionally, she was the founding president of Farmers on the Square, Carlisle’s thriving producer-only farmers’ market and served on the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) board for nine years, several Read more

Thursday, April 2, 2020 – 7 p.m.
Live Stream Event

Panelists

Jason Brode, AMEND Program
Sonya Browne, Domestic Violence Services of Cumberland and Perry Counties
Colleen Kinney, YWCA Carlisle
Scott Shewell, Safe Harbour

Around the world people are being told to stay home to help flatten the curve against the spread of Covid-19. But what happens if your home is not safe to shelter-in-place? According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 123 victims lost their lives to domestic violence last year in Pennsylvania. How is COVID-19 and government recommendations to stay at home, impacting members of our community who are at risk? Representatives from Domestic Violence Services for Cumberland and Perry County, Safe Harbour, YWCA and the AMEND Program will talk about what their organizations and programs are doing to support survivors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and what resources are available for individuals and families who are not safe (or at risk) at home.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues at Dickinson College.

Biographies (provided by the panelists)

Jason Brode is the executive director of Diakon Youth Services where he directs and administrates all Diakon Youth Read more

Wednesday, March 25, 2020 – 7 p.m
Virtual Presentation

Participants:

Tim Scott, Mayor
Sean Shultz, Deputy Mayor
Susan Armstrong, Borough Manager
Jeffrey Snyder, Carlisle Fire Chief

Please join us for our first live-streamed event with our local officials concerning Carlisle’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Video of the Presentation

  Read more

Attorney and Author

While Reason Slept: Recapturing the Founders’ Vision of a Rational Republic

Monday, March 2, 2020
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

How did we get to our current state of political acrimony?  Brier, the author of While Reason Slept, will walk us through the beginning of our national politics to the present day before offering a solution for recapturing our Founding Fathers’ path to a rational Republic.

This program is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biography (provided by the speaker)

Thomas F. Brier Jr. is a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania, growing up as the oldest of three boys. He is a Dickinson College graduate with a degree in philosophy. Brier went on to Penn State Law, received a juris doctor in 2017 and was selected as commencement speaker by his classmates. After graduation, he served as a law clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit before joining an international law firm in Philadelphia.  At the firm, in addition to working on several multi-million-dollar lawsuits, he worked closely with the SeniorLAW Center and other pro bono legal assistance organization to help low-income families.  As a volunteer “Reader” in the Philly Reads Read more

Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium – 7 p.m.

Panel of Dickinson Faculty

Heather Bedi, environmental studies
Angela DeLutis-Eichenberger, Spanish & Portuguese and Latin American, Latino & Caribbean Studies
Nicoletta Marini-Maio,  Italian and film studies
Mireille Rebeiz, French & Francophone and women’s, gender & sexuality studies
Ed Webb,  political science and international studies

Protests are breaking around the world, and people are demanding immediate action and calling for changes in governmental, political, and environmental policies. What sparked these protests, and what is next for many of the countries involved? Panelists will address world-wide environmental activism as well as political protests in Algeria, Chile, Iraq, Italy, and Lebanon.

This program in sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biographies (provided by the panelists)

Heather Bedi is an assistant professor of environmental studies at Dickinson College. Funded by the Cambridge Political Economy Society Trust, she completed a Ph.D. in human geography from the University of Cambridge. Bedi’s research examines how civil society and socio-environmental movements experience and adapt to natural resource and landscape modifications related to energy processes, climate change, industrialization, and agricultural transitions. Her broader research and teaching interests include environmental and social Read more

Monday, December 2, 2019
Anita Tuvin Schlechter Auditorium, 7 p.m.

Panelists

Margee Ensign, Dickinson College
Mathilde Mukantabana, Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda to the U.S.
Jean-Pierre Karegeye (moderator), Dickinson College
Nelly Teta Ntwali ’22, Dickinson College

In 1994 more than a million people were murdered in Rwanda over the course of about 100 days in one of the century’s most brutal and shocking instances of genocide. Since that time, Rwanda has not only recovered but has become a beacon in Africa for thoughtful and equitable development.  In the words of President Paul Kagame: “In 1994 there was no hope, only darkness. Today, light radiates from this place. How did it happen? Rwanda became a family again.” This panel discussion will address the nature of the new Rwandan “family,” how Rwanda has achieved its remarkable recovery, and what we can all learn from its truly remarkable successes.

This event is sponsored by the Clarke Forum for Contemporary Issues.

Biographies (provided by the panelists)

Margee Ensign is the 29^th president of Dickinson College, which was chartered in 1783—the first college established in the new United States of America. Dickinson is a recognized leader in global education and Read more