St. Francis College is proud to open its doors for a unique course that mixes together a traditional college course with an open forum for community members. Social Movements, Catholic Social Teaching & the Fight for Social Justice, taught by Sociology Professor Emily Horowitz, is a semester long exploration of modern sociological issues, ethics, and challenges. History Professor Sara Haviland also helped organize several of the lectures. (Past lectures are available at the Institute for Peace and Justice)

As part of the College’s For Seniors program, community members are invited to attend lectures every Tuesday when St. Francis is in session. Students then attend a second day of class each week to go more in depth on the issue raised during the lectures.

Topics this semester include: a look at programs aimed at helping convicts receive a college education, helping them break a cycle of crime; how the Catholic Church has impacted on immigration reform; and the importance of preserving history in both physical and oral forms.

For more information about any of the lectures, please contact Professor Horowitz at (718-489-5446 or [email protected].

Feb 4: Why College Programs for Prisoners? Screening of the forthcoming HBO Documentary Sing-Sing University. Meet Sean Pica (Executive Director, Hudson Link Prison-Based Higher Education Initiative), who spent 15 years in prison but now helps offenders get a second chance, along with other graduates of the prison college programs featured in the film.

Feb. 11: Immigration Reform & The Catholic Church: With the debate on immigration rights, front and center on Capitol Hill, where does he Catholic Church fit in? Offering historical and current context will be Prof. Arnold Sparr (History) with Very Reverend Patrick J. Keating (Associate Vicar for Human Services, Diocese of Brooklyn & Chief Executive Office, Catholic Migration Services), and Father Brian Jordan, OFM (Campus Ministry).

Feb. 25: Fighting to Preserve Historic Landmarks in Brooklyn: Nancy Pearsall has been an activist for historic preservation in Brooklyn Heights since the late 1950s and was at the forefront of the fight to win landmark designation for the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. Her work is central to efforts to preserve historic buildings and landmarks in the neighborhood. She now serves on the Brooklyn Historical Society Board of Trustees.
Co-Sponsored by the Departments of History and American Studies

March 4: Discrimination Against Ex-Offenders & Helping Ex-Offenders Access Higher Education: Yasmin Safdie (Coordinator, Education from the Inside-Out Coalition) will speak about connecting ex-offenders, especially women, to higher education and other services during the post-prison process of re-entry, recovery, and rebuilding, as well supporting the removal of systemic and structural barriers to higher education for all people, not just those with criminal convictions.

March 11: An Assessment of Pope Francis I on his First Anniversary: Msgr. LoPinto (Catholic Charities) with Prof. Arnold Sparr (History), and Father Brian Jordan, OFM (Campus Ministry) will discuss the challenges and triumphs of Pope Francis during his first year.

March 25: The Margaret Sanger Papers: Dr. Esther Katz (Dept. of History, New York University) is the editor and director of the Margaret Sanger Papers Project. She is currently editing the final volume of the four-volume The Selected Papers of Margaret Sanger, Round the World for Birth Control, 1920-1966. Her other works-in-progress include an electronic edition titled The Speeches and Articles of Margaret Sanger, along with a biography of Margaret Sanger for the Lives of American Women series to be published by CQ Press.
Co-Sponsored by the Departments of History and American Studies

April 1: The Friendship and Correspondence between Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton: Jim Forest (Author, All Is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day), a close friend of both Day and Merton, will discuss their friendship and correspondences.

April 8: Doing Oral History: Sady Sullivan (Director of Oral History & Co-Director, Crossing Borders, Bridging Generations, Brooklyn Historical Society) joined BHS in 2006. Since then, she has led eight oral history projects and conducted life history interviews with more than 200 people.
Co-Sponsored by the Departments of History and American Studies

April 22: Seven Shots: An NYPD Raid on a Terrorist Cell and Its Aftermath: Dr. Jennifer Hunt (Dept. of Sociology, Montclair State University) will tell the story of how a six-man NYPD team raided a Brooklyn-based terrorist cell in 1997 and prevented a suicide bombing on New York’s subway. Dr. Hunt offers an insider’s perspective of the elite anti-terrorism units in the NYPD and the changing tactics used since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

St. Francis College thanks the New York City Council and New York State Legislature for their support of the For Seniors program, which is funded under contract with the New York City Department for the Aging. For more information about events including free movie screening, swimming and Tai-Chi, please go to the St. Francis College Events Page and click on the Events for Senior Citizens tab on the left or call (718) 489-5272.

St. Francis College, founded in 1859 by the Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn, is located in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y. Since its founding, the College has pursued its Franciscan mission to provide an affordable, high-quality education to students from New York City’s five boroughs and beyond.

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St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201
www.sfc.edu