CRITICAL CONCERNS WEEK 2015 INTEGRATING CRITICAL CONCERNS THROUGH THE LENS OF MERCY AND JUSTICE NOVEMBER 6-13 TH Week of November 6-13 th 3 R s of Social Justice: Reading, Rights and Responsibilities (November 1-30 th ). Sister Mary Joseph Cunningham Library Mass every day at Noon in the Dorothy Marron Community Chapel Bryan Stevenson Headline Speaker and author of the critically acclaimed New York Times best seller Just Mercy, Bryan is one of the country s most visionary legal thinkers and social justice advocates. Stevenson is a founding leader of the movement against mass incarceration in the U.S. His electrifying TED talk on the subject of injustice has been viewed over 2.5 million times. Dubbed as America s Young Nelson Mandela by Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu, Professor Bryan Stevenson is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is a professor of law at the New York University School of Law and is the recipient of numerous awards and seventeen honorary degrees. He has been interviewed on the award winning television series 60 Minutes. Friday, November 6 from 9:30-11:00 AM, Casino Dr. Allan Lichtenstein-Income Inequality in New Jersey- Dr. Lichtenstein grew up in South Africa and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cape Town. His Ph.D. is in Urban Planning from Rutgers University. He has worked for the last nine years at the Poverty Research Institute of Legal Services of New Jersey doing research in the area of poverty. He has authored and co-authored a number of publications put out by the Poverty Research Institute, including two reports examining income inequality in New Jersey. Wednesday, November 11 th at 12 Noon, Little Theatre Dr. Elsie Anne McKee-Sustainability and Women in Rural Africia- Archibald Alexander Professor of Reformation Studies and the History of Worship, earned her Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Diploma in Theology from Cambridge University in England. McKee has been a guest professor in Europe (Goettingen) and Africa (Kananga, Democratic Republic of Congo where she was born and reared), and lectured on Calvin around the world. She is an ordained elder at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, and serves with several North American organizations that support theological and medical work in the Congo. Dr. McKee has most recently returned from a
three week trip to the Congo, and will share her latest experiences among the women of the country Dr. McKee has most recently returned from a three week trip to the Congo, and will share her latest experiences among the women of the country Tuesday, November 10 th at 2:00 PM, Little Theatre Marianne Comfort Mercy, Pope Francis and Sustainability: Integrating Mercy Concerns. This presentation will also include our complicity in sustainability through personal purchases, use of energy, and life style choices. Marianne Comfort began her professional career as a newspaper reporter, who specialized in covering issues related to religion and social justice concerns. Following her time as a reporter, Marianne Comfort worked for an ecumenical service organization, before taking a position with Catholic Charities in Albany, NY. While at Catholic Charities, Marianne Comfort worked on public policy at the state level. This experience prepared her well for her present position with the Sisters of Mercy Institute Justice Team, who work with the sisters to advocate and educate on national and global concerns. Thursday, November 12 th at 2:00 PM, Little Theatre Ms. Comfort and Sister Diane Guerin will meet with the Mercy Collegiate Society students to review the Mercy Justice Advocacy Program in Washington, DC. Monday, November 9 th at 5 PM, Raymond Hall North Dining Room. Dr. Scott H. Bennett will cover George Houser (1916-2015) a leader in the nonviolent peace and justice movements. During World War II, Houser, a religious pacifist and divinity student, went to prison for refusing induction into the military. He also cofounded CORE (Congress of Racial Equality), a civil rights group that pioneered nonviolent direct action against racial discrimination. He co-organized the Journey of Reconciliation, a 1947 interracial bus journey that challenged Jim Crow racism on interstate buses in the South and became the model for the better-known 1961 Freedom Rides. Beginning in the 1950s, he organized opposition to South African apartheid, and for 25 years led the American Committee on Africa, which supported African liberation and independence. Dr. Scott H. Bennett will present a short overview of George Houser's dramatic life and social activism and then answer questions. Dr. Scott H. Bennett is professor of history at Georgian Court University. He has written or edited three books on peace history, radical pacifism, and conscientious objectors; his most recent book is Antiwar Dissent & Peace Activism in World War I America: A Documentary Reader (2014). He is completing a book manuscript on Igal Roodenko and writing a biography of David McReynolds; Roodenko and McReynolds are American Gandhians who worked with George Houser in the pacifist and civil rights movements. Thursday, November 12 th at 3 PM, Little Theatre. Mary-Paula Cancienne, RSM, Ph.D.-Restorative Mercy Justice and the Role of Contemplative Methods in Community-Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Theology and Philosophy at Georgian Court University. Mary-Paula Cancienne is a Sister of Mercy with advanced degrees in art, psychology, and spirituality, as well as a doctorate in Systematic Theology from Duquesne University. Her research areas
include: Environment; Deep Aesthetics; Mercy Spirituality; and the Contemporary Religious Landscape. She is a writer of icons, a retreat director, and a trained spiritual director and supervisor. Mary-Paula worked for many years with people who suffer from mental illness mental illness and who were homeless. Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 11:00 AM, Little Theatre Sister Diane Guerin, Ph.D.- Critical Concerns Through the Lens of Nonviolence Sister Diane is the Justice Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy. Diane Guerin, RSM currently ministers as the Justice Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas. In this role she engages Sisters, Mercy Associates, and Co-Ministers in working on education and legislative action on the Institute identified Critical Concerns: immigration, antiracism, care of Earth, nonviolence, and fullness of life for women in Church and society. Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 12:30 PM, Raymond Hall North Dining Room Sister Diane Guerin and Ms. Comfort will meet with the Mercy Collegiate Society students to review the Mercy Justice Advocacy Program in Washington, DC. Monday, November 9 th at 5 PM, Raymond Hall North Dining Room. Sister Catherine Darcy, Ph.D.-For Profit Immigration Detention Centers- A member of the Mid-Atlantic Leadership Team of the Sisters of Mercy serving as the liaison to the Justice office. Sister Catherine formerly served as the Director of Service Learning here at Georgian Court and adjunct faculty member teaching graduate theology classes. Sister Catherine has been involved in diocesan administration and judicial work for over 13 years and for the past three years as a member of justice organizing. Catherine Darcy has also served nine years in parish ministry. Monday, November 9 th at 7 PM, Little Theatre Thomas J. Massaro - Social Responsivity and Sustainability- Mr. Massaro has held the position of Vice President of Marketing and Energy Efficiency at New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) since July 2007. New Jersey Natural Gas provides safe, reliable natural gas service to over half a million customers throughout New Jersey and is the principal subsidiary of New Jersey Resources (NJR), a Fortune 1,000 company. He is responsible for the Company s marketing efforts, as well as its conservation and energy efficiency programs. Previously, Mr. Massaro served as Vice President of Corporate Strategy, President of NJR Home Services, NJR s unregulated appliance service business, and Treasurer at NJNG. Since joining the Company in June 1989, as a Management Engineer, Mr. Massaro has also held several positions in marketing, operations and customer service. Mr. Massaro serves on the Board of Directors of PlanSmartNJ and is a member of the American Gas Association (AGA) Communications and Marketing committees. He is past chair of the AGA Growth Task Force and served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Energy Solutions Center. Thursday, November 12 th at 6:30 PM, Farley International Collaboration Center
Dr. Kathleen Froriep School of Education, Presentation and Library Showcase-3 R s of Social Justice: Reading, Rights and Responsibilities- Kathleen A. Froriep, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the School of Education at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ and a Reading Specialist. She and her students enjoy seeking and sharing thought provoking literature for children and youth. This presentation will focus on social justice as a common theme in literature for children and young adults. Offered for consideration will be the potential impact on reading for personal and educational gain for toddlers through adults. Wednesday, November 11 th at 2:15 PM, McAuley Heritage Center. Visit the showcase display complementing this presentation throughout the month of November in the Sister Mary Joseph Cunningham Library Paula Meninato, Art Gallery Exhibition, Paintings On Glass, Memorias Persistentes (Persistent Memories) is an exhibition that focuses on what the Argentine military dictatorship (1976-1983) could never take away: the memories and the stories of each individual Desaparecido (The Missing People). It is crucial to remember these stories so that they never happen again. Meninato s work has been shown in Casa de Venezuela s Dialogo 365, the largest exhibition of Latino art in the Philadelphia area, at The Crane Arts Building. The following year, her work was displayed in the following exhibitions: Dialogo 365 at Philadelphia City Hall, Papeles: Are We What We Sign? at The Painted Bride, and An Art Journey from Argentina to Philadelphia with Argentinian Embassy at Philadelphia City Hall. Paula has also assisted Venezuelan artist Henry Bermudez with murals, studied abroad in Rome, and served as a TA for Intro to Glass for Non-Tyler BFA In 1993, Paula Meninato was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She developed a reversible hearing disability during early childhood. Therefore, the young girl spent her childhood daydreaming and creating, isolated in her own mind. Her mother, Silvana Cardell, was a choreographer who founded a dance school and performing space in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Paula had significant exposure to visual images of dance. The artist considers her mother to be the most influential figure in her work and her childhood as a precursor to her passion for art. In 2001, the Argentinian economy collapsed. The instability of the Argentinian economy influenced her family s immigration to Philadelphia, where they currently reside. A year later, she underwent surgery in order to remove fluids from her ears and her hearing became normalized. Currently, Paula is a Painting and Drawing Major. Upon graduating, the artist aims to travel and establish herself by participating in residencies, along with exhibiting her work in galleries. Her long-term plan is to obtain her MFA, become a college professor, and migrate to a new country every three years.
Sister Judith Schubert, Ph.D.-God s Mouthpiece for Social Justice: The Biblical Prophets and Beyond Anyone who has ever read the beautiful account of Creation in the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1, realizes that in this poetic myth, God made all the world good, especially the creation of woman and man. What happened? If the Divine intention of the entire world has been to create goodness and love, why do the inhabitants of the earth often experience hate, rejection and neglect? This lecture will address the results of opposing the Divine intention for the world as experienced by the biblical prophets and beyond. Lastly, it will address the question, what can we do today do to increase social justice into the 21 st century? While teaching music at Mount Saint Mary s Academy in Watchung, NJ, many years ago, Sister Judith Schubert, RSM, a member of the Mid-Atlantic Community, substitute taught for an Old Testament class and found her passion, teaching Scripture. I do love music, but Scripture is my life. I just love the Bible, says Sister Judith, a Professor of Theology who has taught at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ since 1978. Tuesday, November 10 th at 4:00 PM. Little Theatre Mercy Collegiate Society Student Panel-Leadership & Lobbying on Capitol Hill: Focus Sustainability Reflecting back on the Mercy Higher Education Conference, Mercy Justice Advocacy DC Experience, from this past summer led by the Mercy Institute for Justice Team, students will highlight their research, networking opportunities, and lobbying experiences in Washington, D.C. Addressing current concerns of climate change and environmental issues, students will also discuss the importance of advocating for social justice and present on the Georgian Court community s efforts in becoming a more sustainable campus. Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30 PM, Casino, Ballroom Mercy Collegiate Society High Tea & Ritual As celebrated in the House of Mercy during Catherine s time to honor Catherine. Wednesday, November 11 at 4 PM, Great Hall of the Mansion Student Panel- The Call to Justice: Moving from Social Apathy to Social Action-Students will participate in a student panel and performances addressing some of the most current topics, issues, and headlines in the news media surrounding race relations, immigration, violence against women etc. Students will also be able to present an anthology of works depicting their thoughts and ideas through art, and poetry. Thursday, November 12 at 7 PM, Little Theatre Student Performance-I ll Stand by You by Rascal Flatts sung by vocalist Briana Sykes with dance interpretation by Jack Lazarus.