IUP will launch its Fall 2010 Six O'Clock Series with a presentation celebrating Constitution Day. “Just What Did They Originally Intend?” will take place Monday, September 13, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hadley Union Building's Ohio Room.
The Six O'Clock Series, free and open to the community, offers programs on current issues and promotes approaching familiar topics from new perspectives. Coordinated by the Center for Student Life, the series features programs sponsored by a variety of campus organizations.
All programs will take place in the Hadley Union Building Ohio Room, except for the October 18 program, which will be held in the IUP Performing Arts Center's Fisher Auditorium. Parking on campus is free after 5:00 p.m.
The ten programs offered during the Fall 2010 semester address issues ranging from civic engagement to career planning to counterterrorism and discussion of the Common Freshman Reader.
The first program, cosponsored by the Center for Civic Engagement and Student Leadership, marks Constitution Day, the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution. This program offers a casual conversation with five of the Constitution's authors—Ben Franklin, James Madison, Charles Pickney, Alexander Hamilton, and John Dickenson—and one of the most vocal opponents of the document, George Clinton. Audience members are encouraged to ask questions of the panel members portraying these individuals.
Other presentations in the Fall series include
September 20: “Financial Literacy,” a program on borrowing, repaying debts, and maintaining a healthy credit history. Cosponsors are American Education Services and the Financial Aid office.
September 27: “Make a Difference, Not Just a Paycheck,” a program featuring young alumni and employers on how involvement in campus life and community service can help students with their marketability. Cosponsors are the Office of Student Leadership and Greek Life and the Career Development Center.
October 4: “Responding to Violence,” a panel discussion with local police and university and campus counselors on the issues of violence and ways to build a safe community. Cosponsors are the Center for Health and Well-Being and the Haven Project, a federally funded program designed to increase and improve counseling and advocacy services for students who experience violence.
October 11: “Out in Rural America,” a program on the struggles for fairness and equality for homosexuals in rural America. Trial lawyer, civic rights advocate, and Fairness West Virginia founder Stephen Skinner will present the program. Cosponsors are the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Commission and the Pride Alliance.
October 18: “Nickel and Dimed,” a program focusing on Common Freshman Reader author Barbara Ehrenreich. The novel documents her experiences working in minimum wage jobs and discusses her experiences “not getting by in America.” Cosponsor is the Common Freshman Reader program. This program will be presented in the IUP Performing Arts Center's Fisher Auditorium.
October 25: “Building Your Community,” a discussion on community building by Al Condeluci, a national leader in community building.
November 1: “Social Networking and Advancing Your Career,” a program on using LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for professional networking. The presenter will be Barry Davis, social networking expert and director of career services at LMA Consulting Group. Cosponsor is the Career Development Center.
November 8: “Counterinsurgency Operations in Afghanistan,” a discussion about the challenge of counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan, with respect to the challenges provided by Pakistan's close interaction. The program will be presented by Haider Mullick, who has his bachelor's and master's degrees from IUP. A former researcher at the Brookings Institution and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Mullick focuses on U.S. policy in South Asia, specifically Pakistan and Afghanistan. Most recently, he was interviewed by the BBC regarding Wikileaks' publishing of secret U.S. military documents on the war in Afghanistan. Cosponsor is the IUP Military Science Department.
November 15: “Experiential Learning: National Student Exchange and Alternative Spring Break.” Representatives from the National Student Exchange and Alternative Spring Break programs will discuss opportunities these programs provide for experiential learning. Cosponsors are the Career Development Center and the Center for Student Leadership and Civic Engagement.