can experience 2025 FORUM
BIG ARTS 2025 FORUM
Stimulating lectures and engaging conversations with some of the most important thought leaders of our time.
ALL SESSIONS BEGIN AT 7:30 P.M.
AKHIL REED AMAR |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8
The Words That Made Us - Should the Constitution Be Amended for the 21st Century?
The United States has entered a time when constitutional interpretations seem to be changing. Factors, such as the precedents set by early presidents and Congresses, common practices of modern American citizens, venerable judicial decisions, and sources of inspiration and guidance - including the Federalist Papers - are questioned. Akhil Reed Amar is a Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University,where he teaches constitutional law. He
ranks among the most respected legal scholars in America, having been cited by Supreme Court justices in more than four dozen cases. Tops among all active scholars, he regularly testifies before Congress, at the invitation of both parties. In surveys of judicial citations and/or scholarly citations, he invariably ranks among America’s five most-cited legal scholars.
DR. MICHAEL S. ROTH |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15
What’s The Future for American Colleges?
Dr. Michael S. Roth became the President of Connecticut’s Wesleyan University in 2007. In subsequent years, he has been at the forefront of those examining the purpose of and means by which higher education functions. In the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in July 2023,he announced a suite of new recruiting efforts aimed at enhancing diverse campus interactions, including an end to admissions preference for legacy applicants. Roth has published three books examining university
education, the most recent being “The Student, A Short History” (2023). His “Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters,” was recognized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as the book best illuminating the goals and practices of a contemporary liberal education. Roth’s 2019 book, “Safe Enough Spaces: A Pragmatist’s Approach to Inclusion, Free Speech, and Political Correctness,” addresses some of the most contentious issues in American higher education, including affirmative action, safe spaces, and questions of free speech.
BILL BARR | SUNDAY, JANUARY 19
The Rule of Law Today
William Pelham Barr was confirmed as the 85th attorney general of the United States by the US Senate on February 14, 2019. On that day, Bill Barr joined John Crittenden (1841 and 1850–53) as one of only two people in US history to serve twice as attorney general. Currently, Barr is a distinguished fellow at Hudson Institute, where he can speak firsthand about the politization of our legal system. His work involves policy areas including violent crime, transnational criminal/drug organizations, and international
terrorism. Over recent decades, when Americans are confronted by questions where politics and the law collide, Bill Barr can be found. Crime rates, the international reach of big tech, Mexican drug cartels, decriminalization of cannabis, and artificial intelligence have all drawn recent comment. Bill Barr brings a perspective our audience will want to hear.
RIKKI KLIEMAN | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22
Law and the Media
Rikki Klieman is currently the Legal Analyst for CBS News, after serving as a television anchor, notably covering the OJ Simpson trial. She specialized in criminal law, appellate practice, civil litigation, and is a best-selling author and film actress. Klieman has earned a sterling reputation as one of the most celebrated lawyers and legal authorities in the nation and named one of the top female trial attorneys in the nation by Time Magazine. The legal system in America today is under fire from all directions. What are the legal
lessons to be learned from the Simpson and Trump trials? Are there two tiers of justice? How does defense counsel control a difficult high-profile defendant, sentencing considerations, gag orders, assorted other pre-trial, trial and post-trial matters? How are high-profile trials reported and consumed by the public? Are we getting fair and impartial reporting? Rikki Klieman is well-equipped to share her experience, fascinating insights and ideas on these and other legal challenges during this unique and troubling time in our country’s history.
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ALL SESSIONS BEGIN AT 7:30 P.M.
DR. NATAN SACHS | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5
Israel: Can There Ever Be a Real “Day After?”
Since October 7, 2023, the Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, and other Middle Eastern nations have struggled using threats, weaponry, and words to determine appropriate and sustainable solutions, wherein nations that express the goal of destroying components of one another can exist side-by-side. Dr. Natan Sachs is the Director at the Center for Middle East Policy and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Sachs is widely respected as an honest broker in assessing the players in the region and
recommending policies that promote more peaceful and just relationships. Dr. Sachs is regularly asked to present testimony to Congressional committees, and offers expert commentary to The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times. He regularly appears on CNN, Fox News, the BBC, and Bloomberg, among others. Sachs envisions the elements of the American plan for aid to Gaza, coupled with a concerted effort to work with secular Palestinian actors to reconstruct the Gaza Strip and rebuild the people’s trust.
DR. JOHN DELLA VOLPE | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12
What Your Gen Z Grand Kids Think About American Politics and The World They Want to Create
Dr. John Della Volpe, Director of Polling, at the Harvard Kennedy School of Politics was labeled by Time Magazine as “the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) political researcher when it comes to understanding youth in politics.” His recent book, “The Fight: How Gen Z Is Channeling Their Fear & Passion to Save America,” explores the events that shaped Generation Z (those born from the late 1990s to early 2000s), such as September 11, the war on terror,
Hurricane Katrina, the 2008 financial crisis, the opioid epidemic, mass school shootings, climate change, and racial injustice. The political whiplash between the 2008 election of Barack Obama, followed by Donald Trump’s presidency from 2017 to 2021, has shaped the thinking of Gen Z. Rather than buckle under the tremendous weight of a myriad of critical challenges, they have organized around the issues that America has left unsolved, from gun control to racial and environmental justice and economic inequality. They have become more politically engaged than their elders and are showing a unique willingness to disrupt the status quo.
DR. JEFFREY R. HENIG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
Are Charter Schools the Way to Improve American Education?
Dr. Jeffrey R. Henig is Professor of Political Science and Education at Columbia University Teacher’s College and the nation’s preeminent expert in the current evolution of public education. In modern America, charter schools, operated by a variety of corporate interests, have been thrust onto the public as a surefire means to improve the learning outcomes for our children. The American reality is that both public and religious charter schools very often underachieve, are prosecuted for fraud, and routinely
DR. PETER SINGER | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5
Artificial Intelligence: Reality Catching Up to Science Fiction
The emergence of public artificial intelligence products has increased focus on how they may affect our society and lives. At recent hearings, Congress was introduced to the progress and dangers of these rapidly advancing technologies. Dr. Peter Singer examines the scope of AI development, the benefits it offers, and the ethical challenges to human society. Dr. Singer is a strategist at New America, a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, and founding and managing partner at Useful disappear. Henig’s work on urban and racial politics, privatization, and school reform has appeared in Education Week, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. As co-author of "Outside Money in School Board Elections: The Nationalization of Education Politics," Dr. Henig provides evidence of how school leadership and classroom teachers are demonized to divide communities for political purpose.
Fiction, LLC. He is described in The Wall Street Journal as "the premier futurist in the national security environment." The Smithsonian named him one of the nation's 100 leading innovators; Defense News called him “one of the 100 most influential people on defense issues," and Foreign Policy named him to their “Top 100 Global Thinkers” list. Dr. Singer is an official "Mad Scientist" for the U.S. Army's Training and Doctrine Command. His non-fiction books include "Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry," "Children at War, Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century," "Cybersecurity and Cyberwar: What Everyone Needs to Know," and "LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media," which explores how social media has changed war and politics. This presentation will provide a realistic look at how artificial intelligence will affect the future of the world.
