Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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All Program Videos
CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON ON THE VIDEOS BELOW TO WATCH RECORDED LECTURES
Find below a wide range of videos of our recorded lectures with the most recent available first
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Mark Muro and Robert Maxim
Live-streamed January 2023
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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when a child is worth more than the worst mistake he ever made
Antonio Howard, joined by his wife, Sarah Howard
Live-streamed from the Erie Center for Arts & Technology, December 15 2022
This program is about local artist and author Antonio Howard's book, "When a Child is Worth More than the Worst Mistake He Ever Made", which is his story as a juvenile "lifer".
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Connected: A Different Perspective on Erie’s “Brain Drain”
Charles Rush, J.D.; Autumn Parker, M.Ed.; Claye Greene, M.S.; Selena King, B.A.
Live-streamed from the Erie Center for Arts & Technology, December 1 2022
In this panel discussion, panelists will give their perspectives on the issue of educated and/or highly trained individuals leaving the community for another one with more opportunities, coined the “brain drain”, in Erie.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Erie's Sensational Murder Trials
Daniel Brabender, J.D.
Recorded at the Jefferson Educational Society, September 2022
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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The Slap Heard 'round the World: Why Toxic Masculinity Just Will Not Die
Rhonda Matthews, Ph.D.
Recorded at the Erie Center for Arts & Technology, August 2022
On March 28, 2022, actor Will Smith, walked on stage at the Oscars ceremony and slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke, at the expense of Smith’s spouse, actor Jada Pinkett-Smith. The ensuing reporting, formal and informal discussions, writing (both formal and informal), and instant “meme-ification” of the incident, ran the gamut of themes. They ranged from some very serious academic think pieces about the state of gender expectations in our culture to the immediate, comic irreverence of internet memes. Months later, what society is left with is the stubborn persistence and ongoing presence of toxic masculinity as a feature of United States cultural life. In this intersectional talk, Dr. Rhonda Matthews will discuss the roles of toxic masculinity, as a foundational feature of U.S. culture, and how social factors such as socio-economic class, racialization, identity, policy, law, and social expectations impact how we discuss and address the social problems that are an inherent part of the ways that we expect men to act. Disclaimer: This talk will directly address social issues connected to issues of gender, race, socio-economics, policy, and law. The language will be frank. The presentation and the discussion are designed for mature audiences. Attendance is not recommended for people under the age of 18.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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NATO, Germany, Ukraine: Crucial Next Steps
Jackson Janes, Ph.D.
Live-streamed August 2022
Distinguished visiting lecturer, Jackson Janes, Ph.D. will discuss the next steps NATO and Germany take to assist Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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ERIE, PA AND LUBLIN, POLAND: OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN A CHANGING WORLD ECONOMY
Bruce Kibler, Ph.D.; Pawel Pasierbiak, Ph.D.
Live-streamed August 2022
The speakers published an article in 2017 concerning the two cities, their development and trajectory. They will be returning to the Jefferson to update their analyses of the two cities since that time. Lublin has faced many changes since 2017, the effects from Brexit to changing political regimes and being the closest major Polish city to the Ukraine, taking in many thousands of refugees. Erie has changed as well, having seen major developments in its downtown and surrounding areas, from the new Erie Insurance building and many other new construction projects downtown. All through this both cities have had their challenges in demographics and the still threatening Corona Virus. What strategies are these two sister cities pursuing, if any? Join us for a look at these exciting and international perspectives.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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erie county career pathways alliance: dynamic collaboration shaping our future workforce
Mary Bula, M.A. and Jennifer Pontzer, B.A.
Recorded on July 26, 2022
When preparing young people for successful careers, Erie County has emerged as a leader across PA and beyond. Through Erie Together's Erie County Career Pathways Alliance and Career Street programs, employers, educators, and workforce developers are designing and executing high-quality, age-appropriate career exploration experiences impacting thousands of students, while highlighting employers and jobs right here in our community. Through this presentation, you will learn about the innovative, data-driven approach to career-connected learning being led by this cross-sector collaboration, and you'll also have the opportunity to consider if you'd like to become engaged.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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THE AMERICAN TAPESTRY: 1968/2022 - THE SEEDS OF OUR DISCONTENT
Andrew Roth, Ph.D.; Ben Speggen, M.A.; Phil Payne, Ph.D.
Livestreamed on July 20, 2022
Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth, Phil Payne of St. Bonaventure University, and Jefferson Vice-President Ben Speggen discuss "1968/2022: The Seeds of Our Discontents". Their discussion explores the roots of our endless culture wars by examining six phenomena from that other era still roiling American society: Politics as Theater & Angry Partisanship; Race in America; Women's Rights; The Counterculture Beyond 'Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll; Music, Music, Music; and Media, Media, Media. Audience participation is encouraged!
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Alternative ways to pick judges
Deborah Gross, Esq. and Phil Friedman, Esq.
Recorded on July 20, 2022
This workshop will discuss the pros and cons of the current judicial selection process in PA, other states' judicial selection processes, and why it is important to create a process that eliminates partisan political elections and the influences of campaigning.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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are amendments to the constitution good or bad?
Deborah Gross, Esq.
Recorded on July 19, 2022
Pennsylvania’s Constitution is the oldest Constitution in the country. Changes to the constitution can occur through a Constitutional Convention or constitutional amendment. The last convention occurred in 1967, however, since then hundreds of constitutional amendments have been proposed by the General Assembly, some of which have been adopted by referendum and some of which have not made it to the referendum. This program will ask whether those amendments enhance or threaten our representative democracy. Constitutional amendments deserve public hearings, testimony from the community and from experts, and open discussions and communications.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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INDEPENDENCE OF PENNSYLVANIA COURTS THREATENED
Deborah Gross, Esq. and Jay Silberblatt, Esq.
Recorded on July 18, 2022
Members of the General Assembly have been putting forward a series of constitutional amendments that in a dramatic way threaten the independence of our judiciary and threaten the balance of powers among our three branches of government.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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CO-WORKING IN ERIE: A CASE STUDY OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF RADIUS CO-WORK AND THE FUTURE OF ERIE COUNTY
Jessica Taylor, B.A.
Livestreamed on June 2, 2022
A Raimy Fellows 2021 Presentation by Jessica Taylor
The way we work in the United States has been shifting over the past couple of years and Erie County is no exception. A remote or hybrid work option is becoming a standard requirement for employees of many companies around the nation, not to mention the influx of self-startups we've seen pop up during the pandemic. Erie was rated as one of the top places in Pennsylvania for remote work in 2021. What should we be doing as a community to capitalize on that shift and how can we make Erie a welcoming place for those looking to relocate? Places like Radius CoWork have already laid the groundwork and created a culture that can be looked at as a model to attract and retain the talent we need to see Erie grow and thrive.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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WORKING WITH GENERATION Z IN PROJECTS AND ORGANIZATIONS
Jacob Marsh, M.P.M.
Livestreamed on April 27, 2022
A Raimy Fellows 2021 Presentation by Jacob Marsh
Generation Z is entering the workforce, and they offer a new set of strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and skills. Leaders and managers must understand what motivates them and learn how best to utilize their unique strengths and remedy their weaknesses. In this presentation, Jacob Marsh will review the rapidly developing data regarding Gen Z while offering practical guidance for those who wish to lead them well.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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POVERTY IS A POLICY CHOICE: A FRAMEWORK FOR A GUARANTEED INCOME PILOT IN ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Susannah Faulkner, M.P.A.
Livestreamed on April 13, 2022
A Raimy Fellows Presentation by Susannah Faulkner
An ongoing pandemic, a massive influx of federal funds, and a staggering 26% child poverty rate make Erie County ripe for innovative policymaking such as guaranteed income or universal basic income (UBI). This presentation will review Erie's historic attempts at poverty reduction and analyze case studies from cities with pilots underway like Pittsburgh and Harrisburg. Finally, a tailored model will be proposed to conduct a guaranteed income pilot in Erie County to address both urban and rural poverty.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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LEGALLY ME: NAVIGATING PAPER BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR THE TRANSGENDER APPLICANT
Sara Provencio, JD
Livestreamed on March 23, 2022
A Raimy Fellows 2021 Presentation by Sara Provencio
When your ID card bears a name and gender marker that doesn’t represent you – how do you apply for a job with confidence? The vulnerability felt by any job seeker is that much worse for transgender people who would prefer not to be outed or discriminated against based on their hiring paperwork. This presentation addresses the problem head-on by outlining the process to undergo a legal change of name and gender within the Erie County Court system. With a court order in place, the individual can then update personal identifying documents to match their identity and proceed into the world of work with confidence. Please click on the bottom below to download the how-to guide.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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CONNECTING ERIE - AN OVERVIEW OF HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL PLANNING FOR ERIE COUNTY, PA
Corinne Thomas, M.P.A.
Livestreamed on March 9, 2022
A Raimy Fellows 2021 Presentation by Corrine Thomas
This presentation explores Erie County's future of high-speed passenger rail options. The overview will begin by taking a brief look at the history of passenger rail in Erie County. Then, to understand the present, the talk will note some key players making forward strides related to high-speed passenger rail projects locally, regionally, and nationally. To conclude, a summary of foreseeable action steps will be discussed regarding how to make interconnected, high-speed passenger rail a reality for Erie County within the next few decades.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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ERIE CENTER FOR ARTS & TECHNOLOGY - WAYNE SCHOOL REIMAGINED
Daria Devlin, M.Ed.
Livestreamed on March 2, 2022
Hear about the physical transformation of the former Wayne School (650 East Avenue) and its unique financing model. Learn about the organizations and programs now taking place in the building and how this project might serve as a model for future neighborhood revitalization.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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ERIE’S DIVERSITY IS THE PATH TO PROSPERITY:
TACKLING THE TEACHER-TO-STUDENT MISMATCH
Panel Moderated by Court Gould, M.P.A.
Panelists: Tanya Garcia, Ph.D.; Sharif El-Mekki; Brian Polito, B.S.; Ken Nickson, M.Ed.
Livestreamed on February 18, 2022
This panel discussion is a follow-up of a JES report by Court Gould. Panelists Tanya Garcia, Deputy Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education, Pennsylvania Department of Education; Sharif El-Mekki, CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development; Ken Nickson, Erie's Public Schools Coordinator of Educational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and Brian Polito, Superintendent, Erie's Public Schools inform the community of the teacher-to-student mismatch, reasons the mismatch shortchanges students and Erie as a whole, what is being done about it, and introduction of additional initiatives that are proving productive elsewhere.
The program is a follow-on to the JES report (published 9/24/21) entitled, "Erie's Diversity is the Path to Prosperity: Tackling the Teacher-To-Student Mismatch". Click here to read the full report.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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PRESIDENT LINCOLN'S UNIFYING LEADERSHIP AND RELEVANCE FOR TODAY
Rev. Charles Brock
February 9, 2022
Drawing from his extensive research on U.S. presidents, Rev. Charles Brock focuses on President Abraham Lincoln's ability to unify Americans in a time of crisis and turmoil. Brock argues that we need another Lincoln today – badly. We need to reconcile our acute political differences. Noting that churches often cooperate now compared to when they certainly didn't before 1900, he asks if America could do the same in politics? For the future of the United States, he hopes we can.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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AMERICAN HOLIDAYS SERIES: Ho, ho, ho-It's Happy holidays, merry Christmas, and auld lang syne
Andrew Roth
December 16, 2021
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said to bind a people into a nation? What are the things people celebrate? In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. In this episode, American Holidays explores the origins of how Americans celebrate Christmas by asking who were the four men who created the American Way of Christmas, who was "Sinter Klaas" and who gave Rudolph his Red Nose? Oh, and is it "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" and what is it about "Auld Lang Syne" one sings every December 31st?
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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AMERICAN HOLIDAYS SERIES: Halloween & thanksgiving
Andrew Roth
November 18, 2021
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said bind a people into a nation? What are the things people celebrate? In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. In this episode, American Holidays explores America's Fall Festivals – "Boo, it's Halloween" and "Thank you", it's Thanksgiving. Halloween – what are its roots? What is Allhallowtide, how does it connect to the ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain and why "trick or treat"? Thanksgiving – what really happened in 1619 in Virginia and 1621 at Plymouth Colony? Who was Sara Josepha Hale – the 19th century Martha Stewart – and Lydia Maria Child, who wrote to "Grandfather's house we go", and how did President Franklin Roosevelt set Thanksgiving's date?
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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American Holidays Series: Sporting America
Andrew Roth
October 28, 2021
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said bind a people into a nation? What are the things people celebrate? In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. In this episode, American Holidays explores Sporting America – its history and development, the changing meaning of the word sport and the cultural evolution of those "sports" America celebrates. From horse racing in colonial America to today's Triple Crown, from the "rumble and tumble" of 19th-century fist-fighting to Mixed-Martial Arts, from Harry Wright's Cincinnati Red Stockings to today's MLB, from Princeton versus Rutgers to today's College Football Playoffs, from James Naismith hanging a peach basket in the Springfield, MA YMCA to today's Final Four and NBA FINALS, from the Canton Bulldogs and the first 'Super Bowl' to today's mega-event NFL championship and many other stops in between, we'll explore the meaning of sport in American life and how Americans celebrate 'their sporting life'.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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'Renewal' At all levels- the personal to the global. an urgent conversation between two leaders of the movement
Anne-Marie Slaughter, Josh Fryday, and James Fallows
September 22, 2021
The Our Towns Civic Foundation and Jefferson Educational Society invite you to a special webinar discussion featuring two people who have thought and done most to address the emergencies of this moment.
Anne-Marie Slaughter — best-selling author, former Princeton dean and State Department senior official, CEO of New America — has written a candid and riveting brand-new book. It is called "Renewal," and it explores the personal, institutional, political, and ethical challenges of facing failures, and opportunities.
Josh Fryday — Navy veteran, lawyer, former mayor, and now first-ever California cabinet member as the state's Chief Service Officer. For Climate Week, he has an ambitious state model of citizen action, to scale to the national level.
Leading them in conversation is James Fallows, co-author of "Our Towns," co-founder of Our Towns Civic Foundation, and author of "Breaking the News" on Substack.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Sensational: The hidden history of america's "Girl stunt reporters"
Kim Todd
September 8, 2021
In the waning years of the nineteenth century, female journalists across the United States risked reputation and safety to expose the hazardous conditions under which many Americans lived and worked. In various disguises, they stole into sewing factories to report on child labor, fainted in the streets to test public hospital treatment, posed as lobbyists to reveal corrupt politicians. Inventive writers whose in-depth narratives made headlines for weeks at a stretch, these "girl stunt reporters" changed laws, helped launch a labor movement, championed women's rights, and redefined journalism for the modern age.
After only a decade of headlines and fame, though, these trailblazers faced a vicious public backlash. Accused of practicing "yellow journalism," their popularity waned until "stunt reporter" became a badge of shame. But their influence on the field of journalism would arc across a century.
Kim Todd shares the stories of these journalistic mavericks, detailed in her recent book, and discusses the relevance of their work to today's media landscape.
Order your copy of Sensational: The Hidden History of America's "Girl Stunt Reporters" here.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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from hunger strikes to 'lying flat': three decades of studying power and resistance in china
Sharon Wesoky
August 18, 2021
How can recent protests and repression in Hong Kong, the oppression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party be understood in relation to power and governance in China throughout its "reform" era? By offering a tour of examples of Chinese state-society relations and citizen resistance in the past three decades, including the speaker's research on feminism and women's organizations, this talk will examine Xi Jinping's rule in relation to the wider evolution of post-Mao Chinese authoritarianism.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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the global plastics crisis: causes, consequences, and solutions
Sarah Bennet
August 16, 2021
Plastic has been found just about everywhere on Earth, including the deepest trench in the ocean, the highest mountain, and even in our own bodies. There are many stakeholders involved in addressing the plastic crisis, and the one thing they all agree is that this problem must be solved. Learn about the complexity of this issue, the need for multi-faceted solutions, and the role everyone has to play in addressing the problem.
Featuring Sarah Bennett, in partnership with Penn Future.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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What is America's Story? A Discussion
Phillip Payne and Andrew Roth
August 11, 2021
The United States is often described in lofty terms, an aspirational ideal that We the People strive towards. But is it a democracy? Or a republic? Why can't we seem to agree on a common, universally shared American story? And when did the Story of America begin? Was it 1619? Or 1776? Or earlier? Why is this important?
Join history professor Dr. Phillip Payne; JES Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Andrew Roth; and JES VP Ben Speggen as they examine and discuss foundational and transformational moments in American history in search of answers to these answers in exploring The American Story.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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As America's longest war comes to an end, what does the future hold for Afghanistan?
Baher Ghosheh
July 28, 2021
President Biden is withdrawing the last remaining troops from Afghanistan by 9/11 of this year. The US, having spent 20 years, over $1 trillion, and sacrificed thousands of American lives and thousands more injured, is leaving Afghanistan to an uncertain future.
Will the current government in Afghanistan survive? Will the gains achieved in education, healthcare, women's rights, and democratization be preserved or will they vanish with the departing foreign troops? Can the Afghan national army prevent the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and IS from using the country as a base for operations again?
The program will address these issues and attempt to answer these and other crucial questions associated with the future of Afghanistan.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Politics of Pipelines and Nord Stream 2
Lena Surzhko-Harned
July 14, 2021
As the Biden administration attempts to restore relationship with its European allies, Nord Stream 2 pipeline has become a point of stark division between the NATO allies. The $11 billion pipeline bringing Russian gas to Germany has raised major concerns over security and environmental issue, as voiced by Nordic and Eastern European allies.
Is this a purely economic project, as Germany and Russia proclaim it to be? What is the U.S. to make of this pipeline? Was lifting the sanction on the construction of the pipeline a mistake by the Biden administration?
This program answers these questions and addresses these issues.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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When Erie was the Freshwater Fishing Capital of the World: The Role Of Presque Isle – An Overview
David Frew
July 7, 2021
During the early 1900s, Erie, Pennsylvania earned a national reputation for being the Freshwater Fishing Capital of the World. Tons of Lake Erie fish were delivered to downtown (and neighboring) docks each day from early spring until late winter. Thanks to the local invention of flash freezing, some of this total was sent via railroad trains to big-city markets. Local and visiting fish tugs made their way into the lake each morning to harvest whitefish and cisco, a herring species that was almost fished to extinction. There was an international fish war between United States fishermen and Canada with actual shots fired. Yellow perch and walleye, two of today's most prized species, were classified as "rough fish" and largely ignored.
Before becoming a state park, Presque Isle played a significant role in the industry, housing a huge outdoor hatchery, several fish processing companies, and an ice-harvesting operation. This installment of the "Accident Paradise" programming series will outline those glory days and present the reasons for their demise.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Harmful Algal Blooms – Closing the Gap Between Science and Policy
Sarah Bennett
July 1, 2021
Summer is here and so are harmful algal blooms! The Erie region is no stranger to these blooms or the advisories that accompany them. The cyanobacteria in these blooms have been studied for decades, so why haven't we solved this problem yet? Learn why harmful algal blooms are difficult to address and what policies are likely to be the most impactful in addressing them.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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American Holidays: Celebrating Freedom
Dr. Andrew Roth
June 29, 2021
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said bind a people into a nation? One is the things people celebrate. In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth, continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. This episode of American Holidays explores how Americans celebrate freedom. What's the difference between an "official holiday" and an "observance"? We'll explore the origins of Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Juneteenth and the Fourth of July? We'll ask what was Armistice Day? What was Decoration Day and how did it become Memorial Day? What Longfellow poem defined the day? What happened on June 19th , 1865 and how did it evolve into Juneteenth? Finally, before The Star-Spangled Banner what was the American national anthem? We'll rediscover Hail Columbia, America (My Country Tis of Thee) and Yankee Doodle as we chart how Americans celebrate the Fourth of July.
REMEMBER: If you missed previous episodes that's okay because there are NO PREREQUISITES. Each episode stands alone.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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The Biden-Putin Summit in Geneva: Creating a more stable and predictable relationship?
Lena Surzhko-Harned
June 22, 2021
In the last few years, the relationship between the US and Russia have hit the lowest point since the end of the Cold War. While other US presidents attempted to "reset" these relations or find ways to "get along with Russia," the Biden administration seeks to reach 'predictable strategic stability'. Did the Geneva Summit yield the desired results? What is the future of the Russia-US relations?
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Arts & Epidemics
Linda Sandhaus
June 17, 2021
Art and Epidemics is a virtual tour of the Cleveland Museum of Art that makes interesting connections between artworks and epidemics that have occurred in the course of history, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. These associations become a basis for exploring the impact that epidemics have had on art through the ages. You may never look at these artworks the same way again!
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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The war on drugs: an epic policy failure
Dan Morhaim
June 16, 2021
Overdose deaths and drug abuse are at all-time high. Drug wars are ravaging our communities: rural, suburban, and urban. Costs to healthcare, education, families, businesses, and taxpayers continue unabated. Narcoterrorism is destroying our neighboring countries. The economics support overseas enemies while corrupting people and institutions domestically. How did we get here, and what can be done about this?
Dan Morhaim, M.D. brings a unique perspective to this compelling topic as a front-line emergency medicine physician for 40+ years, Maryland state legislator for 24 years, faculty at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health for 16 years, and author of The Better End (www.thebetterend.com).
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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"OUR TOWNS:" FROM THE PAGES TO THE SCREEN
James & Deborah Fallows, Jeanne Jordan, and Steven Ascher
May 27, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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UNDERSTANDING AMERICA'S 21ST CENTURY DIPLOMACY: LESSONS FROM THE FRONT LINES OF EUROPE AND ASIA
Ambassador Christopher Hill
May 25, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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RUSSIA, CHINA, AND WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AMERICA'S GREATEST FOREIGN POLICY CHALLENGES
David Igantius
May 24, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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COVID-19: THE PATH FORWARD FOR PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS
Dr. Leana Wen
May 21, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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NANCY REAGAN: ARCHIVES, LETTERS, AND INTERVIEWS OFFERING A NEW AND REVEALING LOOK AT THE FORMER FIRST LADY
Karen Tumulty
May 20, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MADAM SPEAKER: NANCY PELOSI AND THE LESSONS OF POWER
Susan Page
May 19, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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THE GLOBAL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND AMERICA'S PATH FORWARD
Dr. Michael Saag
May 18, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING: FROM REAGAN TO TRUMP -- A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO A POLITICAL REVOLUTION
Gerald F. Seib
May 17, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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THE IRON LADY ON SCREEN: DISCUSSING MARGARET THATCHER IN FILM AND ON TV
Nile Gardiner
May 14, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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A CONVERSATION WITH REV. JEFFREY BROWN: RACE IN AMERICA AND TODAY'S BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT
Rev. Jeffrey Brown
May 13, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE: ARE WE THE SHARPEST COOKIES IN THE JAR?
Avi Loeb
May 12, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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A CONVERSATION WITH ALI ZAIDI, DEPUTY NATIONAL CLIMATE ADVISOR TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
Ali Zaidi
May 11, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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ADDRESSING POLICY REFORM AND RACIAL EQUITY WITH CAMILLE BUSETTE AND RASHAWN RAY
Camille Busette and Rashawn Ray
May 10, 2021
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS AND GRIEF (# 4): RECOGNIZING AND HEALING COLLECTIVE GRIEF
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
May 28, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 58 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
At times grief is very individual, but when large scale difficulty or disaster strikes, entire communities or countries are impacted. This collective grief can bring us together in new ways, though we can't predict ahead of time what those ways will be. Our mindfulness exercise will help you trust more in your own grieving process.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS AND GRIEF (# 3): HEALING IS POSSIBLE
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
May 21, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 57 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Sometimes grief and loss feel so overwhelming that we worry we won't heal, yet healing is possible. Specific tasks, such as visiting a meaningful place from your past, can help. Learn various healing options during this session. Our mindfulness exercise will help you reflect on what healing tasks might best help you.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS AND GRIEF (# 2): CARING YOUR YOURSELF
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
May 14, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 56 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Self care strategies you can use during times of grief include 'finding a role model' and 'pacing yourself'. Learn all 10 strategies during this session. Our mindfulness exercise will help you have compassion for yourself as you experience grief.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS AND GRIEF (# 1): ACKNOWLEDGING THE LOSSES & GRIEF OF 2020-2021
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
May 7, 2021
Healing from grief and loss starts with acknowledging the loss and its impact. In today's session, we recognize the varied and profoundly difficult aspects of life during 2020-2021, a time of significant losses. We explore the impact of those losses on you and on others. Our mindfulness exercise will help you recognize you are not alone in your experience of grief.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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overcoming the rural digital divide
Jeff Styborski
May 4, 2021
What is the rural digital divide? What are the connectivity issues impacting students living in rural areas as they attempt to learn at a distance during this time of pandemic? What are the public and non-public options for overcoming that divide to ensure all students equitable access to reliable, high-speed internet access?
Join Jefferson Civic Leadership Academy 2020 alumnus and Raimy Fellow Jeff Styborski, a tech industry professional and himself a graduate of an Erie-region rural school district; Jefferson Educational Society Vice President Ben Speggen and Jefferson Educational Society Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth for an in-depth conversation about this timely and crucial issue impacting Erie County students and their families. Jeff shares insights gleaned from his study of access to high-speed internet access in the Wattsburg Area School District and outline possible next steps for overcoming the rural digital divide.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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THE IMPACT OF CORONAVIRUS ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Panel Discussion
May 3, 2021
Universities and college campuses are places where students live and study in close proximity to each other. They are also buzzing cultural hubs where students are brought together from all corners of Pennsylvania, the U.S. and the world. The foundations of this unique ecosystem have been impacted significantly by Covid-19, creating uncertainty regarding the implications for higher education.
In this panel discussion Dr. Hilary Link, President of Allegheny College, Dr. Ralph Ford, Chancellor of Penn State Behrend, and Dr. Walter Iwanenko, Provost and Vice President for Student Experience at Gannon University review how Covid-19 impacted each campus and how each college responded to the challenge. The panel also provides lessons learned from months of pivoting and adapting and a post-pandemic outlook to higher education. Moderators are Jeffersons' Director of Operations Angela Beaumont and Dr. Baher Ghosheh, Professor of Geosciences at Edinboro University and Scholar-in-Residence at the Jefferson Educational Society.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MORE MINDFULNESS: IDENTIFYING YOUR EMOTIONS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
April 30, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 54 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. Many of us can identify feelings of sadness, anger, or frustration. But it can be harder to identify many other emotions, especially when a mix of emotions is present. With practice, we can get better at emotions identification, in part by getting more familiar with where we feel emotions in our bodies. This practice can help you feel more peace as identifying and acknowledging our emotions often helps them to pass.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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AMERICAN HOLIDAYS: ANNA JARVIS, MOTHERS' DAY & FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS
Dr. Andrew Roth
April 27, 2021
What are "the common objects of our love" – those things St. Augustine said bind a people into a nation? One is the things people celebrate. In the American Holidays series, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth, continues his exploration of those things Americans love in common. In this month's episode Roth explores the origins of Mothers' and Fathers' Day, asks and answers who was Anna Jarvis, roots around in the question "Why are there so many days – days like Administrative Professionals Day, Grandparents Day et. al. – when the primary task seems to be sending flowers, flowers, flowers?" American Holidays – an exploration of "the common objects of our love"!
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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OTTO JENNINGS AND SUCCESSION: "THE FORCE" THAT CREATED PRESQUE ISLE
David Frew, Ph.D.
April 27, 2020
During the summer of 1908 a University of Pittsburgh botany professor was collecting plant samples at Cedar Point, Ohio when a colleague suggested that he shift his study efforts to Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania. Dr. Otto E. Jennings traveled to Presque Isle the following summer and began a 50-year tenure on the peninsula. During his time there, Jennings discovered, documented and dated the impact of Presque Isle's unique style of succession on the peninsula. He also shifted his professional focus from plant-gathering to sand spit geology.
Jennings brought colleagues, including his wife Grace, who was also a biologist, to Presque Isle. He built a research station in park's interior and initiated a system of overall biological studies of Presque Isle as he worked to preserve the park and its plant-life. His work, which catalogued and dated Presque Isle's early formation as well as its plant, aquatic, insect, and animal life, stands as a monument to the scientific study of and continued protection of the peninsula. It also explains the "force" that has been at work, systematically growing Presque Isle from west to east.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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National Infrastructure Bank
Panel Discussion
April 22, 2021
This panel discussion will help introduce the concept of a National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) as exemplified in legislation introduced into the last Congress, HR 6422. The proposed new bank will complement the Biden Administration's "American Jobs Plan Act" by creating a $4-plus trillion bank to invest in infrastructure only. This proposed new institution aims to: build all of the infrastructure needs of the nation, including those not covered by the Biden plan; create 25 million new jobs; and combat poverty in both urban and rural areas.
Speakers: Alphecca Muttardy elbaorates on the operation of the National Infrastructure Bank, and detail how this Public Bank will work to pay for all the infrastructure projects. Assemblyman Ortiz addresses the infrastructure needs of urban and other areas, compares how other nations actually build new infrastructure and how the United States must deploy this National Infrastructure Bank to end the shortfalls. Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski goes through the infrastructure shortfall besetting Pennsylvania and how the NIB will collaborate with the state to build all the projects, especially transportation. He also references state and local resolutions endorsing the federal legislation. Stanley Forczek focuses on Northwest Pennsylvania rail and infrastructure needs. He details the plans to link Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, and Erie with High Speed and conventional passenger lines. He also outlines the new jobs to be created in the northwest quadrant as a result of this massive investment program spearheaded by the NIB.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Confederate Surface Raider CSS Shenandoah
Dennis Carlson
April 20, 2021
Early in the American Civil War, the Confederacy knew that in order to be successful they would have to cripple the North financially. With the help of the British private citizens, they purchased a series of technologically advanced ships to be used as commerce raiders and bring the war to the North on the high seas. This successful campaign resulted in not only long-term damage to the Northern shipping industry but also advancement in public international law. Event is in partnership between the Hagen History Center, the Civil War Round Table, and the JES.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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QAnon: An Ideology Weaponized Through Ancient Words and Digital Platforms
Dr. Colleen Kelley
April 19, 2021
Join Dr. Colleen Kelley as she examines the attraction, strategies and outcomes of QAnon as a 21st century rhetorical act, grounded in centuries-old rhetorical forms. These include vocabulary derived from an early American "paranoid style" of political discourse grounded in millenarianism and apocalypticism ideologies as well as "good versus evil" demonizing narratives. QAnon is configured as the latest iteration of language historically weaponized to dehumanize perceived "enemies." The January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol is identified as the point at which QAnon encroached into mainstream American politics through a symbiosis of rhetorical and literal violence. There have been historical precedents for the discursive transformation of "deep-state" fantasies into violence since the time of Aristotle. However, what occurred on this day was unprecedented weaponized speech, mediatized by a digital delivery system which privileges speed over deliberation, time and space distortion over deep thought, and reaction or stimulation over civil and civilizing communication.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MORE MINDFULNESS: EXPANDING GRATITUDE FOR YOUR BODY
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
April 16, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 53 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. We’re often frustrated with our body and we focus on its limitations, not fully acknowledging, for example, that our hearts beat 100,000 times per day and our bodies work very hard on our behalf. This practice of shifting your focus towards appreciation can help you see the positives and change your relationship with your body.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Caring for those who care for us
Joe Cuneo and Brian Zona
April 13, 2021
Join Jefferson Educational Society Raimy Fellows Joe Cuneo and Brian Zona as they examine the impact of our pandemic year on essential workers serving developmentally disadvantaged Erie Countians. Brian and Joe document the critical value of the care provided by interviewing both human service agency leaders and a client and his family as a prelude to advocating for both increased compensation and public appreciation for these vital human servants caring for Erie County's most vulnerable citizens. Ask yourself "Is an average wage that barely exceeds recent proposals for a $10 per hour Pennsylvania minimum wage fair to those who provide such critical and compassionate service"?
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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A Look at "Faith, Fears, and Facts," a Recent JES Report
Panel Discussion
April 12, 2021
Dr. Parris Baker leads a panel discussion with Dr. Charles Mock, Rev. Remy Acevedo, and Pat Cuneo on the recently released Jefferson report, "Faith, Fears, and Facts: African Americans, Vaccinations, and the Fierce Urgency of Now for BIPOC Communities."
As the nation speeds up the race to get COVID-19 vaccines into the arms of Americans, Dr. Baker, a Gannon University professor and department head, discusses the report that explores the politics and perceptions around vaccination and offers key recommendations. Other contributors to the report are the Rev. Charles Mock, Pat Cuneo, Gary Horton, James Sherrod, and Ben Speggen.
Among the key report recommendations are: 1. Designing interventions that help Erie County healthcare providers to address the distrust of the vaccine in BIPOC communities. 2. Empower organizations like MCIC, AACC, NAACP, the United Clergy of Erie, and the Erie Housing Authority with resources to establish vaccination centers that the community considers trusted places with trusted people. 3. Assist the vaccination centers to provide information and outreach regarding the efficacy of vaccines, and to model vaccination compliance. 4. Hold healthcare providers accountable for the reception, availability, and distribution of vaccines throughout Erie County.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MORE MINDFULNESS: UNHOOKING FROM THOUGHTS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
April 9, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 52 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. Many of us find ourselves getting 'hooked' by a thought or a topic and staying hooked for minutes or hours, without resolving anything. This exercise can help you to reduce overthinking, ruminating, and dwelling.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Erie 2030 District: Building Resilience -- How Better Buildings Can Protect Us from Climate Change
Ellen Conrad
March 31, 2021
Climate action, like climate change, is multi-faceted and requires innovation in all areas of our society. The quality of our commercial and residential buildings is essential for reducing carbon emissions and will have major implications for our health, wallets, and future. The Erie 2030 District is taking action with commercial building owners to reduce their energy and water usage by 50 percent by the year 2030. Learn how the Erie 2030 District is uniting commercial businesses for energy efficiency, how our buildings can protect us from the worst effects of climate change, and what you can do about it.Climate action, like climate change, is multi-faceted and requires innovation in all areas of our society. The quality of our commercial and residential buildings is essential for reducing carbon emissions and will have major implications for our health, wallets, and future. The Erie 2030 District is taking action with commercial building owners to reduce their energy and water usage by 50 percent by the year 2030. Learn how the Erie 2030 District is uniting commercial businesses for energy efficiency, how our buildings can protect us from the worst effects of climate change, and what you can do about it.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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The Life and Legacy of Erie's Pat Liebel
Panel Discussion
March 29, 2021
One of Erie's most powerful women political leaders – the late Patricia J. "Pat" Liebel – is the focus of this program during Women's History Month. Join the region's most prominent female government leaders, three-term Mayor Joyce Savocchio and five-term County Executive Judy Lynch, along with Sheila Coon, Ed McKean, and the Jefferson's Ben Speggen and Pat Cuneo, in conversation about her legacy.
The panel discusses the life and work of Pat Liebel, the longtime top executive assistant and business administrator for Erie's longest-serving public leader, six-term Mayor Louis J. Tullio. Liebel also served as Erie's acting mayor late in Tullio's tenure. After her more than two decades at City Hall, Liebel worked for 20 years in the Mercyhurst University Alumni Office.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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BASIC MINDFULNESS: LOVING KINDNESS FOR SELF
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
March 26, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 51 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this 'Loving Kindness' exercise, you'll use the phrases, 'May I Be Happy,' 'May I Be Healthy,' 'May I Be Safe,' and 'May I Find Peace' to invite increased well-being into your life. Over time, this practice can help you experience more peace and help you recognize when you're being really hard on yourself.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Stormwater Runoff: Impacts and Solutions
Sarah Bennet and Renee Reber
March 25, 2021
PennFuture and 12 regional partners published Our Water, Our Future: A Common Agenda for Protecting Pennsylvania's Lake Erie Watershed in December 2020. They identified surface runoff as the number one threat to water quality in the region. Join Sarah Bennett and Renee Reber from PennFuture to learn what impacts stormwater runoff can have on water quality and what can be done to reduce these impacts.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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reconstruction to the riot on the Capitol: how we are living our "peculiar" history
Diane Chido
March 24, 2021
The U.S. Army was tasked to stabilize the former Confederate states after the Civil War. This was the beginning of continued use of our military to conduct nation-building at home and then repeatedly abroad to the present day. Until Reconstruction was halted by a corrupt backroom deal only 12 years after the end of hostilities, the Army achieved Herculean success in integrating 4 million newly freed people and attempting to remake a new South with the end of slavery, that "peculiar institution."
Once the Army retreated, the Old Southern political powers returned to their old posts and their old animosities and worked diligently to reverse the gains made by American citizens of African descent. These efforts resulted in Jim Crow laws and a century of disenfranchisement, incarceration, and economic oppression that continue to plague society today. If the moment has finally come to make America truly inclusive and equitable, how do we do it? Whose job is it to reverse White Supremacist policies at every level of every institution placed intentionally into the Constitution itself? The U.S. Army contracted Diane Chido to explore the Army's role in Reconstruction in 2017. She discusses her newly released book on this topic and explore needed solutions in conversation with JES's Ben Speggen.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: USING COUNTING AS A POINT OF FOCUS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
March 12, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 50 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you'll use movement (walking) as the anchor for your awareness. Over time, this practice can help you be mindful in unexpected places and provide an excellent alternative to a sitting practice.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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CREATING A STATE PARK: ROAD WAYS AND OTHER MAJOR DECISIONS THAT LED TO PRESQUE ISLE BECOMING A PENNSYLVANIA STATE PARK
David Frew, Ph.D.
March 18, 2020
These days we drive onto Presque Isle and take the roadways for granted. During the early years of the state park, however, decisions regarding where and how to connect the peninsula with the mainland had enormous and lasting consequences. Beginning with the earlier recommendations of celebrated urban planner, John Nolan, Presque Isle embarked upon a series of politically motivated engineering decisions that will influence our park forever. In addition to Nolan, the most important early players in the creation of the state park and its roadways included Isadore Sobel (the unsung hero), Waldameer Park, Erie Waterworks, Sherman Fairchild (inventor of aerial photography), the Erie Yacht Club and a strange downtown political committee that controlled all park decisions.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Ethnic Holidays: A Nation of Immigrants Celebrates Its Origins
Dr. Andrew Roth
March 17, 2021
Where did Uncle Sam come from? Find the answer in this episode of American Holidays as we explore a new thread in the stories of how Americans weave the common objects of their love into the national fabric. We'll peruse America's many ethnic holidays as a nation of immigrants celebrates their origins. We'll look in some detail at St. Patrick's Day – and ask 'What's the shamrock test'? – Columbus Day and a number of other less famous ethnic celebrations, such as National Tartan Day, Cinco de Mayo, Dutch American Day and St. David's Day. American Holidays and Celebrations of America's Ethnic Cultural Heritage.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Lincoln and Davis: Triumphs and Tragedies
Rick Tome
March 16, 2021
Born in Kentucky just eight months apart, the lives of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis passed from ordinary to extraordinary. From the influences of their younger days to their family lives, from their political careers to war time presidents, Rick Tome presents and examines the life shaping events that provide a compelling tale of the triumphs and tragedies of these two historical American giants.
Event is in partnership between the Hagen History Center, the Civil War Round Table, and the JES.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Food Insecurity Crises at Home and Abroad: Why Biden Must Lead on Both
Cailtin Welsh
March 15, 2021
Food security forecasts project that the Covid-19 pandemic will have caused the most severe global food security crisis in recent history both nationally, with potentially upwards of 16 percent of the population becoming food insecure, and globally, with 270 million pushed into acute food insecurity in 2020 alone.
"How the Biden administration responds to each will affect food security—and the U.S. reputation as a global leader—for decades to come," writes Caitlin Welsh, director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
In conversation with JES Vice President Ben Speggen, Welsh reviews impacts to domestic and foreign food security in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, update where both stand in 2021, and address why she calls for the Biden administration to not approach these challenges "either/or" but to understand how the U.S.'s "ability to lead globally hinges on our ability to address challenges at home."
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: USING COUNTING AS A POINT OF FOCUS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
March 12, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 49 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this exercise, you'll become a watchful observer: noticing your automatic thoughts when you're in pain; your emotions, such as fear; the clenching around pain that happens in your body. Then we'll use the imagery of flowing water to bathe the pain points. Over time, this practice can help you change your relationship to the pain you experience.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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LOWER PARADE STREET: ERIE'S "ELLIS ISLAND"
Ed Whitbred
March 11, 2020
Almost from the establishment of Fort Presque Isle in 1753, the neighborhood around lower Parade Street has been a kind of "Ellis Island" of Erie County. And curiously, it continues to fulfill that role to this day. With the use of pictures and anecdotes, we explore the role of this neighborhood's ethnic churches, businesses, and social organizations in Erie's history. These are interspersed with contemporary photos showing the same evolution with different cultural focuses. This is not serious history but rather an informal reminder that other than Native Americans, we all come from strangers in a strange land.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Using counting as a point of focus
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
March 5, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 48 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you'll mindfully count your breath cycles to 7 and then restart. Over time, this practice can help you improve focus, as well as learn self forgiveness when you get lost in thought. You simply start again.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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InnovationCity Bottrop – A successful example of energy efficient and climate friendly urban redevelopmentS
Lord Mayor Bernd Tischler
March 3, 2021
Join Bottrop, Germany Mayor Bernd Tischler as he explains what InnovationCity is and the impact its had as an organization of a successful process of urban redevelopment accompanied by technological and process innovations that is based on a broad and solid backing by the citizenry.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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DemocracY's long odds
Dan Moulthrop
March 2, 2021
If there's one lesson from the last election cycle and its aftermath, it's this: democracy in America is not as nearly resilient as we might like to think. So what does a truly functioning democratic republic look like -- and what is required of us to actually create it?
Dan Moulthrop is the CEO of the City Club of Cleveland, one of the nation's oldest free speech forums. One of their recent projects, Democracy Unchained, looked at these questions with the help of more than 100 different thinkers, writers, and elected officials. Join us for a conversation with Dan about what it will take to preserve democracy for future generations.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: A SIMPLE BODY SCAN
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
February 26, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 47 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you'll learn to scan your body in a new way, by slowly progressing from head to toe. Over time, this practice can help you recognize when you're clenching muscle groups (think: shoulders or jaw) and then soften.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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Local and Statewide Perspectives on Environmental Justice
Sarah Bennett, Gary Horton, and Allison Acevedo
February 25, 2020
Erie Coke closed its doors in December 2019 after years of environmental violations that disproportionately impacted Environmental Justices communities. In September 2020, Erie County declared racism as a public health crisis. Join Sarah Bennett, PennFuture’s Campaign Manager for Clean Water Advocacy in the Lake Erie Watershed, Gary Horton, Urban Erie CDC President, and Allison Acevedo, Director of the Office of Environmental Justice at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, to learn what environmental justice is, how it impacts the Erie community, and what can be done to create a future where low income people and people of color are no longer disproportionately impacted by environmental degradation and pollution.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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LAKE ERIE WATER LEVELS: AN EXISTENTIAL THREAT TO PRESQUE ISLE
David Frew, Ph.D.
February 23, 2020
Presque Isle has been experiencing extraordinarily high water levels for the last few years. The high water levels and storm surges have been assaulting the peninsula's bathing beaches, washing away replenished sand. Even more disconcerting, water has been threatening Presque Isle's interior, as well, dropping trees and eroding infrastructure, including trails and roadways. On several occasions during 2019 and 2020 there were "blowout events" during which water crossed Presque Isle, extending from the lake to the bay and closing roads. These recent examples serve as reminders of the loss of the way in the 1940s. These recent treats help to remind us of the fragility of the entire peninsula, which is dependent upon a thin layer of sand and soil to anchor the root structures of the trees and brush that is essential to its existence.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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Evaluating the Covid-19 Economy: Reviewing 2020 and Unpacking 2021
Dr. Kenneth Louie
February 22, 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact global, national, and local economies, where do we stand now? What has the impact been? What has changed? Where does Erie stand compared to the rest of the country? Find out in this conversation with Dr. Kenneth Louie, director of the Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) who compiles the Erie Leading Index (ELI) as we review 2020 and unpack developments in 2021.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: LISTENING TO SOUNDS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
February 19, 2021
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 46 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you’ll learn to tune into the act of listening and begin to hear the sounds you normally ignore. Over time, this practice can help you slow down and be present.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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On Deck: Exploring 'Erie Baseball & Softball 360 ... Volume One'
Alan Swigonski
February 18, 2021
Author Alan Swigonski shines a spotlight on Erie's storied baseball and softball histories in what aspires to be a series of book volumes on Erie sports. Swigonski, in conversation with the Jefferson's Ben Speggen and Pat Cuneo, will discuss the stars as well as Erie's sports environs and the many men and women behind the success of our amateur and professional teams.
To watch this program on YouTube click HERE!
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Raid, Murder, and Retribution: The Destruction of the Weldon Railroad, December 1864
George Deutsch
February 17, 2021
The Weldon Railroad was one of the last important supply lines for Robert E. Lee's Confederate army besieged around Richmond and Petersburg during the last winter of the Civil War. In December 1864, Union commanders U.S. Grant and George Meade ordered a massive raid of over 20,000 men to destroy the railroad all the way to the North Carolina border.
What began as a straightforward military strike by troops (including this region's 83rd PA Volunteers), deteriorated into a vicious foray against the local civilian population, fueled by copious amounts of confiscated whiskey. This was followed by brutal retaliatory murders of isolated Union stragglers. The malicious cycle then escalated into the burning of wide swaths of civilian homes and the wanton destruction of foodstuffs. It was war at its most brutal level.
Historian George Deutsch explores this little-known action, often from the point of view of local Erie soldiers who participated in the raid. Event is in partnership between the Hagen History Center, the Civil War Round Table, and the JES.
To watch this program on YouTube click HERE!
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STORIES, SCIENCE, AND SILOED INFORMATION: COVID19 THROUGH THE LENS OF AN ICU PROVIDER
Dr. John Evankovich
Dr. John Evankovich is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, where he researches the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrom (ARDS) and is a practicing Critical Care Physician.
Here, he discusses working in COVID Intensive Care Units and how experiences for both providers and patients changed in response to the pandemic. He also discusses how rapid scientific advancement to combat SARS-CoV-2 was made possible by our modern information ecosystem, but also how pollution of that same ecosystem with COVID disinformation and misinformation caused real world harm.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: WHERE YOUR BODY TOUCHES THE CHAIR
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you’ll learn to tune into points where your body touches your chair. Over time, this practice can help you ground yourself when you’re feeling ungrounded.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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a foreign policy for america's local governments: the northern virginia model and What Places Like Erie, Pennsylvania Can Learn from It
Dr. Dale Medearis
Join Dale Medearis as he posits that for too long, international work by local governments has failed to meet its full potential because of over-reliance on an obsolete business model of cultural diplomacy that is grounded in the notion that the United States had nothing or little to learn from other countries. As a consequence, city and county governments fail to plan global engagement strategically and the face of international work at the local level is that of frivolous travel or "meet-and-greet" events that produce few or no outcomes.
As local governments continue to become drawn more into the global arena. As global connectivity tightens and the demands on services from local governments grow, re-formulating international affairs towards something more purposeful will become an absolute necessity – not an option. For over 20 years, the Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC), a regional council of governments representing the 13 localities and 2.5 million people of Northern Virginia, has practiced a special model of strategic global interaction with potential adoption for other localities around the country.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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the eriez indians - who were they? where did they come from? How did they dissappear?
Dr. David Frew, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence
Join us on a deep dive into one of the most fascinating topics from the pages of Accidental Paradise. Our city and even the lake, itself, was named after an early Native American tribe, the Eriez. Somehow, however, the entire people simply disappeared a few years after European arrival (1492). A series of chance meetings plunged Dr. David Frew into a long and complicated relationship with Indian history, and in particular with Iroquoian culture, religion and politics. His near obsession has led him to audit gradual classes in anthropology, travel to Mayan ruins in Mexico and Central America and meet with chiefs from the Six Nations Reservation in Brantford, Ontario.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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BASIC MINDFULNESS: CONNECT TO THE BREATH
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 44 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Join Penny as she helps you deepen your mindfulness practice. In this simple exercise, you'll learn to tune into the present moment by connecting with your breath. Over time, this practice can help you navigate life with more centeredness.
To watch this program on YouTube, click HERE!
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THE FUTURE OF THE G.O.P.: WHERE WILL THE REPUBLICANS GO FROM HERE AT THE NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS?
Michael L. Coulter, Ph.D. & Caleb Verbois, Ph.D.
In the aftermath of the 2016 election Republicans controlled more federal and state office than at any point since the 1920s. Four years later, Trump was the first President since Herbert Hoover to lose the White House, the Senate, and the House in just one term. The party turned winning into losing in record time. The aftermath has left the Republicans with deep internal divisions and, combined with the fact that the Republicans have only one the presidential popular vote once in the last 38 years, substantial external challenges. How can the Republican Party keep and grow its coalition to potentially win back the White House in 2024? And how might these debates impact the party at the state and local level?
To watch this program on Youtube, click HERE!
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Small Business Resilience Toolkit: Preparedness Plans and Human Resources
Gary Sullivan MBA, CPCU, AIC, AIM, AIS & Rachel Tserkovniak, PHR
Gary Sullivan, program director & assistant professor at Mercyhurst University's F.W. Hirt Erie Insurance Risk Management Program; and Rachel Tserkovniak, Human Resources consultant and trainer at the Manufacturer & Business Association, supply the tools necessary for building a resilient business and the human resources tools that should be included in that effort.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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AMERICAN HOLIDAYS: FROM CANDLEMAS AND PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL TO PRESIDENTS DAY AND VALENTINE'S DAY
Dr. Andrew Roth
Join Jefferson Educational Society Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth for the first installment of his new series American Holidays. An extension of his The American Tapestry Project, in American Holidays Roth explores how Americans tell their story through the people, places, and things they celebrate.
In February, asks what is Candlemas, who are Buckeye Chuck and Punxsutawney Phil, what is Presidents Day, whatever happened to Washington's birthday, and what did Esther Howland and Joyce Hall have to do with 'won't you be my Valentine'?
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #9: UNDERLYING BELIEFS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 43 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Underlying Beliefs. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Examining the Biden Inauguration Address: What He Said and What It Means When It Comes to the american story
Dr. Andrew Roth and Rev. Charles Brock
What roles do presidential inaugural addresses play in how we – as in, We, The People – see America and how we tell the story of America? What does it mean to have a shift in the narrator-in-chief? Join JES Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Andrew Roth and Charles Brock, Director of the Brock Institute, who have been researching and writing about the American Dream and American Story for years, as they unpack Biden's speech and its impact in conversation with JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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When the British Attacked the Capitol: The Crisis Of 1814
Alan Taylor, Ph.D.
This talk examines the means and motives of the British invasion of the Chesapeake and explain why they burned the Capitol, White House, and other selected targets. Dr. Alan Taylor, Pulitzer Prize winner, places this military assault in the political context of a deeply divided nation embroiled in intense partisan conflict, as most Federalists worked to undermine a war effort associated with the governing Democratic-Republicans led by President James Madison.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Strategies for De-escalation and Improving Mental Health
Mandy Fauble, Ph.D.
In this part 3 of the JCLA Business Speaker Series: Resources for Building Resiliency during Uncertain Times, please join Mandy Fauble, director of Clinical Care Services at UPMC Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor in Erie, Pennsylvania. She will present strategies for helping customers who may be agitated about following safety measures, such as wearing a mask. Fauble, who has a Ph.D. in Social Welfare, will also offer tips for keeping or achieving good mental health during challenging times.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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General george meade: Pennsylvania's forgotten hero
Jeff Sherry, M.A.
Over 150 years after the Civil War, the name of George G. Meade is not well known outside the world of scholars and students of that war, overshadowed by U.S. Grant and shunned by the press, Meade deserves to be recognized for his victory at Gettysburg and his command of the Army of the Potomac longer than any other general.
This program is in partnership between the Civil War Round Table, the Hagen History Center, and the Jefferson Educational Society.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #8: taking things personally
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 42 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Taking Things ‘Personally’. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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making the pivot to new models of service
R.J. Messenger, Sara Kim, Jason Lavery, and Josh Layhue
In this part 2 of the JCLA Business Speaker Series: Resources for Building Resiliency during Uncertain Times, local small business owners R.J. Messenger (Iron Empire Clothing), Sara Kim (Lollie & Co.), Jason Lavery (Lavery Brewing Company), and Josh Layhue (Ghost Creativ) will take part in a roundtable discussion to share their COVID stories and the impact it had on their businesses. They will discuss the pros and cons, as well as the creative opportunities that they pursued, and whether they will keep some of the changes.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #7: Mind Reading and fortune telling
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 41 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Mind Reading and Fortune Telling. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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How to Help your Business Survive the COVID Pandemic: Financial Resources Available for Erie Businesses
Rebecca Styn, Nate Ross, and Chris Groner
In this part 1 of the JCLA Business Speaker Series: Resources for Building Resiliency during Uncertain Times, Join Rebecca Styn, director of Special Initiatives for the Erie County Redevelopment Authority (ERDA); Nate Ross, a commercial credit analyst at Northwest Bank; and Chris Groner, president of Capital, Finance and Lending at ERDA as they provide information about Small Business Administration loans and what other private and public options are available to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic. This session will address misconceptions about obtaining financing, how businesses can best prepare for these loans, and PPP loan forgiveness.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #6: Labeling (Judging) Yourself and Others
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 40 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Labeling (Judging) Yourself and Others. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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American Holidays: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas -- An Examination of Clement Clarke Moore's Famed Poem and the Holiday it Celebrates
Dr. Andrew Roth
Previewing a new 2021/2022 Jefferson Educational Society series on American Holidays, join Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Andrew Roth and Jefferson Vice-President Ben Speggen as they ask: Who was Clement Clarke Moore?
Did he really write "Twas the night before Christmas…"? In fact, what is the correct title of the poem whose first line is "Twas the night before Christmas…"? How did it create a new American tradition? How did Christmas replace Valentine's Day, Twelfth Night and New Year's Day as the major gift giving day? Who was Thomas Nast? Who invented Santa Claus? What was it Virginia asked? Join us for this prelude to American Holidays – a rich tradition from Decoration Day to Mothers' Day, from Armistice Day to Labor Day, from Presidents' Day to the Fourth of July as Americans celebrate their common heritage.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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our water, our future: a look at the common agenda for protecting the lake erie watershed
Sarah Bennet, M.S.
Erie is situated on the 11th largest freshwater lake in the world and water is the region’s most important natural resource. However, there are significant threats to water quality that need to be addressed in order to ensure a thriving, sustainable, equitable future for the region. PennFuture and 12 regional organizations joined together to develop "Our Water, Our Future: A Common Agenda for Protection Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie Watershed." The document prioritizes threats to clean water in the Erie region and recommends solutions at all levels of engagement to ensure that these resources are protected now and for future generations.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #5: should statements and guilt
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 39 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Should Statements and Guilt. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #4: emotional reasoning
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 38 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Emotional Reasoning. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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ACCIDENTAL PARADISE: STORIES BEHIND THE STORIES
David Frew and Jerry Skrypzak
With the imminent release of the much-anticipated book, "Accidental Paradise: 13,000-Year History of Presque Isle," authors David Frew and Jerry Skrypzak join book editor Pat Cuneo and Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen to discuss the book, its highlights, and how it came to be.
The book, published by the Jefferson Educational Society, in cooperation with Tom Ridge Environmental Center Foundation, is the result of a three-year project that delves into the natural history, personalities, and major events involving the peninsula over the decades -- and centuries -- combined with photographs, illustrations, charts, and maps.
The authors will talk about the research and adventures of creating the book, which will be available for purchase in the coming days through the TREC Foundation at Presque Isle, co-sponsor of the book (accidentalparadise.com).
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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PA School Funding: Barrier for Economic Growth/Community Revitalization In Erie County & Throughout PA
Panel Discussion
The Jefferson will host an expert panel to discuss Pennsylvania's K-12 funding system and potential solutions to help level the playing field for students, thereby removing barriers affecting student achievement, property values, and overall community revitalization.
Panelists: Donna Cooper, Executive Director, Public Citizen's for Children and Youth and Former, PA Secretary for Policy & Planning, Rendell Administration; Ira Goldstein, Ph.D., President of Policy Solutions, Reinvestment Fund; Jeffrey Beer, Esq., Broker of Record, Keller Williams Real Estate, Doylestown; Brian J. Polito, Superintendent of Erie's Public Schools; and moderator Ben Speggen
The program is in partnership with ReadyNation.
To watch this video on YouTube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: DEALING WITH YOUR ANTS #3: Discounting the positives
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 37 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Discounting the Positives. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART VIII
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
This is the eighth installment of the Elected Women Series, "Brenda Pundt, Gayle Wright, and Denise Robison."
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART VII
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
This is the seventh installment of the Elected Women Series, "Savocchio Broke One Glass Ceiling After Another".
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Dealing with your ants #2: Overgeneralizing
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 36 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into Overgeneralizing. After this session you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Dealing with your ANTs #1: all-or-nothing (polarized) thinking
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 35 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and challenging your Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) can help you feel happier and more peaceful. Join Penny for a dive into All-or-Nothing thinking. After this session, you’ll notice this tendency and challenge your thinking!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Civil War on Film, Behind the Scenes of ‘Gettysburg’ and ‘Cold Mountain
Michael Kraus and George Deutsch
With the Civil War in the rearview mirror American stage was set to bring romanticized versions of the conflict to theaters, the best-known production being "Shenandoah" in 1889. Civil War-themed moving pictures became extremely popular with over 200 newsreels produced between 1907 and 1916. These early plays and films shaped most American's view of the conflict and how it would be portrayed. Michael Kraus, Curator of Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, has had an insider's view in the production as a historical consultant to 2 Hollywood productions, "Gettysburg" and "Cold Mountain", as well as being lead writer for the series "Civil War Minutes". Kraus will discuss how the Civil War was presented in early film and then discuss his behind the scenes experience as a consultant. Ever wonder how some of the Gettysburg scenes were captured? This program is being co-hosted with the Erie County Historical Society.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: mindful eating
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 34 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
We often rush through our meals, and eat ‘absently’, without really noticing or enjoying our food. It can lead to overeating and being out of touch with our ‘hunger cues.’ Join Penny and reconnect with the pleasure & joy of eating via this mindfulness exercise. BRING a small amount of food and be ready to experience it in a new way.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART VI
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
This is the sixth installment of the Elected Women Series, "Domitrovich Broke Judicial Glass Ceiling."
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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AMERICAN TAPESTRY LUNCHTIME SERIES: PART six - The Fusion Thread and Talking Tapestry
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered. - Dr. Andrew Roth
In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video, click HERE!
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the 2020 elections: where are we? where are we headed?
Post Election Analysis with Ganon University
Watch a program livestreamed on November 5th at 7 p.m. following the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020 Election Day in partnership with Gannon University and the Jefferson Education Society. Drs. Jeffrey Bloodworth and Stephen Tootle will offer an analysis of election results as they stand, voter turnout, and the Electoral College count, as well as what the results mean for both the Democratic and Republican parties. Students also weighed in, offering their reactions to the 2020 election. The discussion was moderated by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Living with Uncertainty
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 33 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
h part 33 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series. We are living in a time of great uncertainty, but our minds naturally want answers. When will the Covid pandemic be over? Will political divisions ever heal? Why is all of this happening? Practice with Penny to find more peace within, so you can live more peacefully with all of this uncertainty part 33 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series. We are living in a time of great uncertainty, but our minds naturally want answers. When will the Covid pandemic be over? Will political divisions ever heal? Why is all of this happening? Practice with Penny to find more peace within, so you can live more peacefully with all of this uncertainty.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART V
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
This is the fifth installment of the Elected Women Series, "More Barriers Tumbled as Savocchio Became Erie Mayor."
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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road to the white house 2020: examining polls, examining victory, and the electoral college
David Kozak, Ph.D.
With the 2020 Presidential Election just days away, what are the paths to victory for the Republican and Democratic candidates – incumbent President Donald J. Trump, and his challenger – and former Vice President and Senator – Joe Biden? How can each get to the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to be inaugurated as President of the United States of America in January 2021? What do the polls tell us? How reliable are they? In this special Jefferson Educational Society digital program, JES Vice President Ben Speggen interviews Dr. David Kozak, professor emeritus at Gannon University and political scientist who’s studied and taught through 16 presidential elections.
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: SEEING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR THOUGHTS, EMOTIONS, AND BEHAVIORS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 32 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Though we don’t need to figure out which comes first, it’s super helpful to raise our awareness of the interconnectedness of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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america's most corrupt presidential election: 1876
George Deutsch
America’s Most Corrupt Presidential Election: 1876, featuring Mr. George Deutsch, Executive Director of the Hagen History Center
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Pre-Election Discussion – What are the Hidden Issues in the 2020 Elections
Panel Discussion
A special joint program by the Public Policy Fund at Penn State Behrend, the Institute of the American Dream at Penn State Behrend, the Brock Institute for Mega Issues Education, and the Jefferson Educational Society
From foreign affairs to the Affordable Care Act, from militias to authoritarianism, moderator Rev. Charles Brock discusses these issues and more with panelists Mr. Paul Gambill, Dr. Lena Harned-Surzhko, and Dr. Robert Speel.
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART IV
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
This is the fourth installment of the Elected Women Series, "Major Reforms Led to New County Government."
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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AMERICAN TAPESTRY LUNCHTIME SERIES: PART Five - The Immigrant’s Tale
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered. - Dr. Andrew Roth
In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Understanding and Changing ANTS!
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 31 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Understanding and Changing ANTS - Automatic Negative Thoughts!
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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Paths to Renewed Prosperity for Great Lakes Communities
John Austin, MPA
Despite lingering popular misconceptions, the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest region is not an economic monolith of struggling older industrial cities and rural hinterlands. Many communities have shed their agricultural and industrial shells and found new economic success in a globalized, knowledge and technology-driven economy. Austin will share findings from A Vital Midwest: The Path to New Prosperity, his 2020 report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. It provides a fresh analysis of the Great Lakes economy and the varied paths by which the region's older industrial communities, similarly situated to Erie, have turned an economic corner. Austin will also discuss the new challenges and opportunities for economic growth in a Covid-19 reshaped economy.
John Austin is the Director of the Michigan Economic Center; a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution & Chicago Council of Global Affairs; a Research Fellow, W.E. Upjohn Institute; and a Lecturer on the Economy, University of Michigan.
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART III
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
Dr. Judith Lynch continues her Elected Women series with "Women’s Political Strength Grows in Three Movements."
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Recruitment of Black Soldiers in U.S. Military in Northwest Pennsylvania During the Civil War
Brian Graff and George Deutsch
Watch a brief history of raising Union black regiments during the Civil War. The focus will be on the several USCT (United States Colored Troop) regiments that were partially recruited in Northwestern Pennsylvania, specifically in the Erie area. This program was being co-hosted with the Erie County Historical Society and the Erie Civil War Roundtable!
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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AMERICAN TAPESTRY LUNCHTIME SERIES: PART Four
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered. - Dr. Andrew Roth
In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: A very basic focus on the breath
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 30 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Let’s get back to the basics: focusing on the breath as a pathway to present moment awareness.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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The Urban Digital Divide Define
Matt Wiertel
The broadband and technology skills gap that exists in U.S. urban areas often decides whether individuals can become part of the connected digital economy and education. Due to Erie's demographics, broadband adoption in urban areas trails national averages and creates a larger challenge for the community at large. Raimy Fellow Matt Wiertel dives into this multi-faceted issue, presents possible solutions, and forms a call to action to assist a technologically marginalized population in Erie.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Erie County Elected Women: Part II
Dr. Judith Lynch
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
Dr. Judith Lynch continues her Elected Women series with "Helen Schluraff: State’s First Female County Commissioner Led by Example as she Broke Barriers."
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Unexpected Connections: Statistical Physics, Physics and Philosophy, and Diversity and Equity in STEM
Dr. Noah Charles
Physics promises to deliver for us leaps forward in our technological capabilities. Dr. Charles' time in the field has shown him that physics shares unexpected connections with many other areas of thought, from philosophy to social science. In this talk, he explained how his interest in statistics led him down the rabbit hole to questions of the evolution of the universe and our expectations about its future and simultaneously to work to understand why people of non-traditional backgrounds sometimes choose to leave the field.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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AMERICAN TAPESTRY LUNCHTIME SERIES: PART three
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered. - Dr. Andrew Roth
In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: mindful body scan for sleep
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 29 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
A valuable tool any time of day: Mindful Body Scan. A quick scan at work helps you recognize and release tension, a longer scan in bed has the added benefit of occupying your mind and helping you gently release worries and concerns. Try it now, whether seated or lying down, and you’ll want to try it again tonight once you’re in bed.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY ELECTED WOMEN: PART I
From the passing of the 19th Amendment to the formation of the local chapter of the League of Women Voters, to Annette Young becoming the first woman elected in Erie County, Dr. Judith Lynch, Jefferson Scholar in Residence (and an elected Erie County woman herself!), will cover the history of elected Erie County women, reviewing the positions they held and the impacts they made. From municipal offices to state-level positions, you'll find out about the women who made – and are still making – history throughout Erie County in this multi-part series hosted by JES Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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Israel-U.A.E.-Bahrain Accord: One More Step for Peace in the Middle East?
Dr. Baher Ghosheh
With much fanfare, the Trump administration hosted leaders from Israel, the UAE and Bahrain at the White House to sign this "historic" peace agreement, called the Abraham Accords. President Trump insists 6-9 other Arab/Muslim countries will normalize relations and sign peace agreements with Israel before the November elections.
What is the significance of the agreement? Does it advance the cause of Peace in the region – or, will it result in more polarization and conflict in this highly unstable region?
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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AMERICAN TAPESTRY LUNCHTIME SERIES: PART Two
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered.
- - Dr. Andrew Roth
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In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Walking through a favorite home
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 28 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
We can access peace by returning to our memories of a peaceful place. In this mindfulness session, Penny will help you connect with a Favorite Home, possibly from your childhood, and spend time walking through the rooms.
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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A Shared Heritage: People and Places of African American Heritage in Erie COunty
Mr. Johnny Johnson and Dr. Chris Magoc
This presentation, A Shared Heritage: People and Places of African American Heritage in Erie County, offers an overview of a newly launched community history project. The centerpiece of A Shared Heritage is a driving and walking tour of 29 sites of significance related to African American history in Erie County from slavery through the Civil Rights era. Along with the tour is a website featuring a number of other supplemental educational resources that will be previewed in the presentation.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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American tapestry Lunchtime Series: Part one
Dr. Andrew Roth
If 1968 was the year of 'the far side of the moon & the birth of the culture wars', it was also the year, according to Smithsonian magazine, "The American Story" shattered.
- - Dr. Andrew Roth
In this 5 part lunchtime series, you will learn about the post-1968 shattering of the American story by asking:
- What is the 'story of America'?
- Is there such a thing?
- Is there only one story, or are there many stories?
- If there are many stories, how are they woven, can they be woven, together to tell the story of America?
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Mystics for skeptics: How to tackle mystical thinking of saints, prophets, philosophers, and statesmen
Rev. Charles Brock, M.Litt
A working definition of mysticism is "a direct and transformative presence of God." Mystics insist that this must be followed by good works as either by-product or its ultimate purpose. As William Blake wrote, "Where Mercy, Love, and Pity dwell, there God is dwelling too." From Jacob tangibly wrestling with God to Martin Luther King, Jr. struggling with human rights, the mystical variety through the centuries and in all nations is superb and enormous. In his talk, posted on September 29, 2020, the Rev. Charles Brock tackles mystical thinking for the highly skeptical. Learn about the greatest mystics and get a sampling of historically inspiring words and deeds.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Mountain Meditation
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 27 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Mountains are majestic and able to withstand centuries of stormy weather. Though the seasons change, and the weather changes, the mountain remains strong and stable. In this mindfulness session, Penny will help you recognize the strength and stability within yourself, even when your internal 'weather' (aka emotions) shift
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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Lake erie: A Call to action
Dr. Judith Lynch
Outbreaks of Harmful Algal Blooms and E. coli contamination have been documented for years in Lake Erie. Despite proof of their injurious impact on animal life, human life, and our economy, they continue.
After the recent release of her latest report on these growingly severe threats, Jefferson Scholar in Residence Dr. Judith Lynch argues that it is time to stop talking and start acting.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Lincoln Assassination: An American Tragedy
Jeff Sherry, M.A.T
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States was assassinated while watching a play in Washington, D.C.. Most Americans know that about the assassination but few know of the extensive plot involved or of the assassin's 12 days on the run. This talk by Hagen History Center Museum Educator Jeff Sherry looks at the murder of the President in great detail.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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From 1619 Virginia to 16503 Erie: The Constitutional path to black lives matter
Dr. Parris Baker
Dr. Parris Baker, longtime Gannon University faculty member and author of the Jefferson report "A Pain-filled, Polarized America: Reflections, Recommendations on Racism in U.S., Erie," will discuss this presentation, debuted on Aug. 25, 2020 at Gannon, as he examines how racism was ingrained in the founding of the United States and the historical events that have led to the current Black Lives Matter movement. The focus on making reflective and reflexive change and the desire to re-evaluate processes at the micro and macro level are two areas Dr. Baker believes can result in significant change.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: RELEASING REGRET ABOUT. . . (SPECIFIC THINGS)
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 26 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
"I do have regrets, but I’d like to make peace with them.” In this mindfulness session, Penny will help you see your past ‘failures’ through the lenses of acceptance and learning.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Releasing Worries About. . . (so many things)
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 25 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
“People tell me not to worry so much, but I don’t know how!” In this mindfulness session, you will learn how to drop your worries, as the leaves drop from trees in the fall.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: BREATHE YOUR WAY TO MINDFULNESS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 24 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Though the surface of a lake can be turbulent, the water down below is calm and serene. In this mindfulness session, Penny will guide your imagination towards a beautiful lake with a sometimes calm and sometimes choppy surface.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: BREATHE YOUR WAY TO MINDFULNESS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 23 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
Most of us struggle with an inner sense of inadequacy and a frustration at self for not doing better. We ‘should’ ourselves: “I should be better,” “I should have done that differently.” In today’s mindfulness session, Penny will guide you towards compassion for yourself and less self judgement.
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Election 2020: Voting Habits of Generation Z
Audrey Henson, Founder and CEO of College to Congress
Join College to Congress CEO and Founder, Audrey Henson, for a lively discussion on the importance of voting through the eyes of her demographic group of young people born in the late 1990s through early 2010s.
She will also address estimations of where #civicengagement stands now, provide a snapshot of how Generation Z has voted in the past, and predictions for the 2020 presidential election. Generation Z is the demographic group succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha.
Henson founded College to Congress to provide low-income students with pathways to public service. She has spearheaded the recruitment and training of hundreds of students who are passionate about our government through her online platform, C2C-U, registered dozens to vote, and has placed nearly 40 students directly into congressional offices.
You can visit the College to Congress web page by clicking HERE!
To watch the program on Youtube, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: bREATHE yOUR wAY TO mINDFULNESS
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 22 of our "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" series.
B R E A T H E your way to mindfulness, as you will practice different approaches to breathing, so you can identify your favorite. These breathing exercises will include: 4-7-8 breathing, abdominal breathing, alternate nostril breathing and more!
For more information, click the links below.
4-7-8 breathing: https://www.cordem.org/globalassets/files/academic-assembly/2017-aa/handouts/day-three/biofeedback-exercises-for-stress-2---fernances-j.pdf
Abdominal/Diaphragmatic breathing: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9445-diaphragmatic-breathing
Alternate nostril breathing:
https://www.doyou.com/a-basic-intro-to-alternate-nostril-breathing/
To watch this video on Facebook, click HERE!
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Reverse Mortgages: What Seniors and Policy Makers Need to Know and How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Impacting the Housing Market
Dr. Ira Goldstein, Dr. Mike Norton, and Atty. Colin Weidig
In this program, originally aired on Wednesday, August 19, Erie-specific data and maps on reverse-mortgage lending will be discussed. This data was designed to help seniors better understand the complexities, risks, and advantages of reverse mortgages. This program will also look at new rules that protect seniors with a reverse mortgage from foreclosure and show data about who borrowed with reverse mortgages in the last recession and where many reverse mortgage eligible seniors live today.
To watch this program on Facebook, click HERE!
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Mindfulness: Understanding What's Behind Your Anger Part Two
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch as Penny Mechley-Porter of Thrive Therapy Space guides you through part 21 of our "Practicing Meditation though Mindfulness" series in exploring Part Two of her popular "Understanding What's Behind Your Anger" mindfulness session.
In part one, Penny helped you explore what’s going on in addition to your anger (such as fear, disappointment, sadness. . .) By tuning in, we understand ourselves better, we can learn to ‘respond’ more than ‘react’, and we can communicate more effectively.
To watch this video on Youtube, click HERE!
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The Sedition Act of 1798: Source of Domestic Turmoil and Runaway Partisanship
Richard Arthur, M.A.
Watch Richard Arthur, M.A., 23-year Army Veteran and lifelong history enthusiast, discuss the Sedition and Alien Acts of 1798.
In the last two years of the 18th Century, the new country of America faced threats to its shipping by pirates, threats to its trade from tariffs, occupied forts on its frontier, and the possibility of a war with revolutionary France.
President John Adams wanted to be prepared to fight but preferred a diplomatic approach. War hawks in his emerging Federalist Party were eager for war and seemed equally intent on crushing domestic opposition from Jefferson's Republicans.
In 1798, the Federalist Congress passed four laws that became to be called The Alien and Sedition Acts. These measures became a source of domestic turmoil and an example of runaway partisanship. They eventually changed the course of history.
Watch this program on Facebook, originally aired on August 12, 2020, by clicking HERE!
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American Tapestry: THe Stories we tell ourselves
Andrew Roth, Ph.D.
What is the "story of America?" Is there such a thing? Is there only one story, or are there many stories? Find out by watching this program, originally aired on August 11, 2020.
In this summary program, Andrew Roth, Ph.D., Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence, continues his exploration of the post-1968 shattering of the American story by drawing from his mini-part series to offer an overview of his American Tapestry experience.
To watch this program on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Guided Imagery Forest WALk
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch part 20, posted on August 7 2020, of the Jefferson's meditation exercises taught by founder of Thrive Therapy Space, Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC!
Take an imagined walk in an old-growth forest: It’s a perfect day, the forest is serene, and the sounds, smells and sensations help you to recharge and r e l a x . . .
To watch this program on Facebook, click HERE!
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On the Waterfront: Exploring Lake Erie's Wildlife, Ships, and History
David Frew, Ph.D.
Presented on August 5, Dr. David Frew gave us an exclusive look into his "On the Waterfront" series. David Frew, Ph.D., is a prolific writer, author, and speaker who grew up on Erie's lower west side as a proud "Bay Rat," joining neighborhood kids playing and marauding along the west bayfront. He has written for years about his beloved Presque Isle and his adventures on the Great Lakes. In a new series of articles for the Jefferson, the retired professor takes note of life in and around the water, which he'll review in conversation with Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch this program on Facebook, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: MINDFULness during covid
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch part 19, posted on July 31, 2020, of the Jefferson's meditation exercises taught by founder of Thrive Therapy Space, Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC!
There are extra challenges to mindfulness during this time of COVID. We are living with more uncertainty and more anxiety/fear. Penny will help you tune into your own wisdom about what helps you feel more centered. We will also practice letting go of and ‘accepting’ the things we can’t control.
To watch this program on Youtube, click HERE!
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Baseball Past and Present: The Stories of Arky Vaughan and Willie Stargell and America's Pastime Admist a Pandemic
Frank Garland, M.S.
Biographer Frank Garland will explore his latest book that details the life and times of Pittsburgh Pirate great Arky Vaughan while also reflecting on his previous book on another Pirates’ standout, Willie Stargell: A Life in Baseball, to discuss the players’ lives and the times in which they played. Garland, who brings decades of reporting experience, will also lend his insights and observations to weigh in on how America’s pastime is playing out amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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A Clear Vision: Looking at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion- A Conversation with Author Preston Love Jr.
Preston Love, Jr.
Acclaimed author, professor, and long-term activist Preston Love, Jr. will discuss Clear Vision, the follow-up book to his groundbreaking Economic Cataracts: A Chronicle of Efforts to Remove the Obstacles of Urban Community Engagement and Economic, Inclusion. On July 28, 2020, we explored his unique approach to building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the nonprofit he founded, the Institute for Urban Development (4urban.org), including a look at community engagement, economic and leadership growth, and his other organization, Black Votes Matter. The manager for Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign, Love will also reflect on his recently published Jackson Papers, his children's book Your Bridge to History, and his annual Black History Tour, all in conversation with Jefferson Educational Society Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Mindful, Peaceful Stretching
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch part 18, posted on July 24, 2020, of the Jefferson's mediation exercises taught by founder of Thrive Therapy Space, Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC!
Nope, this isn’t exercise! Our goal is to use gentle stretching as a pathway to increased mindfulness and relaxation.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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Food Security during the COVID-19 Pandemic: U.S. and Global Perspectives
Caitlin Welsh, M.P.A.
From food security in the United States broadly to the impact on specific communities, to a look at global conditions, international supply chains, potential famines, and food shortages, Erie native Caitlin Welsh, Director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., offered a tour d'horizon of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, looking back to her Jefferson Digital Programming presentation in April 2020 to where conditions stand now to estimations of where we are headed through the summer into the fall. This event premiered on July 21, 2020.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Walking Mindfulness Exercise
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Watch part 17 of the Jefferson's mediation exercises taught by founder of Thrive Therapy Space, Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC!
Penny will lead you through a walking mindfulness exercise, also called a ‘walking meditation.’ Mindful walking is the most commonly taught moving practice, and requires no equipment or skills--just a space in which you can take some rather slow steps. Some people prefer to try this practice outside in nature, others walk in a hallway or even in a small room. If you have physical limitations, no worries, Penny will offer a modified practice.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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A Conversation with Andre Perry, Author of Know Your Price, on His Latest Book, Racism in America, and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Andre Perry, Ph.D.
Dr. Perry is a fellow in the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, a scholar-in-residence at American University, a columnist for the Hechinger Report, and is the author of the recently published book Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities. A nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, and education, Perry's research has included: documenting the underlying causes for the outsized number of coronavirus-related deaths in Black communities; illuminating how certain forms of social distancing historically accelerated economic and social disparities between Black people and the rest of the country; mapping racial inequities in housing, income, and health to underscore how policy discrimination makes Black Americans more vulnerable to COVID-19; and spotlighting the struggles of Black businesses as they await federal relief from COVID-19’s economic impact. These topics and more will be explored in a conversation with Jefferson Vice President, Ben Speggen.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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Taps: 24 Notes of History and Erie County's Oliver Norton
George Deutsch, B.A.
On a sultry July evening in 1862, a battered Union army lay in camp along the James River, downstream from Richmond, after the failed attempt to capture the Confederate capital. General Daniel Butterfield called in his young bugler, Oliver Norton, from Erie's 83rd Pennsylvania regiment. That night, they created a new "Lights Out" for Butterfield's brigade. By the next morning, dozens of other buglers from nearby units flocked to see Norton to get copies of the new tune. The iconic TAPS was born. Now, TAPS is the most famous bugle call in American history, being played at military funerals across the country. In later years, Norton would become a multimillionaire industrialist, summered at the Chautauqua Institution, and his widow left a legacy to her husband by funding Chautauqua's opera center: Norton Hall.
To watch this program, originally aired on July 14, 2020, click HERE!
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What History Stands to Teach Us and Why We Need to Learn Its Lessons
Jonathan Burdick, M.Ed., M.A.
History isn't simply learning what happened in the past, but how what happened affected individuals. Understanding our shared collective history helps us contextualize the present: from current events to our own lives. To discuss history – and its role and our understanding of it – Jonathan Burdick, public school history teacher, founder of the public history project Rust & Dirt, and contributing writer at the Erie Reader, will discuss what drew him to history as a discipline, how he teaches and writes about it, and why and how he launched a public history project.
Watch this program, which aired on July 13, 2020, by clicking HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Understanding What's Behind Your Anger
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Using mindfulness, Penny will help you explore what’s going on in addition to your anger (such as fear, disappointment, sadness. . .) By tuning in, we understand ourselves better, we can learn to ‘respond’ more than ‘react’, and we can communicate more effectively.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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A Conversation with Steve Scully: A Look at 2020, from the Presidential Election to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Steve Scully, C-SPAN Senior Executive
In this program, presented on July 9, 2020, the interviewer becomes the interviewee. The renowned host of the Washington Journal and C-SPAN Senior Executive Producer and Political Editor Steve Scully joined Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, the 2020 Presidential Election, and the role Mr. Scully’s hometown of Erie will likely play in the election outcome.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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1968: The Far Side of the Moon and the Birth of the Culture Wars
Andrew Roth, Ph.D.
2018 marked the 50th Anniversary of 1968 – the cusp year of "The '60s": the Cultural Revolution whose repercussions redefined America reverberating down today. "The '60s" refers to that period between the Berkeley Free Speech Movement in 1964 to the last American helicopter leaving Saigon in 1975.
1968 was the hinge year, the year everything changed. From the Tet Offensive to President Johnson's resignation; from the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy; from Miami and the Siege of Chicago;; from the women's march on Atlantic City to Apollo 8's Christmas Eve lunar orbit when humans first saw the far side of the moon and 'Earth-rise', 1968 changed everything.
This presentation, given by Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Andrew Roth on July 7, 2020, traces those events, their antecedents and their consequences.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Guided Beach Imagery
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
In part 15 of this mindfulness series, hosted on July 3, 2020, Penny will guide you in using your imagination to place yourself on a beautiful, and relaxing beach: The perfect temperature, the sounds you love, the smells and sensations that help you to r-e-l-e-a-s-e tension. . .
To watch this program, click HERE!
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A Conversation with Rev Jeffrey Brown: Race in America and Today's Black Lives Matter Movement
Rev. Jeffrey Brown
Heralded as "the architect of the Boston Miracle," Rev. Jeffrey Brown led the way to curb youth-involved violent crime in Boston by 79 percent over a decade. Working with faith groups, cities, government, and police to stop gang violence, Rev. Brown serves as president of RECAP (Rebuilding Every Community Around Peace) and co-founder of My City at Peace.
To discuss race in America, today's Black Lives Matter Movement, and more, Rev. Brown, who presented in Erie at Global Summit VIII, joined Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen on June 30 in conversation to review our country's history, unpack its present, and explore its future.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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Mindfulness: S.T.O.P. and Take a Pause
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
In part 14 of this mindfulness series, hosted on June 26, 2020, Penny will teach you how to pause during the day, so you won't feel as stressed or reactive by the end of the day!
Stand
Tune in
Observe
Ponder Possibilities
To watch this program, click HERE!
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Flashpoint! How Colonial Western Pennsylvania Ignited a Global War
Larry Flatley, J.D.
In 1700, western Pennsylvania was an uninhabited wilderness. Fifty years later, a world war stared here. What happened?
Join historian and author Larry Flatley in conversation with Jefferson's Ben Speggen as they explore the events that led to war, including a pivotal 1753 confrontation at Erie between the French commander of Fort Presque Isle and a Native American leader.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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Normandy Invasion
Mark Squeglia, B.A.
Mark Squeglia, B.A. discusses the immense battle plans, invasion strategy and major players from June 6th to September 1944. What mistakes were made by both the German Army and Allied Forces and why was it imperative that the invasion succeed.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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A Pain-filled, Polarized America: Reflections, Recommendations on Racism in U.S., Erie
Dr. Parris Baker
In a recently released Jefferson report, "A Pain-filled, Polarized America: Reflections, Recommendations on Racism in U.S., Erie," author Dr. Parris Baker examines America's history and grappling with racism in the context of George Floyd's violent death while in police custody, the rise of global protests, and the ongoing pervasion of the coronavirus pandemic.
While reviewing the country's history rooted in racism and the centuries-long impacts it's had, Baker highlights current initiatives, such as Campaign Zero, and outlines key recommendations to drive equitable progress through policy.
Dr. Baker's report was published Friday, June 19. To discuss his work, Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen hosted a livestreamed conversation with Baker on June 22.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Tapping on Stress
Penny Mechley Porter, NCC, LPC
On June 19, the Jefferson featured it's 13th mediation excercise with Penny Mechley-Porter.
This program will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) EFT/Tapping on Stress 2) Releasing Stress with the Breath.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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A Conversation with Kristen Zeiber: Pedestrian, Bike Links to Bayfront Needed More than Ever
Kristen Zeiber, M.S.
The master plan for the Bayfront Parkway Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was released in April, highlighting more consideration for bike and pedestrian connections along the Bayfront.
Kristen Zeiber, Project Manager for the Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, responded to the PennDOT plan in the report recently released by the Jefferson Educational Society headlined, “Pedestrian, Bicycle Links to Bayfront ‘Needed More Than Ever.’”
In a program featured on June 17, 2020, Zeiber discussed her new report as well as the PennDOT plan, including the challenges and opportunities of rethinking the parkway, the context of the parkway project in this age of the coronavirus, its special challenges, and the desire of bicyclists and pedestrians to better use of bayfront amenities.
To watch this program, click HERE!
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Jefferson Conversation with Yvonne Caputo, Author of Flying with Dad
Yvonne Caputo
On June 16, the Jefferson hosted a conversation with Yvonne Caputo, teacher, psychotherapist, corporate trainer, and consultant.
Caputos debut book is both a memoir and a WWII history. The book is the result of two years of long-distance phone calls with Caputo's father. His stories of being a B-24 navigator in World War II became the bridge between father and daughter. They deepened their relationship in a way Caputo never dreamed possible, and they were responsible for their no regrets final goodbye.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Noticing Emotions and Breath
Penny Mechley Porter, NCC, LPC
On June 12, the Jefferson featured it's 12th mediation excercise with Penny Mechley-Porter.
This program will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) Noticing Emotions and 2) Breath Awareness.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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Evaluating the Economic Impact of COVID-19
Dr. Kenneth Louie
The Economic Research Institute of Erie (ERIE) issued a Special Issue of the Erie Leading Index (ELI) on May 1, 2020 to analyze the local economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic January through March.
With the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' April data set for local, Metropolitan Statistical Employment and Unemployment being released on June 3, Dr. Kenneth Louie, ERIE director, offered insight on June 9, 2020 to the updated numbers and the effects of COVID-19 on the local and national economies.
What's changed? Where does Erie stand compared to the rest of the country? Find out in this conversation as we unpack the new developments.
To watch this video, Click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Tension Release and Garden Guided Imagery
Penny Mechley Porter, NCC, LPC
On June 5, the Jefferson featured it's 11th mediation excercise with Penny Mechley-Porter.
This program will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) Tense and Release and 2) Garden Guided Imagery.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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President Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney: The Great Antagonists
George Deutsch, B.A.
On June 3, 2020, the Jefferson featured a program on the history of President Lincoln and Chief Justice Taney.
Roger Taney was the product of privilege and formal education, which stands in stark contrast to Abraham Lincoln, his impoverished youth and self-education. Their antagonism began in the 1840s when Taney ruled against Lincoln in a split decision in the only case that Lincoln as lawyer ever argued before the Supreme Court. Lincoln spoke out sharply against the Dred Scott decision in 1857. The two clashed repeatedly during Lincoln's presidency. The feud continued until Taney's death in 1864.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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Years of horror: 1968 and 2020
Andrew Roth, Ph.D.
In a recently published essay for The Atlantic, “Is This the Worst Year in Modern American History? Comparing 2020 to 1968 offers some disquieting lessons for the present,” James Fallows examines the two years, the history of 1968 and the unfolding of today's events. You can also take a look at the Fallows' presentation with the Jefferson from April 21, 2020 by clicking HERE.
Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Andrew Roth has spent the last two years unpacking 1968's historical importance in the American narrative.
In this event, hosted on June 2, 2020, he'll discuss the roles of pandemics, media, leadership, and more as we continue to analyze 1968's impact on history then and today.
You can watch this video by clicking HERE!
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MINDFULNESs: Mindful stretching
Penny Mechley Porter, NCC, LPC
On May 29, the Jefferson featured it's tenth mediation excercise with Penny Mechley-Porter.
This program will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) Mindful Stretching and 2) Meditating on a Word.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Passing Thoughts and Mindful Moments
Penny Mechley Porter, NCC, LPC
On May 22, the Jefferson featured it's nineth mediation excercise with Penny Mechley-Porter.
This program will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) Allow thoughts to pass through and 2) Choose mindful moments during the day.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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PA SENATE DEBATE: aNDRÉ HORTON AND jULIE SLOMSKI
Democratic Candidates
On Thursday, May 21 the Jefferson featured a debate with Democratic Candidates for PA State Senate District 49. Watch to find out these candidates' platforms and goals as we all prepare for election day on June 2, 2020.
Click HERE to watch!
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Coworking: Communities of Professional and Personal Interest
Sean Fedorko
Coworking has become a popular subject of discussion with the rise of the freelance economy, remote work, entrepreneurship, and as people seek new ways to feel connected to one another.
On May 20, 2020, Sean Fedorko, Co-founder and Managing Director of Radius CoWork, provides insights into the history of Erie’s coworking community, Radius CoWork, and its role in Erie’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. We’ll also cover how the pandemic is effecting changes in coworking communities and the industry.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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mindfulness: First Sip, First Bite
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On May 15, 2020, we livestreamed part eight of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) First Sip, First Bite and 2) "It shouldn't be this way" Release.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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A CONVERSATION WITH CAMILLE BUSETTE, DIRECTOR OF THE RACE, PROSPERITY, AND INCLUSION INITIATIVE AND SENIOR FELLOW AT BROOKINGS INSTITUTION
Camille Busette, Ph.D.
The Federal Reserve took the unprecedented step of establishing a Municipal Liquidity Facility (MLF), providing up to $500 billion in lending to states, cities, and counties, but the "MLF's proposed eligibility criteria unintentionally deepen what are becoming disturbing and obviously racial disparities of COVID-19," writes Camille Busette with Brookings colleague Aaron Klein in their recent report "Improving the Equity Impact of the Fed's Municipal Lending Facility.
To discuss that report and more, Busette, speaker at Global Summit X, joined Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen in conversation for the Jefferson's Digital Programming on May 14, 2020.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS A TEACHABLE MOMENT ON NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY
Larry Flatley, J.D.
What can we learn during the COVID-19 pandemic from and about Native American History?
On May 13, 2020, Larry Flatley, the author of the recently published report, "COVID-19 Pandemic is a Teachable Moment on Native American History," explored and unpacked history's lessons and what they mean to use today in a conversation with Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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UNLOCK THE MYSTERIES OF OAK ISLAND
James McQuiston
On May 11, 2020, we posted the video "Unlock the Mysteries of Oak Island."
In 1795, a treasure hunt began on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, lasting 225 years. In 2007, a new group purchased the island and were approached by the History Channel to have their treasure hunting efforts filmed. The resulting show, Curse of Oak Island, is typically the number one show on cable TV. In 2016, James McQuiston approached the show with a theory, based on old, still existing documents, which resulted in four books on Oak Island and a few appearances on the show, plus the #6 rated theory. McQuiston presents a story of Oak Island no one else has ever revealed.
James McQuiston, a local historian, has written four books on the mystery of Oak Island, Nova Scotia. While researching and writing a few earlier books, he became particularly interested in Scottish connections to North America, and his work eventually earned him a fellowship with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, a group of top Scottish historians. Since 2016, McQuiston has worked with the current treasure hunters on Oak Island and has appeared on History Channel's top show, "Curse of Oak Island." He has visited the island on 10 occasions, presenting the No. 6-rated theory in the Oak Island war room.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Five Finger Breathing
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On May 8, 2020, we livestreamed part seven of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused mindfulness for kids: 1) Relax with a Lemon, Cat, Turtle... 2) 5 finger breathing
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
LEADERSHIP IN TIMES OF CRISES: LEARNING FROM ERIE'S LAW AND BATTLES
Dr. Judith Lynch
What can Erie learn today, amidst the COVID-19 crisis, from studying the past, specifically the tuberculous crisis of the 19th century and the Great Depression of the 20th century? What lessons do Dr. Katherine Law and banker Charlottes Elizabeth Battles teach us in leadership in times of crises?
On May 7, 2020, Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Judy Lynch was in conversation with Ben Speggen, Jefferson Vice President, for this discussion on two reports she's recently written for the Jefferson.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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THE FUTURE OF RURAL AMERICA: HOW DAKOTA RESOURCES IS PLANNING FOR TOMORROW IN A TIME OF CRISIS
Dakota Resources' Paula Jensen and Mike Knutson
How are mindsets shifting about the rural narrative in the 21st century? What is the heartland doing when it comes to brain gain and talent attraction?
On May 5, 2020, Dakota Resources' Paula Jensen and Mike Knutson in conversation with Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen, who explored answers to those questions and more and will talk about why networking matters and how the COVID-19 crisis has impacted the future of rural America.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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mindfulness: Squeezing Out Stress
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On May 1, 2020, we livestreamed part six of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on 1) squeezing out stress and 2) observing self as a part of the wider world.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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The ukraine-russia conflict in times of covid-19
Dr. Lena Surzhko-Harned
The conflict in the Donbas region in Ukraine's east is still very much alive. COVID-19 has not spared this war-torn region and it adds extra hardship to an already vulnerable and underserved population.
Prof. Lena Surzhko-Harned explains the mechanics of this conflict, and the challenges of managing the coronavirus crisis properly because of migration, difficult access to healthcare, and armed conflict. Dr. Surzhko-Harned is an Assistant Teaching Professor of Political Science and a Faculty Affiliate of the Public Policy Fund at Penn State Behrend. Her primary research interests are in the field of comparative politics.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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Effectively working with and managing remote workers
Mark Squeglia
While more work has been migrating to the digital arena, many suddenly found themselves working from the kitchen table, the den, a makeshift basement desk, or the couch, as the COVID-19 outbreak forced social distancing when at all possible, driving many workers to the remote realm for the first time.
Mark Squeglia has been working and managing remote workers for numerous years. He has plenty of experience, stories to tell, and a framework for success to share. Learn from him how to better cope with challenges, find solutions, manage the work, and improve communications, whether your work-remote status is temporary or permanent; or, pre-, during-, or post-crisis.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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HOW TO BE HAPPY: THE MODERN SCIENCE OF LIFE SATISFACTION
David Frew, Ph.D.
Previously scheduled as a Satellite Program in Fairview with the Erie County Public Library on April 13, Dr. Frew leads a journey into the history of and the modern science of happiness, including psychology, economics, medicine, and religion on Monday, April 27, 2020
Returning to his organizational psychology roots, David Frew, Ph.D., explores the science and art of experiencing happiness. Dr. Frew was an early leader in the fields of job satisfaction and self-esteem.
His early research suggested that both of these work-related metrics were directly connected to personal happiness and he has further developed his understanding of the components of happiness.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS:Emotions of the Body
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On April 24, 2020, we livestreamed part five of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on feeling emotions of the body and appreciation towards the body.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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Necessary Interruptions: Encounters in the Convergence of Ecological and Public Health
Dr. Aaron Kerr
Regions have consented to social distancing in an effort to procure a future public health. This has involved radical interruptions to conventional living, interruptions which will result in pronounced adaptations in modern existence in the very near future.
The machinations of global carbon civilization have persistently resisted these sorts of interruptions on the grounds of economic development. The diseased inanimate earth has not evoked the urgency that diseased humanity has. The interruptions that now befall all of us can be creatively assessed and leveraged in the service of ecological awareness and a deeper solidarity with both nature and culture; a healthy convergence promoting inter-generational cooperation.
Healthy intellectual responses to interruptions involve openness, wonder, receptivity, and contemplation. Dr. Kerr explains how these resources are the indispensable intellectual equipment necessary for our common future of health.
Click HERE to watch the video!
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A Conversation with Avi Loeb:Scientists Shining a Light in a Time of Crisis
Dr. Avi Loeb and Ben Speggen
On April 21, 2020, the Jefferson livestreamed a conversation between Dr. Avi Loeb and Jefferson Vice President, Ben Speggen.
Dr. Avi Loeb is the chair of the astronomy department at Harvard University; founding director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative; director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; chair of the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies and the advisory board for the Breakthrough Starshot project; and author of the forthcoming Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth.
Avi Loeb and Ben Speggen discussed the role of scientists in the time of COVID-19, Avi Loeb's recent appointment to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and more.
No stranger to Erie, Pennsylvania, Loeb presented “Extraterrestrial Life: Are We Alone?” at the Jefferson’s Global Summit in November 2019 in front of sold-out crowd at Penn State Behrend.
To watch the program, click HERE!
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A Conversation with James and Deborah Fallows
James & Deborah Fallows and Ben Speggen
On April 21, 2020, we livestreamed a conversation between Jefferson Vice President, Ben Speggen, and writers James and Deborah Fallows.
James and Deborah Fallows, the husband-wife co-author duo of the critically acclaimed bestselling book "Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America" discussed the towns and cities they visited throughout their multi-year journey (including Erie, Pennsylvania) and to learn about their travels and reporting since.
No strangers to Erie, the Fallows presented at Global Summit X, and were honored with the Thomas B. Hagen Dignitas Award and received keys to the city from Erie Mayor Joe Schember. The Fallows also discussed how they're observing local responses in the wake of COVID-19 to examine how regions can learn from each other.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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MINDFULNESS: Mindful Body Scan
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On April 17, 2020, we livestreamed part four of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on mindful body scans with release and a loving kindness meditation.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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FROM PEACEABLE KINGDOM TO SLAUGHTERHOUSE: COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NATIVE AMERICANS
Larry Flatley, J.D.
William Penn sincerely wanted to deal fairly with the Native American people who had long lived on the land he called Pennsylvania. The early years of Penn's colony are remembered by many as the Peaceable Kingdom. For seven decades, there was relative peace between the colony and Native Americans. However, William Penn had sowed the seeds of a disaster that his heirs eventually brought to fruition. Between 1755 and 1783, Pennsylvania and its Native inhabitants fought each other in three brutal, terroristic wars. Penn's Peaceable Kingdom became what has been called a slaughterhouse. This lecture will examine how and why that happened.
Wednesday's lecture was previously scheduled to be presented at the Corry Higher Education Council on Thursday, April 16, but due to state regulations prohibiting live audiences at public events, we posted a pre-recorded video on this topic on Wednesday, April 15 on our Facebook page. This pre-recorded video was taped by Pennsylvania Cable Network on November 5, 2019 at Edinboro University as a part of the Jefferson's Satellite Programming.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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AFGHANISTAN: WHEN AND HOW WILL AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR END?
Dr. Baher Ghosheh
Livestreamed on Facebook on March 18, 2020 and reposted on April 14, 2020.
Afghanistan has been dubbed the graveyard of empires. Many have tried to conquer but all have retreated in defeat. How will our longest war end? What does the future hold for Afghanistan and her long-suffering people?
Find out by watching the lecture HERE.
Take a look at the PowerPoint presentation included in the lecture HERE.
This lecture was originally scheduled to be presented at the Edinboro University as a part of the Jefferson's Satellite Programming. This event had to be modified as state regulations currently prohibit live audiences at public events.
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MINDFULNESS: Snow Globe of the Mind
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
On April 10, 2020, we livestreamed part three of "Practicing Meditation through Mindfulness" on Facebook.
This program is a follow-up by popular demand from previous Friday lectures and will walk viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness. During this mediation, we focused on mindful body scans and calming the "snow globe" of one's mind.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Watch this video by clicking HERE!
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EXPLORING THE REPORT: "WHY ERIE'S DOWNTOWN IS A PROXY FOR THE NATION: THE FUTURE OF MAIN STREET BUSINESSES AMIDST THE COVID-19 CRISIS"
Bruce Katz and Ben Speggen
This presentation was livestreamed on Facebook on April 9, 2020.
The impact of COVID-19 on small businesses and the places where they co-locate and concentrate — downtown, Main Streets, commercial corridors — has been immediate and devastating. In their recent report, "Why Erie’s Downtown is a Proxy for the Nation: The Future of Main Street Businesses amidst the Covid-19 Crisis,” Bruce Katz, the Founding Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University and a Partner with Accelerator for America, and Jefferson Vice President Ben Speggen, examine COVID-19's impact on businesses in Erie and make the case for how Erie serves as a model for the country in examining the impact and planning the recovery.
Click HERE to watch the lecture!
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METRO 100 REVISITED
The Jefferson revisited lectures from "Metro100: Erie at a Crossroads" on April 8, 2020. Take a look at the video so you can watch, remember, and learn all you can about what we accomplished during the Metro100 in 2016.
In 2016, the Jefferson hosted czb, LLC. Planning Firm Founding President Charles Buki and czb Associate Planner Peter Lombardi along with James Fallows, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, for a discussion of the City of Erie’s recent comprehensive plan: Erie Refocused.
At the unveiling of the plan, Buki wrote an open letter to Erie civic leaders, calling for community wide discussion of the plan to best consider adoption and implementation strategies. To ensure that the plan was discussed and that leaders could connect to its authors, the Jefferson hosted the czb, LLC. Planners. Adding James Fallows helped the plan garner national attention, as he wrote about the day’s happenings in The Atlantic.
Video was recorded by MenajErie Studio.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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PRACTICING MEDITATION THROUGH MINDFULNESS - PART TWO
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
Part two of the Jefferson's mediation exercises was given on Friday, April 3.
This program taught viewers different meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, nonjudgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your Awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
To watch this video, click HERE!
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COVID-19 AND FOOD SECURITY
Catlin Welsh, M.P.A.
This presentation was livestreamed on Facebook on April 2, 2020
Caitlin Welsh, Erie native and Director of the Global Food Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington DC, gave a tour d’horizon of food security issues during the COVID-19 pandemic: from global agricultural trade to protecting the vulnerable in our communities to best practices for shopping at your own grocery store.
Caitlin Welsh was a presenter in the Jefferson's Global Summit IX Speaker Series, as she gave a lecture on "Feeding the World in the 21st Century".
To watch this presentation, click HERE!
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COVID-19 AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
LECOM Health
On Wednesday, April 1, the Jefferson is hosted an update on the Coronavirus with a panel of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine doctors:
- Meghan McCarthy, D.O., director of MCH’s psychiatric residency program; and child/adolescent psychiatrists
- Gianpiero Martone, D.O., child/adolescent psychiatrist
- Prianka Sinha, D.O., child/adolescent psychiatrist
This presentation is the third of its kind between the Jefferson and LECOM regarding COVID-19 and Erie County. During this presentation, these medical experts will provide insights and advice on how to best cope with stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic and will field viewers’ questions.
To watch this presentation, click HERE!
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PRACTICING MEDITATION THROUGH MINDFULNESS - PART ONE
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
This program, livestreamed on Facebook on March 27, 2020, is a follow-up by popular demand from the lecture on March 20 and walked viewers through some meditation exercises that they can then implement in their everyday lives to promote mindfulness.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
To learn and practice these mediation exercises, click HERE!
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THE BLACK DEATH AND COVID-19: ARE THERE SIMILARITIES?
Dr. Judith Lynch and Anita Rogowski
Jefferson Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Judith Lynch and Anita Rogowski, who taught alongside Dr. Lynch at Villa High School and Mercyhurst NE, presented a Facebook Live lecture on the topic “The Black Death and COVID-19: Are There Similarities?” on March 26, 2020.
These two scholars discussed the similarity of factors between the two diseases including the origin of disease, connectivity across continents, globalization, climate change, biological warfare, symptoms, and the necessity of human contact.
To watch the video, click HERE!
To view the PowerPoint associated with the video, click HERE!
To read up on the history of the Spanish Flu from 1918, click HERE!
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FOLLOW UP ON CORONAVIRUS-COVID 19 COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
LECOM Health
LECOM medical specialists discussed the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic and its regional implications in a special live video broadcast on March 24, 2020 on the Jefferson's Facebook page.
In partnership with LECOM, the Jefferson will present a “Follow-up on Coronavirus Conversation” featuring three medical specialists:
Dr. Monika Murillo, M.D., Clinical Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases;
Dr. Melanie Dunbar, Director of Behavioral Health;
and Dr. James Lin, President of LECOM’s Institute for Successful Aging.
Dr. Murillo’s office is at LECOM Medical Fitness and Wellness Center. A graduate of the University El Bosque, she completed her residency from the University of Illinois at Chicago/Christ Medical Center.
Dr. Dunbar, an Erie native, is a psychologist and licensed professional counselor. With 15 years in behavioral health, her expertise includes mood and anxiety disorders, trauma, grief and loss, personality disorders, and dialectical therapy.
Dr. Lin, an expert in senior care, is a veteran practitioner and administrator at LECOM. He emigrated from Taiwan with his family as a youngster and went on to study at New York University and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
To watch the video, click HERE!
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ERIE COUNTY WOMEN IN WAR TIME
Sabina Freeman, B.A.
Livestreamed on Facebook on March 24, 2020.
During wartime the bravery and dedication of Erie County women became most obvious. They contributed to every war, in small and large ways. Some
on the front lines, some on the home front. When their help was needed they gave it, for their country and for their loved ones. These are some of their
stories.
To view the presentation, click HERE!
To view the video, click HERE!
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THE BENEFITS OF PRACTICING MINDFULNESS: KEEPING CALM AND COPING DURING COVID-19
Penny Mechley-Porter, NCC, LPC
The Jefferson presented a Facebook live stream a lecture by Penny Mechley-Porter on March 20, 2020. The lecture explained the necessity of staying mindful during these times as well as some mindfulness tips and tricks.
Mindfulness is the act of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment. Practicing mindfulness can help you be the most amazing you. How? By helping expand your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Without self-awareness, we struggle with our actions: getting too angry, procrastination, addictive behaviors, resisting change. By increasing self-awareness, we see our patterns more clearly and can develop skills to address these behaviors.
Learn all about it by clicking HERE!
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AFGHANISTAN: WHEN AND HOW WILL AMERICA'S LONGEST WAR END?
Dr. Baher Ghosheh
Livestreamed on Facebook on March 18, 2020 and reposted on April 14, 2020.
Afghanistan has been dubbed the graveyard of empires. Many have tried to conquer but all have retreated in defeat. How will our longest war end? What does the future hold for Afghanistan and her long-suffering people?
Find out by watching the lecture HERE.
Take a look at the PowerPint presentation included in the lecture HERE.
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CORONAVIRUS: A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
LECOM Health and Erie County Department of Health
While the Jefferson Educational Society has suspended its live-audience public events as its team continues to monitor the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19, the Jefferson livestreamed "Coronavirus/COVID-19: A Community Conversation" on March 13.
The public is encouraged to tune in on the Jefferson Facebook page for this event, which is co-sponsored by LECOM Health.
Representing the Erie County Health Department will be Rich Knecht, the department’s former Public Health Preparedness director, who has been contracted to assist the Health Department with the COVID-19 outbreak. Before retiring in 2013, Knecht led the Health Department’s response through white powder incidents, monkeypox, smallpox, swine flu, H1N1, SARS, bird flu, and several other incidents and potential outbreaks.
Medical professionals scheduled to speak include Monika Murillo, M.D., clinical assistant professor of Infectious Diseases at LECOM; Danielle Hansen, D.O., vice president of Acute Care Services at Millcreek Community Hospital and associate director of the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging; and James Lin, D.O., president of the LECOM Institute for Successful Aging.
To watch this lecture, click HERE!
To take a look at the PowerPoint Presentation affiliated with the lecture, click HERE!
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY'S RESPONSIBILITY OF THE POOR
Dr. Judith Lynch
On March 12, 2020, the Jefferson livestreamed and recorded Dr. Judy Lynch's "History of Erie County's Responsibility of the Poor."
Erie County was created by the State in 1800. One of the first responsibilities it was given was the care of the poor, a state-imposed responsibility that the County still carries. This lecture traces the evolution of the County's care of the poor, from the creation of the Overseers of the Poor, to Institution Districts, to workhouses, almshouses, and tuberculosis sanitariums. It notes the changing attitudes about the treatment of subsections of the poor. It describes the impact of the Great Depression and the Roosevelt policies, in addition to chronicling the impact of Lyndon Johnson's 1960s programs of Medicaid and Medicare and the scope of the current human service budget.
Click HERE to watch the video!
Click HERE to download the PowerPoint Presentation from the lecture!
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