Theresa Dunne
Features Editor
Every year since 1981, The College of Wooster has partnered with the local Wooster community to put together the Great Decisions Lecture Series. The overarching goal of the series is to promote continuous education among both Wooster students and area residents.
Each year, the series focuses on a current global affairs issue and welcomes a variety of notable figures to present on the topic over the course of a few months. This year’s series will delve into the approaching 2016 presidential election and its impact on pressing world issues.
The lecture series begins on Tuesday, Feb. 2 with journalist Eleanor Clift’s presentation “What Foreign Policy Issues Will Shape the 2016 Presidential Election?” As a Washington Correspondent for Newsweek/The Daily Beast, Clift has covered every presidential campaign since Jimmy Carter’s election in 1976. In addition to this, she is known for her position as a regular panelist on the syndicated show, “The McLaughlin Group,” and frequently provides political commentary on MSNBC.
The second lecture in the series, “Cyberwar & Cybersecurity: Critical Decisions Facing the Next U.S. President,” will be given on Feb. 11 by international expert on 21st century warfare Peter Singer. Currently, Singer is a strategist for the New America Foundation and, before that, was the founding Director of the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution. In regards to his work with the government, Singer has been a consultant for the U.S. Military, Defense Intelligence Agency and FBI. He also served as coordinator for Obama’s 2008 campaign defense policy task force.
For the third segment of the series, The College of Wooster will host a screening of Chris Temple’s documentary film, Salam Neighborhood, a film depicting Temple’s month living and filming in a Syrian refugee camp. The following day, Temple will speak about his experiences in his talk titled, “Salam Neighbor: Life in a Syrian Refugee Camp.”
With permission from the United Nations, Temple and his fellow filmmakers were given a tent and registered in the Za’atri refugee camp, making them the first filmmakers ever to do so. By living within the walls of a refugee camp for one month, Temple was able to capture an unfamiliar perspective and insight into an ongoing international crisis.
In addition to his work on Salam Neighborhood, Temple has become known for the unique way he produces his films through his non-profit production company Living on One. Created by Temple and three of his college peers, Living on One aims to produce films that address pertinent global issues and inspire viewers to take action.
To close the Great Decisions lecture series on Mar. 29, TED senior fellow and foreign policy expert, Benedetti Berti, will present “How to Stop Groups like ISIS.” As a researcher and author, Berti specializes in issues pertaining to human security and internal conflict, post-conflict stabilization and peace building.
For more information about the Great Decisions Lecture Series, please visit https://www.wooster.edu/news/releases/2016/january/great-decisions/.