ROGERS M. SMITH, Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania
and
CAROL NACKENOFF, Richter Professor of Political Science Emerita, Swarthmore College

President Trump launched his second term by issuing executive orders removing migrants from the U.S., authorizing agents to enter formerly safe spaces, suspending refugee programs, halting most immigration from Latin America, Ukraine, and Afghanistan, and prospectively denying birthright citizenship for children of unauthorized aliens. Two senior scholars of American immigration and citizenship policies discuss the legality, ideology, and impacts of these dramatic initiatives.

JONATHAN ZIMMERMAN, Professor of education and history, University of Pennsylvania

The October 7 Hamas attack on Israel triggered a new set of contradictions around free speech on American campuses. On the political right, the same people who formerly condemned universities as hostile to free speech demanded new restrictions on allegedly hateful statements. Meanwhile, left-wing voices who had demanded checks on hate speech became zealous advocates for protecting those same statements. This talk examines how we arrived at this frenzied moment and suggests a new way forward.
 

ANDREW HAUZE ’04, Senior Lecturer in Music, Swarthmore College

Orchestral conducting is a profession often shrouded in mystery. From baton-throwing tyrants to cordial collaborators, the role of the conductor has significantly evolved over the last 150 years. But what does a conductor do? Are conductors really necessary? Who is given such power? Together, we’ll examine questions of musical interpretation, power, gender, race, and conductors in popular culture, from Bugs Bunny and Fantasia to Maestro and Tár.

LIA HOWARD, Director of the Political Empathy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania

The Political Empathy Lab at the University of Pennsylvania explores how to build dialogue across today’s sharp political differences. A practice called “democratic listening” has shown great promise when used by UPenn students on multiple trips to communities across Pennsylvania. Having trained and led students on those trips, Prof. Howard will report on what they learned and what their experiences tell us about reducing political polarization.