Hofstra Bids to Host 2012 Presidential Debate
Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz announced on April 15 that Hofstra University submitted a formal application to the Commission on Presidential Debates to host a 2012 presidential debate. Hofstra University was the host of the third and final presidential debate between then-Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain on October 15, 2008.
Earlier in the month, the Commission on Presidential Debates released the list of submitted applications, and of the 12 applications received from across the country, Hofstra’s was the only application from New York state.
“Hosting the debate in 2008 was a remarkable experience for our entire community. Our students, faculty and alumni were proud to host one of the most important events of the presidential election,” said President Rabinowitz. “Hofstra University’s size, location and facilities make our campus an ideal setting for a presidential debate, and allows our students a are and extraordinary opportunity to participate in the democratic process.”
Hofstra University has again proposed the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex (“the Arena”) as the venue for the debate, and the adjoining Physical Education Building as home for the media center and support services for the Commission on Presidential Debates. Other Hofstra University facilities have been selected for support services for media and visitors.
“Hofstra’s emphasis on academic disciplines such as presidential studies and suburban studies is a unique connection between the debate, American culture and history, and Hofstra’s scholarly strengths,” noted President Rabinowitz. In 2008 the University hosted the award-winning Educate ’08, a yearlong series of lectures, classes and events focused on the issues and history of presidential campaigns, politics, and debates.
Hofstra University has again proposed the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex (“the Arena”) as the venue for the debate, and the adjoining Physical Education Building as home for the media center and support services for the Commission on Presidential Debates. Other Hofstra University facilities have been selected for support services for media and visitors.
“Hofstra’s emphasis on academic disciplines such as presidential studies and suburban studies is a unique connection between the debate, American culture and history, and Hofstra’s scholarly strengths,” noted President Rabinowitz. In 2008 the University hosted the award-winning Educate ’08, a yearlong series of lectures, classes and events focused on the issues and history of presidential campaigns, politics, and debates.
In 2006 Hofstra University launched the Peter S. Kalikow Center for the Study of the American Presidency, led by Dr. Meena Bose, to build on the scholarship of the Hofstra Cultural Center’s renowned presidential conference series hosted by the University since 1977. The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University®, led by Executive Dean Larry Levy, was launched in 2003, incorporating the existing Long Island Studies Institute, to study the unique issues of the suburbs, now home to more than 50 percent of all Americans. The center studies the suburbs through the lens of the “laboratory” of Hofstra’s surrounding area, which includes Levittown, America’s “first suburb,” and often publishes national polls focusing on the political climate of the suburbs.
More April News...
- The Frank G. Zarb School of Business announced the fall 2011 launch of an online M.B.A. program with a focus on strategic business management. The program is taught by full-time faculty members and has a global and industry focus with residency requirements that include interaction with New York City industry leaders and global corporations.'
- The Chronicle, Hofstra University’s student newspaper, celebrated 75 years of publishing with an April 2 alumni reunion that also included current student staff members.
- The Hofstra Cultural Center presented the conference 1935: The Reality and the Promise, April 7, 8 and 9, 2011, in honor of the University’s 75th anniversary. Scholars were invited from all disciplines to present papers exploring the reality of 1935 and the promise of events, personalities and culture, from the local to the global. Highlights included a banquet address and special presentation for students by former NBA champion Kareem Abdul- Jabbar, executive producer of the documentary film On the Shoulders of Giants, about the Harlem Rens, the first black owned and operated basketball team from Harlem, which won the first World Basketball Championship in 1939. The conference co-directors were Professors J Bret Bennington, Michael D’Innocenzo and Zenia DaSilva.
- Hofstra University School of Law and Wright Risk Management co-hosted a conference on April 8 designed to help school administrators address cyberbullying issues. Educators, lawyers, policymakers and mental health professionals gathered to examine current laws concerning cyberbullying and discuss intersecting issues regarding the First Amendment, school liability and criminal justice.
- A panel of experienced corporate leaders demonstrated the process of effectively responding to a corporate crisis during a Socratic Panel on April 11. The Socratic Panel provides a unique opportunity to teach the audience how to effectively respond to a crisis by observing a panel of experienced professionals in action. The program moderator was Richard Torrenzano, chief executive of The Torrenzano Group, a global expert in crisis communications.
- Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Maraniss was the keynote speaker for the conference Into Sunlight: The Impact of War on the Social Body, From the Vietnam Era to the Present, April 14-16. Mr. Maraniss’ book They Marched Into Sunlight inspired Hofstra dance faculty member Robin Becker to choreograph an evening-length dance, Into Sunlight, and also to develop this interdisciplinary conference addressing current conditions of war through the historical lens of the Vietnam era. The conference also featured the world premiere of a new theatrical work, titled Undeclared History, directed by Conference Co-Chair and Professor of Drama and Dance Cindy Rosenthal. Hofstra’s Department of Drama and Dance commissioned Hofstra alumnus Isaac Rathbone ’00, co-founder of Oracle Theatre, to write this original play, set on the Hofstra campus. The script was drawn from the oral histories of Hofstra alumni during the Vietnam era — veterans, activists, journalists, and faculty.
- A reception celebrating the career of Dr. Harold M. Hastings, professor of mathematics, physics and astronomy and chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, was held at the Hofstra University Club on April 14. All event proceeds benefited Hofstra students participating in scientific research. Neil Donahue, associate dean of Hofstra University Honors College, said in a speech that evening, “‘The Harold’ is not only one of Hofstra’s greatest professors ever — in terms of longevity and productivity in multiple areas on many levels — he’s also one of our greatest students, a lifelong learner, a multidisciplinary polymath with endless curiosity and an unending willingness to share the experience of learning. In whatever direction your thoughts will go, chances are you’ll meet Harold on his way back. He’s been there already.”
- Hofstra University appointed Dr. Robert Brinkmann as its first director of sustainability studies. Dr. Brinkmann will draw from the University’s strengths in global studies, geography and suburban studies to develop a multidisciplinary degree program examining social, ecological and environmental resource management. Dr. Brinkmann said he hopes to build a program that focuses on the unique challenges to creating sustainable suburbs.
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