The Social Activism Speaker Series (SASS) concluded its fall programming with two significant events focused on politics and science policy. High attendance numbers for SASS events continued, with 130 students, faculty, and staff coming to the two events.
On November 14, 2018, President Rosenbaum spoke about his experiences regarding academics and the national debate. He shared the key lessons scientists should keep in mind when interacting with policymakers, and provided personal anecdotes as examples. President Rosenbaum also took questions from the audience to elaborate on the specific lessons, as well as comment on his role as Institute President when it comes to making political statements like those regarding travel bans and endowment taxes.
The second event was a 2018 midterm election review by Christina Bellantoni, Professor of Professional Practice and Director of the Annenberg Media Center at the University of Southern California. In addition to commenting on the results of the election and the still ongoing situation in North Carolina, Professor Bellantoni talked about her time in Washington, D.C. covering news from Capitol Hill. She recounted her experience covering the 2014 midterm elections in which Eric Cantor, House majority leader from Virginia, lost his seat.
With the success of the fall events, SASS is looking forward to hosting exciting and enriching events during the upcoming winter and spring quarters.
