On February 25, 2022, Russia, after a long build-up, invaded the independent nation of Ukraine. Why did this happen? What does Putin want? What will be the ramifications of this unprovoked aggression in the United States and the world? Thomas Jefferson University Professors, Aleksandr Kvasov,  Raju  Parakkal, Tom Schrand, and  Samuel Weeks,  addressed these questions and more, in this very topical and  important Roxboro House RoundTable

THE UKRAINE CRISIS

Experts dealing with college students discuss how COVID-19  has affected college students and how best to cope with the challenges posed by this unprecedented modern pandemic.   Evan Laine,  Associate  Professor of  History  and Faculty Director of the Arlen Specter Center,  moderates the panel  made up of Henry Humphreys, Ph.D., Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Students, Thomas Jefferson University – East Falls,, C. Virginia O’Hayer, MA, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Thomas Jefferson University - Center City, Julia Smith, BA, Advanced Student, MS in Community & Trauma Counseling Program, Thomas Jefferson University – East Falls and  Jefferson Undergrad  Raffaela Gualtieri

Coping with COVID-19 on the College Campus

Fashion  design and  merchandise students discuss   the difference between  cultural  appropriation and cultural;  appropriation  and how the University can be more sensitive to the  difference  and how  it should be best handled

Cultural Appropriation of and by Design

Neurodiversity, in the broadest sense of the term, refers to the diversity of human brains and minds While there is great variation in the way our brains think and process information, the current design of our environment and society often does not account for these differences. 
The Americans with Disabilities Act recognizes that we must create an environment that supports diversity in our physical bodies (mandating curb cuts, ramps, etc.); However, there are no similar regulations or guidelines to support a neurodiverse population. As such, our society requires individuals across the neurodiverse continuum to adapt to the environment as it is, rather than intentionally creating an environment to support a variety of human minds. Individuals with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder or others have greater diversity in the way their brains 
manage problem-solving, perspective taking, communication and/or processing what they hear, see and feel. This population is thought to represent 30-40% of the total population in the United States. 
During this round table, members from the university and health care will discuss perspectives on what it means to create accessibility and belonging for a neurodiverse society.

All In: Neurodiversity in a University and Healthcare Environment

Student orgs at Thomas Jefferson University,  Nextgen and Bridge, discuss about how to register to vote, whether it is a write-in, in-person, or absentee and why it is so important to exercise this right. They also discuss why college students are reluctant to vote and why this  is a mistake

How to Register to Vote and  Why  You Should

Are students free to speak their minds at a private university?  What pressures are on them to speak or not speak their views?  Students and Former TJU  President Mark Tykochinski weigh  in on this topic.

Capstone- Free Speech On Campus

In the U.S., the candidate with the highest number of votes wins, except the President. The most powerful individual in the nation is instead chosen by the Electoral College. This Roundtable explains how the Electoral College works, why it was created, how it has led to the election of 2 Presidents, in the modern era (Bush and Trump), who did not win a majority of votes and finally, why should be eliminated.
We also discuss how the origin of the Electoral College comes from slavery.

Electoral College Roundtable

In August 2023, the first study of menstrual products using real blood was published in the British Medical Journal. A month prior, Florida enacted the "Don't Say Period" bill banning reproductive health instructions, including menstruation before sixth grade. Why is menstruation still taboo in today's day and age? This roundtable is an open discussion about the stigmas surrounding periods and period-related topics. There will also be many personal stories about first periods and period-related topics. There will also be many personal stories about first periods and period mishaps or experiences. Please stop by, share your own stories, and learn more about menstruation. Let's change the norm and finally talk about periods!

Lets Bloody Talk (Again!) Roundtable

Join us for a dynamic discussion on the role of grassroots print journalism in combating misinformation and fostering civic engagement. We will feature The NW Local, which has been serving the community with reliable news since 2014. Our discussion will tackle the issue of "bad faith" journalism and its deceptive tactics. Learn how to identify and counter misinformation using online tools and discover the benefits of free local newspapers in building community trust and fighting misinformation through social media, events, and local success stories

Misinformation In The Media

Aristotle once conveyed that rhetoric is the art of persuasion through any available means. Unfortunately, "any available means" has been explored to its limits, where we are in an age that bans, or threatens to ban, social media, books, or even artistic expression through drag. How have we gotten to this point? How have we gotten to the point where a significant portion of political and media discourse is more concerned with exercising power against people than even solving problems?

The Dangerous Rhetoric of Politics

What is QAnon exactly?  Who is Q?  How did this all start, and what have been its implications?  What do they believe, how do they spread it, and finally, who in power believes or supports it?  All those questions are addressed in this very informative and somewhat disturbing  Roundtable

What is QAnon?

Pennsylvania State Legislator and Majority leader  Matt Bradford led the Roundtable.  Assisting him in this discussion were  Justin Klos from the House Democratic Caucus’ Demographics team, Pat Brier,Esq. and Dan Brier, Esq.  According to the Public Interest Law Center, Pennsylvania elected officials, through a process called Gerrymandering, have manipulated the congressional map so completely that it has been labeled one of the top three starkest partisan gerrymanders in the country and the worst in Pennsylvania's history. Gerrymandering is the political manipulation of electoral district boundaries to create undue advantage for a party, group, or socioeconomic class within the constituency. The Moderator of the event was Prof  Evan Laine

Gerrymandering

The Host of this RoundTable was Bridget Shertzer, Site Director at The Renfrew Center of Philadelphia-Center City. Renfrew provides a safer and healing community in which individuals learn to understand the role the eating disorder has played in their lives, replace their eating disorder behaviors and rituals, and increase flexibility with thoughts to include those that are value-oriented and life-affirming. The college years should be an exciting time for individuals to foster personal growth and expand their horizons. However, all too often, the college environment can become a breeding-ground for a myriad of eating challenges - especially eating disorders. This discussion explored the factors in the college environment that contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of an eating disorder, how to challenge harmful diet culture messaging, and how social media can be both a blessing and a curse when it comes to body image and self-esteem.

The Struggles of Eating Disorders on a College Campus ED RT video

The most powerful Court in the United States is the only one not subject to the Ethical Rules of Conduct.  This roundtable discussed the ethical challenges faced by this particular Court, especially in light of the recent allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas and his receipt of significant gifts from right-wing donors.

Corruption  and the Supreme Court

Getting away from politics!  Let's discuss the shows we love and keep watching and rewatching, like The Office,  Parks and Recreation, Seinfeld, and others. Why do these shows keep pleasing us even after we watch them so many times?

Comfort Shows

She Speaks and Bridge, two student organizations on Thomas Jefferson University East Falls campus, interviewed Salo Magazine’s political and social commentator, blogger, and writer Amanda Marcotte. During this wide range of discussions, the topics included the role of and challenges and risks faced by feminist writers with strong views.   The future of the First Amendment and the free press in general under the Trump administration was also featured along with the challenges posed by Digital platforms.

An interview of Salon Writer Amanda Marcotte

DEI & Higher Education Under the Trump Administration and the Fellows of Harvard College SCOTUS case

Thomas Jefferson University East Falls  Beyond  Medicine

This RoundTable was an engaging discussion of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution and the importance of that right in American history. This conversation is timely and appropriate considering President Trump's attempt to unilaterally negate Birthright citizenship, despite the clear language in the 14th Amendment. The conversation explored historical, legal, and contemporary perspectives on citizenship and the ongoing threats against racial and ethnic minorities. The conversation also included xenophobia, unfound fear of immigrants, racism, Aad the unjust and unfair. targeting of immigrants by the Trump administration.

14th Amendment and Birthright Citizenship

When and where you go online, when you talk on your phone, when and what you shop, when you walk outside and what your ideas, tastes and affiliations are, are all being watched, saved, listened to. Do you even care?

Hosted by:
Jeff Cepull, Philadelphia University V.P. of Information Resources & CIO
Joshua Smicker, Philadelphia University Interim Director of Communication

Roxboro House Roundtables Fall 2016

You are being watched, listened to, and followed!

While the 2016 presidential campaign seems to resemble the Theater of the Absurd, it is very real and consequential! Donald J. Trump has certainly left his mark, but rather than ridicule and dismiss, how can we best make sense of and come to some understanding of him and those who support him? Listen to our roundtable discussion to gain some insight into Trump and Trumpism from a variety of perspectives. 
Hosted by: 
Philip Gibbon, Adjunct Professor of History

Guests: 
Henry Beuhner, Adjunct Professor of History
Joshua Smicker, Visiting Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Communications

The Rise of Donald Trump and Trumpism: Moving Beyond the Turtle on the Fence Post

The panel explored the actual costs of menstruation, nationally and globally. We discussed period panties, menstrual cups, tampons, and ‘sanitary’ pads. What does access to affordable menstrual care products means for women? What are the social and economic costs of being a woman specific to menstruation (a la Megyn Kelly, or fears about an employer, or a president, having PMS, or states revising tax laws for menstrual products, for example). And how do we erase the stigma of a normal healthy body function?

Let's Bloody Talk Part II

PhilaU Professor and Hip Hop Artist/Author Tim Welbeck performed and lectured on how hip-hop communicates the lived experiences of those who live in urban centers across the nation, particularly African American men living in major cities. He examined such phenomena such as abject poverty, drug culture, the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, police brutality, et cetera. The primary focus of the lecture and performance was to provide a foundation for understanding how urban policy initiatives shape the lives of people living in urban centers across the nation, particularly, but not limited to African American men. A significant portion of the lecture/performance focused on the relevance of hip-hop’s role in expressing the modern African American experience.

No City for Young Men: Hip-Hop and the Narrative of Marginalization

Engaged in a relaxed discussion of the latest information on the Zika Virus outbreak.  How can something so small wreak such havoc on humanity?  Could this virus bring about the end of the world as we know it!

Roxboro House Roundtable Fall 2016

Zika Virus

Do you feel safe on campus or at off campus parties or bars? Are students and the University doing enough to increase safety. Are assaults sometimes not reported, and if so, why not. 

Philadelphia University hosted a roundtable and discussed the importance of this difficult subject with each other to increase safety and awareness both on and off our campus.

Sexual Assault: College Campus Edition

The largely unexpected election of Donald Trump has raised a number of questions over the past several months.  How and why did it happen?  What does it mean (for various communities, the country, and the world)?  What types of analysis and response does it demand?  

In this roundtable, a panel of faculty and students from across the political spectrum will lead a conversation that will address the lessons of the election, the meaning and significance of Trump and Trumpism, and possible responses to them.  We will discuss what the election means for our broader understanding of political norms, organizing and activism, and national identity, among other issues.  The roundtable will also serve as an introduction to the range of topics that will be discussed in more detail in the Trump Transition series throughout the semester.

Responding to Trump

Panel discussion with:
Members of Career Services at Philadelphia University (Tracy DePedro, Patrick Ryan, Laura Bickert Ciarlello), Residence Life (Dillon Eppenstein), and Student Engagement (Ali Stefanik). 

The staff presented and facilitated discussion along with representatives from the transgender community (Joanna Kindt and Kameron Winters) and shared their individual experiences in their own job searches and personal experiences.

Simple Recorder

Transition(s): Navigating your career and professional development as a transgender employee

New York Times best seller Leslie Jamison hosted "The Empathy Exams" roundtable at Philadelphia University where she discussed her novel and reflected on relations to her personal life and experiences. Leslie Jamison held an engaged discussion between faculty, students, and friends that was captivating and extremely informative on the reality of empathy and the distinction between it and sympathy.

The Empathy Exams: Questioning our basic understanding of others

The Arlen Specter Center will be hosting their second  annual “Gift of Grief”  Roundtable, where we discussed how grief has impacted our lives, both negatively and positively. The participants of the table shared their stories, in the presence of professionals, with the hope that  all can learn  from these profound experiences.  To promote sharing of life experiences, a writing  contest, featuring  a $250 award, was established by Community and Trauma Counseling (CTC) faculty member, Fran Gerstein, and her husband, Stuart Gerstein. Their son, Daniel, died suddenly in 2014.  The writing competition, which focused on  our student’s experiences with grief had 47  students enter, and the quality was so high, that in addition to the winner, 10 other students  received honorable mention awards.  The table was moderated by professors  Fran Gerstein, LCSW, BCD and Christine Kennedy, PH.D., LCPC, ACS.

Dealing with Grief

We discussed the issue of what happens to your clothes after you are finished with them. We further explored if the consumer genuinely even cares or is price point the only relevant factor.  It was revealed that the amount of clothes wasted each year by individual Americans is appalling and that fashion and sustainability have not always gone hand in hand.  The table concluded that it is the customer’s job (and moral responsibility) to educate themselves and put the pressure on companies to look closer into sustainable products. We also discussed fast fashion, why it is popular and what effect it has on contributing to the waste of resources. Listen to this Roundtable delve into the dirt and grime of the fashion industry!

Waste and Sustainability in Fashion

During this Roundtable, we discussed exactly what Net Neutrality is, how important it is towards the democratic dissemination of information and how it may be dissolving in front of our eyes. Our experts discussed whether the dissolution of net neutrality in the best interest of the public or just for corporate greed.  If you want to know the repercussions that will follow the ending of net neutrality and the potential motives behind the drive to end it, listen to this podcast.

Net Neutrality

In this podcast, Jefferson University Professor Evan Laine and Patrick Ryan, Associate Director of Career Services, explored the relationship between Trump, the First Amendment and Free Speech on this special Constitution Day Roundtable. Students, faculty, and staff discussed opposing views on what it means to have free speech in today’s political climate and how the First Amendment interacts with or affects social media. A major portion of the conversation focused on whether Trump’s declaration that the press is an enemy of the people and his continued charges of media fake news effectively chills free speech expression. Roundtables will now be heard on the 1st and 3rd Sundays starting in October on WGGT-LP 92.9 Germantown Community Radio.

Special Constitution Day Roundtable: Trump, the First Amendment and Free Speech

The Roxboro House Roundtables are interdisciplinary discussions on any topic from health and science, to fashion, economics, and politics. These talks take place at Jefferson University East Falls and provide an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to explore and consider a variety of themes in the cozy, historical Roxboro House living room.

Roxboro House Roundtables are presented by the Arlen Specter Center for Public Service at Jefferson University East Falls, which facilitates and promotes public service and civic education in a cross-disciplinary, nonpartisan setting.

Roxboro House Roundtables

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