Strathmore Speakers

Children’s Book “The Silent Nightingale”

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce the our November 2018 event, a family-focused afternoon with illustrator Erin Nowak and author Lamis Solaim who collaborated on the new children’s book, “The Silent Nightingale.”  This event will be held on Sunday, November 4th, 2018 at 2 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

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About Lamis Solaim

Lamis Solaim is a New York City-based writer and Child and Adolescent Psychologist specializing in global mental health. Together, with illustrator Erin Nowak, Solaim will do a reading of her recently published dual-language children’s book “The Silent Nightingale,” written in both English and Arabic. The book was inspired by a time-honored Arabic poem by Maruf al Rusafi, commonly sung by Iraqi children in the 50s and 60s. Lamis earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Saudi Arabia’s King Saud University, an M.A. in applied child development from Tufts University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the United Kingdom’s Royal Holloway University of London.

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About Erin Nowak

Erin Nowak is a Strathmore resident and creator of whimsical illustrations. A graduate of Alfred University with a bachelor of fine arts focused on graphic design and printmaking, Nowak created the illustrations for “The Silent Nightingale” with a layered mix of watercolor and digital painting. The freelance graphic designer is an employee of the Syracuse City School District and lives in the Strathmore neighborhood with her husband and three children. Her work can be found at Wildflowers Armory in Syracuse and at erinmckennanowak.com.

Syracuse: Bridging our Differences with Empathy and Storytelling with Dr. Emad Rahim

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce our October 2018 event, an evening with refugee, author, educator, and entrepreneur, Dr. Emad Rahim. Dr. Rahim’s talk, “Syracuse – bridging our differences with empathy and storytelling,” will be held on Thursday, October 25th at 7 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

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About Dr. Emad Rahim

Dr. Emad Rahim is a Khmer-American, survivor of the Cambodian Killing Fields. His story was turned into the short documentary “Against the Odds,” a 2016 Bronze Award Winner at the F.A.M.E.’US International Film Festival and adapted into a Syracuse Stage theater production titled ‘Tales from the Salt City,’ which is an extension of the acclaimed Undesirable Elements series written by celebrated playwright and Presidential National Medals of Arts Award recipient, Ping Chong. He has been featured in the Huffington Post, Forbes Magazine, Post-Standard, VICE, Rutgers’ The Humanist and CEO Magazine, and interviewed on the BBC, NPR, StoryCorps, PBS and multiple podcast shows.  He is an award-winning author, educator, entrepreneur, Fulbright Specialist and TEDx Speaker.

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Humorist Jeff Kramer on “How I went from writing and reporting the news to not being able to watch it”

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce our September 2018 event, an evening with writer, playwright, and former humor columnist for The Post-Standard and the Syracuse New Times, Jeff Kramer. Jeff’s talk, “How I went from writing and reporting the news to not being able to watch it,” will be held on Thursday, September 27th at 7 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

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About Jeff Kramer (by Jeff Kramer)

Jeff Kramer, who is trying to sound as if someone else is writing his bio, is extremely flattered (and a little confused) about being invited to speak at the Strathmore Speaker Series. Jeff is not a resident of Strathmore, nor is he technically “employed.”

Jeff is a former newspaper humorist, known locally for his columns in the Syracuse Post-Standard and the Syracuse New Times. Before relocating to Syracuse in 2003, he wrote a humor column for The Orange County (Calif.) Register and reported for the Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe. Newspapers were compilations of news, opinion and other information that were printed and folded together for mass distribution.

Jeff has written and produced three stage plays in the Syracuse area. He teaches ESL to an ever-diminishing number of new Americans as a volunteer at Interfaith Works on James Street.

A native of Seattle, Wash., the 56-year-old interloper lives in Jamesville with his wife, Leigh. The couple have two teen daughters, Miranda and Lily, who do not share their Dad’s passion for the Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners. As such, his communications with them are sparse. Jeff and Leigh also have three shelter dogs, Larry, Rondo and Gigi.

Jeff’s hobbies are cycling and patronizing Central New York’s excellent health care infrastructure. He thanks his friend Strathmore resident Randy Marshall for suggesting him as a speaker.

Dr. Brian Taylor on Russia, Putin, and Putinism

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce the second event of our spring 2018 season, an afternoon with Russia expert Professor Brian Taylor who will discuss “Russia, Putin, and “Putinism.” The event will be held on Sunday, April 22nd, at 2 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

About Brian Taylor

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Brian Taylor is Professor and Chair of Political Science in the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. Taylor is the author of three books on Russian politics: The Code of Putinism; State Building in Putin’s Russia: Policing and Coercion after Communism and Politics and the Russian Army: Civil-Military Relations, 1689-2000. He received his B.A. from the University of Iowa, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Announcing the Spring 2018 Season

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce the remainder of its Spring 2018 season! Our second event of the spring will take place on Sunday, April 22nd at 2 pm and will feature Dr. Brian Taylor, Chair of the Department of Political Science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. Taylor’s talk, “Russia, Putin, and Putinism,” will examine the Russia’s relationships within the international community and the Putin regime. Our third and final event of the spring will feature Adam Sudmann, founder of “My Lucky Tummy,” a multinational popup food court, and program director of “With Love,” Onondaga Community College’s teaching restaurant and entrepreneur incubator. This event will be held on Sunday, May 6th at 2 pm. As usual, the events will be held at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. They are free and open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Writer Seamus Kirst on Sh*tfaced

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce the first event of our spring 2018 season, an afternoon with writer Seamus Kirst who will speak on his first book. The event will be held on Sunday, March 18th, at 2 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

About Seamus Kirst

Seamus Kirst is an author and freelance writer who lives in Brooklyn, NY. The Syracuse native grew up in the Strathmore neighborhood and attended Roberts Elementary School and Corcoran High School, where he was valedictorian of the Class of 2009.

His memoir, Shitfaced: Musings of a Former Drunk, was published in early 2017. Seamus has also written about mental health and substance abuse issues for The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, Upworthy, The Advocate, HuffPost and The Mighty.

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Seamus has covered entertainment, social justice and politics for The Guardian, Forbes, Vice, Them, Refinery29 and Mic. He has interviewed a range of people including Carmelo Anthony, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Emmylou Harris, Senator Tammy Duckworth, Dr. Jill Stein, Larry Wilmore, Janet Mock, Lisa Ling, Khloe Kardashian, Amber Rose, Gabrielle Union, Laura Prepon, Danielle Brooks, and Dr. Pimple Popper.

Seamus is the co-host of two podcasts, Mental Health Hangouts and Social Justice League, and has been a guest for a live recording of the Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast. He has done Facebook Live about his own experiences for The Mighty, was a panelist for NEDA’s Twitter Chat about eating disorders in men and was also a panelist for Refinery29’s ‘Race in America’ dialogue.

Seamus earned his bachelor’s degree in history and ethnic studies from Brown University, and his master’s degree in arts journalism from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.

Mayor-Elect Ben Walsh on Syracuse: The Next Four Years

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is delighted to announce a bonus event for our fall 2017 season, an evening with Mayor-Elect Ben Walsh, who will share his vision for the next four year’s of Syracuse’s future. The event will be held on Monday, December 11th, at 7 pm at the Onondaga Park Firebarn. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public. Space is limited and we ask that all guests please RSVP here.

About Mayor-Elect Ben Walsh

Ben Walsh is a Syracuse and Strathmore native. In January 2018, he will assume office as Syracuse’s 54th mayor, and the first independent elected as mayor in over 100 years.

Prior to entering Syracuse’s mayoral race, Mayor-Elect Walsh earned a master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and spent 16 years working in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including 6 years as the City of Syracuse’s deputy commissioner of neighborhood and business development. He has played a lead role in some of the most transformational projects in Syracuse’s recent history, including the creation of the Greater Syracuse Land Bank and the successful redevelopment of the Hotel Syracuse.

He is the son of former United States Representative James Walsh – who played an integral role in the restoration of the Onondaga Park Firebarn – and the grandson of former Syracuse Mayor William Walsh. He resides on the west side of Syracuse with his wife Lindsay and their two young daughters.

The Syracuse History Instagram Creator on The Weight of My Words

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is proud to announce our next event, an evening with David Haas, founder of the viral Syracuse History Instagram account and co-founder of Storycuse.com. David will discuss documenting Syracuse’s past and how being a person who stutters has inspired his passion for giving a voice to the voiceless. The event will be held on Thursday, November 9th, at 7 pm. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

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About David Haas

David Haas is a nonprofit program manager; he volunteers for several local organizations with the mission to promote and develop the region. Most notably, David founded the popular @SyracuseHistory Instagram account in 2013 which now has over 14,000 followers. Since its inception, his work has been featured by a variety of media outlets including The Syracuse Post-Standard, Time Warner Cable News, 9WSYR, The Daily Orange and Syracuse Woman Magazine. In 2016, his account was voted ‘Best Blog’ and David was awarded ‘Best Social Media Personality’ by the Syracuse New Times. Subsequently, he launched the website, Storycuse.com, a platform for human interest storytelling. David has also been recognized by the CNY Business Journal as one of the 40 people under 40 who have excelled in the workplace and in the community. Late last year, Katrina Tulloch of The Syracuse Post-Standard named David as one of Syracuse’s leading innovators. Most recently, David became a freelance writer for the Syracuse New Times. He resides in the Eastwood neighborhood.

Rewriting our Foundation: The State and Federal Constitutions with the League of Women Voters and Dr. Thomas Keck

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The Strathmore Speaker Series is proud to announce our next event, a two part presentation on current efforts to amend the NYS and US Constitutions in “Rewriting our Foundation: The State and Federal Constitutions” featuring the League of Women Voters and Maxwell School Professor Thomas Keck. The event will be held on Sunday, October 22th at 2 pm.* Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

*Please note our original printed flyers mistakenly listed this event as starting at 3 pm.

About the League of Women Voters

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The League of Women Voters of the Syracuse Metropolitan Area will discuss the upcoming New York State Constitutional Convention and what it means for New Yorkers.

The League is a nonprofit and nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy, with two separate and distinct roles:

Voters Service/Citizen: The League presents unbiased nonpartisan information about elections, the voting process, and issues

Action/Advocacy: The league is also nonpartisan, but, after study, it uses it’s positions to advocate for or against particular policies in the public interest

 

About Thomas Keck
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Thomas Keck will discuss current efforts to amend the United States Constitution in his presentation on “The Trump Administration and the Constitution.” He teaches political science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He received a B.A. in Politics from Oberlin College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Rutgers University. His research focuses on constitutional courts and the use of legal strategies by contemporary political movements on the left and the right. He is the author of two books—The Most Activist Supreme Court in History (2004) and Judicial Politics in Polarized Times (2014)—and he is currently leading a long-term, collaborative investigation of free speech jurisprudence in democratic and democratizing countries around the globe.

Gustave Stickley: At Home in Syracuse with Beth Crawford

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bethThe Strathmore Speaker Series is proud to announce that Project Manager Beth Crawford will speak on the rescue and restoration of his Columbus Avenue residence in “Gustav Stickley: At Home in Syracuse” on Thursday, September 28th at 7 pm. Like all Strathmore Speaker Series events, this presentation is free and open to the public.

About Beth Crawford

Beth is a Senior Associate with Crawford & Stearns, Architects and Preservation Planners, PLLC of Syracuse and has been a Designer and Project Manager with the firm since 1983. She has participated in the preservation, rehabilitation, and adaptive use of hundreds of buildings across New York State. Beth has participated as a team member on numerous historic building condition assessments and historic structure reports including for the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church in Buffalo. Most recently she has coordinated the rehabilitation of the Babcock Shattuck House, a condominium rehabilitation of a Queen Anne house on East Genesee Street, and the fire restoration at Grace Episcopal Church on Madison Street.  Beth is currently Project Manager for the restoration of the Gustav Stickley House on Columbus Avenue in Syracuse.

About the Gustav Stickley House

The Gustav Stickley House, located at 438 Columbus Avenue in Syracuse, was home to the famed Arts and Crafts style furniture maker from 1901-1905 and again from 1915 to 1942. Built in 1900 in the Queen Anne style, a fire gutted the home on Christmas Eve 1901 presenting Stickley with the opportunity to rebuild the entire interior. Following extensive renovations it would became what is believe to be the first Arts and Crafts style home in America.

The home has had several owners since the Stickley family, and was eventually purchased in 1995 by the Audi family, which had acquired L. and J.G. Stickley Co., the furniture company setup by Gustav’s younger brothers Leopold and John George, in 1974.

After sitting vacant for twenty years, the phase one of the home’s restoration kicked off this past August. Expected to cost between $2.3 and $2.5 million, the project was originally overseen by the Everson Museum of Art, but has since been handed over to the Onondaga Historical Association. It is expected to take at least three years to complete at which time it will become a major landmark for the Arts and Crafts movement in America.