Whalen Symposium

The annual James J. Whalen Academic Symposium celebrates the tradition of student and faculty collaboration in research and creative activity in all departments at Ithaca College and the continuing support that President Whalen provided for this work during his presidency from 1975 to 1997. The symposium affords students the opportunity to give oral presentations on their senior and honors thesis projects and independent research, and to present their original creative work in the arts, including music, theater, film, and two- and three-dimensional art. Attended by students, faculty, and the larger community, the symposium is a high point in the academic year.

The symposium is particularly valuable to Legal Studies students as it prepares them to use their voice and public speaking skills to defend the issues which they represent.

Presentations by legals studies students in 2006 included:

• "Environmental Regulation of the Cruise Ship Industry" - Brittany Gibbs
• "Teaching Creationism and Intelligent Design in Public Schools" - Michael Palumbo
• "Fox, FCC, and Freedom of the Press" - Raphael Golberstein
• "Facebook, Email, and Privacy Issues on the Internet" - Talia Harari
• "The Battered Woman Syndrome as a Defense" - Martha Drane

Presentations by Legal Studies students in the past have included:

• "Lead and Radon: A Comparison of Regulatory Approaches to Environmental Pollutants" - Katrina Larmore
• "Mandatory Drug Testing for Public Employees" - Alicia Perri
  
• "From VHS to MP3s: Twenty-five Years of Litigation in the Entertainment Industry" - Konstantin Rybalsky
• "The Environmental Justice Movement and Making the Case for Environmental Discrimination" - Jessica Selman