Whalen Symposium

The annual James J. Whalen Academic Symposium celebrates the tradition of student and faculty collaboration in research and creative activity in all fields of study at Ithaca College.

Each year, the symposium provides hundreds of 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  they represent.

Presentations by legal studies students have included:

  • "Constitutionality of the Right to Bear Arms: The Evolution of the 2nd Amendment" - Robert Barry
  • "Should the United States Abolish the Electoral College?" - Matt Buzzetti
  • "The Geneva Conventions: A Neglected Institution of the Past" - Ryan Cole
  • "Is the Death Penalty Cruel and Unusual Punishment?" - Lara Veronica P. Deguzman
  • "Executive Power: Tools of the Modern Presidency? - Zachary D. Orsulak
  • "The No Child Left Behind Act: Efforts to Reform Our Nation's Schools" - Stephanie M. Segovia
  • "The Fireman's Rule" - Laurie Stern
  • "Indiana's Voter Identification Law: An Unconstitutional Burden" - Yasmin Vega
  • "Is Tuna Toxic?  An Evaluation of the 2004 FDA/EPA Advisory on Mercury in Fish and Shellfish? - Beth Palo
  • "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
  • "Lead and Radon: A Comparison of Regulatory Approaches to Environmental Pollutants" - Katrina Larmore
  • "Mandatory Drug Testing for Public Employees" - Alicia Perr
  • "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