President’s Open Office Hour

In the interest of promoting open, collegial communication with and within our community, President Strom C. Thacker will be hosting monthly open office hours with Pitzer students, faculty and staff. These will serve as an opportunity to meet informally for open discussion on topics that people bring forward. No appointments or RSVPs are necessary. Conversations will be held in a group, open-house (come and go as you please) format. Please feel free to stop by and join the conversation.

 

*Lunch and refreshments available

Screening & Discussion: The Barber of Little Rock

Join a special screening of the 2024 Academy Award-nominated short film, The Barber of Little Rock, followed by a discussion with co-director John Hoffman and the titular barber himself, Arlo Washington. This event is co-sponsored by the Presidential Initiative on Constructive Dialogue and the Melvin L. Oliver Racial Justice Initiative.

February 20, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.
George C.S. Benson Auditorium

RSVP HERE

Due to copyright restrictions we are unable to livestream the screening itself, but we will livestream the discussion with John Hoffman and Arlo Washington on this page, starting at 5:15 p.m. the day of the event: 

 

The Barber of Little Rock explores America’s widening racial wealth gap through the story of Arlo Washington, a local barber whose visionary approach to a just economy can be found in the mission of People Trust, the nonprofit community bank he founded. Experiencing the effects of generational poverty and structural racism firsthand, Arlo understands his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas and the profound mistrust of financial institutions that have historically excluded his community from financial stability and economic mobility. Operating as the sole bank within a ten-mile radius, Arlo’s People Trust fosters economic progress for underserved and underbanked residents, providing an economic beacon of hope that could reshape the future of banking.

The film is part of the The New Yorker Documentary Series, a showcase for important short films from around the world, and is available on the magazine’s digital channels.

John Hoffman co-directed the film with Christine Turner. Hoffman is also a producer who is recognized for The Antidote (2020), Allegra’s Window (1994) and The Alzheimer’s Project (2009), among other films.

Presidential Initiative on Constructive Dialogue: How Do We Talk about Israel and Palestine?

Today’s event will be presented online only due to the extreme weather conditions across southern California.

Join a conversation with Salam Al-Marayati and Daniel Sokatch, “How Do We Talk about Israel and Palestine?” on February 5 at 4:30 p.m. Attend via Zoom or watch the live-stream here.

Speakers: Salam Al-Marayati and Daniel Sokatch
Emcee: Jan Barker Alexander, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, Pitzer College
Moderator: Strom C. Thacker, President, Pitzer College

This discussion is part of the Pitzer College Presidential Initiative on Constructive Dialogue, which focuses on how we in the Pitzer community and beyond can talk constructively about challenging issues. President Strom C. Thacker will moderate the discussion, which will be conducted as a constructive dialogue between the two panelists.

Salam Al-Marayati is president and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based Muslim Public Affairs Council. He is an expert on Islam in the West, Muslim reform movements, human rights, democracy, national security, and Middle East politics. He has spoken at the White House and on Capitol Hill and has represented the U.S. at international human rights and religious freedom conferences. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

Daniel Sokatch is CEO of the New Israel Fund and author of Can We Talk About Israel? A Guide for the Curious, Confused, and Conflicted, a National Jewish Book Award finalist. The NIF is an organization with joint Jewish-Palestinian leadership whose work includes supporting Palestinians in Israel, human rights groups monitoring and defending human rights in the occupied territories, and more.Daniel previously served as CEO of the Jewish Community Federation, Bay Area and Sonoma County, and was founding Executive Director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance (now Bend the Arc). He has been named to The Forward newspaper’s annual list of fifty leading Jewish decision-makers and opinion-shapers and has contributed to The New York Times, The Washington Post, Haaretz, and others.

Study Abroad Research Symposium

The Office of Study Abroad and International Programs is hosting a Study Abroad Research Symposium on Friday, February 23, 2024. This will be an opportunity to learn about the research and independent study projects done by Pitzer College students abroad. If you are able to attend please RSVP by Monday, February 19 so that we have an accurate count for the lunch.

Study Abroad Research Symposium Lunch

Friday, February 23, 2024
McConnell Living Room
12:00 pm- 1:30 pm

We look forward to celebrating the academic achievements of our students. Should you have any questions reach out to [email protected].

-Office of Study Abroad and International Programs