The Friends of the Libraries will host Academy Award-winning actor Geena Davis for a reception and lecture tonight at 6:00 PM in Metcalf Hall at the GSU. Davis will reflect on her career and discuss the work of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. The evening will be dedicated to the memory of Charles Edward “Ted” Murphy, Project Manager of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Archival Collaboration and respected film critic. The event is free to Friends of the Libraries and BU Students and $25 per person for public.
Three BU International Relations professors offer the following comments on the latest release of WikiLeaks documents:
Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, mostly with the CIA. Contact 617-353-8978, ahulnick@bu.edu
"These leaks are as dangerous to the U.S. as a terrorist attack, and the people who stole this material ought to be tracked down just like someone from Al Qaeda. The FBI should have been on top of this after the first series of leaks from WikiLeaks. Other countries will be reluctant to share intelligence with us, and diplomats will wonder why the U.S. can't keep secrets. The press cannot be faulted for publishing, but someone in government ought to be found and punished."
William Keylor, author of "A World of Nations: The International Order Since 1945"; Contact 617-358-0197, wrkeylor@bu.edu
"If the 'cable traffic' between American ambassadors abroad and the State Department is accessible to any disgruntled PFC in the U.S. Army, then why the expressions of shock and outrage that it finds its way to the public? If the U.S. government is unable to devise a reliable communication system that will ensure the diplomatic cables are read only by the restricted list of intended recipients, then we can expect a full and continuous publication of all such messages. It is difficult to imagine how diplomacy can be conducted in such an environment."
Michael Corgan, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who taught there and a specialist in international security with extensive service in political and military planning (especially NATO). Contact 617-353-3553, mcorgan@bu.edu.
"Mr. Assange has taken away secrecy and we and perhaps the world will surely suffer for that. WikiLeaks, whose founder doesn't really understand how the U.S. constitutional democracy was meant to work, has ensured that we will not be trusted in our foreign relations efforts for a long time to come. For the ordinary citizen the appropriate question might be, just how many friends do you have that can't keep a secret?"
The South Korean government was apparently caught by surprise when it was revealed that North Korea had built a uranium enrichment site near their main nuclear facility. International Relations professor William Keylor offers the following comment:
"The key intelligence challenge will be to discover how the North Korean government succeeded in what seems to be another important step toward becoming a serious threat to the security of North Asia."
For additional commentary, contact William Keylor, 617-358-0197, wrkeylor@bu.edu
Gearing up for that big Thanksgiving feast, but looking for ways to avoid those dreaded holiday pounds? Joan Salge Blake, Clinical Associate Professor at Boston University's Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, explains how to trim down some of your favorite side dishes without sacrificing taste and tradition. Be sure to check out Joan's blog for all the tasty recipes.
Travelers continue to complain that the current security checks by the Transportation Security Administration are intrusive and humiliating. The TSA has announced that some changes may be made if it is determined that the measures have gone too far. International Relations professor Arthur Hulnick, a 35-year veteran of the intelligence profession, offers the following view:
"Unfortunately, security professionals tend to see everyone as the 'enemy,' and don't like to be challenged about their procedures.
"Bruce Hoffman, an expert on terrorism, has said that we should be using full-body screenings and extensive body searches on those people who seem to be threatening. I agree.
"The President could order changes. But if he does not take a position on this, I don't expect changes in current invasive measures."
Long-time New England Cable News (NECN) anchor R. D. Sahl will join the journalism department at Boston University beginning in January 2011. Sahl, who brings to BU 40 years of broadcast journalism experience, will remain at NECN as a special contributor.
“It's been my privilege to be part of NECN for more than 13 years. This newsroom has been an important part of my life and my career, but it's time for me to turn a page. That turn takes me to Boston University's Department of Journalism. I've picked up a few lessons over the last 40 years, and I hope to bring those lessons to the classroom,” said Sahl.
“Our students will be the beneficiaries of R.D. Sahl’s career in which he epitomized the kind of accurate, objective and compelling reporting that we believe is so critical for students to learn in the frantic age of digital journalism. He not only brings a legacy of local, national and international reporting to our classrooms, but also his reputation as a trusted news anchor familiar to literally millions of NECN viewers across the six New England states,” said Tom Fiedler, Dean of Boston University's College of Communication (COM).
Sahl has anchored the NECN primetime news since 1997 and is the host of Right Now with RD Sahl and co-host of NECN Business and NECN Tonight. Sahl has earned multiple Emmy Awards for his reporting and anchoring and has covered every major story during his 15-year tenure at NECN, including the attacks on 9/11, the clergy abuse crisis, and most recently the Haitian earthquake. During his tenure, Sahl has made numerous foreign trips with assignments in Haiti, Cuba, Italy, France, Germany and Japan.
The holiday shopping season is one week away. The National Retail Federation predicts that 138 million shoppers are expected to hit the stores on Black Friday. Boston retailers are expecting a good season. School of Management marketing professor Frederic Brunel is available to offer expert analysis and commentary on Black Friday and what it means to consumers.
"Helpers should know that they become part of a fraudulent scheme even if they do not know all the details.
"Their remuneration, for example, may give signals that what is going on is not entirely legal -- in this case, suspicious enough to raise liability as helpers.
"But helpers must be involved in the scheme. The cleaners of an office in which fraud is committed are not criminally liable."
This evening, the Boston University Art Gallery (BUAG) is presenting Harold Reddicliffe: Paintings from Three Decades, exploring the body of work created by realist painter and Boston University College of Fine Arts Associate Professor of Painting Harold Reddicliffe. Paintings from Three Decades features over eighty still-life paintings dating back to 1981. The opening reception starts at 6PM in the Stone Gallery, and the exhibition continues through January 16, 2011. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
Arthur Hulnick
Joseph Wippl
Tom Fiedler
Robert Zelnick
