May 2005 Educate • Entertain • Inspire   

Welcome to The Lavin Agency's Newsletter! This month we're focusing on great speakers for Fall 2005 programs. From orientation, to science, to literature, we can suggest great speakers on virtually any theme. Read on for some of our best suggestions. For more information on the speakers below, or to discuss needs for an upcoming event, please call us at 1-800-762-4234. Or email us at info@thelavinagency.com.

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The Power of Peer Pressure
By Derrick Ashong

People talk about peer pressure as if it were a bad thing. Who wants to be swept up in the tide of public opinion, doing what everyone else is doing because…well, everyone’s doing it?! You’ll rarely run into someone who will tell you that “yes, I am happy being bland.” While they may not say it, many will strive for it ...

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Science for a Popular Audience
Draw the whole campus in to the wonder of science with these outstanding authors and speakers


Jared Diamond: On the Future of Human Civilization. Author of the bestselling books, Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, Dr. Diamond is a major draw who engages students and faculty on big questions about our planet and the future of human life.

 


Laurie Garrett: Bioterrorism, Infectious Disease and the Future of Human Health. A Pulitzer Prize winning science writer and author of Betrayal of Trust and The Coming Plague, Laurie Garrett is America's most informed and provocative speaker on new and emerging threats--both natural and man-made--to human health and welfare.


Steven Pinker: On Human Thought and Cognition. The world's foremost expert on how the mind works, and author of such bestsellers as The Blank Slate, Dr. Pinker brings a contemporary perspective and engaging stage persona to this important topic.

 

Lisa Randall: The Universe in a New Light. One of the most accomplished young physicists in the world, Dr. Randall helps her audiences see the incredible wonder and diversity of our universe in a way that is engaging to science majors and accesible to non-specialists.



Stephen Petranek: 10 Things About The Future That Will Rock Your World. Editor in Chief of Discover magazine, Stephen Petranek is a leading interpreter of science for a general audience and someone who has a unique and compelling vision of the future.

 



Sy Montgomery: Celebrating and Protecting our Environment. Author of such bestsellers as Journey of the Pink Dolphins and Search for the Golden Moon Bear, Sy creates a conversation about the threats faced by our natural environment, and what can be done to meet and overcome them.


Attracting Students to the Beauty and Power of the Written Word
Great writers who engage on the page and in person

Salman Rushdie: Step Across This Line: Literature, Politics and Culture in a Changed World. Salman Rushdie is not only a great writer, he is a mesmerizing speaker, able to weave discussion of his prose works into broader cultural and political themes. With a new novel, Shalimar the Clown, slated for publication this September, his profile and influence will only grow.

Isabel Allende: Stories and Dreams. One of the giants of modern literature, Isabel Allende draws huge crowds to her lectures and readings, enthralling audiences with both the beauty of her works and the strength of her ideas and personality.


Chris Abani: Human Rights in Politics and Art. One of the rising stars of the literary world, Chris Abani shares deeply moving and compelling stories of his work as a writer in one of the world's most harsh and unforgiving political realms--his native Nigeria.

 


Cristina Garcia: Politics, Art and Cultural Identity. The history of the Latino experience in America finds expression in the critically-acclaimed work of Cristina Garcia.

 

The Winner of Our Catalog Draw for an Apple iPod

Congratulations to Nancy Coll of The Canadian Pharmacists Association on winning the Apple iPod in our recent draw. Thanks to everyone who entered. Be sure to look for more exciting draws in future editions of the newsletter.
Contents

The Power of Peer Pressure: Derrick Ashong Shares Some Ideas on How Peer Pressure Can be a Good Thing

Great Orientation Speakers

Science for A Popular Audience

Attracting Students to the Beauty and Power of the Written Word

Celebrating Diversity

Results from our iPod Draw!

Welcome Students to Campus With These Great Orientation Speakers

Jeff Chang: On Hip Hop Culture. A hip-hop journalist, activist, and author of Can's Stop, Won't Stop, a coming of age story of the hip-hop generation.


Yvonne Fulbright: World Renowned Sexologist. Author and media commentator Yvonne Fulbright is leading the new generation of sex educators.

 

Chris Turner: Author of Planet Simpson. The Simpsons is more than just a cartoon--it has defined a generation. Chris Turner's talks are an informative and funny exploration of the Simpsons generation.

Derrick Ashong: Helping Students Chart Their Own Path. See Derrick's article in this edition of our newsletter.

 

 

Celebrate Diversity and Multiculturism
Take a Look at the History and Future of a Multicultural America

Randall Kennedy: The Race Line in American Life. Author of the bestseller Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, Randall Kennedy is America's leading commentator on racial issues in a social context, and an important contributor to the debate on how to create a more equal and inclusive America.

Minnijean Brown-Trickey: Return to Little Rock. One of the "Little Rock Nine" who desegregated Little Rock Central High and made the promise of Brown v Board of Education a reality, Minnijean's talks make history come alive and show students that anyone can make a difference.

Ronald Takaki: The Dean of Multicultural Studies in America. When scholars consider multiculturalism in America, they almost certainly are building on the work of Ronald Takaki, considered by many to be the founder of the discipline and still one of the country's most compelling speakers on this topic.

Chitra Divakaruni: Celebrating Diversity and Building Community. A brilliant novelist and a community activist, Chitra Divakaruni uses her writing to illuminate the beautiful possibilities inherent in a diverse society.


Roland Fryer: Towards a Unified Theory of Black America. Roland Fryer is an academic star in the making, who brings rigorous economic analysis and fresh new ideas to the study of race in America.



Vali Nasr: Understanding Islam. One of the most knowledgeable and incisive experts on the politics and social life of Islamic countries, Vali Nasr helps his listeners understand the forces shaping change and conflict in the Islamic world.