Seminars for Scholars

Seminars for Scholars is an activity for young people who care about the world. Our interests range from what exactly is going on in Guantanamo Bay to how we can inform ourselves about legislation that impacts our lives, such as the DREAM act. Throughout the year we communicate about our research via our blog, and once a year we select a Socratic dialogue to study and discuss during a teach-in. We also have teach-ins connected to our research.

First Meeting: September 10, 2019--3:30, room 1199--Bring your questions.

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even though nobody has any idea what that is anymore?”









Our next seminar is on March 20, with Mojdeh Stoakley, periods 6 & 7!


We are supporting the Interfaith Roundtable on Wednesday, February 6, from 3:30-5 in the Student Commons. SIGN the sign-in sheet when you attend! THIS IS WHAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ABOUT!


Next Guest Speaker: November 29--Periods 2 & 3--Benjamin Marcus from The First Amendment Center in The Newseum in Washington, D.C.--What is religious literacy, and why does it matter?


October 24 Seminar: Do Prisoners have first amendment rights? Guest Speaker--Alan Mills, Uptown People's Law Center--Student Commons--Periods 5 & 6


Officers' Planning Session--Wednesday, Sept. 26, 7:30 AM in room 1199--If you're interested in joining the Seminar, COME!


Equity Training Session on October 11, Periods 1 & 2, in the Student Commons, with AP Lit classes and the Seminar for Scholars! Field Trip forms available Sept. 26 at the morning meeting!


Friday, September 14, 2018, from 6-8 PM, Seminar for Scholars is co-sponsoring a poetry reading by José Olivares. Meet in the South Lobby! Copies of Citizen Illegal will be for sale!

“Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even though nobody has any idea what that is anymore?”


NEW SEMINAR FORMING IN AUGUST 2018. WHAT QUESTIONS ARE YOU ASKING?

2018 Final Seminar on May 18: Student Commons, periods 1 & 2--What are American values?

Shared Presentation for World Poetry Day with José Olivares

March 16--periods 3 & 4--TEACH-IN on the poetry of José Olivares--field trip form in the English Teachers' Office under Ms. Jaffe's name plate.

February 28--5-6 p.m. Seminar at the Skokie Public Library, with FREE PIZZA afterwards! We'll be meeting with Milton Coronado from the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation. His topic for this Seminar is media, misogyny, and gender representation, and how these are related to exploitation and human trafficking.

March 21, 2018--World Poetry Day, with guest poet José Olivares--assemblies all day in the Black Box Theater.

(Mr. Olivares will return in April to lead a seminar discussion of the question, "What are American values?")

Teach-In: Dec. 7, periods 1 & 2--Student Activities' Conference Room--Book II of The Meditations

Activity Photo for Yearbook: Wednesday, October 25, 3:30--On the Prairie behind the South Parking Lot

Sign up for Remind 101 for Seminars for Scholars by clicking this link.

October 18, 2017--Periods 3, HR, & 4--in the Conference Room of the Student Activities Office--What values does Marcus Aurelius express in Ch. 2 of the Meditations? Do Americans share these values? Guest: Jarrett Dapier, Skokie Public Library--Does the public library express American values? Why/why not?

September 18, 2017--6:30-8 p.m.--Panel at Skokie Public Library--How does violence affect Skokie?

Panel Discussion includes 5 guest speakers: Craige Christensen, Dr. Melissa Blount, Miles Harvey (author of How Long Will I Cry? Voices of Youth Violence), Carlos Matallana, and Kristen Kennard

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Our first teach-in is on Book II of The Meditations (Marcus Aurelius), Wednesday, October 18, periods 3 & 4, in the Student Activities Conference room.

Sign up for Remind 101 for Seminars for Scholars by clicking this link.

Scholars--Check this out for fun! Read books! Write!

Archive 2017:

April 19--periods 5 & 6--Guest Speakers: Candace Gorman and Nathson Fields Topic: The reality of wrongful conviction and incarceration

January 17--periods 6 & 7--Guest Speaker: Alan Mills, Student Commons

2016-17 Seminar has formed. We're studying "Crito" and "Hippias Minor." (Does Socrates contradict himself?)


2016-17 Officers: Co-Presidents--Syeda Quadri & Hana Comor, Secretary--Bilguun Bat-Erdene, Public Relations--Olivia Dang, Photographer--Michelle Murashev


The Seminar for Scholars is now studying "The Crito," a Socratic dialogue, and a New York Times article titled, "The Justice Department Shakes up Eric Garner Chokehold Case." Our focus question for the year is, "Can Justice decrease violence in society?"

Stay tuned for the TEACH-IN SCHEDULE.

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ARCHIVE 2016:

Next teach-in is Monday, May 2, 2016--in the Student Activities' conference room: Plato's Republic, book 1.


If you are interested in going to Springfield on April 5 to Lobby for services for the homeless, PLEASE tell Ms. Jaffe right away!



What is Justice, for the homeless? Look at this! What do you think?


On March 1st at 7:30 a.m. Student Government will be hosting a student forum called "Cookies and Cocoa" in the student commons.


The purpose of this is to hear students' opinions and concerns about the Niles West community. This will be very informal, and along with free cookies and cocoa, we hope to have deans, Mr. Rigby, and Dr. Ness available to answer any questions.



QUESTION FOR 2015-16: WHAT IS JUSTICE?


Speaker Session March 2--period 6--What is Justice for People who are homeless? Meet in The Student Commons--FT forms under Jaffe's nameplate in the English Office.


Second Teach-In: November 13--periods 8 & 9--Book 1 of Plato's Republic, continued. Field trip forms and printed copies of materials are under Jaffe's Nameplate in the English Office (1190).


First Teach-In: October 9--periods 2 & 3--BOOK 1 of The Republic

Field trip forms and printed copies of the materials are under Jaffe's nameplate in the English Office (1190).


The Question for 2015-16: What is Justice? Here's an interesting recent study on justice within the judicial system. Here's a piece about justice and lawyers.

Here are good questions about these two articles.


2015-16 Officers: President--Syeda Quadri, Vice-President/media--Yasmeen Saima, Vice-President/DM liason--Hana Comor, Public Relations--Olivia Dang, Website Mogul--Madiha Khan, Michelle Murashev--Photographer


First Teach-In: October 9--periods 2 & 3--BOOK 1 of The Republic



Samples of Past Seminars:


December 4, 2014--Teach-in: What makes people disregard scientific data? Periods 1 & 2--Student Commons--field trip forms and articles under Jaffe's nameplate in 1190 (English Teachers' Office)


What is irrationality? http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04d1lwx


November 5, 2013--Alan Mills and Brian Nelson speaking about solitary confinement: http://d219tv.niles-hs.k12.il.us/2013/11/07/seminar-for-scholars-fighting-supermax-prisons-solitary-confinement/


Tatsu Aoki! http://d219tv.niles-hs.k12.il.us/2013/03/18/seminar-for-scholars-musicianfilmmaker-tatsu-aoki-on-interpretation-sustainability/ Enjoy!

Seminar: May, 2014--Candace Gorman--Wrongful Incarceration


Seminar: Thursday, March 6, 2014, in the Student Commons--"Justice and Contemporary Protest: What really happened at the 2012 NATO Summit in Chicago?"

Police officers arrest a protester near the site of the NATO Summit in Chicago May 20, 2012.

CREDIT: REUTERS/ADREES LATIF

Guest Speakers: Rachel Unterman and Mark Neiweem

Past Teach-in: Is solitary confinement torture? ("Hellhole," by Atul Gawande)

Past Teach-in: Allan Mills and Brian Nelson, Uptown Center for People's Justice--"Let's talk about the reality of solitary confinement in the USA"

Poetry Out Loud: February 7 semi-finals, February 12 school-wide finals


Video for Seminar for Scholars!


Past Teach-in: We participated in the Poetry Out Loud Workshop in the black box theater January 25 during periods 2 & 3. Mr. Sinclair and Ms. Davis taught everyone how to recite poetry using theater skills!


Past Teach-in: Tatsu Aoki ( http://www.tatsuaoki.com/) and his small ensemble presented a seminar on how art contributes to sustainability. This seminar was February 13 at 1 p.m. in the Choir Room.


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Hey Scholars!

We are always recruiting for the Seminar. Each year Seminar for Scholars decides the intellectual/artistic/moral direction of the club and the dates of teach-ins, demonstrations, community service events, and guest speakers. Please email Ms. Jaffe-Notier if you are interested in becoming part of the creative powerhouse behind Seminars for Scholars: tamjaf@d219.org or the President Syeda Quadri: syequa3@nilesk12.org

For info on past events, click here or Seminar on hactivism

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Photos from Michael McColly's Visit

Join us for our 4 scholar-speaker sessions with experts from a wide range of artistic and academic disciplines who teach us about their work.