CCSU Virtual Scholars For Life! Speaker Series

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Surely our State was at the forefront of ending enslavement and defending the Union during the Civil War. If only it were true! Connecticut was stridently divided over the war and Fairfield County was home to traitors. Join us for a Lecture and Discussion of the often-unknown history of Connecticut, Copperheads and the Constitution. Dr. Matthew Warshauer is a professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and served for six years at the co-chair of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, which was responsible for the state’s many activities remembering the nation’s greatest trial. Warshauer is a widely recognized and sought after lecturer in the field of American political and constitutional history, and is the author of four books. Two on Andrew Jackson and two on Connecticut and the Civil War.

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Surely our State was at the forefront of ending enslavement and defending the Union during the Civil War. If only it were true! Connecticut was stridently divided over the war and Fairfield County was home to traitors. Join us for a Lecture and Discussion of the often-unknown history of Connecticut, Copperheads and the Constitution. Dr. Matthew Warshauer is a professor of History at Central Connecticut State University and served for six years at the co-chair of the Connecticut Civil War Commemoration Commission, which was responsible for the state’s many activities remembering the nation’s greatest trial. Warshauer is a widely recognized and sought after lecturer in the field of American political and constitutional history, and is the author of four books. Two on Andrew Jackson and two on Connecticut and the Civil War.

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How Did We Do: The Baby Boomers and American Society During this session participants will explore the expectations, the experiences and the impact of the Baby Boomer generation on American society. What experiences did many Baby Boomers share when they were growing up, and how did these experiences shape their expectations for adult life? Many Baby Boomers declared that they wanted to "change the world" when they were young: to what extent were they able to accomplish this? How have Baby Boomers handled the transition from being "changers of the world" to being senior citizens? In the big picture, how has the Baby Boom generation impacted American society: have the boomers actually changed the world in a positive way? Participants will be asked to share their opinions on all of these topics. Mr. Stephen Armstrong, Professor of History Steve Armstrong is the social studies consultant for the Connecticut Board of Education. Before taking this position, Steve was a social studies department supervisor in the West Hartford, CT public schools. Steve is an adjunct instructor in the history department at Central Connecticut State University. He is a past president of the National Council for the Social Studies, and is also past president of the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies, the Connecticut Committee for the Promotion of History, and the New England History Teachers Association. Steve lives in South Windsor, CT. Steve has given many workshops on the use of popular music in the social studies classroom, and has led numerous travel trips for teachers and students. He has presented workshops at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and at the Bethel Woods Museum for the Arts, which is located on the site of the original Woodstock Music Festival

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Join us as Dr. Gigliotti talks about his 30 years of Frank, Gil and Friends on CCSU's radio and learn about Frank Sinatra. Before dinner we will visit an exhibit on the second floor of the library. We will walk to the library between 4:30 - 4:45 and dinner will begin at approximately 5:15. The talk will begin at 6:00 pm. The show debuted on December 17, 1993, and has been a station fixture in its current time slot since September 1999. Billing it as “not your father’s Sinatra radio program,” Gigliotti conceived Frank, Gil, & Friends during his second year at Central. With “The Edge” being an alternative radio station, he envisioned an alternative Sinatra show that eschewed oversaturated hits like “My Way” and “New York, New York” in favor of the less-played bits of the singer’s vast catalog. And he has gone to great lengths to play the many tribute albums, as well as songs of any genre that reference Sinatra—from country to heavy metal to hip-hop. Dr. Gil Gigliotti is a professor of English and Latin at CCSU. He regularly teaches courses in early American literature, Greek and Roman literature, and pop culture, as well as Latin language classes. He is the host of both “Frank, Gil, and Friends” on WFCS, 107.7 FM, and Central Authors, the long-running television series of book talks about books by members of the CCSU family. He is currently the President of the Classical Association of Connecticut.

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Join us as Dr. Gigliotti talks about his 30 years of Frank, Gil and Friends on CCSU's radio and learn about Frank Sinatra. The show debuted on December 17, 1993, and has been a station fixture in its current time slot since September 1999. Billing it as “not your father’s Sinatra radio program,” Gigliotti conceived Frank, Gil, & Friends during his second year at Central. With “The Edge” being an alternative radio station, he envisioned an alternative Sinatra show that eschewed oversaturated hits like “My Way” and “New York, New York” in favor of the less-played bits of the singer’s vast catalog. And he has gone to great lengths to play the many tribute albums, as well as songs of any genre that reference Sinatra—from country to heavy metal to hip-hop. Dr. Gil Gigliotti is a professor of English and Latin at CCSU. He regularly teaches courses in early American literature, Greek and Roman literature, and pop culture, as well as Latin language classes. He is the host of both “Frank, Gil, and Friends” on WFCS, 107.7 FM, and Central Authors, the long-running television series of book talks about books by members of the CCSU family. He is currently the President of the Classical Association of Connecticut.

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Watch the movie in advance and then join us for a lively, casual conversation. Just like a book club, but only with movies! Movies can be found on Amazon, Max and sometimes in libraries! We will be starting up again in spring, 2024. Please email with any ideas and questions: Christa Sterling csterling@ccsu.edu.