Aristotle's is arguably the most wide-ranging and penetrating intellect in the history of Western civilization. His writings established many of the disciplines that make up the contemporary university, and some, such as his Ethics, Rhetoric, and Poetics, remain the core text in the field over two millennia later. Aristotle argued that the pursuit of wisdom is the highest and most distinctively human activity, and that goodness and flourishing are possible for us to the extent that we are wise. What is wisdom, how can we best pursue it, and in what ways may we thereby hope to enhance human life?

The "social entrepreneur", someone trying to solve social problems with business methods, has received a lot of attention, such as Muhammad Yunus' 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, speeches by Bill Gates, the recent Papal Encylical, and both Business Week's and Fast Company Magazine's top 25 lists. Proponents argue that social entrepreneurs are "New Heroes" who will transform the world, whereas skeptics dismiss them as a fad or mere "semantic bubble." This presentation looks at whether and how law can assist the social entrepreneur to both make money and make a difference, and perhaps encourage more business founders to embrace pro-social goals.

Decided in 1982, this case guarantees children of immigrants the right to attend public school. This presentation examines the Plyler opinion, to uncover its unique analysis and its historical context. Moving to the present, this presentation surveys the obstacles that immigrant students face in their quest for further schooling and analyze pending legislative proposals, such as the federal DREAM Act, which aim to provide these students access to higher education. The presentation concludes with a discussion of what lies in the future for the children of immigrants in the U.S., mostly in the form of potential immigration and educational reform.

One of the world's greatest survival stories was that of the 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. In this journey the expedition's ship was destroyed by the Antarctic pack ice. Nonetheless the leader of the expedition, Sir Ernest Shackleton, was able to lead the entire crew of 28 men across the ice and sail three small life boats across the open ocean to safety. As a result some commentators have called Shackleton the "greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none." What were the leadership characteristics exhibited by Shackleton? Which of those leadership characteristics are still valid today?

While there have been many successful intelligence operations worldwide over the last one hundred years, a small number stand out for the imagination that went into their planning and execution. We will look at a few of these creative American, British and Russian espionage and deception schemes, usually based on the idea of one individual, and discuss what they all have in common. Learn why British Intelligence created a man who didn't exist to fool the Germans in WW II and in more recent times, opened a laundromat to fight terrorism. Why did the CIA establish a Hollywood movie production company during the Iran hostage crisis? All stories will be shaken, not stirred.

The odds are that you've never seen him on television, and you may have never even heard of him. Yet, John A. Walsh is arguably the most transformative figure in American media in the last quarter century. The son of a funeral director from Scranton, Pa., Walsh, known to friends as simply "John A.," has built ESPN into perhaps the most powerful brand name in the media industry, and he's changed the way fans across the globe consume and experience sports. His influence, however, transcends sports and entertainment. The executive vice president and executive editor of ESPN has built the model for a new age in American media, one in which content flows easily across multiple platforms -- television, radio, print, the Internet and mobile devices. How did he do it? His leadership style and philosophy are case studies in the power of one.

In the 1960s, advertising transformed into the modern age: creativity was allowed to shine, producing unexpected messages that made ads more tempting to consumers. Bill Bernbach, a founder of Doyle Dane Bernbach (now DDB) supported this creative approach. DDB’s Volkswagen campaign, under his direction—featuring headlines like "Think Small" and "Lemon" and showing the car alone on a white background—positioned the product more expressively than any other car brand. As its creative director, Bernbach spawned what is called the Creative Revolution in advertising. Other Bernbachwork includes Avis' "We Try Harder" campaign, Life Cereal's "Mikey" television spots and Polaroid's "It's so simple" campaign. This talk will show Bernbach's work and the work that continues to flourish due to his influence.

Rock 'n' roll has a rich history, as any fan of the music will be quick to tell you. However, behind the screams and smoky concert halls, there is an equally rich documented written history of that music. From the stories and events that led to the direct composition of some of the most popular songs, to the impact those songs had (and continue to have) on generations of fans, the literature of rock 'n' roll is as vast and enticing as the music itself. Some would say that a one-paragraph review of the latest Top 40 hit in Rolling Stone is the best and perhaps only example of writing about this music. But what about the countless books, essays, articles, films and other extended works that have been written about this music? How – and why - is it possible to use rock music as the framework from which to describe American history? Why would anyone suggest there is a logical, relevant and very powerful historical connection between Abraham Lincoln and Elvis Presley? These and other questions will be addressed as we discuss the fascinating permutations around the written word of rock 'n' roll.

Individuals diagnosed with chronic and/or life threatening illness face a challenging journey. When patients are able to rise above their illness and gain greater purpose and meaning for their lives, they are often labeled "courageous" or "resilient". Lance Armstrong, and Dr. Jerri Nielsen, both treated for cancer at Indiana University, are well-known examples of such resilience. What makes people resilient in the face of illness? What are the resources and inner strengths that foster such resilience? This session will examine the research conducted on the idea of "positive health" – the biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors that contribute to resilience, disease resistance, and wellness.

John Calvin served as a minister in the city of Geneva in the sixteenth century. Dead before reaching the age of 55, he left a legacy that has been hotly debated ever since. Perhaps more than any other place, the United States has wrestled with the ideas of Calvin for almost 400 years, from the early colonial period to the present. Recently, a preeminent scholar of American religion has noted that, whether looking at American politics, economics, ethics, fiction, or religious practice and thought, one finds "the persisting relevance of [this] sixteenth-century Genevan theologian for anyone who hopes to understand American culture." Taking our cue from John Witherspoon writing upon the Arbella on its journey to the new world in 1630, to the Mohegan Samson Occom in the 1700s, to Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain in the 1800s, to contemporary writers John Updike and Marilynne Robinson, we will chart the influence of this one man upon the American consciousness.

Keynes is regarded as the leading economist of his generation and one of the most influential of all time. His work on the depression as set out in the General Theory of Emloyment, Interest, and Money remains the starting point for making economic policy prescriptions in depressions and recessions. Keynes’s analysis of business cycle fluctuations went out of favor in the last 40 years, at least in the dominant monetarist school of economic policy in the US. Keynes’s ideas have been brought back to life over the last two years as our economy experiences its worst recession in memory. Yet, Keynes General Theory was not his first, or even last, contribution to economic policy. My purpose will be to take our alumni through a selected range of Keynes’s policy ideas, summarize them and show how he put his mark on several policy problems before the great depression, as well as in the aftermath of World War II.