The Common Read is a Common Intellectual Experience that promotes integrative learning across the curriculum. This is accomplished through voluntary participation of faculty, both on campus and in local high schools, who introduce the text to their students and support the reading with co-curricular events. The events provide an opportunity for increased social and academic engagement while enhancing student learning outside of the classroom.
Approximately forty Queensborough classes, as well as students from Benjamin Cardozo High School, Bayside High School and Francis Lewis High School, will read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and participate in activities. It is the true story of a poor African American woman named Henrietta Lacks whose cells, taken without her knowledge in 1951, became one of the most important tools in medicine.
Faculty members are invited to particpate in the Common Read Book Club where there will be discussions on the text, dialogue regarding possibilities for cross-curricular connections and brainstorming for events for the spring. Book Club meetings will be held in LB14 per the following schedule:
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 1:15 pm to 3:00 pm
Thursday, October 11, 2012 2:15 pm to 4:00 pm
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 1:15 pm to 4:00 pm
Scheduled Events:
Mid-January to Mid-March
Kurt R. Schmeller Library Exhibit
Please visit the Library Exhibit which will focus on Black History Month as well as Health Care Research.
Mid-January to Mid-March
Photo Display of HeLa Cells
Outside H350
Please stop by to view our Common Read display of color photos of HeLa cells in anaphase, metaphase, prometaphase, apoptosis, cytokinesis and various stages of mitosis.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Drop-In Read Aloud
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Hosted by: Susan Madera
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives - Gallery Lecture Room
All are invited to drop-in and read aloud from their copy of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. Feel free to join us for as short or long a time as you wish.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Movie Event & Discussion - "Miss Evers' Boys"
10:00 am to 1:00 pm
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives - Gallery Lecture Room
Discussion led by Barbara Blake-Campbell
The true story of the U.S. Government's 1932 Tuskeegee Syphilis experiments in which a group of black test subjects were allowed to die, despite a cure having been developed. The movie will be followed by a discussion on the Tuskeegee Study.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Henrietta Lacks and the Meaning of Death
1:10 pm to 3:00 pm
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives - Gallery Lecture Room
Hosted by: Phillip Pecorino
In the course taught by Professor Pecorino on Death and Dying, Henrietta Lacks made a contribution. In exploring the many different meanings of human death the use made of the cancer cells from Henrietta Lacks illustrated the limitations of one approach to the meaning of human death. The presentation in this workshop will raise the issue of the concept of human death and its relation to pronouncing humans to be dead and to the relation of different criteria for human death to different uses for dead human bodies including the transplantation of organs and tissue.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Movie Event & Discussion - "Gattaca"
1:10 pm to 4:00 pm
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives - Gallery Lecture Room
Discussion led by Jillian Abbott
Set in the not-too-distant future, a less than perfect man assumes the identity of a perfect genetic specimen in order to pursue his dream career. The movie will be followed by a discussion on science vs. science fiction.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Movie Event - BBC Documentary - "The Way of All Flesh"
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
M136
Hosted by: Susan Madera
Watch the BBC documentary which Rebecca Skloot discusses in several chapters of her book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." This documentary follows the story of the cells of Henrietta Lacks. (Although open to all, 230 students from Cardozo High School will attend this event.)
Monday, February 25, 2013
How Does She Do That? - Connecting Cultures, Chronology and Individuals in "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
H349
Hosted by: Laurel Harris, Kimberly Banks and Leah Anderst
A roundtable of English faculty will lead a discussionof Rebecca Skloot's approach to writing "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." This interactive exchange will include an examination of how Skloot uses rhetorical strategies such as logos, ethos and pathos. We will also explore how she incorporates multiple voices and time periods.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Research: Going Beyond the Associate's Degree
12:10 pm to 1:50 pm
M136
Hosted by: Alisa Cercone
This event will stress the importance of conducting meaningful research and finding reliable sources as well as focus on how these skills can be carried across the curriculum.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Red Nails and Be-Bop
1:10 pm to 2:00 pm
LB14
Hosted by: Mavis Hall
Mavis Hall will initiate a dialogue about the humanity of Henrietta Lacks and how Rebecca Skloot makes this fascinating figure come alive on the page.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Human Guinea Pigs: Involuntary Medical Experimentation - A Global Perspective"
11:10 am to 1:00 pm
Kupferberg Holocaust Resource Center & Archives - Gallery Lecture Room
Guest Speaker: Beth Lilach, Senior Director of Education & Community Affairs, Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center
This program will examine involuntary experiments upon human beings in the United States, Europe, Central America and Africa. We will discuss the ethical implications of forced procedures conducted by medical institutions, governments, and private companies on children, women, people with disabilities, indigenous peoples and the poor. The presentation will also explore resistance by the victims and their pursuit of justice.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Workshop: Exploring Career Alternatives in Health
1:10 pm to 2:00 pm
S313
Hosted by: Gail Patterson, Freshman Coordinator, Health Related Sciences Academy
Participants will be provided with an overview of the vast career opportunities within the Health field. Strategies and techniques to explore and research specific health careers will be discussed. A Health Career Ladder, which details the various career pathways and advancements, will be introduced to attendees.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Human Subject Research
1:10 pm to 2:00 pm
S112
Hosted by: Paul Marchese and Cheryl Bluestone
Henrietta Lacks was one of many people who were exploited for scientific research before safeguards were put into place. The protection of human subjects for research has come a long way since then. Come discuss the history and latest developments in the protection of human subjects research, including the founding of the IRBs, and why they are important to society and the advancement of science.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
STEM and Henrietta Lacks
2:10 pm to 3:50 pm
LB14
Hosted by: Michael Dolan
Students will prepare and deliver three presentations on the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) references found within "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. The first presentation will be on the "rocket science" used to enable the manned space flight that put HeLa cells in orbit, enabling scientists to study the effects of space travel and zero gravity on human cell growth. The second will be on the physics of nuclear radiation and how HeLa cells were used to study the effects of radiation. The third will be on the thermodynamics of cryopreservation used to that HeLa cells could be frozed and shipped through the mail.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
M136
Guest Speaker: Abraham Aragones, MD, MS, Assistant Attending of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Aragones will be speaking on the genesis of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service's work, the projects under the services wing and how these projects are tailored to help minorities and immigrants.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Sociocultural and Health Related Advocacy Issues
1:00 pm to 3:30 pm
S112
Hosted by: Lorraine Cupelli, Georgina Colalillo, Barbara Rome and Barbara Blake-Campbell
Several groups of student nurses will present findings on issues in "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" with a post-panel discussion for questions and answers.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Cell Sampling
1:10 pm to 3:00 pm
M228
Hosted by: Nidhi Gadura and Areti Tsiola
Details: There will be two workshops as follows: 1:10 pm to 2:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Each workshop will accommodate 24 students.
Note: This event is reserved for visiting high school students.
Students will gently scrape their inner cheek cells and learn how to mount them on a slide. Cells will be stained with Methylene Blue and studied under a microscope. Students will be able to see the cell membrane and nuclei of their normal cells. Students will be able to see real HeLa cells (courtesy of our colleagues at Queens College) in culture and on the microscope as well as other pre-stained cells. There will be a presentation/discussion about the nature of cancerous cells and basic clinical screening tests for their detection.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Cancer, Genes and Viruses
9:00 am to 9:50 am
S212
Hosted by: Sara Danzi-Engoron
Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer. Her cancer was caused by genetic mutations resulting from a Human Papilloma Virus, or HPV, infection. In fact, 90% of sexually active adults become infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Inthis student presentation, learn about what HPV does, the relationsip between viruses and cancer, and about the HPV caccine currently recommended for children and young adults.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Cancer and You
1:10 pm to 3:00 pm
S112
Hosted by: Peter Novick
Guest Speaker: Alanna Coughlin, M.D., Branford/North Branford Pediatrics, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital, Attending Yale School of Medicine, Clinical Instructor
Almost everyone knows someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, but do YOU really know what it is? Do YOU know how to prevent cancer? Are YOU familiar with the newest cancer treatments? Join us as we learn about what causes cancer, ways to protect yourself and novel medical advancements from both scientific and medical viewpoints.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Common Read Culminating Event
9:00 am to 12:00 noon
M136
Join us as we celebrate the work of our students participating in Service Learning as part of the Common Read. Their work will be shared and they will be recognized for their achievements. Then prepare to sit on the edge of your seats as our faculty and students play "HeLa Jeopardy" based upon "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." Our own Jeffrey Schwartz has designed the game and will host "HeLa Jeopardy."
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Cancer: A Survivor's Story
1:10 pm to 2:30 pm
RFK Hall, Room G-201/202
Guest Speaker: Dan FosterJoin us as Dan Foster shares his personal experience as a colorectal cancer survivor and fundraising advocate for cancer prevention and treatment. (Sponsored by the Health, Physical Education & Dance Deparement, Health Services and the Health Related Sciences Academy as part of The Frank Egan Memorial Health Lecture Series.) Note: All attendees are asked to wear blue in recognition of colon cancer.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Common Read Writing Contest Awards Ceremony
12:00 noon to 2:00 pm
S112
Hosted by: Lauren Rosenblum
Join us as the top entries in our Common Read Writing Contest read their work aloud. Prizes will be bestowed on first and second place winners in each of three categories: Poetry, Essay (non-fiction) and Short Story (fiction).
Three weeks of events took place February into March, 2012. Programming began with a Drop-in and Read Aloud from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on February 19 from 10am-1pm in KHRC&A Gallery Lecture Room, and ended with the Common Read Culminating Event on March 8 from 9am-12pm in M136.