A Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, an MSNBC political commentator and a cartoonist for The New Yorker.

All of these established professionals will be part of SU’s 13th University Lecture series season. The series in total has brought more than 100 speakers to campus, said Esther Gray, the lecture series’ coordinator, in an email.

This year’s series starts Tuesday night in Hendricks Chapel. As part of the series, Syracuse University has invited eight speakers to campus.

The eight speakers include civic entrepreneur Eric Liu, poet Billy Collins, actress Anna Deavere Smith, historian of education Diane Ravitch, cartoonist Roz Chast, MSNBC host Chris Hayes, playwright Tony Kushner and former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell.

Kushner, who wrote screenplay for the film “Lincoln,” will be the first speaker.

Gray said that the organizers carefully choose their roster of speakers, though there is no theme to the series or even a straightforward process to choosing the speakers.

“It is very important to us to maintain a series each year that is different, with speakers who speak to different topics, disciplines and ideas,” she said. “We don’t try to be controversial but will not avoid someone who presents a different viewpoint.”

When the University Lectures series started in 2001, Mitchell was the series’ first speaker, scheduled to appear in September.

Arriving three weeks after Sept. 11, he addressed the terrorist attacks in the series’ inaugural lecture, Gray said.

Mitchell will be coming to campus on Nov. 12, and will commemorate the 25th anniversary of Pan Am Flight 103, a plane bombing in 1988 that killed 35 SU students, she added.

“Sen. Mitchell is an amazing man and arguably one of the most respected public servants known,” Gray said.

The Office of University Lectures, Gray said, receives suggestions from those at the university, specifically the deans.

From these options of speakers, the Office of University Lectures will narrow it down to either seven or eight people, she added.

Kyle Bass, a part-time instructor at SU and dramaturg at Syracuse Stage, has seen several of the past speakers invited by University Lectures and said he will be attending Kushner’s lecture.

“These kinds of programs are exactly what universities need to be offering its students, faculty, and staff and even community,” Bass said.  “I encourage my students to attend these lectures and go and hear active and important writers talk about not only their work but their experiences.”

Since the speakers deal with interdisciplinary topics, they have a broad appeal and cater to all different types of people, said Kelly Rodoski, communications manager for SU News Services.  She said she encourages students to take advantage of the opportunity to see these speakers and broaden their horizons.

“A lot of teachable moments happen during these lectures,” Rodoski said.  “These are opportunities to learn and hear things from very dynamic and fascinating people who are making news and doing great things.”

Published on October 8, 2013 at 1:34 am

Contact Kate: kacapoda@syr.edu