Leyden Lecture Series
Launched in 2012, the Leyden Lecture Series engages intellectual curiosity by bringing a diverse showcase of distinguished scholars, activists and artists to the Bishop Lynch community.
Leyden Lecture Series speakers are selected for their ability to initiate purposeful, critical and thought-provoking discussion from a humanities-based platform.
Unless otherwise stated, all lectures will take place in the McGonigle Theater on the campus of Bishop Lynch High School at no cost to the Bishop Lynch student body, faculty, staff, and community.
Thanks to the National English Honor Society for hosting our Leyden Lecture Series events.
For more information, contact Stuart Kantor at stuart.kantor@bishoplynch.org.
Click to see previous years speakers
DR. ALAN ROSEN, PH. D. - OCTOBER 2012
Author of: The Wonder of Their Voice: The 1946 Holocaust Interviews of David Boder and Sounds of Defiance: The Holocaust, Multilingualism and the Problem of English
The title of his lecture was: What Literature Can Teach Us That History Cannot
LINK - LIBERTY IN NORTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 2013
Organization website: www.libertyinnorthkorea.org
Presentation video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosIfnEpr1o
DR. ANDREW MORAN, PH.D. - JANUARY 2014
The title of his lecture was: Dr. Moran on Shakespeare
Lecture Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5c1Uj4Omlg&feature=youtu.be
University of Dallas Shakespeare in Italy:http://www.udallas.edu/travel/highschoolprograms/shakespeareinitaly/
Scholarship and Recent Publications:
"The Apotropaic Marriage of Sulfur and Mercury in The Alchemist." The Ben Jonson Journal 20.1 (May 2013).
"In Medias Res, at Work and Prayer: Augustine and The Tempest." Critical and Cultural Transformations: The Tempest, 1611 to the Present. Ed. Virginia Mason Vaughan and Tobias Döring (Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag, forthcoming).
"From Maurice to Mohammad: Othello, Islam, and Baptism." Early Modern England and Islamic Worlds. Ed. Linda McJannet and Bernadette Andrea (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011),21-34.
"'What were I best to say': Hasty Curses and Morean Deliberation in Richard III." Moreana 48:183-184 (Summer 2011): 145-61.
"Hamlet's Envenomed Foil" in Hamlet: Ignatius Critical Edition, ed. Joseph Pearce. Ft. Collins, CO: Ignatius Press. (2008).
"Eating and Synaesthesia in The Winter's Tale." Religion and the Arts 9:1-2 (2005): 38-61.
"John Kennedy Toole's Brilliant Failure." The St. Austin Review (March 2005): 21-23.
RAIS - WORLD WITHOUT HATE - APRIL 2014
Mission: The mission of World Without Hate is to end the cycle of hate and violence through the practice of restorative forgiveness. World Without Hate aims to prevent hate crimes through education and the practice of compassion, forgiveness, and healing.
The title of his lecture: World without Hate
Link to speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8VXJXYhjiM
LOST BOYS OF SUDAN, FEATURING ANGELO - SEPTEMBER 2015
Link to speech: https://youtu.be/uCOHo183vVk
WILLIE BARONET, WE ARE ALL HOMELESS - NOVEMBER 2015
Link to speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3suseUtV-Yk
JACK REPP, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR - AUGUST 2016
His presentation will fit perfectly with the students’ selection for Summer Reading – Maus, by Art Spiegelman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYpPaCx6CWw
JAMES DYLAN SMITH - NOVEMBER 2016
BL Alum and Dallas Police Officer whose story and picture shielding a photographer went viral. http://www.fox4news.com/news/172095776-story - 12,000+ shares and the story picked up by papers all over the world. He’s agreed to speak; just waiting to confirm the date. Will also try to reunite him, per se, with the photographer who has made known he would like to thank him.
OLYMPIC DAY - JANUARY 2017
Nina Rangelova – 3-time Olympic swimmer from SMU who represents her home country of Bulgaria
Darlene Hunter – Gold Medal-Paralympic Basketball player in the Rio Olympics
Michelle Carter – The first U.S. woman to win gold in the Shot Put (US Record holder in the event) – Rio Olympics
Hear their journeys to Olympic stardom with time for Q&A
RICHARD AFFANNATO - APRIL 2017
Broadway Producer and Actor straight from NYC! http://www.affannatoproductions.com/
This is on the heels of the musical, so should be a fun afternoon.
ERLEIGH N. WILEY, DA - OCTOBER 2018
Erleigh wrote a book entitled A Target On My Back: A Prosecutor’s Terrifying Tale of Life on a Hit List. If you remember the Kaufman County murders in 2013, Erleigh N. Wiley took over the role of district attorney after the death of her predecessors. She is also the parent of Bishop Lynch graduate Brad Sargent.
MONICA SHAW, AUTHOR - OCTOBER 2018
Her book is entitled The Rainwater Secret. Much like Justin Wren’s work in Africa, Shaw tells the tale of her great aunt’s missionary work with lepers in Nigeria. Monica Shaw is also the aunt of the Hartmann children who have come through Bishop Lynch (Bobby, Anna, Charlie, Jimmy, et al.)
BERT ROMBERG, HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR - NOVEMBER 2018
Mr. Romberg was born in Astheim, Germany in 1930 just before the Nazi regime took power. When Mr. Romberg was eight years old, his mother realized the imminent danger to her family and sent him and his sister to the Kindertransport – a rescue mission that allowed thousands of Jewish children to live with private English citizens. Mr. Romberg will share his story of war, survival and hope with Bishop Lynch students, faculty, staff, and the community.
We anticipate a large, possibly standing-room-only crowd at this presentation. Please plan to arrive early.
DR. LESA ROE, UNIVERSITY CHANCELLOR - APRIL 2019
Dr. Roe is the Chancellor of the entire University of North Texas education system. What makes her story intriguing is that before becoming the Chancellor 18 months ago, she rose to “second in command as acting deputy administrator” of NASA, where she spent 33 years.
EDYKA CHILOMÉ, DALLAS POET - SEPTEMBER 2019
Edyka Chilomé is a literary arts activist, performer, and cultural worker currently based in Dallas, Texas. She is a child of Salvadorean and Mexican migrant activists and was raised in social justice movements grounded in the tradition of spiritual activism. Edyka holds a B.A. in social and political philosophy with an emphasis on social justice from Loyola University Chicago and an M.A. in Multicultural Women's Studies from Texas Women's University where her research focused on the decolonial power of spiritual [art]ivism. Praised for her authentic and powerful voice, Edyka has been featured and asked to share her poetry on multiple media platforms and in spaces around the country and Latin America, including Tedx, NPR, The Huffington Post, The Tucson Poetry Festival, Prindle Institute for Ethics, The Dallas Museum of Art, Remezcla, Fierce by Mitú, The American Family Therapy Academy, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters, The Lincoln Center in New York, Duke University, and The Texas Democratic Convention.
http://www.edykachilome.com/
ARSHAY COOPER, MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER - SEPTEMBER 2019
Arshay Cooper is a practiced rower, motivational speaker, and volunteers for numerous community outreach organizations.
In 1997, Arshay joined the first all-black rowing team at Manley High School. After rising to team captain and graduating high school, he shifted gears and dedicated two years of his life to Americorps. In 2002 Arshay enrolled at the Cooking Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Over the years Arshay has worked as a personal chef for World Wrestling Entertainment, Warner Brothers, and has fed various celebrities. After years working in the food industry, Arshay returned to his true passion of working in the inner city. He has coached at the Chicago Youth Rowing Club; worked as the program director at Victory Outreach's Midwest region; Organized stop the violence rallies; Created and founded many off the street programs. As a national speaker, his audience has included public schools, conferences, community centers, sports teams, UFC fighters, and President Bill Clinton. Arshay currently lives in Harlem. Suga Water is his first book. – from Amazon.com
ALEX HIDALGO, TCU HISTORY PROFESSOR - FEBRUARY 2020
Professor Hidalgo’s presentation will feature “monsters and fantastic creatures from colonial Mexico with a focus on the rich history of magical beasts that interacted with people, in good and bad ways. The talk addresses themes of otherness, racial and ethnic diversity, and the supernatural.” https://alexhidalgo.weebly.com/
TRACY WALDER – SEPTEMBER 21, 2021
Tracy Walder worked as a Staff Operations Officer in the Central Intelligence Agency's Counterterrorism Center before, during and after September 11, 2001, and as Special Agent at the FBI. During her time at the CIA, Tracy lived in and traveled to countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. She was detailed to the CTC’s Weapons of Mass Destruction group as well as to a still-classified program. Tracy received many awards for her service from both the CIA and from foreign intelligence offices, including the counterterrorism medal and multiple exceptional performance awards. After the CIA, Tracy became a Special Agent at the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office, Santa Ana Resident Agent, specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations, specifically the Tai and Chi Mak case, profiled on CNN and in the New Yorker.
Her book, The Unexpected Spy, has been picked up by Netflix.
ELIZABETH ECKFORD - OCTOBER 19, 2021
Elizabeth Eckford will present via Zoom. She's the student from Little Rock 9 who first walked into Central HS, 1957, in an effort to get a high school education during segregation.
KEN CORDIER - NOVEMBER 9, 2021
Ken Cordier is a Viet Nam Veteran telling stories of his experiences.
DR. JILL DETEMPLE - SEPTEMBER 2022
Dr. Jill DeTemple is chair of Religious Studies, professor of Religious Studies, and, by courtesy, professor of Anthropology. Her research focuses on religiously sponsored development in Latin America and on the uses of dialogue for teaching in higher education. Dr. DeTemple has also been instrumental in helping Bishop Lynch High School implement dialogue training on campus through BL's mentor group dialogue discussions and our Dine and Dialogue events.
DR. JONATHAN PALANT - NOVEMBER 2022
Jonathan Palant is associate dean of the arts and director of choral activities at the University of Texas at Dallas and is the founder and conductor of the Dallas Street Choir, a musical outlet for those experiencing homelessness and disadvantage. In addition, Dr. Palant is director of music at Kessler Park United Methodist Church and is employed by the Dallas Independent School District to mentor middle and high school vocal music teachers. In 2017, the Dallas Morning News named Palant one of nine “Texan of the Year” finalists.
LEILANI BARNETT - MARCH 2023
Leilani Barnett is a member of Bishop Lynch High School's English department where she teaches English IV. In 2022, Ms. Barnett published the book "Sacred Journaling: Ten Ways to Use the Power of Words to Craft Your Ideal Life." In her presentation "Designing Your Dream Life," Ms. Barnett will talk about her book-writing process and what she learned from her journaling practice.
KATRICE HARDY - APRIL 2023
Katrice Hardy is the executive editor of The Dallas Morning News. Before that, she was the executive editor of the IndyStar and midwest regional editor for USA Today Network. Ms. Hardy's newsrooms have won many top awards, including a Pulitzer Prize. As a leader in her field, she is a board member of the News Leaders Association and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. Ms. Hardy's presentation will cover the importance of local journalism.