RIT Discussion on Veterans, Politics and Government—Oct. 5

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A. Sue Weisler

Deborah Stendardi

The Big Read, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, is designed to restore reading and enlightenment to the center of American culture. The 2010 Rochester Big Read, hosted by Writers & Books, features a month of events surrounding the nonfiction story collection The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. The book chronicles the everyday lives of a platoon of American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

Rochester Institute of Technology is participating in the effort by hosting a panel discussion on “Politics and Government: How Veterans Needs Can Be Served” from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 5 at RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies, 111 Lomb Memorial Drive.

The event, sponsored by RIT’s Department of English, begins with an introductory session on veterans, politics and government from 4 to 4:30 p.m. Hosts are William Dube, adjunct professor of political science at RIT and former executive director of the Monroe County Democratic Committee, and Ellen Warren, vice president of development and public relations at Rochester Veterans Outreach Center.

Warren will moderate a panel discussion from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. on current political and governmental issues impacting veterans. Panelists include:

• Barry Culhane, past president, Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Greater Rochester; executive assistant to RIT President Bill Destler
• Deborah Stendardi, vice president of government and community relations at RIT
• Maj. Gen. John Batiste, U.S. Army (retired), president, Klein Steele Service, Inc., and chairman of the board of the Rochester Veterans Outreach Center
• Col. James McDonough, U.S. Army (retired) president and CEO of the Rochester Veterans Outreach Center and former director of the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs.

Participants are welcome to participate in a question and answer period, followed by a brief reception. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact William Dube at 585-475-2816 or wjduns@rit.edu. To view a list of all Big Read events visit the Writers and Books website.