The State University of New York at New Paltz will host Jonathan Alter, award-winning columnist, television analyst and author as the spring speaker in the college’s new Distinguished Speaker Series on campus at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29, in McKenna Theatre.
Tickets for this limited-seating event are available both by phone and online at www.newpaltz.edu/speakerseries. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Box office: (845) 257-3880. Tickets for the public are $18 and $13 for SUNY New Paltz faculty, staff, students, and seniors.
The focus of Alter’s talk will be “The American Presidency in War and Peace” as it relates to the new administration’s first 100 days in office.
For nearly two decades, the Newsweek senior editor has written a widely acclaimed column that examines politics, media, and social and global issues. For more than a decade, he has worked as a contributing correspondent to NBC News. His 2006 book, “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope,” was a national best-seller.
The 2008 campaign marked the seventh election Alter has covered for Newsweek. He frequently interviews American presidents and other world leaders, regularly breaks news and has authored more than 50 Newsweek cover stories on everything from shrinking confidence in the American news media, to Bill Clinton’s first interview after leaving the presidency, to Barack Obama’s first magazine cover before he arrived in the U.S. Senate, to Alter’s personal story of living with cancer. Beyond politics and media, he has written extensively over the years about terrorism, anti-Semitism, at-risk children, national service and a wide variety of other issues.
Every year for the Distinguished Speaker Series, the college will host two well-known speakers on campus, with one speaker during the fall semester and a second during the spring semester. The goal is to connect community members, alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students and their families with well-known authors, policy makers and leaders, scientists, media experts, business people and other luminaries on campus.
This series is made possible in part by a generous donation from Peter and Helena Bienstock of the Shawangunk Valley Conservancy. Additional sponsors include Central Hudson, Citizens Bank, Key Bank and the Mid Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union.
The college welcomes additional corporate sponsorships for the Distinguished Speaker Series. To find out about sponsorship and corporate recognition opportunities, please contact Donna Goodman, corporate and foundation relations officer, at goodmand@newpaltz.edu.
Arrangements for the appearance of Jonathan Alter are made through Greater Talent Network, Inc., NY, NY.
