Sunday Salons

Columbus School for Girls Sunday Salons began in 2010 and present an opportunity for the CSG community to gather three times over the course of each school year in order to discuss various works of history, literature, politics, international relations, religion, and science.

Books and articles that are chosen for the Sunday Salons are classic in nature or that present opportunities to reflect with greater perspective on current events or ideas of interest and importance.

Sunday Salons:

  • Provide discussion managed by the facilitating Columbus School for Girls faculty member.
  • Take place on Sunday afternoons and are hosted by the Head of School, Liza Lee, in her residence.
  • Are opportunities for parents from every division to engage with the CSG faculty and to connect with ideas that are currently flowing through the school as an inherent part of our curriculum.
  • Local alumnae will find this a great way to rejoin discussions that were perhaps begun with their teachers several years ago, but now with time and perspective, have gained greater currency and importance.
  • Are open to all members of the CSG community including current and former parents, alumnae, Board members, administration, and faculty (current and emeriti), as well as invited guests who may offer unique perspectives for the discussion

Sunday, February 24: Yann Martel, Life of Pi

Sunday, February 24 (1:30-3:30 p.m.):Yann Martel, Life of Pi:
Can religions coexist peacefully? Can faith and science coexist peacefully? Is a willing suspension of disbelief a prelude to or a posture for belief? Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, winner of The Man Booker Prize in 2002 and recently released as a movie, challenges readers to grapple with these questions as they follow the fantastical adventures of sixteen-year-old Pi Patel, a practicing Hindu, Christian, and Muslim--and sole (human) survivor of a shipwreck that leaves him stranded on a twenty-six-foot lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Equal parts a story of survival, a profession of faith, and a primer on animal behavior, this book is storytelling at its most provocative. Patricia Miranda, Upper School English teacher, will facilitate the discussion.

Sunday, March 10: Who Are We Really? Explorations in Bioethics

Sunday, March 10 (1:30-3:30 p.m.):Who Are We Really? Explorations in Bioethics:

In our Senior Seminar this year, CSG students have been grappling with case studies covering topics such as assisted reproductive technology, organ donation, quality of life issues for premature infants and burn patients, enhancement drugs in sports, and genetic alteration. Upper School faculty members, Mary Ann Leonard and Suzanne Besanceney, will guide our discussion on genetic testing as we seek to find a deeper understanding of cutting edge medical research and its scientific and ethical impact on society.

Additional resources are available online. 

Sunday, April 28: Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil

Sunday, April 28 (1:30-3:30 p.m.):Hannah Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem:A Report on the Banality of Evil.

After capture in Argentina, Adolf Eichmann, one of the primary architects of the Jewish Holocaust, arrived in Jerusalem for trial.In August 1961, he was convicted on all 15 charges of “causing the killing of millions of Jews,” and “crimes against humanity.”Eichmann argued that he had no intention “to destroy the Jewish people,” had never killed anyone personally, and was acting in accordance with the legitimate laws established by the sovereign German government.Billed as a “show trial” by many, it attracted a huge international audience and acted on many levels to further the political identity and legitimacy of the young state of Israel.Assistant Head of School, Perry Rogers, will help explore the ethical parameters of this seminal book by philosopher and journalist, Hannah Arendt, who covered the trial and provided this analysis of the competing demands of law and justice, while assessing “the banality of evil.”

Sunday Salon Registration: April 28, 2013

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