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Contact:
Ann Frechette
973-655-4333
frechettea@mail.montclair.edu

Montclair, N.J. - The region's top sports journalists' will be speaking at Montclair State University (www.montclair.edu) during a series of programs analyzing the dynamics of sports on the American psyche. The panel of experts will engage with New Jersey high school and college students, and the general public in discussions that deliver a new lens on the issue of sports in America.

Montclair State University, with the support of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, will be offering a series of three panel programs, titled "Sports in America: A Humanities Perspective." Special guest panelists, including Jeremy Schaap of ESPN, Harvey Araton of The New York Times, Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star Ledger and Jonathan Alter of Newsweek, among others will approach the idea of sports in our culture from three humanities perspectives including writing, culture studies/film, and ethics.

The Institute for the Humanities at Montclair State and The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State will be co-sponsoring the events. Each program will run from 9 AM to 11:30 AM and will feature three experts engaged in dialogue or presenting talks, followed by a question and answer session and tour of the Museum. The Yogi Berra Museum is the venue for the three programs, which are Sports and Journalism on Thursday, September 28; Sports and American Culture on Thursday, October 26; and Sports and Ethics on Thursday, November 30.

"Sports are vital to our culture. Millions of people watch and attend sporting events and idolize sports figures, and yet there is little impetus to go beyond the events themselves to understand the larger impact and effect on those of us who are watching or reading about sports. This series of programs is intended to provoke critical thought and understanding and encourage dialogue about a very important, and often unexamined, part of our lives," said Dr. Rita Jacobs, Project Director and Professor of English and Journalism at Montclair State.

"These programs feature some of the most renowned professionals in the business. Our mission, really, is to use sports as a prism to understand a wider world of social issues," said David Kaplan, Director of the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center. "Sports reflect society. As time goes on, sports, like life, have become complicated, but they continue to touch our hearts and inspire us. They're embedded in our lives and part of America's psyche."

Montclair State is New Jersey's second largest and fastest growing university. It offers the advantages of a large university-a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus, a broad variety of superior graduate programs through the doctoral level, and a diverse faculty and student body-combined with a small college's attention to students. For more information on Montclair State University, go to www.montclair.edu.

Montclair State is New Jersey's second largest and fastest growing university. It offers the advantages of a large university--a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum with a global focus, a broad variety of superior graduate programs through the doctoral level, and a diverse faculty and student body--combined with a small college's attention to students.  For more information on Montclair State University, go to www.montclair.edu.

September 8, 2006