There could not be a better time to study our criminal justice system. We are experiencing a time of significant change (much of it long in coming frankly). Each of you, as community members, can be a part of making those changes positive ones and I hope this seminar will help to inspire you to do just that. So... on to a few basic pieces of information about the seminar:
1. What are we going to be talking about? The session will cover two primary areas: crime and criminal justice and our criminal justice system. We will be discussing things like: "why does crime exist?" and “is crime getting worse” and "why is there such a disconnect between communities and their police" and "do we really need police” and “do district attorneys and defense attorneys hate each other as much as they seem to on TV?" and, if time allows, "what on earth is going on with our prisons in the United States!? Why do we lock more people up than any other country?"...
Are you intrigued? Good!
We will be talking about current events and I recommend that you start plugging into news feeds from a variety of sources and perspectives. If you take the time to check out the news what we discuss will mean a whole lot more to you.
2. Will Professor Raffaelli just be a talking head? I sure hope not! Bring on those questions and we will dig into them… I welcome and appreciate student participation and hope you save me (and yourself) from me just prattling on the whole time by myself. The criminal justice system is interesting (really!) and I look forward to hearing from you. I also hope that this class will result in more than a few of you looking further into a career in criminal justice. It is one of the places in this world that gives you an opportunity to make a difference in your community and society. Corny as it sounds there really is no better satisfaction than finding ways to help other people.
Retired Deputy District Attorney, San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office (retired)
I graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Social Psychology. I then attended Stanford Law School and graduated with my Juris Doctorate (JD). I passed the California State Bar and joined the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office where I served as a Deputy District Attorney... Read More →
Wednesday January 8, 2025 8:55am - 11:30am PST
219
In this class, we will seek to de-mystify what UI/UX design is, teach students how to get started in the field, and explain the merits & interests of pursuing UI/UX. We will have interactive time to work in Figma, as well as develop experience in the iterative design process. I will also talk about my background and experiences in UI/UX –– including a design internship abroad in Singapore, college coursework, online certificate program, and extracurriculars. This is a career option that would appeal to many students interested in the tech industry, creative jobs, and more, but often is not learned about until college or even later in the professional field.
Prerequisites: no experience necessary! Some interest in the world of tech or the tech industry would be beneficial but is certainly not needed.
I will talk about why there is often a shift which states are "swing states" over time, as well as how politicians choose certain topics & themes to focus on in their campaigns based on what is politically viable. Example questions include: How did Barack Obama carry several states that are now considered strongly Republican? Aside from purely just changes in public opinion, why do political parties shift their political stances over time? This session will be taught in a non-partisan fashion and is intended to teach students about the salience of political issues and how campaigning works from a calculated standpoint.
