LiveTalk is the College Preparatory School's evening lecture series for parents, students, and the community.

Don’t miss this series of intimate lectures and discussions with some of the biggest names and brightest minds in the Bay Area, on politics, science, art and culture. Encourage your friends and neighbors to join you!

The LiveTalk 2010-2011 Lecture Series was sponsored by Grubman Financial www.grubmanfinancial.com

To subscribe to the entire series of lectures for this season, enter your ticket quantites at the top of this page and click "Order Now". You'll receive guaranteed seating for each of these engaging, thought-provoking lectures by local and national experts and celebrities on intriguing topics and current events.

Tickets for individual lectures are available only at the door.

Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Events begin at 7:30 p.m. and end at 9:00 p.m. All LiveTalk proceeds support College Preparatory School programs.

LiveTalk Lectures for the 2010–2011 Series

September 30, 2010
Looking for the Good News in Your Genome
with Dr. Jasper Rine, University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Jasper Rine is a world famous geneticist, member of the National Academy of Sciences and past winner of UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award.  He teaches in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

The technology exists today for a person to have his/her DNA analyzed to learn about their ancestry and to learn about predispositions for many diseases with a genetic basis.  While these tests are currently rather expensive, it’s only a matter of time before they become affordable for most people.  The legal, medical and ethical implications are enormous.  

For this Fall's freshman project, Dr. Rine initiated a genetic testing project to educate and engage Berkeley freshman in thinking about the issues around “personalized medicine”.  This program quickly became quite controversial, attracting national news coverage and prompting Dr. Rine to be called before the California legislature.  

Dr. Rine will discuss the promise for improving human health through the revolution in DNA technologies, the controversy engendered by this year's “On the Same Page” program, and an analysis of the results of the DNA test

He is a wonderful speaker, whose talks are humorous, provocative and engaging. 

October 28, 2010

Imperfect Endings: A Daughter’s Tale of Life and Death
with Zoe FitzGerald Carter

Zoe FitzGerald Carter, the author of Imperfect Endings, shares the story of her family’s struggle upon hearing her mother’s decision to end her life after living with Parkinson’s disease for many years. Ms. Carter will read a short passage from her book and discuss the many issues that were raised during this gut-wrenching journey, including the moral and ethical issues surrounding assisted suicide.

Many of us are members of the “sandwich generation”, confronted with caring for our aging parents while we also care for our growing children. “There are 75 million baby boomers in this country all going through some version of my story. Having a parent die is a profound rite of passage and my hope is that by seeing how my very ‘imperfect’ family dealt with it, people will feel less alone,” says Ms. Carter. 

During the last year of her mother’s life, Zoe discovered that this kind of experience can be very isolating. She notes that “we tend to be uneasy about death in our culture and it can be difficult to talk openly about it. Writing the book was an attempt to pull back the veil in some small way.” Since the book was published, she has had the opportunity to talk with many people about their experiences. She will share some of these stories and insights during this event, and hopes that the audience will also share their thoughts and ideas as well. Her web site is at www.zoefitzgeraldcarter.com

February 17, 2011
Academy Awards Preview Night
with film historian Harry Chotiner

Harry is back! Join LiveTalk for our Academy Awards preview night with the incomparable Harry Chotiner. This annual event, a popular College Prep tradition for film buffs of all ages, features New York University film history professor and former Twentieth Century Fox vice president Harry Chotiner’s unique spin on the nominees with plenty of lively, interactive audience participation.  Plus hot popcorn, soda, candies and door prizes!  Bring your opinions and get a copy of Harry’s picks for the best movies, actors, and directors of the year.

March 17, 2011
In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee (film screening and discussion)
with Deann Borshay Liem, filmmaker

“Her passport said she was Cha Jung Hee. She knew she was not. So began a 40-year deception for a Korean adoptee who came to the U.S. in 1966. Told to keep her true identity a secret from her new American family, this eight-year-old girl quickly forgot she was ever anyone else. But why had her identity been switched? And who was the real Cha Jung Hee?” (www.katahdin.org/sponsored/precious/intro.html)

Borshay Liem’s documentary, In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee is the recipient of the Winner, Audience Award, San Francisco Asian American Festival, Best Directing and Editing, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Festival.  Come join us in a viewing of her compelling documentary followed by a fascinating discussion with the filmmaker herself.