Contact Committee at Washington and Lee

Aron Ralston, the real-life story behind the movie 127 Hours, will speak at Keller Theater in Lenfest Hall on Thursday, November 1 at 7:30 PM. Doors open at 7. The talk is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by Contact Committee and the Washington and Lee Outing Club. Following the talk, there will be a light reception at Kamen Gallery in Lenfest Hall.

There will be a screening of 127 Hours in Stackhouse Theater on Wednesday, October 31 at 4 PM, and there will be a table outside the commons on Tuesday October 30, Wednesday October 31 and Thursday November 1 from 10 AM to 2 PM. Stop by to learn more about the event and for FREE Contact Committee and Outing Club gear. We will be giving out Contact Committee cups and koozies, Outing Club stickers, and will have a raffle for signed copies of Ralston’s book, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”

An experienced climber and avid outdoorsman, Ralston was descending a remote Utah canyon alone when an 800-pound boulder broke loose, crushing his right hand and pinning him against the canyon wall. After nearly five days — without water and with no hope of escape — Ralston made a life-or-death decision. He chose life by severing his arm below the elbow, rappelling a 65-foot cliff out of the canyon, and trekking seven miles to find his would-be rescuers.

Ralston documented his life-altering experience in the New York Times best-selling memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which has been adapted for the big screen by Danny Boyle, the Academy Award-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire. The film stars James Franco as Ralston, and his performance, as well as the movie, have been nominated for numerous awards.

As an inspirational speaker, Aron Ralston moves audiences with his unforgettable story. An ordinary man pushed to the limits, Ralston demonstrates the human capacity for the extraordinary. He takes you on a riveting journey in which courage, perseverance, and human will defy the inevitable outcome.

While Monday’s even with Mayor Rudy Giuliani is free and open to the public, seating is limited and a ticket will be required for entry to the event.

Getting a Ticket:

Tickets for Mayor Giuliani’s lecture will be available from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4 through Friday, April 6 in the Washington and Lee University Elrod Commons Living Room. Tickets are free.

Students are restricted to one ticket per person. All tickets must be picked up during the scheduled times.

Do not lose your ticket. You will not be granted admittance if you do not have a ticket.

Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Ticket holders will need to be seated by 7:15 p.m. at which time whatever seating is left, if any, will become available.

We hope you’ll join us for an exciting April.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Press Release:

“Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York City when the Sept. 11 attacks hit the World Trade Tower, will speak at Washington and Lee University on Monday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The title of his talk is “Principled Leadership: In the Face of Change and Crisis.” The CONTACT Committee is sponsoring Giuliani’s talk.

The talk is free and open to the public but tickets are required. Tickets will be available in Elrod Commons on the W&L campus from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Wednesday, April 4, through Friday, April 6. The doors open at 6:15 p.m. Ticket holders will need to be seated by 7:15 p.m. at which time whatever seating is left, if any, will become available.

Giuliani served in the U.S Attorney’s Office from 1983 to 1989, for the Southern District of New York, eventually becoming U.S. Attorney. He prosecuted a number of high-profile cases, including ones against organized crime and Wall Street financiers.

Giuliani served two terms as mayor of New York City and was credited with initiating improvements and reducing crime. He ran for the United States Senate in 2000 but withdrew for health and personal reasons. Giuliani gained international attention for his leadership during and after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. For those actions, he received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.

After leaving office as mayor, Giuliani founded Giuliani Partners, a security consulting business firm and then joined the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm, which changed its name when he became a partner. Giuliani ran for the Republican Party nomination in the 2008 United States presidential election. After leading in national polls for much of 2007, his candidacy faltered late in that year, and he withdrew from the race.”

http://news.blogs.wlu.edu/2012/04/02/rudy-giuliani-to-speak-at-wl-on-april-9/

Abderrahim Foukara

Press Release:

“Abderrahim Foukara, the Washington bureau chief for Al-Jazeera T.V., will speak at Washington and Lee University on Monday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Northen Auditorium, Leyburn Library.

His talk is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Contact Committee at W&L.

A veteran journalist for the Qatar-based satellite network, he has been a prominent commentator in U.S. media during the recent events throughout the Middle East. He manages a team of 40 people at Al-Jazeera who cover a broad range of political, cultural and economic issues.

A native of Morocco, Foukara was a producer, reporter, anchor and senior instructor on BBC World Service from 1990-1999. From 1999-2001, he was producer and reporter on The World, a co-production of the BBC, Public Radio International and WGBH Boston. From 2001-2002, he was a BBC reporter from Washington before joining Al Jazeera.

Foukara also hosts a weekly show called “Min Washington” (From Washington) on American politics and culture.”

http://news.blogs.wlu.edu/2012/03/26/al-jazeera-washington-bureau-chief-to-speak-at-wl/

Frank Abagnale

Press Release:

“Washington and Lee University’s Contact Committee will present Frank Abagnale, the con artist ofCatch Me If You Can fame, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Chapel. The talk is free and open to the public.

Between the ages of 16 and 21, Abagnale successfully posed as an airline pilot, an attorney, a college professor and a pediatrician, in addition to cashing $2.5 million in fraudulent checks in every state and 26 foreign countries. His best-selling book, Catch Me If You Can, was made into a film and a play which opened on Broadway in April of this year.

Apprehended by the French police when he was 21 years old, Abagnale served time in the French, Swedish and U.S. prison systems. After five years he was released on the condition that he would help the federal government, without remuneration, by teaching and assisting federal law enforcement agencies.

Abagnale has been associated with the FBI for over 30 years. More than 14,000 financial institutions, corporations and law enforcement agencies use his fraud prevention programs. In 1998, he was selected as a member of “Pinnacle 400” by CNN Financial News – a select group of 400 people chosen on the basis of great accomplishment and success in their fields.

In 2004, Abagnale was selected as the spokesperson for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Cyber Security Alliance. He has also written numerous articles and books including The Art of the Steal, The Real U Guide to Identity Theft and Stealing Your Life.”

http://news.blogs.wlu.edu/2011/11/11/catch-me-if-you-can-con-artist-to-speak-at-wl/