Civil rights lawyers Stephen Bergstein ’89 (Political Science) and Christopher Watkins ’85 (English) conducted on-campus workshops in a series of critical thinking classes on Oct. 29., Nov. 2 and 3.

In the classes, which are offered by the Office of Special Programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Bergstein and Watkins presented real cases for the students to argue. Wendy Vierow’s (Special Programs) class focuses on the development of both verbal and written analytical skills. In recent weeks, students have been learning to identify fallacies in arguments as well as examining the validity of evidence.

The lawyers’ visits to class were well-timed to coincide with the students’ current course of studies. Vierow said both lawyers were impressed by the students’ abilities to analyze the cases and the lively discussions that resulted in the mock courtroom.

Marya Hornbacher, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated author of “Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia” and “Madness: A Bipolar Life,” will speak to the campus community on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Lecture Center, room 100.

The author and mental health advocate will discuss how culture – through media messages and social norms – frame the public’s understanding of eating disorders. Hornbacher will share her own experiences at the event, which is presented by the campus’s Psychological Counseling Center.

The event is free and open to the public. Admission tickets are available at the information desk located on the second floor of the Student Union. For more information, call x2920.

Hornbacher will also host a student writing workshop on Thursday, Nov. 5, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Jacobson Faculty Tower, room 1010. Students interested in participating should contact the English Department at x2727.