Presidential Colloquium: ‘Election 2020’

Two leading journalists representing different political views will offer their takes on the upcoming presidential election in a Presidential Colloquium at Smith College this fall. This event marks Smith's commemoration of Constitution Day. 

New York Times columnists Gail Collins and Bret L. Stephens will present “A Conversation on the 2020 Election” at 7 p.m. Eastern Tuesday, Sept. 15. Collins and Stephens often engage in editorial conversations in the Times editorial pages.

The virtual event is open to all at no charge. Smith students, faculty, staff and alums are invited to participate via Zoom. Members of the general public will be able to watch the event via live stream on Smith College’s facebook page.

This is the first of several notable Smith events related to the November election. Later this semester, award-winning journalist Yamiche Alcindor, from the PBS NewsHour, will present a keynote address, titled “The 2020 Election in Black and White,” at Smith’s celebration of Cromwell Day on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

About Gail Collins

Gail Collins joined The New York Times in 1995 as a member of the editorial board and later as an op-ed columnist. In 2001 she was appointed editorial page editor—the first woman to hold that post at the Times. In 2007, she stepped down to finish a book, “When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of American Women From 1960 to the Present.” She returned as a columnist in time to cover the 2008 presidential election. The author of five other books, including “America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates and Heroines,” Collins is currently at work on a history of older women in America. Since 2013, she has served on the Pulitzer Prize Board.

About Bret L. Stephens

Bret L. Stephens joined The New York Times as an op-ed columnist in 2017 after a long career with The Wall Street Journal, where he served most recently as deputy editorial page editor and, for 11 years, as a foreign affairs columnist. Before that, he was editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post. He has reported from around the world and interviewed scores of world leaders. Stephens is the author of “America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder,” released in November 2014. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

About the Presidential Colloquium Series

Smith College’s Presidential Colloquium regularly features influential thought leaders in a wide range of fields—from poets and writers to economists and policy experts—to share their expertise, offer insights and inspire discourse on key social, political and global topics that call for attention.

In 2020-21, all colloquium events will be offered virtually. Smith College students, staff, faculty and alums are invited to pre-register to participate via Zoom; the general public is welcome to watch via Facebook. All lectures are free.