LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Rider University's College of Continuing Studies will present a series of lectures by several of the University's outstanding faculty members. Each lecture in the Lunch Box series will feature a different topic and will provide some stimulating "food for thought."

All four Wednesday lectures, which are free and open to the public, will be held at noon in the Fireside Lounge of the Student Center. Audience members are invited to bring a lunch; coffee and tea will be provided.

The lecture schedule includes:

• The Tabloid Syndrome and the Decline of Ethics in Public Disclosure, by Dr. Bosah Ebo, associate professor of communications, will be held on Wednesday, October 9. The commercial imperative of tabloid news magazines and talk shows has undermined traditional norms of public discourse by making routine various issues and behavior ordinarily considered taboo. Dr. Ebo will discuss how the profitability and proliferation of the tabloid syndrome has created a public tolerance for absurdity and deviance while diminishing traditional ethical norms of social relationships and public dialogue.
• What We Hear When We Listen to Music, by Allen Crowell, professor of conducting, will be discussed on Wednesday, October 16. What is it that causes people to react to music the way we do? Professor Crowell will take the audience on an open quest for open ears, searching for what is beautiful in all kinds of musical experiences through the use of several examples.
• New World Symphonies: How America Changed European Music, by Dr. Jack Sullivan, professor of English, will be presented on Wednesday, October 23. Dr. Sullivan will discuss the impact of American culture on European music from symphony to rock and roll. Among the diverse influences to be examined are Poe, Whitman, the American frontier, spirituals, jazz, and Hollywood. This talk is the subject of a new book.
• Election 1996: The Republican Revolution Continues or The Democrats Bounce Back, by Dr. David Rebovich, associate professor of political science, will be held on Wednesday, October 30, six days before Election Day. The 1996 elections provide an opportunity for the Republican party to win the White House along with strong majorities in Congress. If this occurs, Americans can expect major changes in public policy and spending. However, polls show that President Clinton stands a good chance of being re-elected and the Democrats may make gains in Congress. Dr. Rebovich will discuss these issues, in addition to the element of a third party candidate, and will focus on the New Jersey congressional races.

For more information about the Lunch Box Lecture Series, contact Karen Crowell, assistant dean of the College of Continuing Studies, at (609) 896-5033.

Rider University's Lawrenceville campus is located five miles south of Princeton and three miles north of Trenton on Route 206 in Lawrence Township. The campus is one-half mile south of exit 7A of Interstate 95.