North Country Live

All sessions are in-person and start at 7 pm. Free and open to the public.

North Country Live is generously sponsored by the Cloudsplitter Foundation, dedicated to improving the future for the flora, fauna, communities, and people of the Adirondacks.

Thursday, Sept. 5 7 p.m.	The Tank is Filled with Hundred-Proof: Stories of Bootlegging in the Adirondacks   Presenter: Tom McGrath, NCCC faculty Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake   In 1920, it became illegal to make, sell, or transport alcoholic beverages.The backlash to Prohibition quickly evolved into a world of bootlegging, speakeasies, and often all-out war with police officials. Due to its proximity to Canada, the Adirondacks became a hotbed of illicit activity. The presentation will highlight some of the people, places, and stories of the region during this captivating time!
Thursday, Sept. 12 7 p.m.	The Farmer and the Sailor: The Real Story of John Brown, Richard Henry Dana and an Adirondack Meeting   Presenter: Pete Nelson, NCCC faculty Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake   One of the most famous Adirondack tales is adventurer Richard Henry Dana’s story of his 1849 encounter with frontier farmer John Brown, who Dana only realized years later to be the famous martyr of Harper’s Ferry. Dana’s account, published more than twenty years after the meeting, is filled with drama and surprise, but at the cost of accuracy – the actual events have significant differences. Dana and Brown were both abolitionists, with their most important contributions to justice and civil rights ahead of them. Come learn the real story of their encounter and the larger Adirondack context in which these two remarkable men crossed paths.
Thursday, Sept. 19 7 p.m.	Dead Trees Will Show You the Way: Echoes from the Underground Railroad   Presenter: Tom McGrath, NCCC faculty Location: Saranac Lake Free Library (Part of the Third Thursday Art Walk)   Long cloaked in mystery and folklore, the covert workings of the Underground Railroad are starting to become clearer. Come hear the harrowing tales of fugitive slaves in their desperate attempts to obtain freedom by fleeing northward. Special attention will be given to the activity in the Adirondacks and the unsung heroes who aided these people on their journey.
Tuesday, Sept. 24 7 p.m.	Seeking Truth in a Fake News World     Presenter: Mary Miller, New York Newspapers Foundation Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake   Mary Miller, Education Services Director for the NY Newspapers Foundation and NY News Publishers Association, will discuss the importance of media literacy and critical thinking skills in the digital age. She will also provide tips to avoid falling victim to misinformation. By the end of this presentation, attendees will have a deeper understanding of the importance of reliable local news sources, the challenges posed by fake news, and the realities of AI technology used to both create and identify disinformation. Miller worked for multiple newspapers before joining the NYNPA and NYNF in her current position. In addition to presentations highlighting the importance of authentic news sources in navigating our digital world, she continues to create a growing library of News In Education resources for use in K-12 classrooms.
Thursday, Oct. 3 7 p.m.	Can Political Reform Defeat Political Dread?   Presenter: Dr. Pete Suttmeier, NCCC Board of Trustees Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake   The American political system suffers from many unresolved problems. The electorate is seriously polarized, many serious issues confronting the country, from managing the debt of the federal government to problems of public education, housing, public health, adaptations to climate change, etc., persist year after year without solutions, regardless of the party in power, and the challenges of rapid technological change make effective governance all the more difficult. Citizens have lost faith in key political institutions and the social trust in one another necessary for a stable, successful democracy has eroded. These trends weaken the nation especially in the face of a rising China and an increasingly unstable and hostile international environment. This talk explores some of the causes of our governance malaise and reviews the menu of political reform possibilities that exist for the consideration of the audience.   Richard P. Suttmeier is Professor of Political Science, Emeritus at the University of Oregon. He formerly served as Professor of Government at Hamilton College. He received his A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1963 and his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1970. He has written extensively on China but his current interest is on problems with the US political system. He currently serves as the chairman of the Board of Trustees of North Country Community College.
Thursday, Oct. 24 7 p.m.	The Impact of New and Emerging Technologies on the Workplace   Presenter: Dr. Bill Daggett,  Location: S-19, Mulholland Hall, NCCC-Saranac Lake   Dr. Daggett will discuss the dramatic and rapidly changing impact AI has on the workplace. Fundamental changes in how businesses operate are leading to a major shift in the skills, knowledge, and dispositions employees will increasingly need to have to thrive in their jobs. Students, too, will need to develop these same skill sets to be prepared for success in all aspects of life, work, and society after graduation. Dr. Daggett will explain how many cutting-edge community colleges are using the outcomes and recommendations of a newly released national study of new and evolving skills to build capacity from classroom to boardroom so that their students are prepared to thrive in a world driven by AI.   Bill Daggett is the founder of both the Successful Practices Network and the International Center for Leadership in Education. He recently co-chaired the AASA LEARNING 2025: National Commission for Student-Centered, Equity-Focused, Future-Driven Education and is now leading the National Demonstration Network for AASA. Dr. Daggett is recognized worldwide for his proven ability to move education systems towards more rigorous and relevant skills and knowledge for all students. For 30 years, he has crisscrossed our nation, as well as the industrialized world, to lead school reform efforts to effectively prepare students for their future. While an avid supporter of public education, he also challenges all of us to be more focused on our children’s future than on maintaining the schools of our youth. His insights and leadership have caused nearly every major education association in the country, hundreds of school districts, numerous political and business leaders, publishers, and others to seek out his advice and guidance. Dr. Daggett began his career as a teacher, local administrator, and then director with the New York State Education Department. He spends much of his time providing leadership and guidance to the National Dropout Prevention Center and the Career and Technical Education Technical Assistance Center, which are part of the Successful Practices Network. He is the creator of the Rigor/Relevance Framework and the Future-Focused Success Framework which has recently become the cornerstone of much of the nation’s school reform efforts. He is also the author of 26 books about learning and education, textbooks, research reports, and journal articles. Dr. Daggett has been recognized as a distinguished alumnus by both Temple University and the State University at Albany. Dr. Daggett has a special commitment to individuals with disabilities. He and his wife, Bonnie, volunteer their time and lend their support to Wildwood Programs in upstate New York. Wildwood serves the needs of people of all ages who, like their daughter Audrey, have neurological impairments/learning disabilities or autism, by enabling them to become the best that they can be.

The mission of North Country Live is to present programs that foster intellectual exploration, spark conversation and enrich our communities. Hosted on Zoom by North Country Community College and its partners, North Country Live has provided more than 30 webinars, presentations and panel discussions since it was launched at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. Wellness, personal finance, telecommuting, black history in the Adirondacks, recreation, environmental issues, and the history and traditions of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe are just a few of the topics covered by the series so far. More than 1200 people have registered for North Country Live programs since it was created.

You can view previous presentations by visiting the Video on Demand section of this page or visiting the college's YouTube channel.