In ages past, students, faculty and the general public would eagerly attend talks by visiting intellectuals with something to say. One of the great privileges of attending a world-class university is that world-class leaders and thinkers constantly pass through our campus. In that connection, I’d like to invite you to join me in reviving a culture of attending guest lectures. This year, I’ve taken over as the director of Cornell’s Program on Freedom and Free Societies. Mike Fontaine is a professor of Classics, director of Cornell’s Program on Freedom and Free Societies, and a Faculty Fellow at Flora Rose House.