Written by Mackenzie Manley, Content Specialist, Downtown Main Library
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Nicholas Kristof will speak on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at the Aronoff Center for the Arts — and there’s still time to snag tickets.
The Library is excited to host four outstanding student journalists from regional universities, who have been selected by their schools to attend and reflect on the lecture. Meet the honored students ahead of Kristof’s lecture and stay tuned for their reflection.
About the Lecture
Kristof, 2025’s Mary S. Stern lecturer, has reported from over 150 countries. He has witnessed century-defining events like the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the Yemeni civil war, and the Darfur genocide in Sudan.
Tickets are available for purchase between $5-$15.
Featured Student Journalists
Students from the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Miami University, and Northern Kentucky University will write an op-ed reflection on Kristof’s lecture, which will be posted on chpl.org.
Chloe Hall is a third-year student at the University of Cincinnati majoring in journalism. She works at the News Record, where she started as an opinion reporter and now works as a news reporter. Her goal is to work for a news station covering local, national, and international issues, with an interest in political coverage. She is excited to get this opportunity to meet someone who has worked in the field.
Clare McKinley is a senior at Xavier University studying English and advertising with a minor in political communications. She is the editor-in-chief of the Xavier Newswire and has been a part of the student newspaper since her first year at Xavier. In addition to her role in Newswire, Clare is the President of Xavier’s Chapter of the Ohio Innocence Project as part of their collegiate outreach program to teach the next generation about the realities of false convictions and the criminal justice system. In her free time, she likes to play club soccer at Xavier and listen to musicals. Her favorite book series to reread is The Selection Series by Kiera Cass.
Olivia Patel is a senior at Miami University, studying journalism and political science, with a minor in classical studies. Her main on-campus passions include The Miami Student and her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. Olivia is the editor-in-chief of The Miami Student, which is a role she assumed in early March. Outside of school, Olivia enjoys snowboarding, going for long outdoor runs, and unwinding with friends. An avid reader, her favorite book is Atlas Shrugged (but her inner child would say the Harry Potter books!)
Jakob Staley is a senior at Northern Kentucky University, double majoring in journalism and electronic media and broadcasting. He is currently the sports editor of The Northerner, the student-run newspaper at NKU. Jakob writes mostly sports articles but also takes an interest in other topics such as arts and life and news. He is an aspiring journalist and hopes to become a sports analyst covering the biggest sporting events in the world and/or a news anchor, telling the story of millions across the globe.
The Mary S. Stern Lecture Series is possible through an endowment to The Library Foundation. Get the latest information about this year's Mary S. Stern lecture featuring Nicholas Kristof on our website.
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