October 27, 2017

Hackettstown, N.J., October 27, 2017 – Centenary University’s Environmental Law class will be running a Moot Court event exercise at 6 p.m. November 7, 2017 in the Little Theatre, which is located in the Edward. W. Seay Administration Building. Members of the community are invited to this event.

The students have been assigned teams, Plaintiff and Defendant, to present respective arguments associated with an Environmental Law issue related to protecting the environment for future generations vs. supporting economic progress. The procedure will follow the proceedings of an “Administrative Law” hearing. The students will be presenting the pro and con factual arguments gathered from their research. The arguments of the students will be decided upon by the Honorable Pete Sklannik, Jr. (and the professor of the course), who is the presiding Judge for this case. This is Centenary University’s first Moot Court.

Adjunct Professor, Pete Sklannik, Jr., has been teaching for three years at Centenary University, but he has been teaching at the university level for the past 10 years. Pete is an Engineering Consultant advising Federal, State, and Local governments on topics pertaining to environmental issues, homeland security, emergency management, transportation issues and major capital program initiatives. Sklannik is a resident of Sussex County and serves as a current member of the Sussex County Water Quality Commission and as a Municipal Airport Manager.

He is very eager to allow students to have a different opportunity and perspective in applying material from class in a real-life setting. “I am really thrilled to give this opportunity to my students to allow them to showcase what they have learned, as well as gain confidence in their ability to substantiate an argument,” says Sklannik. “The staff, faculty members and the law-abiding citizens of Hackettstown will be thoroughly impressed by the caliber of my students reasoning skills and have an occasion to witness a local issue being debated.”

A project manager of the Defendant team, Amy Miller, is leading her group to create a uniform argument for the Environmental Law issue being debated in Moot Court. She is excited and confident in her team’s ability to express their view points with clarity and persuasiveness. “The idea of utilizing our concepts from class, with our ability to convey an argument with the use of our debating skills is a brilliant combination to leave us, the students, with more overall insight than any lecture could bestow upon us,” says Miller.

The Moot Court exercise is bringing together students of varying grades together to argue their stance despite their own opinions on the Environmental Law issue. This exercise will push students to become bolder in their claims.

Founded in 1867 by the Newark Conference of the United Methodist Church, Centenary University’s academic program integrates a solid liberal arts foundation with a strong career orientation. This mix is designed to provide an educational experience that prepares students to succeed in the increasingly global and interdependent world.

Centenary University’s main campus is located in Hackettstown, N.J., with its equestrian facility in Washington Township (Morris County). The Centenary School of Professional Studies offers degree programs online and in two locations: Parsippany and Edison, online, as well as corporate sites throughout New Jersey.

###