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MEDIA CONTACTS: Polly Burks
561-297-2595, pburks@fau.edu or
Stacia Smith
561-297-2971, ssmith@fau.edu
FAU Hosts Symposium on Dissent and Democracy
BOCA RATON, FL (April 5, 2005) – As part of a nationwide initiative to encourage civic participation among college-age students, Florida Atlantic University will host a symposium on Dissent and Democracy on Friday, April 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The symposium will take place in the University Center on FAU’s Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road. The event is free and open to the public.
The symposium will include interactive sessions and panel discussions featuring FAU faculty and visiting artists and activists. The keynote address will be given by Todd Gitlin, professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University. Gitlin, a leader in the anti-Vietnam war movement, served as president of the Students for a Democratic Society in 1963 and 1964 and is currently a member of the editorial board for Dissent and The American Scholar.
The symposium is part of FAU’s participation in The American Democracy Project, a nationwide initiative to get students involved in civic activities that will help them understand the importance of civic engagement. The project, initiated by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in association with The New York Times, involves more than 150 colleges and universities across the country.
“Voter turnout in this country has declined consistently over the last 40 years and people are not as involved as they once were,” said William A. Covino, dean of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “It is important that we offer our students activities that will get them involved in and show them the importance of the democratic system.”
The debates are sponsored by the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. For further information, contact Becky Mulvaney at 561-297-3839.
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