Yeeeaaarrrhh!
Dean, Sharpton and Coulter come to campus!
Emily Burrows
Assistant Culture Editor
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On March 21-23, Impact Symposium will be presenting three nights of diverse lecture series for Vanderbilt students, faculty, staff and the Nashville community. In an interview with Impact Chair, Rachel Mulloy, we discussed the reasoning and expectations of the scheduled guests for the event.
The first night will consist of separate speeches by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Ann Coulter. Their speeches will be followed by a half hour question and answer session. Despite some common misperceptions, the left and right wing proponents will not be facing each other in a debate.
The second night will feature an hour long lecture by Howard Dean, the newly appointed chair of the Democratic National Committee. His speech will also be followed by a question and answer session.
On the final night of Impact, anyone interested can gather in the Sarratt Cinema for a roundtable discussion of the themes raised by the three dynamic speakers. The discussion will include three professors from the College of Arts and Science, including Ann Demo from the Communications Studies department, John Geer in Political Science and Thomas Schwartz from the History department.
The theme of this year’s event is “Visions of America.” Mulloy said that one of the greatest challenges in choosing speakers is finding someone who can speak about the issues the Impact committee wants to be discussed, as well as finding someone who appeals to students. Of course, the budget is also always a guiding force in finding the right speakers to come to Vanderbilt.
Mulloy explained that the speakers are given a general guide of the topics that fall under the “Visions of America” theme. However, it is impossible to tell if the lecturers will stick to the suggested general guide. Mulloy added that some lecturers have set speeches that they use whenever they talk to an audience. The Impact committee does not wish to stifle the creativity of the speakers, but it wants the program to be pertinent to the themes it feels are important to Vanderbilt students. Some of the general topics under the overarching theme include “international public opinion of the United States, Social Security, education and the economy."
The booking of Howard Dean before his appointment as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee was a lucky but strategized move. All of the lectures needed to be booked before winter break, and one of the Impact committee members brought up the point that there was a possibility that Dean could become the chair in the near future. Mulloy said that “his new title has generated more interest from people.”
She believes that the Symposium discussion will turn to the future of political parties in America, with a special focus from Dean on what the Democrats can do to “appeal to more voters and have greater success.”
Mulloy also expects Sharpton and Coulter to examine the direction America will take in the post-Sept. 11 2001 world.
Mulloy says she has not heard any backlash from students concerning the slight liberal tilt of this year’s Symposium. In fact, the previous two years featured more conservatives than liberals. Mulloy adds, “ideally, we would have an equal balance, but we still make sure both sides are represented.” The strengths of this year’s speakers lie in their different dynamics and their varying strengths on certain issues. The variety of international and domestic expertise among the lecturers will provide a unique mix to the Symposium.
Rachel Mulloy and the Impact committee were entirely focused on the needs and interests of Vanderbilt students. They hope to see Langford filled with students, as the issues were selected to be relevant to our lives.
Free Student tickets went on sale Feb. 21, and tickets to the public went on sale Monday and cost $10. Tickets are available at the Sarratt Box office.