Nationally syndicated media correspondent Ruben Navarrette Jr. will kick off the 2008 Veritas Forum at 7 p.m. on March 26 in the Satellite Student Union with his talk, “Back to Where We Started: How Mistakes, Myths and Malice Made a Mess of the Immigration Debate, and How We Can Clean it Up.”
The forum, organized by a coalition of student clubs and support organizations, is a three-day event that will feature a series of presentations examining the complex issue of immigration.
“Our hope for this forum is to shed light on a controversial issue – immigration – and help students go beyond stereotypes and prejudices that may make them choose one side or the other without the facts,” said Sarah Knepper, Veritas Forum student director.
“The speakers will examine ideas and beliefs within our nation and challenge students to respectfully engage in debate that will help them gain greater understanding of the issue,” she said.
On March 27, the second forum presentation will feature an interactive discussion among three invited panelists who will provide both personal and historical perspectives of the immigration experience.
Panel members are CeCe Lomeli-Perez, a licensed family nurse practitioner who serves medical and health care needs of the poor at the Holy Cross Clinic in Fresno; Dr. Antonio Arreguin-Bermudez, a Fresno State graduate who now serves as professor of Spanish at California State University, Chico; and Dr. Bruce Thornton, classics professor at Fresno State.
Author Eric Bryant of the Los Angeles Mosaic will conclude the forum on March 28 and will share his vision of how people can break through tolerance and into love for those who are different or less fortunate.
The Veritas Forum, from “veritas,” a Latin word meaning “truth,” originated at Harvard University in 1992. Veritas Forums are organized on college campuses throughout the nation to offer discussions about life’s difficult questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ. The forum has been an annual spring event at Fresno State since 2005.
For more information contact Knepper at 559.930.0339 or
seknepper@gmail.com, or adviser Steve Olson at 559.278.5680 or
steveo@csufresno.edu.
Related link:
www.veritas.org/fresno
