Public affairs discussion group is wealth of knowledge for students and faculty alike
Sultan Ahmed
Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Focus
They are an almost unknown resource to the Case student body, but every Friday they meet, discussing relevant topics intelligently and thoroughly. They are the public affairs discussion group of Case Western Reserve University. Sponsored by the Center for Policy Studies, this group meets almost every Friday at 12:30 p.m. with the mission of fostering dialogue and debate on the leading public affairs issues of our time.
A topic and guest speaker is selected for each session, always relating to something pertinent in the world today. Recent topics have included health policies of presidential candidates, ethical responses to terrorism, and presidential ecotheologies.
The guest speaker is usually a well versed expert in the field being discussed, whether they are a professor from the university or an invited guest from outside CWRU. Recent guests have included Joe White, professor of political science; Tim Beal, professor of religion; and Robert H. Binstock, professor of aging, health and society.
Regular attendee J.T. Mortimer, a biomedical engineering professor, commented about the discussions: "I find the most interesting part of these discussions to be the dynamic between the people there. It's always interesting to see how people interact with one another in a setting like that." The discussions are open for anyone to attend. Professors from all fields of study including psychology, political science, religion, and even hard sciences such as chemistry and biology are present every week.
Students are also invited to attend, as part of the stated mission of the group is to encourage the many policy scholars across the university to interact with each other and with the larger public beyond the campus. Several students attend each week, and the experts involved in the group are always seeking to incorporate a greater number of students from all disciplines. Nursing student Joseph Rodriguez found attending one of these discussions to be an invaluable experience. "I was never too interested in politics, but the opportunity to hear views on health care from people around the university sparked my interest and made me want to learn more about the candidates' actual policies before I cast my ballot."
A topic and guest speaker is selected for each session, always relating to something pertinent in the world today. Recent topics have included health policies of presidential candidates, ethical responses to terrorism, and presidential ecotheologies.
The guest speaker is usually a well versed expert in the field being discussed, whether they are a professor from the university or an invited guest from outside CWRU. Recent guests have included Joe White, professor of political science; Tim Beal, professor of religion; and Robert H. Binstock, professor of aging, health and society.
Regular attendee J.T. Mortimer, a biomedical engineering professor, commented about the discussions: "I find the most interesting part of these discussions to be the dynamic between the people there. It's always interesting to see how people interact with one another in a setting like that." The discussions are open for anyone to attend. Professors from all fields of study including psychology, political science, religion, and even hard sciences such as chemistry and biology are present every week.
Students are also invited to attend, as part of the stated mission of the group is to encourage the many policy scholars across the university to interact with each other and with the larger public beyond the campus. Several students attend each week, and the experts involved in the group are always seeking to incorporate a greater number of students from all disciplines. Nursing student Joseph Rodriguez found attending one of these discussions to be an invaluable experience. "I was never too interested in politics, but the opportunity to hear views on health care from people around the university sparked my interest and made me want to learn more about the candidates' actual policies before I cast my ballot."
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