November 16, 2011 - Why don’t we talk about this? That’s the question that the Mann Center’s Courageous Conversation series is asking this week.
A student and faculty panel will discuss why certain topics are considered taboo in our society. The conversation will take place this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Bolding Studio.
The panel includes Josh Motta, Katelyn Wilbanks and Kris Boyd, as well as faculty members Dr. Betsy Dobbins, Dr. Dennis Sansom and Dr. Don Sandley.
The event will also feature guest speaker, Guy Chmieleski, who currently serves as University Minister at Belmont University.
Last year, Belmont experienced a real life Courageous Conversation when a lesbian coach resigned, causing a dispute among students, faculty, alumni and those in the community. The Mann Center’s Courageous Conversation will use Belmont’s experience as the foundation for their series. The organizers hope to promote conversations about a wide range of issues such as homosexuality, political ideology, religion and racial diversity, as well as any other issues that students raise during the evening.
“Our goal is to help students understand that it’s okay to talk about (and disagree on) these topics, and that it can be done respectfully and productively,” Azalea Hulbert, the Mann Center’s program manager, said.
The Mann Center is involved in a wide range of initiatives both on and off campus, one of them being the Courageous Conversation Lecture Series, which is designed to “promote the moral development of Samford students.”