Forum Schedule
For the current week’s forum information, please see the announcements. Forums start at 11:30 and last for one hour. The public is invited to attend, and admission is free.
January 2010 Public Affairs Forum
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
512-452-6168, No Charge, www.austinuu.org
Sundays, 11:30am-12:30pm
Sunday, February 7
No Forum. RE has Howson Hall for Valentine’s Party
Sunday, February 14
Dr. Bruce J. Hunt, Associate Professor of History, UT
“Darwin and Religion”
Amid the many commemorations last year of the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species, one issue always took a central place, even if not directly addressed: that of Darwin and religion. What implications, if any, did Darwin’s theory have for religious belief? How have religious responses to Darwin’s theory changed — evolved, one might say — over the past century and a half? What in fact were Darwin’s own religious views, and how did they change during his life? A brief review of these questions will give us a more rounded view of Darwin and his theory, and will shed light on controversies that continue to this day.
Sunday February 21
Alyssa Burgin
Executive Director of the Texas Drought Project
“Perpetual Drought: The Coming Water Crisis in Texas”
Makes the connections between climate change and our already sad state-of-affairs in water management in Central Texas and beyond.
Sunday, February 28
Jim Henson
“The Texas Politics Project”
Jim Henson directs the Texas Politics Project and teaches in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin, where he received his Ph.D. In the late 1990’s, he helped design public interest multimedia for the Benton Foundation in Washington D.C. In 2008 he and a colleague established the first statewide, publicly available internet survey of public opinion in Texas. Join us for a fascinating look into the world of political surveying and polling. You’ll also have a front-row seat to the latest survey/polling data on Texas Politics!
Sunday, March 7th
Karen Huber, Travis County Commissioner
“Top Issues Confronting Travis County”
As one of four Travis County Commissioners, Karen Huber is the elected official representing the residents of Precinct 3 in Travis County. The commissioners and the county judge are the chief policy-making and administrative branch of county government. Karen is a 6th generation Texan. She’ll discuss the important issues facing Travis County, including land use (and lack there-of, which is an issue in itself), environmental issues, including our ongoing concerns about a lack of drinking water in our future, transportation issues, and others. We’ll learn about these issues and engage in Q&A with the newest addition to the Travis County Commissioner’s Court!
Sunday, March 14th
Margaret Perry, Director of Education for Austin Lyric Opera
“The Vital Role of Music in Our Daily Lives”
A native Texan, she’s been a music educator for 36 years. For the past 17 years, Ms. Perry has been the director of Education for Austin Lyric Opera. In April of 2000, she became the founding director of the Armstrong Community Music School, the 1st school in the world to be established by an opera company. In 2003, the State of TX declared a day in honor for Margaret’s 30 years of advocacy and education. Join us for this fascinating and soul-enriching look into “The Vital Role of Music in Our Daily Lives”!
Sunday, March 21st
Paul Sullivan, Executive Director of Veterans for Common Sense,
“America’s Human Toll from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars”
Veterans for Common Sense is a non-profit with offices in Wash. DC., and Austin. Paul has more than 15 years of experience providing advocacy for fellow veterans. He frequently testifies before Congress. Paul has appeared in hundreds of news articles and appeared on “60 Minutes’ in January, 2010. Join us for this significant and powerful look into “America’s Toll from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars”.
Sunday, March 28th
Gardner Selby, Austin American-Statesman PolitiFact Texas Editor,
“Sorting out the Truth in Politics”
Gardner Selby is a longtime Austinite who many of you know from seeing his front-page columns as the Chief Political Writer for the Austin American-Statesman in recent years. Selby has recently been promoted to Editor of “PolitiFact Texas”, a partnership of the Austin American-Statesman and PolitiFact.com. PolitiFact Texas aims to expose the truth in Texas with its “Truth-O-Meter”, which you’ve probably seen in Austin American-Statesman articles. Learn about the fascinating methodology of the Pulitzer Prize-winning PolitiFact.com and this exciting new partnership with the Austin American-Statesman in their ongoing mission to “Sort Out the Truth in Politics”!