By Katie Potzick
Buzz around the upcoming political election is reaching fever pitch as November gets closer.
The University of Louisville NETWORK luncheon series is presenting an opportunity for students to hear about the issues not just from television or the newspaper, but rather from a diverse panel of professors.
The talk, “The Intersections of Race, Gender, and Class: The 2008 Presidential Election,” will be held at noon this Thursday and gives students a chance to see campaign issues in a different light than the one provided by national media outlets. Students also get the opportunity to ask any questions they might have about how race, gender or class are shaping the election.
The talk is the first in a series produced by NETWORK (New Energy to Work Out Racial Kinks) throughout the year.
Linda L. Wilson, U of L NETWORK coordinator and the planner of the event, said that the discussion presents a unique opportunity to hear differing perspectives on the presidential election.
“We’ve been doing a lecture series for three or four years and because of the upcoming election we thought that it would be good to look at the issues from a diverse group of professors from different disciplines,” said Wilson.
The professors on the panel, according to Wilson, have been carefully selected to ensure a discussion filled with new ideas and different view points that will include U of L professors such as Clarence Talley, David Owen and Sherri Wallace.
“I didn’t want to have an all white or black, female or male panel but a good mix of individuals,” said Wilson. “The lecture offers a safe place to discuss race and gender issues and offers a wonderful opportunity to think about the election and how race, gender and class issues are affecting it.”
According to Owen, professor of social philosophy, race and gender are dominant themes in the upcoming election.
“They are there in every election, but they have definitely been more talked about in this one,” Owen said. “The main point of this talk is to discuss the issues in an intellectual and academic way and to look at them in a theoretical light.”
Talley, a sociology professor, said he wants to discuss race and class, especially considering his area of study is race and society.
“I want to talk about what has been raised in the public and political dialogues about race and class this election,” said Talley. “The lecture should be very interesting.”
The talk will be held at the University Club on Belknap campus. Lunch will be served and is $10. Reservations are required for entry and can be made by contacting Wilson at 502-852-0274.
