The 2008-2009 Open VISIONS Forum (OVF) season begins in September in the heat of the presidential campaign. With the political stakes as high as any in recent memory, there is a premium on accurate and erudite information. OVF, the discerning lecture series presented by University College at Fairfield University, presents political pundits, historians, actresses and activists with diverse, provocative and lively views of current and historical topics. All lectures are held in the Quick Center for the Arts. Tickets are $45, unless otherwise indicated and the full series of nine lectures is $360.

Professor Philip Eliasoph, who serves as faculty moderator and director, emphasizes the indispensability of historical perspective noting, "With the 20/20 hindsight 200 years provide, our vibrant community continues to demonstrate its admiration for the founding principles of America's unique experiment by seeking meaningful exchanges, thoughtful discussions as well as inspired conversations. The current presidential campaign provides one demonstrable example of the breadth of American democracy and Open VISIONS Forum has seized the moment with speakers that deepen our knowledge of a multifaceted world. Armed with new-found or re-focused facts, the series enables participants to meet the enduring challenge President George Washington laid down to his contemporaries in his Farewell Address of 1796: 'It is essential that public opinion should be enlightened.'"

On Monday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. , best-selling author Douglas Brinkley , professor of history at Rice University and a fellow of the James Baker III Institute of Public Policy speaks with a focus on the presidents. OVF renews its Community Partnership with the Fairfield Museum and History Center to present Brinkley as the season's first lecturer. This lecture is also a Collegial Partnership with the Fairfield University History Department.

The season continues with the following:

• Wednesday, September 24 at 8 p.m. The Supreme Court
  Jeffrey Toobin is CNN legal analyst for CNN Worldwide, staff writer for The New Yorker and best-selling author of The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court .

• Monday, October 6 at 8 p.m. Global Conscience
  Mia Farrow , award-winning actress, humanitarian, crusader against genocide in Darfur, children's rights activist, was ranked #24 in the 2008 Time magazine top 100 World's Most Influential People for her humanitarian work in Darfur. Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian Lectureship.

• Monday, October 27 at 8 p.m. The Great Debate
  Mika Brzezinski & Monica Crowley - Election Special - Views from the Left and Right features liberal MSNBC anchor and Morning Joe co-host and conservative political and international affairs analyst for Fox News Channel. Collegial Partnership with the Department of Politics.

• Thursday, October 30 at 8 p.m. ** Special Additional Lecture **
  Single Tickets $50
  Fareed Zakaria , editor of Newsweek International joins Fairfield University students in exploring "America's Future vs. Global Commitments." This lecture is presented as the Second Annual Student Forum offered through "The First Year Experience" which a division of Student Affairs. The Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) in collaboration with Open VISIONS Forum is the sponsor. Note: This lecture is NOT an OVF season lecture. A limited number of tickets will be made available for OVF patrons, sponsors and subscribers beginning October 1.

• Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 3 p.m. Stage and Screen
  Olympia Dukakis , Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actress. This lecture is a Community Partnership with Westport Country Playhouse.

• Monday, February 9, 2009 at 8 p.m. Lincoln Bicentennial
  Harold Holzer , Lincoln biographer, Senior Vice President, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This lecture is a Community Partnership with Pequot Library. Collegial Partnership with American Studies Graduate Program.

• Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 8 p.m. Diversity
  Cory Booker , Mayor, Newark, N.J. will speak on "Bridging the Divide: The Strengths and Challenges of Diversity in America." This lecture is a Collegial Partnership with Fairfield University Student Association, the Office of Student Diversity and the program in Black Studies.

• Monday, March 20, 2009 at 8 p.m. The Museum
  Earl A. Powell, III , director of National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Chairman, U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Collegial Partnership with Art History, Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

• Monday, April 20 at 8 p.m. Social Justice
  Kerry Kennedy , human rights activist, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights. Ignatian Lecture. Author of Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning.

Subscription renewal deadline is July 11. Single tickets and new subscriptions go on sale August 1 and may be purchased online at www.fairfield.edu/openvisions or by calling the Quick Center Box Office at 203-254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396.

Posted On: 07-03-2008 10:07 AM

Volume: 40 Number: 293