When the Open VISIONS Forum (OVF) speakers begin to take the stage in the fall at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts, the topics addressed will frequently be of interest to audiences concerned with events and ideas that pack a global wallop. The University has adopted as its multidisciplinary focus for the year, Global Citizenship and the Arts & Minds season of arts and cultural events reflects the focal point.

"We invite our ever curious and continuously engaged community audience to join us here on campus for these enriching 'life of the mind' programs," noted series Director Philip Eliasoph, Ph.D.

The season begins with a conversation with The New York Times Op-Ed columnist and author David Brooks on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. In a recent Op-Ed column entitled "The Summoned Self," Brooks challenges the reader to consider two ways of thinking about one's life: one that might be called "the Well-Planned Life" and another that might be called "the Summoned Life." His thoughtful column concludes that both ways are "probably useful for a person trying to live a well-considered life." Brooks' analyses and observations are always well considered and his conclusions inevitably create the stimulation that OVF audiences have come to expect.

"There is a palpable energy between our well-informed public and the prominent opinion-makers and public intellectuals joining us on stage," said Eliasoph. "This series is unrehearsed, spontaneous, and live and it brings together students, faculty and lifelong learning participants in a way that ensures that each will inevitably take away inspiring nourishment for hearts and minds."

Media critic and journalist Eric Burns, formerly of NBC News and Fox News Watch , takes the stage the following week on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. to consider another view of a stimulus that shapes viewpoints and impacts our lives - television. Based on his soon-to-be-published book, "Invasion of the Mind Snatchers: Television's Conquest of America in the Fifties," Burns' lecture incorporates video clips and his vast knowledge of television history and the impact this 20th century invention has had on America.

In a recent Library Journal review of the book, the reviewer wrote positively about Burns' work and recommended it saying, "Reading a work by Burns is like having a delightful, intelligent conversation with a cultural expert."

Joining Burns and Eliasoph onstage for questions and answers is Fairfield University communication associate professor Dr. David Gudelunas, who welcomes the opportunity to delve into the prism of television with Burns. Gudelunas concurs with the journalist on television's impact and offers another perspective, "While the precise effects of television are one of the greatest ongoing debates in academia, it is undeniable that television changed the way we live, communicate and understand the world around us."

Up next, on Wednesday, Oct. 20, and just in time to stimulate thoughtful voters before the upcoming election, will be a "View from the Right and the Left" with Liz Cheney, daughter of former vice president Richard Cheney and founder of Keep America Safe and political analyst Dee Dee Myers, former press secretary to President Bill Clinton and contributing editor of Vanity Fair.

Subscriptions are available through the Quick Center Box Office or online for the eight lectures, as are individual tickets. To subscribe to the full series, eight tickets are $300; individual tickets are $45, with the exception of the March 9 lecture by the Associate Director of Human Rights Watch Carroll Bogert, which is $20.

The full list of speakers follows:

David Brooks
Author and Op-Ed columnist for The New York Times
Wednesday, September 15 at 8 p.m.

Eric Burns
Media critic and journalist, formerly of NBC News and Fox News Watch and author of Invasion of the Mind Snatchers: Television's Conquest of America in the 50s .
Wednesday, September 22 at 8 p.m.

Liz Cheney and Dee Dee Myers
View from the Right and the Left with Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Richard Cheney, who is an attorney and co-founder of "Keep America Safe" and Myers, former press secretary to President Bill Clinton, who is a political analyst and commentator and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair . Co-sponsored by the Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA).
Wednesday, October 20 at 8 p.m.

Jared Cohen
Author of The Children of Jihad is the Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian Lecturer.
Monday, November 8 at 8 p.m.

Michael Kimmelman
Author and chief art critic of The New York Times speaks on Critical Art Eye
Sunday, January 30 at 3 p.m.

Byron Pitts
Contributor to 60 Minutes and chief national correspondent for The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
Wednesday, February 23 at 8 p.m.

Carroll Bogert
Associate director, Human Rights Watch, journalist and activist speaks on A Perspective on Human Rights
Wednesday, March 9 at 8 p.m.

Celine Cousteau
Granddaughter of the legendary Jacques Cousteau, ambassador of the environment and native cultures speaks on People and the Natural World: An Exploration of Connections .
Wednesday, April 20 at 8 p.m.

The Quick Center Box Office can be reached at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. The Quick Center's e-mail list provides up-to-date information and discount offers. To sign up for the Quick Center's electronic newsletter, go to fairfield.edu/quick .

Directions: Fairfield University is located off I-95, exit 22 at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT 06824. The Quick Center for the Arts is easily accessed by entering at the 200 Barlow Road entrance to the campus.

Posted On: 08-06-2010 10:08 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 13