{"63867":{"#nid":"63867","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Open Forum sparks informal discussion of thoughts, beliefs on campus","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAfter a week of ice and snow delayed its start, Open Forum\nopened the conversation for its third semester of topical intellectual\ndiscussions during the Institute\u2019s first full week of classes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtopenforum.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EOpen Forum\u003C\/a\u003E began in summer 2010 as a place for students and\nfaculty to engage in non-academic intellectual discussion. Subjects for this\nsemester include society\u2019s reliance on technology, the value of self-reflection\nand the consequences of immortality. Last fall\u2019s agenda included forums on\ntopics such as service, diversity, elections and cheating.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat I love most about Open Forum is the environment.\nEveryone is from an entirely different background,\u201d said student Matt LeBrun, a\nmember of Open Forum\u2019s executive board. \u201cIt\u2019s very enriching to hear childhood\nstories from a physics professor or about the challenges international students\nhave faced. When I read a newspaper article, my mind is racing to determine what\nsome of the folks I\u2019ve discussed things with at Open Forum would think about\nthe article.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDiscourse about the relationship of politics and civility\nbegan Open Forum\u2019s third semester of activity.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis notion of civility has come up in the media often in\nthe past few weeks, particularly after President Obama\u2019s call for more civility\nin public discourse following the Arizona shootings,\u201d said Lindsay Anglin,\nmarketing coordinator for the Office of Undergraduate Studies. \u201cOpen Forum, as\nan intellectual discussion program, is the perfect platform for voicing\nopinions and thoughts on these kinds of topical social issues.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of its format, Open Forum invites guests to deliver short\npersonal essays, tapping into a deep human need and echoing a movement familiar\nto many: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/thisibelieve.org\u0022\u003EThis I Believe\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA nonprofit initiative that encourages youth and adults in \u201cwriting,\nsharing and discussing brief essays about the core values that guide their\ndaily lives,\u201d This I Believe began as a radio show during the 1950s. In recent\nyears, the program has been rekindled through its inclusion as a series on\nNational Public Radio (NPR).\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ELast fall, undergraduate Student Government Association\nPresident \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/smartech.gatech.edu\/bitstream\/handle\/1853\/34963\/boone2_streaming.html  \u0022\u003ECorey Boone\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/parents.gatech.edu\/pages\/article.php?id=5309\u0022\u003EDean of Students John Stein\u003C\/a\u003E were two featured\nspeakers in Tech\u2019s This I Believe series. On February 22, President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d\nPeterson will deliver his brief essay.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Ch3\u003EMaking a Statement\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EIn conjunction with these personal presentations, Open Forum\nis hosting a campus-wide essay contest to the same theme. Many students will\nparticipate by default in ENG 1101 and ENG 1102 classes, but all students are\nencouraged to submit their pieces. Finalists\u2019 essays will be posted online, and\nthe winner will deliver his or her essay during the final Open Forum of the\nsemester on April 19. Some examples of essay topics from \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/thisibelieve.org\u0022\u003Ethisibelieve.org\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;include,\u0026nbsp;\u201cI\nBelieve in the Power to Forget,\u201d \u0026nbsp;\u201cI Believe in Laughter\u201d and \u201cI Believe\nin Being Cool to the Pizza Delivery Dude.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents have until March 15 to decide what they believe and\nsubmit their essays for consideration; submissions should use words and tone \u201cthat\ntruly echo your belief and the way you speak,\u201d as recommended by \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/thisibelieve.org\u0022\u003Ethisibelieve.org\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtopenforum.gatech.edu\/downloads\/This%20I%20Believe%20Contest%20Guidelines.pdf\u0022\u003EAdditional contest information\u003C\/a\u003E and guidelines are available at Open\nForum\u2019s website.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about Open Forum or This I Believe, attend the\nnext Open Forum, where LeBrun will share his This I Believe statement, on\nTuesday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. in the Neely Room in the library; check the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtopenforum.gatech.edu\/future_sessions.html\u0022\u003Efull schedule online\u003C\/a\u003E for other future\nsessions.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Subjects to include society\u2019s reliance on technology, the value of self-reflection and the consequences of immortality"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Open Forum is a topical intellectual discussion series of staff, faculty and students sharing their guiding beliefs and perspectives about current events.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2011-01-25 18:19:06","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:08:06","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2011-01-28T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"63945":{"id":"63945","type":"image","title":"open forum","body":null,"created":"1449176708","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:05:08","changed":"1475894561","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:41","alt":"open forum","file":{"fid":"191903","name":"OpenForum.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/OpenForum_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/OpenForum_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":117239,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/OpenForum_0.jpg?itok=h5duWY2Z"}}},"media_ids":["63945"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/thisibelieve.org\/guidelines\/","title":"This I Believe"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtopenforum.gatech.edu\/","title":"GT Open Forum"},{"url":"http:\/\/gtopenforum.gatech.edu\/future_sessions.html","title":"Open Forum future sessions"}],"groups":[{"id":"1182","name":"General"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"11675","name":"Open Forum"},{"id":"11759","name":"This I Believe"},{"id":"2247","name":"Undergraduate Studies"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:lindsay.anglin@provost.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ELindsay Anglin\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EMarketing Coordinator\u003Cbr \/\u003EOffice of Undergraduate Studies\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kristen.shaw@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKristen Shaw\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/a\u003EStudent Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}