Voices

VOICES

First Fridays

yoUR Odyssey

Concept

The VOICES program is a series of panel discussions comprising faculty, staff, off-campus experts and an audience of University of Richmond students. The topics of discussion focus on current events or social issues that are of interest to our students.  While some discussion topics are more attractive to particular groups (i.e., the bioethics of cloning may be of greater interest to students interested in the biological sciences), the program will be designed to attract and engage a diverse audience. The idea is to present facts and viewpoints in a “roundtable” manner, with the goal of distilling the information into an understandable story for the audience to consider.

By design, the panelists have differing viewpoints, but their conversations are not divisive. Rather, these discussions demonstrate to students how to consider various issues from different perspectives and to foster a critical examination of their own views and those of other students and faculty. The idea is not to “pick sides” about an issue, rather it is designed to encourage vigorous discussion and self-examination.

Purpose