#52: The Notre Dame Forum

In times such as this, you appreciate living in (somewhat of) a college town.  In these lucky cities, there are plenty of free, educational, and cultural events that (somewhat) balance out the  gameday traffic and crosswalk-disregarding pedestrians.  

Tonight, the University of Notre Dame hosts Thomas Friedman, author of the Hot, Flat, and Crowded and Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for The New York Times, as a speaker for its annual Forum.  The topic for this year's series of discussions is "The Global Marketplace and the Common Good."  In other words, how to balance the demands we place on the economy and on helping out each other.  It's an interesting, pertinent topic, and Thomas Friedman is an articulate source on globalization, religious fundamentalism, and climate change. 

Doesn't he look engaging?!

His point of view is sure to spark debate, and the best part about this event is that it provides a platform for Notre Dame students and faculty to engage each other in discussion.  This often proves to be the most interesting part of the night.  The Dean of the ND Business School, a Theology professor, and a senior Economics major will have a roundtable discussion after Mr. Friedman speaks.

Unfortunately, there are no tickets left to the venue where the discussion is being held, but the next best option is a showing at the Mendoza College of Business Auditorium.  (And afterwards, you can sneak over to the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center for the post-Forum reception.)  Even if you feel like staying in, away from the first frosts of winter, you can still engage your mind by watching it on the live stream at forum.nd.edu.  

Although you can still learn a lot about humanity by watching America's Top Model.

Where: University of Notre Dame campus, or at home on the live screen

When: 7:00 - 8:30 PM

Tip: The website for this event is spectacular, and you can learn more about this topic and post your thoughts.