America jails more of its citizens than any other country, but we still have the highest rate of recidivism; addiction has remained constant after trillions of dollars spent and the outbreak of horrific violence in Latin America.

Where do we go from here? Should we spend more money on education and treatment, or more money on prevention? Harsher laws, or legalization?

Regardless of you politics, it’s time to re-examine the Drug War. Join us for this year’s Great Debate, in Edmunds Ballroom on April 11th at 8pm!

EUGENE JARECKI directed “The House I Live In,” which won Best Documentary at Sundance FIlm Festival 2012. Featured in the film are interviews with drug users, prisoners, police, judges, professors, the creator of “The Wire,” and more.

KEVIT SABET is director of the Drug Policy Institute at the University of Florida and founder of Spart Approaches to Marijuana. He formerly served as a senior advisor to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Race and the US Election, October 9th
Pomona politics Professor Lorn Foster led a student discussion on how race has factored into this election and previous ones. Cosponsored by BLOC, students talked about the role of race in campaigning and election results.

Partisan Politics, October 15th
Led by Pomona Professor and US politics scholar David Menefee Libey, students discussed the two-party system in the 2012 election. What does it mean to vote independent, and why do we seem to be stuck in a two-party system? And what does that mean for America?

The Silent Majority, October 16th
Cosponsored by the International Student Mentoring Program, students gathered for a round table discussion. What are international perspectives on the American political system in general, and of the Republican and Democrat candidates specifically? What are the international stakes in this election?

Obamacare, November 5th
Pomona professor and economist Eleanor Brown spoke on the history and current state of the American health care system. Students discussed the differences between “Obamacare” and “Vouchercare” and what these different policies mean for the future of American health care.

There have been five times more drone attacks under the Obama Administration than the Bush Administration. Since 2004, US drone attacks in Pakistan have resulted in between 1,902 and 3,220 deaths. Yet the word “drone” appears only once in both the Republican and Democratic Party platforms. And the mainstream media, has devoted relatively little airtime and column space to discussing the possible implications of drone use for both US foreign policy and the expansion of executive power. Come discuss the pol
itical, ethical, and legal implications of our current drone policies and how they might change depending on the outcome of the presidential election on Thursday, November 1st at 7pm in Edmunds Ballroom. Our experts are:

Ken Anderson, a law professor at American University whose work currently focuses on targeted killing, robotics and the law, and the laws of war generally. He is an editor for lawfare.com, a top legal foreign policy blog.

David Glazier, a law professor at Loyola Law School who focuses on the law related to the “War on Terror.” He served as a pro bono consultant to Human Rights First, and prior to law school, served as a US Navy Officer for 21 years.

Shane Harris, a journalist for The Washingtonian magazine who won the 2010 Gerald Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. His book The Watchers was named on The Economist’s best books of 2010.

“Diagnosis!” presented by the Pomona Student Union on October 25, 2012.  Unfortunately,  technical issues caused the loss of the first and last portions of the event recording.  Beginning nearest to the camera and moving to the left, the members of the panel are:

Sascha DuBrul, co-founder of the Icarus Project

Roger Peele, psychiatrist and member of the DSM-V Task Force

Moderator Yi Li

Allan Horwitz, Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University

In today’s modern age, female sexuality has become less of an enigma. Whether through Cosmopolitan Magazine or Victoria’s Secret, society is beginning to explore female sexuality. However, many women of faith are faced with the dilemma of embracing their sexuality while still maintaining their religious traditions that value virginity and purity. Come join the Pomona Student Union at Faith and First Times, an event aimed at exploring the influences of religion on virginity and how it effects women in today’
s society.

Our panel will consist of:

Lena Chen:
A Harvard alumna, she came into the media’s spotlight through her blog Sex and the Ivy where she disclosed the details of her sex life, life as a Harvard student, and her struggle with depression. Since then, she has started a new blog called Ch!cktionary where she continues to bring up issues surrounding feminism, sexuality, and LGBTQ rights.

Nura Maznavi: A Pomona alumna (’00) she is the co-editor of Love Ishallah: The Secret Love Lives of Women, a book about the experience of American Muslim woman in expressing their sexualities.

Mary Poplin: A Claremont Graduate University professor, she is a Christian convert who has the rare perspective of both a Christian and a non-Christian.

In our society, an active and informed populace is considered essential for an effective democracy. From civics classes in high school to campaigns preaching the importance of voting, we are repeatedly told that we are responsible for upholding our country’s integrity, and that this can only be done by actively staying informed. Yet, the current state of media is up for debate. Many state that over the past few decades there has been a consolidation of media ownership and that this has compromised the quality of journalism, and thus our ability to remain informed citizens. Others disagree, arguing that such assertions are simplistic, and that changes in media have allowed for improvements in our access to information. These perspectives have significant implications for anyone who considers herself an involved citizen or who cares about where their information comes from. Has there been an overall consolidation of ownership, and if so, is diversity of perspectives stifled? What is the effect of media ownership and competition on the quality of journalism? What is the effect on American politics? Are media outlets’ primary goals related to the profits of their parent companies? Is this a problem?

On Thursday, April 26, join the Pomona Student Union for a debate to consider these questions and more. The panelists will be Peter Hart and Benjamin Compaine. Hart is the Activism Director for FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting), a writer for FAIR’s magazine Extra, and a co-host and producer of the syndicated radio show CounterSpin. Compaine is the author, co-author, or editor of 12 books, including “Who Owns the Media?” He is also the co-editor emeritus of the Journal of Media Economics, and is a professor of Media Management at Fordham University.

The United States is in the midst of a hard-fought election for the presidency. Some have called it the most important since 1860. Join two experienced political commentators for a lively debate of the issues at stake. Their discussion will revolve around questions submitted by the community, and will make you think twice about the themes of the election.

Hugh Hewitt is the host of a nationally syndicated radio show and the author of numerous books including A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney. He also teaches constitutional law at Chapman University. He spent six years in the Reagan administration.

Eric Alterman is a columnist for The Nation and a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. He is the author of several books including The Cause: The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama and Kabuki Democracy: The System vs. Barack Obama. He is a Professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College.

What do you think about Invisible Children’s STOP KONY campaign?

Come to a student discussion led by Professor Pierre Englebert to talk about what is actually happening in (countries near) Uganda and what Americans should do about it.
We will be watching the original KONY2012 video at 7:30 for those who haven’t seen it, and if you have, come join us at 8:00 for a discussion and snacks!

Part I: 7:30PM KONY2012 screening
Part II: 8:00PM Discussion
in
Hahn 101