Open VISIONS Forum releases 2009-2010 schedule

Entering its 12th year of existence, the Open VISIONS Forum is bringing back another lineup of well-known speakers.

This year the forum, which was founded by art history professor Philip Eliasoph, is using the theme, “Inspired Minds = Engaged Community.”

“This season’s Open VISIONS Forum roster promises Fairfield students ‘Three “T’s” — Timely, Topical, and (hopefully) Terrific!’  In keeping with our community engagement format, we are inviting more students to participate on stage,” Eliasoph said. “World-renowned archaeologist Dr. Jean Clottes traveling from Paris, will be welcomed on-stage by French language minor Francesca Legros. And Mirror Executive Editor Lily Norton gets to throw some journalistic strikes when CNN anchorwoman, Campbell Brown, comes up to bat on our stage at the Quick Center.

“As this ‘A’ list of great authors, thinkers and opinion makers comes to campus, we are encouraging more student interaction with these global leaders,”  added Eliasoph, who continues to serve as the forum’s moderator.

The forum kicks off on Sept. 16 with one of the world’s renowned archeologists, Jean Clottes. The France native is known for his study of the cave paintings of Chauvet, France, which will be the topic of the first forum.

Clottes has written, edited or co-written over 20 books. He has also produced over 300 scientific papers.

The Chauvet cave was discovered in 1991 and the art inside is dated back from 30,000 to 32,000 years ago.

“It is the only major rock art site in the world so far known with such antiquity; the content of the art is quite different from that of the following periods; and finally, many of the Chauvet figures show great artistic mastery and the use of sophisticated techniques has changed the current paradigm about the evolution of art,” Clottes said.

CNN anchor Campbell Brown and Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini follow Clottes.

Also included in this year’s season are: author Junot Diaz (Oct. 26), Harvard professor Niall Ferguson (Nov. 9), Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd (Feb. 16), Barack Obama’s campaign manager David Plouffe (Nov. 4), and theologians Christopher Hitchens and John F. Haught (April 21).