CFI Student Leadership Conference 2009
The Center for Inquiry is pleased to announce our 2009 Student Leadership Conference, to be held June 25-28 at CFI Transnational in Amherst, NY.
The conference marks the 13th anniversary of our campus outreach program and will coincide with the annual CFI Community Leaders training weekend. The event brings together student and community activists from across North America for a weekend packed with workshops, networking, lectures, and top-notch entertainment featuring some of the leading minds in the movement. If you're a student group leader, or if you're starting a freethought group on your campus, this conference is not to be missed!
Paul Kurtz with attendees of the 2008 CFI Leadership
Conference
We are keeping the costs down to help affiliated campus groups send representatives even if they lack the resources to do so. CFI will subsidize room and board costs for up to two students from each affiliated campus group so that the entire cost of registration, room, and meals for the four-day event will be only $50 per person. Additional group members from that campus need only cover the cost of room and board for the event; see registration form for details. A limited number of small travel grants are also available to help defray travel costs and bring students to the conference. Additionally, many colleges and universities provide funds to help student group members attend training and leadership conferences, so make sure to check to find out what's available at your school.
So, what are you waiting for? Space is limited, so register today! Email Debbie Goddard at if you have any questions.
If you would like to help us provide travel
grants to the many student group leaders who are eager to come
but who cannot afford the full cost of travel, please go to the Support page.
CFI World Congress Wrap-Up
Nearly 400 people from around the world, including over 50 students, turned out for the Center for Inquiry's 12th World Congress April 9 - 12 in Bethesda, MD, just outside of Washington, D.C. More than 30 speakers from five continents spoke on science, public policy, and the planetary community.
The final session of the conference featured a student panel highlighting campus secular activism and the future of the freethought movement. CFI's campus organizers would like to extend a special thanks to the four students who participated in the panel:
Sarah, Michael, Jason, and Derek, with
campus organizer Debbie Goddard at lectern
Read on for more about the World Congress from CFI On Campus student president Matthew LaClair and student panelist Jason Ball.
Reflections from Student President Matthew
LaClair
I write this on Sunday, April 12, 2009. I am sitting at a table in Union Station in Washington, D.C., thinking about the conference that has just ended. There were many great presenters, including James Randi, Eddie Tabash, Paul Kurtz, and others. However, this morning, I heard speakers that really blew me away. Students Derek Rodgers, Sarah Kaiser, Jason Ball, and Michael Amini each spoke about what they are doing on their campuses, in their communities, and in their countries. It is apparent the amount of work, courage, and intensity each one of them uses collectively to promote secular values. And I know there are many other students in the freethought movement that are doing the same.
Up until this morning, I knew that there were secular students who worked diligently on their campuses. I knew about the kinds of events and activities that the students arranged. But I never knew their stories in such detail until today.
Near the end of the conference, after the student panel, Toni Van Pelt [Director of CFI's Office of Public Policy] spoke on stage and became choked up because of the magnitude and importance of the efforts in the student freethought movement. At first, I was surprised by her reaction. But as I sit here drinking coffee, I am coming close to finding a tear in my eye. You, the students in Center for Inquiry's campus program, have inspired me.
I want to work harder with the students of this organization. I want to hear about your ideas, your thoughts, and the actions you are taking. And I want to help. Let me know what you would like to see happen with our organizations. Continue with the passion and dedication which you have shown thus far. And if we cannot convince people that we are equal to everyone else, then, at least, we can show them that we are not afraid.
Matthew LaClair is a student at the New School for Social Research in New York City. He serves as volunteer student president of CFI's student outreach initiative. He can be reached at mlaclair [at] centerforinquiry.net.
Jason's CFI Diaries
by Jason Ball, University of Melbourne Secular Society, Australia
When I was approached by Debbie Goddard to speak at the 2009 CFI World Congress outside of Washington, DC, at first I thought, "I wish, no way will this ever happen." A few weeks later, however, I found myself on a plane from Melbourne, Australia to "sunny" Buffalo, New York, to arrive at the beautiful CFI headquarters I had heard so much about.
If it weren't for my amazing sponsors, namely the Rationalist Society of Australia, the Humanist Society of Victoria, and, of course, CFI, who all chipped in to help pay for my flights, I would not have been there. I am eternally in debt to all of those groups for supporting me.
To name one highlight of the whole experience would be impossible. Perhaps I'll start at the beginning, when I arrived at CFI Amherst and spent two days hanging out with CFI field organisers Debbie Goddard, Dan Riley, and Lauren Becker. I admire the work that these guys do--campus organising is a tough gig, but they have mastered it. Personally, I think the work they are doing is possibly the single most important front of the freethought movement.
The students from University at Buffalo Freethinkers took me out to lunch at Duffs and then over to the state border to check out the spectacular Niagara Falls. The contrast between spicy chicken wings and the freezing temperature at the Falls blew my mind. Thanks to Ed, Amy, Lauren, and John for looking after me and lending me an extra jacket.
Not only did I get to hear some stirring, challenging, and uplifting talks at the conference, I also got to sit down and have a chat with some of the amazing guests. I got to interview James "The Amazing" Randi, who told me all about the how the media can be a skeptic's best friend, or worst enemy. I got to chat with Barbara Forrest who signed my copy of Creationism's Trojan Horse and updated me on the new ways the intelligent design front is evolving (pun intended) and changing its strategies to get pseudoscience into high school curricula, even in Forrest's own state of Louisiana! I sat down with biochemist and famous blogger Larry Moran from Toronto who gave me his two cents on "appeasers" in the evolution/creationism debate.
 |
  |
|
Jason with Paul Kurtz; "The Amazing" Randi; |
Jason interviews Barbara Forrest |
If I did have to name a highlight, it would have been meeting other young people who share the same interests and passions for science and reason as I do. These students are doing the exact same thing I am doing at my university, and it was tremendously helpful to share stories, strategies, and ideas about freethought activism. Also, they were a hell of a lot of fun to party with. I returned home with my mind overflowing with plans to make my group bigger and better than ever.
Friday student luncheon at the World
Congress
I was both nervous and excited to present a talk on the final day of the conference on what I've been up to Down Under to help fight the freethought fight. I was beside myself in jealousy and admiration for the other three amazing students who spoke, including Michael Amini, Sarah Kaiser, and Derek Rodgers. I urge the readers of this newsletter to get behind the freethought student movement; they are doing some amazing things!
To conclude, I want to say thank you CFI, for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime and for broadening my horizons even further than I could have imagined.
Call me sometime, we need to set up a Center Down Under!
Jason Ball is the founder and president of the University of Melbourne Secular Society and producer of the Pseudo Scientists, the podcast of the Young Australian Skeptics.
You can read about Jason's
experiences in greater detail on his blog:
Day
1 | Day
2 | Day
3 | Day
4 | Day
5
PZ Myers Comes to West
Michigan
by Dren Asselmeier, CFI Grand Valley State University
PZ Myers came to Grand Rapids, MI at the end of March. He was speaking at CFI Michigan and offered to participate in discussions with the local campus groups later in the week. We were ecstatic to be bringing such a well-known person in to West Michigan to discuss science education, evolution, Crackergate, and so on.
As with all of the events, we student leaders had to do a few basic things in the planning process. The most important preliminary process is promotion. We quickly got large color posters designed and printed and had them up all over our campuses by the next business day. The poster read "Evolution, Development, and other Random Biological Ejaculations from a Godless Liberal" with a picture of PZ underneath. Of course I snickered when I read it, but it is the subheading of PZ's award-winning blog Pharyngula and it summed up what PZ was going to be talking about as well as what kind of person he is. And from an advertising standpoint, who wouldn't stop to read a poster that said ejaculations? Come on. Forget about it.
The next step was to start emailing. We put together an email that had all of the details of the event and the same tagline as the posters. I sent it to local professors, leaders of other student groups and our community contacts. Within hours I received responses from people telling me to take them off of my list. Why? It only said "ejaculations". Oh, wait, no, it was probably the "Godless Liberal" part.
The responses got worse (or better?) as the days passed. I was intrigued by the statement "I am not a science professor" that came from someone asking me to remove them from my list. I emailed many different departments, so it is likely that this particular professor was not specifically a science instructor, but this person is not even remotely interested in science? Really? I guess I thought that everyone was at least a little interested in science. I was disappointed that any professor would be so closed into his own field that he would not want to be informed of events in other disciplines.
The most surprising response came the morning of the event. I was checking my email before I went off to class and found this in my mailbox:
"...In reply to the upcoming presentation by PZ Myers, you state that 'Myers is a public critic of the creationist movement and is active in promoting and defending evolution'. Your email also mentions that he is a 'Godless Liberal'. I have studied the theory of evolution for many years, and I see no viable reason to believe it, from multiple angles. However, I also am a lifetime believer in God. It is His world and he has put us here for a reason. We are responsible to Him with what He has given us. Good science can never be just that if we choose to deny truth. Therefore I respectfully decline from choosing to listen to however fascinating a theory anyone comes up with that presumes that He and His exquisite Design are debatable."
I read the paragraph over and over again, experiencing emotions ranging from disbelief to humor to anger. I did not recognize the name of the professor off of the top of my head, so I checked my contact list. I expected to see that he was a member of the history or English department; surely everyone in the science faculty believes in evolution?
Nope! Chemistry. Someone paid by my university to teach me science does not believe in evolution. Evolution! I am a lowly undergrad and I understand evolution, yet a chemistry professor sees "no viable reason" to believe it? After researching it for many years? I know that this is an all-too-common view, but I am genuinely surprised when people tell me that they do not believe in science.
PZ Myers (rear, center) at Grand Valley State
University
At the event, most of the discussion with PZ was about the teaching and understanding of evolution in schools and in the public. PZ started the discussion with a few minutes of speaking about his involvement in opposing intelligent design, "academic freedom" bills, and creationism. He told the audience stories about his run-ins with Ben Stein and the film Expelled. He went on to explain how he held the alleged body of Christ hostage in the "Crackergate" scandal. The majority of the audience laughed quite a few times and then began asking questions.
The best part of the discussion was the last part. During the last hour some biology professors started asking a lot of questions about science education, textbook choices, and problems with evolution being taken out of curricula due to controversy. It was really interesting to hear what the professors had to say because we students rarely see the university from a perspective other than our own. It is frustrating to hear that good information is left out of textbooks because some people think it threatens their ideas.
CFI
GRCC members Anthony Villanueva, Charles O'Donnell, and Adam
Chandler with PZ Myers
In all, about sixty-one people attended the discussion. We gained about six new members, all who had not yet heard of the Center for Inquiry. PZ was great the whole time he was in Michigan with us. He had a great sense of humor and we really appreciated the fact that he was willing to stay the extra day to meet and speak to local students. We are really looking forward to doing more events like this.
Adrienne (Dren) Asselmeier is a senior at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, MI. She is the campus coordinator intern for Center for Inquiry Michigan and president of CFI GVSU.
Metro State Atheists Wins Student Organization of the Year
by Joel Guttormson and Chalmer Wren, Metro State Atheists at MSCD
On April 27, on the campus of Metropolitan State College of Denver, in St. Cajetan's Church, Metro State Student Activities held its annual "Student Involvement and Leadership Awards" ceremony. Among the nominees was our CFI campus affiliate, Metro State Atheists. We were excited to be nominated! But what were we nominated for? We didn't find out until the day of the awards ceremony that we were nominated for Student Organization of the Year. This award is "presented to the organization distinguishing itself as an example organization for others to follow." An atheist organization, an example? (The other nominee was the Accounting Student Organization.)
At the ceremony, we waited with great apprehension and anticipation to hear who won. We knew we had accomplished a lot in the past two semesters but were a bit pessimistic about the outcome. After all, the awards were being presented in a church, and the general perception of atheists in this country (Colorado being no exception) is a hostile one.
The time came, and they read the nominees. Then, the winner was announced. "The award for Student Organization of the Year goes to Metro State Atheists." We were floored, overcome with amazement! Here we were, an atheist organization, being recognized by a public, state-funded institution for being an exemplary organization. And, as mentioned before, we were ironically receiving the award in a church!
Joel Guttormson and Chalmer Wren receive the
award
When we received the award, there was a letter attached which had in it the recommendations of our nominators. Without quoting the letter verbatim, the most memorable quotes from our nominator(s) (we're still not sure if it was one person or two), are: (1) "They are a model for other organizations and deserve to be recognized for their hard work and admission," and (2) "This organization created an awareness around a topic that doesn't often have a voice on campus. Their passion for their non-beliefs was apparent and their dedication to the success of their group should be an inspiration to other organizations." We are proud to have received the award and are elated that we made such a positive impact and that someone noticed our efforts. We would like to thank CFI, specifically Debbie Goddard and Dan Riley, for their hard work and dedication to the on-campus cause and for being so friendly and easy to work with. We'd also like to thank our other affiliates for all their help: the Secular Student Alliance, Freedom From Religion Foundation, COCORE (Colorado Coalition of Reason), Planned Parenthood, and Protect Families Protect Choices (for our Fight Amendment 48 campaign). Thank you!
Joel Guttormson is President of Metro State Atheists and a theoretical mathematics major, linguistics
minor at Metropolitan State College of Denver. Joel also
volunteers for CFI as a campus regional
coordinator.
A recent graduate from Metropolitan State College of Denver with a degree in chemistry, Chalmer Wren will attend the Colorado School of Mines Applied Chemistry Ph.D. program.
[The group was also profiled in a short documentary video produced by UC Denver student Rachel Del Giudice. Click here to watch the video.]
Student Volunteer Opportunities with the Center for Inquiry
Get involved with the campus freethought movement on the international scale! You can contribute your knowledge and wisdom as an experienced campus group leader, or donate your design or writing skills.
CFI
is looking for student volunteers to advance reason, science, and
freedom of inquiry on campuses at the national or international level.
Below are brief descriptions of the volunteer committees:
Digital Media Outreach: assists in creating multimedia resources for the CFI On Campus website and viral videos for outreach.
Promotions: designs campus promotional materials including stickers, buttons, brochures, flyers, and posters.
Podcast: contributes to the Course of Reason, CFI's new podcast highlighting campus freethought activism.
Publications: helps coordinate revisions of CFI's Campus Group Organizing Guide and contributes to the Campus Inquirer, the Secular Humanist Bulletin, and other publications at CFI.
To get involved with a committee or for more information about the committees, e-mail Debbie Goddard at dgoddard [at] centerforinquiry.net.
Digital Resources
