"Understanding the Unthinkable"
Panel Discussions

In response to the terrible events in New York and Washington, Academic Affairs and the Faculty Senate are sponsoring a series of panel discussions which we have entitled "Understanding the Unthinkable." For the past few weeks the campus has engaged in a series of healing events that were designed to join us together to grieve and to overcome.

The time has come for the intellectual resources of the University to devote itself to an understanding of this tragedy. We know that we shall never be the same again, but we also know that we must try to understand how such a tragedy could have taken place, and to discuss the consequences for our way of life.

The panels will be held on the Thursdays that the Faculty Senate is not meeting. They will start at 4 P.M. and conclude at 5:30. Each panelist will speak for 10 to 15 minutes, which will allow time for discussion at the end. Light refreshments will be available at the back of the room.

We would hope that the conclusion of each panel will not signal the end of discussion. Panels will be broadcast on Housing Services Campus Network and we’ve established an on-line threaded discussion group (bulletin board) that will enable students and faculty who wish to continue the conversation to have an appropriate venue (see below). We recognize that some of the topics we address are controversial but we believe that the University is the appropriate place to talk through our disagreements. We ask for civility in the face of unspeakably uncivil behavior.

October 11 - The Nature of Terrorism
Campus Center 168 - 4 p.m.

Daniel Gordon, History
Srirupa Roy, Political Science
Jacqueline Urla, Anthropology

October 25 - Targets of Terrorism
Herter 227 - 4 p.m.

Audrey Alstadt, History
Max Page, Art
David Mednicoff, Legal Studies

November 8 - Liberty vs. Security: Terrorism and Civil Rights Herter 227 - 4 p.m.

Sheldon Goldman, Political Science
Kevin Boyle, History
David Glassberg, History

December 6 - The American Response to Terrorism
Herter 227 - 4 p.m.

James Derian, Political Science
Peter Haas, Political Science
Tayeb El-Hibri, Judaic and Near Eastern Studies

Video Broadcast

In order to provide additional opportunities for students residing on campus to view the panel discussions, they will be broadcast on:

Channel 15 on Housing Services Cable Network

The Roots of Terrorism
October 19 - 25 • 9 p.m. & 1 a.m.

Targets of Terrorism
November 2 - 8 • 9 p.m. & 1 a.m.

Liberty vs. Security: Terrorism and Civil Rights
November 16 - December 6 • 9 p.m. & 1 a.m.

American Foreign Policy and Terrorism
December 14 - 21 • 9 p.m. & 1 a.m.

On-line Discussion

Members of the campus community are invited to participate in an on-line discussion of the topics raised by the panel series. You may contribute to the discussion by accessing www.umass.edu\911discussion