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The following articles are from the Secular Humanist Bulletin, Volume 24, Number 3 (Fall 2008).
More than ninety student group leaders from across North America converged at the Center for Inquiry/Transnational from July 17 to 20 for the fourth annual Convocation of Centers and Communities for Inquiry, which also featured concurrent sessions on campus free thought activism. It was a busy weekend packed with workshops, presentations, lectures, and social and networking opportunities.
More than fifty-five institutions were represented at the conference, including students and faculty from the following schools: Aquinas College, Bates College, Bentley College, Broward College, Cal State Northridge, Camosun College, Carleton University, Carnegie Mellon University, Case Western Reserve University, Cherry Creek High School, College of William and Mary, Dalhousie University, Edison College, Edmonds-Woodway High School, Furman University, Grand Valley State University, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, McMaster University, Michigan State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Mount Royal College, The New School, North Lake College, North Seattle Community College, North Union High School, Oklahoma State University, Portland State University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rollins College, Roosevelt University, Ryerson University, Stanford University, SUNY at Buffalo, SUNY Brockport, Temple University, Texas Wesleyan University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Irvine, University of California-Los Angeles, University of California-Santa Barbara, Université de Montréal, University of Central Florida, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, University of Delaware, University of Florida, University of Guelph, University of Idaho, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Northern Iowa, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, University of Ottawa, University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Washington, University of Waterloo, University of Western Ontario, Utah State University, Wilfrid Laurier University, York University, and others.
The event was one of the most well-attended CFI conferences in recent years dedicated to training grassroots free thought leaders. The Center for Inquiry invested tens of thousands of dollars in the event to keep the student registration fee low and to ensure that campus group leaders could attend from all across North America. CFI would like to give a special thanks to the many donors and supporters who made it possible to bring these students to the conference.
Attendees left the conference enthusiastic and excited to continue the forward momentum. Many volunteered to work directly with CFI to advance reason and freedom of inquiry at the national and international level on a variety of new projects, including a campus regional coordinators program, a podcast directed toward college students, and a digital media outreach committee. Read on for conference summaries by two of the attendees.
(To help support CFI’s campus outreach program, please contact Sherry Rook at srook [at] centerforinquiry.net or 716-636-4869 ext. 224.)
“It’s so odd to see him in person…I’m just used to hearing his voice on my iPod.”
“I know! I keep waiting to hear him talk about how much he loves Audible.com,” I replied to fellow student Eric Magro, who was enjoying D.J. Grothe’s presentation every bit as much as I was.
Where I come from, religion is considered quaint, and beliefs are kept personal, if they are held at all. Seattle is one of the most atheistic cities in the United States (and one of the most well-read cities as well, oddly enough). The coalition of the militant faithful may as well be fighting on foreign ground. I tune in to various podcasts and newsfeeds, map the wins and losses of the twenty-first century culture war, and eagerly listen to the news from the far-off lands of Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and New York.
Sitting amid my heroes on the other side of the country, I couldn’t help but surge with excitement. A thought bounced through my mind as I shook hands with Paul Kurtz…some quote about the shoulders of giants. Every new introduction was as astounding as the last as I made my way through the faces, young, old, and in denial. I could feel the passion behind every handshake. I could see compassion behind every smile. Here, I thought to myself, is one of the greatest collections of minds I have ever encountered. These are the people that would die fighting for the rights of humanity.
It was an honor to be a part of the conference. I was inspired and humbled by the stories I heard from my new friends. As we discussed various ideas to further our campus groups, I began to see the true strength of the Center for Inquiry.
As romantic as the notion is, a lone voice of reason just isn’t enough anymore. Geographic distance means little as we become increasingly networked, Facebooked, Myspaced, twittered, text-messaged, Wikied, and iPhoned. The fate of what was once a fortress of free thought solitude in the West is now intrinsically tied to the fate of the entrenched South, the embattled East, and even that of our friends above the 49th parallel. CFI/Trans national is needed more today than at any other time in its existence.
As I settled in my seat for the long flight home, the pastor seated next to me introduced himself politely. Noticing my CFI conference T-shirt, he asked, “CFI? What’s that?” The kind pastor ended up giving me a ride home from the airport.
–Michael Garrett Amini
Michael Garrett Amini is currently enrolled full time at the University of Washington, where he is the president of the Secular Student Union. He is twenty-one years old and currently in minor pentatonic with a blue note.
As an Alabamian attending school in South Carolina, I’ve spent my whole life immersed in what most refer to as the Bible Belt. Out of social obligation, I attended church regularly on Sundays and Wednesdays, but, by the start of my college years, I was an atheist and a very timid one at that. Once at Furman, I attempted to find like-minded individuals, but because of the religious nature of the student body I only managed to locate a handful during my entire freshman year.
Without other skeptical students to talk to, I turned to secular literature and podcasts, and before I knew it, they occupied every spare moment of my time. I came across CFI’s podcast Point of Inquiry, hosted by D.J. Grothe and accordingly found CFI. I saw what seemed to be a never-ending list of CFI-affiliated student freethought groups and mustered the courage to try and start one myself. I was ecstatic when I read about the annual student leadership conference, so I registered to attend almost immediately.
In the days leading up to my weekend in Amherst, New York, I was anxious and excited. I had no idea what to expect. Little did I know the tremendous impact those four days would have on me. I met student skeptics from all over the United States and Canada and, for the first time, I was completely comfortable speaking my mind. With each person I talked to, I felt a sense of trust almost instantly. Together, we attended workshops on how to lead student groups, organize events, impact the student body, and promote a more positive image for skeptics on our campuses. As if that wasn’t enough, we were treated to lectures from authors Robert Price, Austin Dacey, Paul Kurtz, John Shook, and Joe Nickell and to a special mentalism presentation from magician Max Maven.
While there, I was more than impressed by everyone I met, including CFI staff members, volunteers, and students. I am now incredibly motivated and enthusiastic about establishing a CFI-affiliated group on my campus, and I look forward to seeing what this network of people will accomplish.
–Frances Flowers
Frances Flowers is a senior at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, and is in the process of starting a campus skeptic group. She is very excited about promoting rational thought on her campus and in her region.
I discovered the Center for Inquiry as a college sophomore. Upon reading its publications, meeting its leaders, and learning of its plans, I knew I had found an intellectual “home.” In the summer of 2006, I interned at CFI’s headquarters in Amherst, New York, helping to organize the annual leadership conference and writing editorial material for Free Inquiry and the Point of Inquiry podcast. A year later, I flew back to Amherst for another leadership conference, where I gave a talk on the role of secular groups in campus life. This summer, I came back again—this time to do research with CFI’s United Nations representative, Austin Dacey, at CFI/ New York City.
As a student of politics, I have found my summer’s work fascinating and rewarding. Our primary project has been the creation of CFI’s position paper on the state of human rights at the U.N. CFI’s attention was necessitated by the rise of an “Islamic rights movement,” which has established a rival set of human rights norms to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which many Islamic states were signatories. Islamic states and their allies have also suppressed any discussion of religion in the U.N. Human Rights Council, focusing the Council’s energies instead on fighting “Islamophobia” and passing resolutions critical of Israel.
As a coauthor of this paper, I had the opportunity to delve into the latest and best scholarship on human rights, international relations, and Islam (its history, Sharia law, and the rise of “Islamist” movements). “Islamism” is one of those things that we all seem to have strong opinions about, even in the absence of any knowledge about it; suffice it to say, I found it very enlightening to research exactly how these movements came to be and to think critically about the myriad of political solutions offered by pundits and professors alike. I’m proud of our finished product, and I hope that other non-governmental organizations will join with CFI in our defense of universal human rights and freedom of expression.
The Center for Inquiry is truly the only organization committed to science, secularism, and humanist values on an international scale. I am always happy to be involved in their efforts, and I wholeheartedly believe that the success of the Center and its mission is imperative if we are to secure an enlightened, theocracy-free future for ourselves. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and lots of free time on Sunday mornings, so let’s get to it!
–Colin Koproske
Colin Koproske is completing an MPhil in political theory at Oxford University. He was founder and president of the University of Southern California Secular Alliance as an undergrad.
The Center for Inquiry is pleased to welcome twenty-four new affiliate and prospective campus groups that have joined CFI since April. To get involved with one of these groups, or to work with us to support these groups, please e-mail Dan Riley at driley [at] centerforinquiry.net or go to www.centerforinquiry.net/oncampus to help start a group on your campus.
CFI SUMMIT
OCTOBER 24-27 2013
TACOMA, WASHINGTON
Joint Conference of the Council for Secular Humanism, Center for Inquiry, and Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
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