Benson Center Newsletter - Brandon Warmke lecture and Reducing Polarization in CO panel

Please accept my apologies for the multiple emails. I realized after the newsletter was sent out that I neglected to highlight the current events the Center is hosting in the next few weeks. You can always find current events on our website, so please be sure to check in periodically with us there.

Brandon Warmke, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bowling Green State University, will give a lecture tomorrow, January 24 at 5:30 pm titled, "Moral Grandstanding: Why Status-Seeking Destroys Public Discourse and What We Can Do About It." The lecture will explore the question of why is so much public discourse unproductive and mean-spirited? One reason is that people grandstand: we use discussions about morality and politics for self-promotion. By understanding what grandstanding is, why we do it, and how it harms public discourse, we can see how to build a healthier public square. The event is free, though registration is required.

Political polarization and extremism is a major challenge in today's America. Join Benson Center faculty fellow Matthew Burgess as he moderates a panel of community leaders who are working to address these challenges in Colorado. The panel will explore topics such as: How polarization and extremism manifest in communities around Colorado, what the panelists' groups are doing to combat these address these issues, and what opportunities exist for students and faculty to get involved in these efforts understand CO communities better. The event is free, though registration is required.