McKelvy House Will Hold Dinner Discussion on “Blogging” Sunday

The McKelvy House Scholars invite the campus to join a dinner discussion of “blogging” Sunday evening.

The meal will begin at 6 p.m. at McKelvy House, 200 High Street. Ross Lang ’07 (Yardley, Pa.), a double major in biology and English, will lead the discussion at 6:30 p.m.

“Essentially, blogging began as a way for the technologically inclined to create a community of linked support pages on a certain subject, be it politics, computer programming, etc.,” Lang explains. “My discussion is going to attempt to tie the efforts of these freelance writers to the civics theme by exploring bloggers’ impact on the media and politics.”

Lang poses the following questions:

• Does integrity affect the relevance of blogged information? In the age of plagiarism and talking heads that never cite sources, is this even a relevant issue? Does blogging change the ethics of journalism?
• Does mainstream journalism have a need for bloggers?
• How are bloggers affecting the political climate in America? There are reports that anywhere from 10 to 100 million blogs exist. Are they shifting the balance of political power? Are they breaking up or strengthening the power of the media?
• Does every American have an equal or fairly represented voice through this medium? If not, which groups are excluded?
• Where are blogs going, and what will be their function in the future of American journalism?

Lang also suggests readers take a closer look at favorite blogs and consider the content they discuss, how the source is analyzed, and how they affect the way one views the subject.

Links to websites on the discussion topics as well as more information about the McKelvy House Scholars program are available on the group’s blog website.

Since 1962, the McKelvy House Scholars program has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside in a historic off-campus house and share in intellectual and social activities. Sunday dinner discussions that engage the students in debate and exchange of ideas are the hallmark of the program; several Wednesday discussions have been added this school year. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. McKelvy Scholars participate in activities together such as field trips to plays, concerts, and exhibits, and sponsor events for the campus as well.

Previous discussions:
Nov. 9 – Neoconservatism
Oct. 30 – Christian Right
Oct. 26 – Social Groups
Oct. 23 – The Shape of Things
Oct. 19 – “Women in Creating and Sustaining Peace”
Oct. 16 – “Slow Food” Movement
Oct. 12 – Hugo Chavez
Oct. 9 – Molecular Nanotechnology
Oct. 5 – Folk Music as Vehicle for Social Change
Sept. 25 – Freedom and Other Remembrance Issues
Sept. 20 – The Powerful Thrust of Language on Civic Arousal
Sept. 14 – Apathy
Sept. 11 – Why Do We Care about One Another?