The Comittee on Lectures has scheduled another “After September 11th” forum for Thursday. The meeting is a continuation of last week’s forum in the same place at the same time. These meetings foster an environment of open dialogue and communication that is essential in this time of uneasiness.

This week, the panel will have new faces. Members will be Mary Sawyer, religious studies; Tracey Owens Patton, Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Riad Mahayni, chair of community and regional planning; and Faiza Derbel, a graduate student from Tunisia.

In addition to the panel members, there will be an open microphone for audience members to ask questions of the panel members and voice their opinions.

It is critical at a time of crisis that an opportunity for discussion be made available. This forum will be an open environment with members of the Iowa State community of various backgrounds and an excellent means of understanding some of the problems that will continue to plague our nation.

ISU students should make an effort to attend the forum. The larger the audience, the more diverse the discussion will be. It is essential that this forum be used as a springboard to combat intolerance on campus.

It is through communication and discussion that we are able to achieve understanding. Thursday’s forum in the Memorial Union South Ballroom is a prime opportunity to start that process.

editorialboard: Andrea Hauser, Tim Paluch, Michelle Kann, Zach Calef, Omar Tesdell