Ben Kaylor

Senior Jon Shoop has been to almost every Forum since he was a freshman.

He said he is really excited that the first spring 2004 Forum is opening up with Bobby Seale, a forming member of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.

“I’m a huge fan of Bobby Seale,” Shoop said. “I was in a lot of African American history classes and I don’t think he ever managed to not come up in any of them.”

Seale will give his speech “Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party” at 7:30 tonight in Zorn Arena.

Seale co-formed the Black Panther Party with Huey P. Newton in 1966 in Oakland, Calif. to guard against police brutality in black neighborhoods. The party grew to become a national militant organization that flourished until 1974.

Seale is expected to speak about the Black Panther party, its aftermath and what still needs to be done about racial injustice, said Beverly Soll, performing arts and special events coordinator.

Shoop also hopes to hear Seale’s opinion about the upcoming election.

“I believe he would (address the election),” Shoop said. “Being as political as he is and what he has to say, I think it will come up. I’d just like to know more about what he has to say. I hold him up on a pedestal for his opinions.”

Seale is a very powerful speaker, Shoop said, reflecting on Seale’s ability to start a movement.

Soll said bringing new ideas to the campus and the community for people to debate is the reason The Forum was started 62 years ago.

Now, it brings four to six speakers to campus every year to address issues in politics, the economy, the sciences and health, Soll said.

Most Forum audiences range from 600 to 1,000 people with about half made up of college students and half community members, she said.

Many students first come to The Forum for a class assignment or extra credit but continue to come because they like it, said Soll.

When students come to The Forum, they begin to discuss the issue, and see that they really can be a part of what’s going on around them, she said.

“And when (students come because they want to), we think we’ve really succeeded,” Soll said. “We don’t have to agree or disagree with what our speakers say – we just have to think about it and make up our own minds.”