September 28

This afternoon, the USDA’s Gay Lesbian Employee Advisory Council holds an open listening session on sexual orientation & diversity issues in agriculture. This is at the Red Gym, 716 Langdon Street, from 1 to 3. For more information, email william.scaggs@usda.gov.

This evening, The Center for the Humanities co-sponsors a discussion entitled “War Talk; Iraq on Campus”. Panelists include Neil Whitehead, Professor of Anthropology; Michael Bernard-Donals, Professor of English; Steve Stern, Professor of History; John Nichols, Associate Editor, The Capital Times; and Jason Moon, Iraq War Veteran. This is in L-160 of Chazen Hall, 800 University Avenue, at 5:30. Check declarationofpeace.org for details.

This evening, the Wisconsin Books to Prisoners Project holds a meeting. Books to Prisoners is for all those interested in getting educational resources to those inside the system and also educating those on the outside. This is at Escape Java Joint, 916 Williamson Street, at 5:30. Call 262-9036 for details.

Tonight, Pax Christi hosts Friar Bryan Massingale, who will give a talk entitled "Katrina, King and Catholic Social Teaching". He will explore the meaning and continuing relevance of Katrina's social consequences in light of Martin Luther King's analysis of the relationships between racism, poverty, and the pursuit of war, and the Catholic tradition of social justice. Friar Massingale is an Associate Professor at Marquette University, a member of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America and sits on the Executive Committee of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. This is at the Catholic Multicultural Center, 1862 Beld Street, from 7 to 8:30. Call 233-1898 or email trudijenny@yahoo.com for details.

Tonight, the International Socialist Organization hosts a talk and discussion entitled “What’s Behind the War on Terrorism”. The event is free and open to the public at the Wilmar Center, 953 Jenifer Street, at 7:30. Call 843-3932 for details.

Tomorrow, the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation hosts two Lunchtime Tours of Mansion Hill West and King Street. The Mansion Hill tour circles several blocks of formerly single-family grand homes, plus Langdon Street fraternities and the Kennedy Manor apartment building. The King Street tour shows the beginnings of Madison. The Mansion Hill tour begins at Plaza Tavern and Grill, 319 North Henry Street, and the King Street tour meets in front of the Great Dane Brewpub, corner of King and Doty Streets. Both tours are at noon. For details, check madisontrust.org.

This weekend is the Local Democracy Convention. This year’s theme is “The Community Power Road to a Democratic Society”. The convention’s aim is for participants to learn, share, network, and strategize together about how to build the democracy movement in this country from the grassroots up. There is a sliding-scale registration fee that is waived for students and is on the UW campus. For more information and the schedule, check localdemocracy.org.

Girl Neighborhood Power is holding the “Trick or Treat so Others Can Eat” food drive. They seek individuals, youth centers, neighborhood centers, scouts, churches schools, and more to collect food for area pantries. Items can be dropped off at Dane County Human Services offices, libraries, post office buildings, police stations and other places. Girl Neighborhood Power is a YWCA after-school and evening enrichment program designed to empower girls to reach young adulthood healthy, strong, and confident by giving them the skills and the guidance to make healthy choices. To help out, contact Meme Kintner at 255-3295, 206-7633, or mkintner@ywcamadison.org. For more information, check ywcamadison.org.