Kavanaugh controversy discussed at UC Irvine Humanities

October 5, 2018 by Amanda Jeanne Swain

As you may know, this week we pulled together a stellar line-up of scholars and experts from UCI Law, History, and Political Science for a pop-up event on the Brett Kavanaugh controversy. Though we had just one day to publicize it, the event turned out to be standing-room-only and our incredible panel shared their expertise and opinions in a lively exchange of ideas. The audience was filled with active participants–students, faculty, university administrators, staff and community members–who all played a role in the discussion.

While it’s impossible to provide any resolution to an ongoing issue such as the Kavanaugh case, we heard feedback from attendees that they felt the event helped them process what was going on and to think more cogently about the issues at hand. This is the power of pop-up events like this one–they enable interdisciplinary and inter-school discussions, they don’t shy away from tough topics, and they provide a space for people from all backgrounds to think together through some of the most complex and pressing issues of our time.

(Left) Amy Wilentz & Jeff Wasserstrom; (Middle) Sharon Block (UCI History), Michael Tesler & Matthew Beckmann (UCI Political Science); (Right) Jane Stoever (UCI Law)

Annabel Adams, the School of Humanities’ Director of Marketing and Communications, was there to live-Tweet the event. Should you have missed the event, please visit the school’s Twitter page here for key sound bites.

Amy Wilentz and Jeff Wasserstrom
Directors, UCI Forum for the Academy and the Public

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