For the United States, the path to war in Iraq thus far has been a rocky one. The opposition voiced by several European nations in recent weeks has made an already complex political situation even more so.
Tonight, however, Ohio University students have the chance to gain a clearer understanding of how Europe factors into international relations as various departments within OU host a symposium entitled, "The European Union: For Good or Ill?"
Associate history professor Robert Whealey organized the event and will be one of five members of the discussion panel. He said he hopes the event will lift student awareness about international political issues, he said.
"There are economic and political shenanigans going on behind the scenes," he said. "The evening will be a chance to get informed on international relations, the global market in particular, and how the US fits in."
Three other OU professors and a local pastor make up the remainder of the panel.
Geography professor Timothy G. Anderson, history professor Alfred Eckes and political science professor James Mosher will bring viewpoints from their respective areas of expertise to the discussion.
Eckes specializes in economics and will focus on the current economic and business dimensions of the continent, he said.
"Old Europe is toast," he said. "There is a conflict between old Europe and new Europe. The ideas that worked in the '50s and '60s are still, regrettably, the policies of the French and Germans."
Mosher said he will break down the good and bad qualities of the EU and focus on how they relate to individual groups.
"Students will get insight into one of the most important new actors on the international level," Mosher said. "Over the future, the EU could be a key political actor in challenging the US."
John R. Gump is a Presbyterian pastor who will travel to OU from New York for the symposium. Last year he visited Eastern Europe, and his experience there exposed him firsthand to the pros and cons of the European Union, Whealey said.
"(The symposium) was all John Gump's idea," Whealey said. "I just did the leg work."
Each member of the panel will have 10 minutes to speak and two minutes to respond to comments made by other members. The discussion will then be opened to questions from the audience.
Elizabeth Graham, head of the OU Ombuds office, will moderate the symposium, which begins at 8 tonight at Mitchell Auditorium, Room 519 in Seigfred Hall.
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Joe Rominiecki
