Thursday, April 07, 2011

Was Yoda Buddhist? Does "the force" in the Star Wars Trilogy represent many Eastern religions' idea of karma?

These quandaries and more will be discussed at "Continental Drift: An Undergraduate Philosophy and Religion Conference" on Saturday, April 9 at UNC Wilmington's Fisher Student Center and University Union. Hosted by the UNCW student Philosophy and Religion Society and sponsored by the Student Government Association, the event is free and open to the public; tickets are not required. The conference begins at 9 a.m. and lasts throughout the day.

More than 30 undergraduate students will present in concurrent panels on a gamut of topics, including the existence of a Christian heaven, animal rights and the virtue of care. Although nearly half the presenters are affiliated with UNCW, others hail from across the country, from New York to California.

"For a first-year conference, we have an excellent turn-out," said Jeremy Smyczek, president of the UNCW Philosophy and Religion Society. "We're hoping to exchange some ideas with each other and people from other schools, and to establish a tradition that future members of the club can take and run with."

For more information about the event and a conference schedule, please visit www.uncw.edu/par/news-society.html. Media are invited to attend and cover the event. Interviews with student organizers and presenters can be arranged.

Media Contact:
Lindsay Key, media research assistant, 540.520.2906, or ltk6081@uncw.edu