UIS Wepner Symposium explores conflict in the Lincoln and Obama presidencies

The fourth annual Wepner Symposium on the Lincoln Legacy and Contemporary Scholarship at the University of Illinois Springfield will explore political conflict, polarization, and political hatred in the presidencies of both Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama.

The symposium will be held October 18-19, 2013 in Springfield, Ill. Portions of the symposium will take place on the UIS campus and the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. All events are free and open to the general public.

Events begin on Friday, October 18 at 9:30 a.m. in the UIS Public Affairs Center, as political scientists explore “Polarization and Political Hatred - Reasoning from History, Social Science, and Common Experience”. Featured speakers include Matthew Holden, University of Illinois Springfield; Chad Newswander, University of South Dakota; Stephen Schwark, University of Illinois Springfield; and Wilbur Rich, Wellesley College. Events will conclude at 5:30 p.m. with a reception in the PAC Restaurant.

Day two of the Wepner Symposium begins on Saturday, October 19 at 9 a.m. at the Old State Capitol in downtown Springfield. Political scholars will discuss the “Agenda for Further Learning, Teaching, and Application” until 11 a.m. Featured commentators include James Cornelius, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum; Shoon Lio, University of Illinois Springfield, Dan Monroe, Millikin University; and Bert A. Rockman, Purdue University.

The symposium brings together scholars from around the country with diverse intellectual backgrounds, from political science to history and economics, and also seeks to bridge the gap between K-12 and university education.

For more information on the Wepner Symposium, contact Matthew Holden at 217/206-8519 or mhold3@uis.edu. The symposium can be found online at www.uis.edu/wepner/.