Big Picture

On our trip to Buffalo, besides getting to eat at the Anchor Bar, and scarfing down lots of wings at the original joint that invented them (along with a few pitchers of Guinness), we actually got some great ideas and resources for this freethought group at UF. Read on...

I am going to list some of the things we need to implement, in order of priority (by time or general impact):

1. Presenting the group -- this includes the time-sensitive need for a poster and display materials for tabling (or banners) in Turlington Plaza (and at the IDEAL student org fair in the fall semester), it also includes finalizing, then printing up and using, some of the materials that Davy already made up for general circulation, especially the handouts and business cards (these and these). This category also includes putting together a simple set of "talking points" about our purpose and activities to broadcast ads via UF media, esp radio (850AM, 104FM, 89FM/90FM) and TV programs (WUFT-TV), as well as programming external to campus. Kelli Wood has graciously volunteered to help with PR. It is also important to remember that newspaper op-ed sections are an important way to communicate our message and group with the community. I will be making some contacts with the Alligator and Gainesville Sun editors to make sure they know about us if they ever want to present alternative views on religious and political pieces. I encourage you all to submit letters to the editors regularly in response to issues involving church/state separation, religious pseudoscience, etc., in the news.
   


2. Fall schedule -- the regular meetings of GF will occur every two-three weeks, alternating between three formats. See the schedule page for a list of topics:
• i) Formal speaker on predetermined topic -- this can include a short lecture, a short reading of a work, a media presentation on some topic, or any combination of the three, followed by open dialogue and Q&A. The speaker should have anywhere between 10-20 minutes, with a small margin of error, and so most of the meeting will consist of the dialogue/Q&A, but it should always be directed toward the speaker.
  
• ii) Semi-formal discussion -- we will come in to discuss some predetermined topic amongst ourselves, perhaps we will try to allow these sort of meetings to directly follow (i) to continue the discussion on the topic presented. These discussions will not be led, but will be moderated to be kept on point.
  
• iii) Social events -- eating, drinking, and being merry. Pretty straightforward. The only question is, after we start to grow, where we will hold these events. Restaurants have worked will thus far for groups from 8-15 persons, but we will have to book a large room on-campus once we start to grow larger, and use SG funds for food.


3. Campus-wide events -- These would be large events with PR/publicity drives, and an effort to get large attendance from non-GF persons. These would also require some SG funding, but I have looked into it and it wouldn't likely be a problem. Also, we have the freedom to choose to charge admission to any of these events (preferably a small one to keep attendance high). Includes:
• bringing in a special guest speaker, such as Eddie Tabash or Dan Barker, for a presentation on something of interest such as Church/State Separation, ID/Creationism, political issues of relevance to secularism (eg abortion), etc.
  
• bringing in a special debater (including either Eddie or Dan) and an opponent (such as William Lane Craig or someone similar)
• a presentation or movie prepared by GF, such as Dawkins' Root of all Evil, or Flemming's The God Who Wasn't There, or any similar atheist/secular/freethought movie or media presentation
• GF members debate with another religious or political group, perhaps Campus Crusades for Christ. Regardless of whether this particular proposition comes to fruition, we certainly need to make contacts within their group (and our other "cultural competitors") and be willing to provide them with some time should they have any similar forums or ideas where an alternative view/voice would be welcome at one of their events.
  

I have started a page for each of these three (click on the bold title directly after the number) where I elaborate further and invite your comments and feedback (demand it, you might say).
1. GF Fall 2006 Schedule
2. GF Group Presentation
3. GF Campus-wide Events