CSPRI's University Seminar will feature a debate on electronic surveillance and national security on Wednesday, March 25. The format of the debate itself will be similar to that used by Intelligence Squared, where the "winner" is deemed to be the side that has changed the most minds. This should be an informative and also fun event, as the audience will anonymously vote at the beginning of the debate and again after they hear the arguments on each side. Each side has one lawyer and one technologist. The audience will also have a chance to ask questions of the speakers.
Topic: Resolved: The government should never engage in the bulk collection of personal data for national security purposes
Debaters:
Lee Tien from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Senior Staff Attorney and Adams Chair for Internet Rights (pro)
Chris Soghoian of the American Civil Liberties Union, Principal Technologist and a Senior Policy Analyst (pro)
Orin Kerr of GW Law, Professor (con)
Paul Clark of Secure Methods LLC, President and CTO (con)
Since the event is 12 noon-2 pm, and since the Jack Morton Auditorium does not allow food inside it, we have the Art Gallery space above it for a reception and quick box lunch before the debate itself. This is a wonderful space, but we can only accommodate 70 people there. So the first 70 who register and arrive anytime after 11:30 will get a box lunch provided by the seminar, and can eat at a table at the Art Gallery, a very pleasant venue.
Attendees can also, of course, get a variety of other food at the Marvin Center Student Union across the street before the event but will not be permitted to bring it into the auditorium itself.
