Human trafficking, economics, finance, sport management forums round out RU's fall series

Rockford University's mostly free Forum Series is geared toward students and highlights intellectual, social and cultural matters.

Rockford, Ill. (10/25/2017) — Rockford University's Fall 2017 Forum Series wraps up in late November, with lectures on human trafficking, economics, fast-cash risks and a sport management symposium by RU's students rounding out the semester's lineup.

The forum series is open to the public, and most events are free of charge. Lectures and performances will take place on the Rockford University campus, 5050 East State Street, Rockford. Tickets are required and can be obtained by contacting the Box Office at 815-226-4100 or boxoffice@rockford.edu.

The Dreamcatcher Foundation: Brenda Myers-Powell
Monday, October 30, 7 p.m.
Maddox Theatre, Clark Arts Center

Co-founder and executive director of the Dreamcatcher Foundation, Brenda Myers-Powell was a product of human trafficking at the age of 14, when she escaped an abusive home life and learned to navigate the streets of Chicago. She endured continued abuse and addiction for 25 years as a prostitute and survived to mentor young women out of the same path. Now, Myers-Powell educates on the perils of human trafficking with a raw edge not for the faint of heart.

Phi Beta Kappa Speaker: Price V. Fishback
Monday, November 13, 4 p.m.
Fisher Memorial Chapel

Price Fishback, Ph.D., is an economics professor at the University of Arizona, where he received the Graduate Mentor and Teacher of the Year award in 2016. He is also the current executive director of the Economic History Association and a research associate with the National Bureau of Economic Research. The Cliometrics Society and the Economic History Association have honored him with numerous awards for his research and teaching of economic history. He focuses his work on Roosevelt's New Deal and the Great Depression, housing booms and busts between 1920 and 1940, and the long-term effects of climate and policy on agriculture.

The Cost of Convenience: Judge Thomas Lynch and Attorney John Hardison
Tuesday, November 14, 6 p.m.
Fisher Memorial Chapel

Cash advancements and credit cards are readily available to us, but do consumers really understand the costs that come with convenience? We evaluate the true cost of borrowing by examining credit card offers, payday loans, and other fast-cash methods that are popularly advertised to college students. Judge Thomas Lynch, who in 2012 was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District of Illinois' Western Division, presents alongside his law clerk and adjunct instructor at the Northern University Illinois College of Law, John Hardison, an attorney who represented banks and other financial institutions while practicing at an international law firm based in Chicago.

Sport Management Symposium
Thursday, November 30, 6-8 p.m.
Regents Hall, Burpee Student Center

Speakers from various areas in the field of sport and recreation management will be on hand to answer questions pertaining to careers in sport management and to share their tips for success. This event is organized by members of Professor Jason Hunter's Senior Seminar class. A full list of participants is TBA.