UT's speakers, events (including Spike Lee, Christopher Hitchens) as diverse as its student body

The University of Tennessee’s Cultural Attractions Committee is helping bring Bela Fleck, from left, Zakir Hussain and Edger Meyer to the Tennessee Theatre for an Oct. 8 performance.

The University of Tennessee’s Cultural Attractions Committee is helping bring Bela Fleck, from left, Zakir Hussain and Edger Meyer to the Tennessee Theatre for an Oct. 8 performance.

Lee

Hitchens

A variety of student-led groups are sponsoring an impressive lineup of engaging speakers, performers and entertainers this fall on the University of Tennessee's campus.

Ashleigh Moyers, assistant director of the Office of Student Activities, said the events are entirely funded by student organizations and help broaden students' horizons.

"The students try to offer a diverse array," said Moyers. "It challenges them to think about different topics and views."

Moyers said more than 200 student-run organizations are funding events on campus this fall. Which speakers or performers that appear are dependent on their cost and availability.

Moyers said the lineup reflects the personality of the student body.

"It changes from semester to semester, year to year," said Moyers. "It's interesting to see what students are interested in. It reflects who is important to them at this time."

That lineup includes visiting artists, dancers and film showings, but there are also several highly notable personalities.

The always insightful, and often controversial, cultural and political commentator Christopher Hitchens will be speaking in the University Center Auditorium, Alumni Memorial Building at 7:30 p.m Oct. 27. The event is sponsored by the Issues Committee and is free and open to the public. Hitchens has been a columnist for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, The Nation, Slate, Free Inquiry and other media outlets. He is an outspoken atheist and recently published "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything," which is a brandishing critique of all religions.

American film producer, writer, actor and director Spike Lee also will be making an appearance on the UT campus. Best known for directing classic films including "Do The Right Thing" and "Malcolm X," Lee often address issues of race, as well as other social and political issues, on the screen and in public venues. The Black Cultural Programming Committee is sponsoring the Sept. 14 event in the Cox Auditorium at Alumni Memorial Building, and it's free and open to the public.

From the political sphere, the Issues Committee has invited Howard Dean to campus for a free lecture that is open to the public in the Cox Auditorium on Sept. 23. Dean served six terms as the governor of Vermont and then famously ran for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, propelled by an energized base of young voters. While unsuccessful, Dean became chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005-09.

The Cultural Attractions Committee is sponsoring a performance by three unique and masterful musicians. Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Edger Meyer will perform at the Tennessee Theatre on Oct. 8. A renowned bass musician and composer, Meyer's style includes classical, bluegrass and jazz. Wildly influential in the world music movement, Hussain is a percussion player and master of the tabla instrument. Banjo sensation Fleck will bring jazz, funk and bluegrass sensibilities to the trio, similar to his popular group the Flecktones. Tickets are $5 for UT students, $15 for UT faculty, and $20 for the general public.

Stephen Woodward is a freelance contributor to the News Sentinel.

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