UWG News Archive

Paul Loeb Lecture

September 10, 2004

CARROLLTON, GA - There is a concern across America that college students are detached from broader community involvement and need to be more socially engaged. This issue is being addressed at the University of West Georgia where powerful speaker Paul Loeb will lecture on the topic on Wednesday, Sept. 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Food Service Center (Z-6).

Loeb has spent nearly 30 years researching and writing about citizen responsibility and empowerment. His presentation at UWG will be based on his book Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time.

For seven years, at over 100 campuses in 30 states, Loeb talked with students about their beliefs and choices. He then examined how citizens in general can learn to get involved in their communities and keep on being involved through the course of a lifetime.

In his books and lectures, Loeb gets beyond prevailing media stereotypes of youth apathy to understand the struggle of this new generation to find its place in a confusing world. He looks at how ordinary citizens, of all ages, learn to take committed stands.

Other areas of discussion include how people get involved in larger community issues and what stops them from getting involved; how they burn out or maintain commitment for the long haul; and how civic involvement can give a sense of connection and purpose. He explores how students and citizens in general can gain the moral, political and intellectual tools to take responsibility for the future.

Loeb’s work has received coverage from numerous journals and newspapers including The New York Times, Washington Past, Time, Newsweek, Redbook, Parents Magazine, Psychology Today and others.

He has conducted over 800 television and radio interviews, including numerous nationwide appearances on outlets such as CNN, National Public Radio, the ABC, NBC and CBS radio networks, and the NBC Nightly News.

Positive reviews for his book, Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time, came from a wide array of publications. Parents Magazine wrote, “Teaches what it means to be a caring, compassionate citizen” and the Chicago Sun-Times stated, “A passionate but reasoned call for Americans to become involved in issues that matter.”

In addition to the presentation for the campus and community, Loeb will be presenting a luncheon program for UWG faculty and leading several freshmen seminar classes. For more information concerning his presentation, contact John Frevert, student affairs counselor, by phoning 770-836-6428 or via email at jfrevert@westga.edu.

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