Panelists discuss polarization, civility, public participation and the opportunity for meaningful policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal level. Join Dean Henry E. Brady, the Honorable Roger E. Dickinson (BA '73, JD '76 UCLA) and Professor Paul Pierson, with Q & A moderated by Richard "Dick" Beahrs (BA '68).

Zuoxiao Zuzhou in conversation with Michael Timmins. Moderated by Andrew Jones, chair, Center for Chinese Studies. The music of Zuoxiao Zuzhou, one of Chinese best-known rock musicians, draws playfully on rock and roll, Chinese folk and operatic sounds, and electronic textures. A leading composer for independent Chinese films, he has worked closely with Ai Weiwei and Jia Zhangke. He is also a novelist and memoirist, whose two published books feature wildly creative accounts of the artistic life in a country hell-bent on development at any cost. Whether in his books or his songs or his graphic art, Zuoxiao Zuzhou pushes the envelope artistically and politically, maintaining a tough, humorous, unflinching and clear-eyed empathy for those who have been silenced and marginalized. Michael Timmins is the songwriter and guitarist for the Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band Cowboy Junkies, formed in Toronto in 1985. Their second album, The Trinity Session, earned them both critical attention and a cult following. The band's version of The Velvet Underground song "Sweet Jane" was featured in the film Natural Born Killers. Their Nomad Series includes the 2010 album, Renmin Park.