A former president of the Navajo nation, a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, a syndicated columnist and political commentator, and a staunch advocate of victimsrights and missing children will discuss issues facing our country today during West VirginiaUniversitys eighth annual Festival of Ideas series that begins Monday, Feb. 17, and continues through April 7.

“With our country on the verge of war and national security in the daily headlines, the speakers in this years Festival bring a variety of perspectives on these topics that all students should hear,”commented Andrew Maiman, WVU junior and Arts&Entertainment intern.

WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. said the Festival series has proven to be a tremendous opportunity for students as well as the general University community to hear”riveting speakers”on global topics.

“WVU is proud to sponsor this free public festival that stimulates in-depth thinking and discussion on today’s important issues,”Hardesty added.

Former President of the Navajo Nation Peterson Zah will open the seven-event series Monday (Feb. 17). He will be followed by Bruce Feiler, best-selling author of”Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths,”on Tuesday, Feb. 25;”Americas Most Wanted: America Fights Back”host John Walsh on Monday, March 3; and Judith Miller, The New York Times Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist who recently broke the story about Iraqs attempt to buy nerve gas antidote, on Thursday, March 6.

Arianna Huffington, author of”Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption are Undermining America,”will speak Wednesday, March 12, and Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy, author of”Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word,”will speak Thursday, March 27.

Investigative journalist and best-selling author Eric Schlosser will conclude the series on Monday, April 7, with his presentation”Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal.”

All presentations begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Peterson Zah, who opens the series, will speak about the”Winds of Change in Indian Country.”He is an adviser to the president of American Indian Affairs at ArizonaStateUniversity. Since Zah began in this position, the ASU American Indian student population has increased from 672 to 1,089 with student persistency and retention rates also increasing from 43 percent to 87 percent. These numbers are the highest in regard to American Indian students of any major college or university in the country.

Zah served as chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council from 1983 to 1987. In 1990, under a new tribal government organization, he was elected again �€this time as president of the Navajo Nation and served a four-year term, making him the last tribal chairman and the first president of the Navajo Nation.

Festival of Ideas is produced by WVU Arts&Entertainment. For more information, call 293-SHOW or visithttp://www.events.wvu.edu.