Coastal Carolina University will host a conference titled "Thinking about Poverty in Horry County" on Thursday, April 24, and Friday, April 25, in the James J. Johnson Auditorium. The conference is sponsored by The Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values and will include a variety of events, speakers, and panelists discussing local poverty issues. The events are free and open to the public.

On Thursday, April 24, Daniel Hausman, Herbert A. Simon and Hilldale Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will present the keynote address "Why Should We Care About Poverty?" in Johnson Auditorium at 4:30 p.m. A reception will follow the discussion in the Wall Boardroom at 5:30 p.m.

On Friday, April 25, there will be multiple panels and events regarding current local poverty issues:

- "Some Facts and Figures about Poverty for Public Education in Horry County" will be held from 9 to 9:50 a.m. Holley Tankersley, chair at the Department of Political Science, and Robert Salvino, research economist, Center for Economic and Community Development, will be leading the discussion.

- "The Challenge of Poverty for Public Education in Horry County" panel discussion is from 10 to 10:50 a.m. Panelists include superintendent Cindy Elsberry and chief academic officer, Cindy Ambrose. Counselors are Renn Dominguez and Cookie Goings, and principals are Mark Porter and John Washburn.

- "Homeless in Horry County" panel discussion will be presented from 11 to 11:45 a.m. by Kathy Jenkins, executive director of New Directions, John Pedersen, assistant city manager in Myrtle Beach; and Dwight Caraway, Myrtle Beach Haven.

- From 12:10 to12:50 p.m. "The Past, Present and Future of the Culture of Poverty" will be presented by Jason Eastman of the department of sociology at CCU.

- "Fighting Illiteracy in Horry County," will be presented from 1 to 1:50 p.m. by Jeanne Cobb, department of education CCU; Pat Bush, former executive director Horry County Literacy Council; Carolyn Ellis, Freedom Readers; and Patricia Santianello, Horry County Literacy Council.

From 2 to 2:50 p.m., David Killoren, Jackson Center Ethics fellow, will discuss the roles of reason and emotion in charity in a presentation entitled "Kirk vs. Spock on Charitable Giving."

Coffee and refreshments will be offered between events in the Johnson Auditorium foyer.

The Johnson Auditorium is located in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, located at 119 Chanticleer Drive E. in Conway.

For more information on this event, contact Alyssa James, assistant director of the Jackson Family Center, at 843-349-4149 or abjames@coastal.edu.