Two provocative topics of public debate will be discussed in an open public forum at Coastal Carolina University.

“Should the United States Pull Out of Iraq?” is the first Current Issues Colloquium, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 14 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the auditorium in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration. The event is free and open to the public.

Nancy Cave of Georgetown will be the pro speaker, and Van Jenerette of North Myrtle Beach will represent the argument against the proposal.

The colloquiums provide a venue for students, faculty and members of the community to learn about and discuss issues that affect everyone. Each event is devoted to a current issue of regional, national or international importance. During each colloquium, two speakers will each give a 20-minute presentation on the evening’s topic. Following the presentations, members of the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments.

Jenerette, a teaching associate in sociology at Coastal, is a fulltime faculty member at Southeastern Community College. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a candidate for the First District Congressional seat in the 2000 election. He was a member of the planning commission of the City of North Myrtle Beach and an ex-officio member of the Horry County Planning Commission.

Cave is the director of the North Coast Office of the South Carolina Coastal Conservation League with responsibilities for activities in Georgetown and Horry counties and the Pee Dee. She joined the League in 2000 after more than 25 years experience in international and domestic marketing and communications with organizations such as Citicorp, NationsBank and Dun & Bradstreet.

A second Current Events Colloquium will deal with the question “Should Capital Punishment Be Legal?” on Thursday, Nov. 11 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Wall Auditorium. Speakers will be announced later.

For more information, call Yoav Wachsman, assistant professor of economics and organizer of the discussions, at 349-2683.