A "Can Art Help Create a Better Society?" discussion will be held on Thursday, April 20, at 4:30 p.m. in the James J. Johnson Auditorium at Coastal Carolina University. This Tea & Ethics event is free and open to the public, no ticket is required.

The on art in society will be led by Mark Rodgers, principal of the Clapham Group, a company that seeks to influence culture in a political and societal context. Rodgers has served as the third-ranking Republican leadership staffer in the U.S. Senate for six years, while overseeing strategic planning and strategic communications. He has also served as a high profile chief of staff to Senator Rick Santorum, where he worked on Capitol Hill for 16 years.

Rodgers is known for his work on issues such as poverty alleviation and global AIDS. He also founded the National Institute of Lay Education (NILE), which developed adult education curriculum to encourage reflecting Christian involvement in public life. Rodgers is currently a Policy Fellow with the American Conservative Union Foundation.

This Tea & Ethics session is sponsored by CCU's Jackson Family Center for Ethics and Values. The purpose of this center is to cultivate and promote awareness in the community of the importance of personal and professional integrity.

The Johnson Auditorium (Room 116) is in the E. Craig all Sr. College of Business Administration Building, located at 119 Chanticleer Drive E. on the main Conway campus.

For more information, contact Brian Edgerton, assistant director of the Jackson Family Center, at 843-349-4149 or bjedgert@coastal.edu or visit coastal.edu/humanities.