Contact CU Independent News Staff Writer Graham Crawford at graham.crawford@colorado.edu
Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor famous for sharing classified information with the public, is scheduled to speak at the University of Colorado on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in Macky Auditorium. Snowden will be speaking live via video chat from Russia, where he is seeking safety from prosecution by the United States for theft of government property and unauthorized communication of national defense information.
Tickets went on sale Monday morning. Since then, 1,239 tickets have been sold of the 2,000 available. Tickets are $2 for students, $10 for CU Boulder faculty and staff, and $20 for the general public. They are available in the University Memorial Center dining area across from the Alferd Packer Grill.
The production of this event began back in October 2015 when the American Program Bureau contacted CU’s Distinguished Speakers Board. The APB served as a medium for the DSB to get in contact with Snowden, providing the opportunity to host the event
According to Emma Woodyard, chairwoman of the DSB, after the APB reached out, the DSB voted and decided to host the event.
The DSB “[wants] to bring new events to campus,” Woodyard said. She added that the the board wants to give people a chance to understand the field of surveillance programs, and feels Snowden has a unique insight.
“Our hope is that the discussion will not end with the event…[we] hope people will continue to talk about the topic,” Woodyard said.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind will moderate the discussion with Snowden. For the first hour, Suskind will ask Snowden questions, generating a discussion for the crowd. For the last 30 minutes, Suskind will ask questions that have been previously submitted by the audience in order to eliminate an open mic scenario.
For more information, visit the Distinguished Speakers Board website, or contact dsbchair@gmail.com.
