DETAILS

What: 'Cairo: Past, Present and Future,' a public symposium

When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, May 8

Where: Cairo Junior/Senior High School gymnasium, 4201 Sycamore St.

Cost: Admission is free, but registration is necessary for a lunch count by contacting Christina Rich at 453-4078 or clrich@siu.edu by Tuesday.

Information: Call 453-4009 about the forum or call 536-3361 about the "The Cairo Project" book.

CARBONDALE - Cairo residents next week will see a new view of their town through the eyes of Southern Illinois University Carbondale journalism students.

During the "Cairo: Past, Present and Future" public symposium, residents and others will see a multimedia presentation of the "The Cairo Project," an 80-page book published last year that is the result of seven semesters of work by the journalism students that portrays the Alexander County community through photographs and in-depth reporting.

Sponsored by the journalism school and the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, the forum will include a panel discussion intended to encourage further dialogue among Cairo citizens and others about the city's history and future, using themes from the book as a catalyst, Matt Baughman, assistant director of the institute, said.

The discussion leads into a keynote address by Cairo native Rachel Jones, a journalist and media consultant. Her reporting background includes work for National Public Radio, covering social policy affecting children, families, welfare and racial disparities in health care. She also worked for the Knight-Ridder News Bureau in Washington, D.C., the St. Petersburg Times and the Detroit Free Press.

Jones recently finished an eight-month assignment as project director for Internews Network's training center in Gulu, Uganda; the effort is to build reporting and critical analysis skills of reporters covering the tentative peace process between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army. She helped train and mentor nearly 57 journalists from northern Uganda and Kampala in a variety of issues. She also conducted interview trainings for reporters covering HIV/AIDS issue in Ethiopia and Ghana, and for education reporters in Nigeria.

"Part of what is fantastic about Jones coming back to her hometown is she is very accomplished in journalism and has traveled the world. She'll share what she's learned about being a reporter and as someone who has left home to experience new places and people." Baughman said in a press release.

"One of the real tributes to her returning home is most of the high school students will be in attendance for her keynote speech, and we expect her message to be one that encourages students to dream a little bit about what they want to do and to go after it, building hope and inspiration to the students," he said.

Next week's conference is a way to repay Cairo's citizens for opening their doors for the project, said William Freivogel, director of the School of Journalism. The discussion is also important as the city looks to its future, he said.

Baughman also notes the program is part of an institute commitment to provide service to the region by hosting programs in local communities. In May 2007, a symposium in Vienna examined the life and impact of former Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell, a Vienna native.

karen.binder@thesouthern.com

351-5080