The University Student Union Plaza del Sol Performance Hall will hold the first lecture of the “Speak Your Mind” series, a platform for speakers to come to the university and address national and global concerns.

The lecture series, set to begin Oct. 23, “is the debut of a major event at the university,” said Peter Nwosu, chair of the communication studies department.

“This affair will introduce thought-provoking speakers to the CSUN campus,” Nwosu said.

There will also be an opportunity for students to discuss the subject matter among other CSUN students, faculty and staff.

The series is meant to get students to discuss different themes each time. Since there has been a lot of talk about the Middle East in recent years, that became this semester’s theme, said Spero Bowman, associate vice president for Academic Resources and Planning.

The event will consist of four parts, including the speaker’s presentation, a moderated question and answer session, a facilitated discussion forum and a moderated online discussion.

During the speaker’s presentation, CSUN students, faculty and staff will have a chance to listen to the topic at hand. After the presentation, the speaker will conduct a book signing. In addition, students will write down and turn in any questions or concerns they encountered during the presentation. Then, a faculty member will summarize what was presented and answer the questions that were submitted. After the question and answer session, the audience will move to a different room, where students can discuss the subject matter among themselves with a moderator present.

Faculty from different disciplines and will be brought in to help students navigate the discussion.

“Since people have different levels of awareness about these issues, we want students to understand the subject matter and be on the same level,” Nwosu said. “This will also give students a voice and (let them) take an active role.”

In addition to the discussion, students will have the chance to register online and take place in an online discussion forum hosted by the Center for Human Relations.

This new lecture series is set to kick off with Reza Aslan, a theologist who published the book “No God but God.” He will speak on “The Future of Islam: Toward the Islamic Reformation.”

To select a speaker for the event, many factors are put into consideration. The committee looks at speakers’ availability, how much the speaker will charge, and the amount of experience the speaker has that pertains to the topic at hand.

Bowman said the program was planned throughout the summer.

The organizers are trying to publicize the event with the help of Associated Students, advertisements in the Daily Sundial, posters, and spreading information about the event to faculty, Bowman said. Faculty can then inform their students of the new lecture series and the topic.

The theme for the Spring 2007 semester will be immigration. The second speaker for the fall semester will be Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist.

This event is free and only available for CSUN students and faculty to attend.