"Healing Hate For a better quality of Life" will be the topic for this
year's UTC PERSPECTIVES 2003:  The Raymond B. Witt Lecture Series, to be
held January 21-24.

The first featured speaker will be Brent Scarpo, who co-produced a powerful
documentary called "Journey to a Hate Free Millenium."  It features
interviews  conducted with family and friends of those murdered during hate
crimes, such as Matthew Matthew Shephard in Wyoming, whose body was left
hanging on a fence; dragging victim James Byrd of Jasper, Texas; the
students of Columbine High School and Holocaust victims.

Brent Scarpo has over ten years of experience as a producer, writer,
director, and casting director in Hollywood.  Scarpo directed and produced
the award-winning documentary film "Journey to a Hate Free Millennium."
This film provides enlightenment as to why hate crimes exist, and more
importantly, how hate can be eliminated in the new millennium.  Centering
on documented hate crimes, the film includes the student shootings at
Columbine High School, the dragging death of James Byrd, Jr., and the
brutal beating death of Matthew Shepard.

"This documentary was created so that we can face and manage our challenges
without having to resort to violence," said Scarpo.

In 1998, Scarpo founded New Light Media, a non-profit organization
dedicated to stimulating, educating, and impacting the world through
multimedia works that celebrate and honor the human spirit.  As the founder
of New Light Media, Scarpo continues to develop and present diverse subject
matters with positive messages to our world through film and television
projects, books, special presentations, exhibits, and motivational speaking
events.

Prior to the founding of New Light Media, Scarpo served as a casting
director for six years, casting motion pictures, television projects,
commercials, infomercials, and many more.  He has worked on such films as
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THAT THING YOU DO, and AIRFORCE ONE.  Scarpo
wrote and was featured on the Christmas Special, CHRISTMAS MIRACLES for
ABC.  In 1998 he produced, directed, and starred in a theatrical production
of the play, THE BOYS NEXT DOOR.

Currently, Scarpo is producing and presenting motivational speaking and
diversity training events at college campuses, organizations, executive
conferences, and major corporations across the country.

There will be an opportunity to watch the documentary in its entirety in
Fletcher 114 on Tuesday, January 21, 8 p.m. and Friday, January 24 at 1
p.m.
Scarpo will show clips of the documentary and lecture on Wednesday, January
22 at
2 p.m. in Patten Chapel and again at 8 p.m. the Roland Hayes Concert Hall.

The second featured speaker will be Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law
Center in Montgomery , AL will provide the lecture "With Justice for All."

Before the passengers of American Flight 93 made a final decision to rush
the cockpit, the passengers took a vote.  "This simple act separates us
from the terrorists," Dees said.

According to Dees,"The ultimate fate of our justice system depends on
honoring each individual.  The strongest guard against terrorism is not
military might.  It is instead a justice system that upholds our cherished
freedoms of speech, fair treatment and due process.  Demagogues and
terrorists cannot thrive in a free society. All our people must not only
have a place at America's table, but also the opportunity to build that
table itself.  John Adams represented the despised British Redcoats in the
Boston massacre criminal prosecution because, as he later said, he wanted
the law, not the mob, to rule the colonies."

Morris Dees will address how our commitment to justice for all will
determine our nation's success in the 21st century as America becomes more
diverse and economic disparity widens.

 He will also talk about how and why he became an attorney and founded the
SPLC and discuss some of our more prominent cases, and he will touch on
hate crimes and the need to teach tolerance, love and respect for one
another.

Beginning in 1967, Dees began taking controversial cases that were highly
unpopular in the white community.  He continued to pursue equal
opportunities for minorities and the poor, and along with his partner saw
the need for a non-profit organization dedicated to seeking justice, which
grew into the Southern Poverty Law Center.  He devotes his time to suing
violent white supremacist groups and developing ideas for Teaching
Tolerance, the Center's education project. The Center provides free its
magazine, Teaching Tolerance, to over 600,000 educators and its series of
video and tolerance education kits to over 75,000 schools across the
nation. A made-for-television movie about Morris Dees' life, Line of Fire,
aired on NBC.  Actor Corbin Bernson portrayed Dees in the film.  In Ghosts
of the Mississippi, a feature film about the life of slain civil rights
worker, Medgar Evers, he was portrayed by actor Wayne Rogers.

Dees will speak on Thursday, January 23 at 12:15 p.m. in Patten Chapel.

Finally, a diverse student discussion panel is scheduled to be held on
Friday, January 24 at 11 a.m. in Fletcher 114.

Please plan to attend these events.  They are free and open to the public.