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<p>INDIANAPOLIS &#8212; Exploring strategies to prevent bullying and encourage tolerance and respect is just one of the topics for discussion as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis presents the 24th annual Joseph T. Taylor Symposium.</p>

2013 “It Takes a City” Taylor Symposium explores creating a diverse, humane community

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INDIANAPOLIS — Exploring strategies to prevent bullying and encourage tolerance and respect is just one of the topics for discussion as Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis presents the 24th annual Joseph T. Taylor Symposium.

The 2013 symposium takes place from 8 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd. The theme is “It Takes a City: Toward a Diverse and Humane Community.”

The symposium also focuses on the use of art, architecture, city planning and the Internet to bridge ethnic, religious, professional and lifestyle differences in order to bring back a sense of community in cities in an age of hyper-individualism. Speakers from IUPUI, Indiana University Bloomington, Butler University, Ball State University and Purdue University will participate in the event. Representatives of Big Car Gallery, the Indianapolis Urban League and the Bully Prevention Alliance will also be part of the day’s sessions.

Educator and civil rights and gay liberation activist Gaye Todd Adegbalola will address the symposium theme during her musical-performance-based keynote presentation at the symposium luncheon. Adegbalola, a celebrated singer and musician, strives to provide a voice for those marginalized by society. The luncheon also includes the presentation of the Joseph T. Taylor Excellence in Diversity Awards.

The annual symposium honors Joseph T. Taylor, the first dean of the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. Taylor is remembered for his commitment to dialogue and diversity. The Excellence in Diversity awards acknowledge individuals, projects, programs and groups that exemplify Taylor’s commitment to diversity and dialogue.

“Each year’s Taylor Symposium provides an opportunity to think about and discuss matters of importance to our city and all cities,” said William Blomquist, dean of the School of Liberal Arts. “How to promote and sustain the benefits we gain from our diversity and weave them into a stronger fabric of community is an ideal example of a vital topic for Indianapolis and elsewhere.”

Before the luncheon, a poster session featuring research and information on building community in Indianapolis will take place from 11:15 a.m. to noon in Room 405 of the Campus Center.

The School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI sponsors the annual Taylor Symposium. The 2013 symposium, presented in conjunction with the Department of Philosophy, part of the School of Liberal Arts, and the IUPUI Center for Service and Learning, is part of Indianapolis’ IndyTalks Series, a citywide effort to foster a sense of community through respectful and creative civic dialogue.

Symposium sessions are free of charge and open to the public. Individual luncheon tickets are $35 if registration is made by the Feb. 5 early bird deadline, or $40 after Feb. 5. All luncheon seating is reserved with payment. Corporate or community patron tables for 10 may also be reserved for $550.

For additional details or to register, visit the School of Liberal Arts website.