Dr. Jack Kevorkian to speak at UF

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Dr. Jack Kevorkian, advocate for the legalization of assisted suicide, will speak Jan. 15 at the University of Florida’s O’Connell Center.

The event begins at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for students with Gator 1 cards at Gate 2 only, and at 7 p.m. for the general public. Free tickets are required and are available at the University Box Office. No bags or signs will be allowed.

Submissions for the post lecture question and answer session can be made at www.accentspeakers.com. Following Kevorkian’s speech, a panel discussion will be held with UF faculty members from disciplines including law, medicine, and philosophy. Panelists will discuss the concept of assisted suicide as it relates to their fields.

Press credentials are required for news media representatives and are available through the UF News Bureau until noon Jan. 15. For credential information, contact Steve Orlando at 352-392-0186 or sfo@ufl.edu.

A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, Kevorkian, 79, believes in the fundamental right of an individual to make end-of-life decisions. Kevorkian, a retired pathologist who says he has assisted in more than 130 suicides, was tried five times in the 1990s. The fifth trial in 1999 ended with Kevorkian being convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison for assisting in the suicide of a man in the final stages of Lou Gehrig’s Disease. After serving eight years of his sentence, Kevorkian was released on parole in June.

ACCENT Speakers Bureau, the largest student-run speakers bureau in the nation, has been bringing prominent speakers to the University of Florida since 1967. ACCENT strives to bring controversial and influential speakers to the university, with the intent of further educating the student body. ACCENT speeches are not paid with tax or state dollars. ACCENT’s funding comes from activity fees, which students pay specifically to fund out-of-the-classroom experiences. Past ACCENT speakers include presidents, prime ministers, and entertainment, media, business and sports legends.

For more information, call ACCENT at 352-392-1665, ext. 306 or the information line at ext. 411. Visit our Web site at www.accentspeakers.com or e-mail ACCENT at accent@sg.ufl.edu .