Symposium will discuss ethics in politics "Money, Power, and Influence: What is the role of ethics in politics" is the title of the fourth annual Olafson Ethics Symposium to be held Tuesday, Oct. 28, beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union's Ballroom. The three-hour Symposium will include two presentations, a pizza social and round table discussion that focuses on ethics and politics. The event is free and open to all UND students and the Greater Grand Forks community. The event will begin with a presentation by Steven Light and Kathryn Rand titled "Ethics and Buying Political Influence: Indian Gaming and the Jack Abramoff Scandal." Rand and Light are widely recognized as among the nation's premier experts on Indian gaming. They have published more than 30 articles and three books on tribal gaming, including "Indian Gaming Law: Cases and Materials" (Carolina Academic Press, 2008), "Indian Gaming Law and Policy" (Carolina Academic Press, 2006), and "Indian Gaming and Tribal Sovereignty: The Casino Compromise" (University Press of Kansas, 2005). They have twice testified on Indian gaming regulation and oversight before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C., and were featured on C-SPAN's Book TV. Light and Rand are frequent commentators in media worldwide, including the New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, International Herald Tribune, and Bloomberg Media. They blog on the legal, political, and public policy issues concerning tribal gaming at Indian Gaming Today, at indiangamingtoday.com. Kathryn Rand (J.D., University of Michigan School of Law; B.A., University of North Dakota) is Floyd B. Sperry Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Steven Light (Ph.D., Northwestern University; B.A., Yale University) is Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Dakota College of Business and Public Administration. They founded and co-direct the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy, an interdisciplinary collaboration supported by both the College of Business and Public Administration and the Law School. The keynote speaker is Bruce Weinstein, Ph.D., "The Ethics Guy", who has a simple purpose in life: he wants to enrich your appreciation of ethics in everyday life and to help you make the best decisions possible. He writes the column, "Ask the Ethics Guy," for BusinessWeek.com. The title of his Olafson Ethics Symposium presentation is "Lie, Cheat, and Steal Your Way to Success! What would the world be like without ethics?" Dr. Weinstein has appeared frequently on CNN's "American Morning" and is a contributor to the Anderson Cooper 360 blog. He has also been a guest on NBC's "Today Show," ABC's "Good Morning America," MSNBC's "Live," FOX Business Network's "Cavuto," FOX News Channel's "O'Reilly Factor" and "Fox & Friends," CNBC's "Capital Report," Bloomberg Television's "Personal Finance," and NPR's "Leonard Lopate Show." Dr. Weinstein is the author or editor of five books on ethics. His writings have appeared in, and he has been quoted or featured in USA Today, The New York Observer, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Investor's Business Daily, Family Circle, Real Simple, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and the in-flight magazines of American Airlines, Delta Airlines, USAirways, and United Airlines, as well as Newsweek.com, CNN.com, and FoxNews.com. His latest book is "Life Principles: Feeling Good by Doing Good" (Emmis Books). He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Swarthmore College, a Ph.D. in philosophy and bioethics from Georgetown University, a certificate in film production from New York University, and a National Fellowship from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich. In April 2009, Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press will publish his next book, "Is It Still Cheating If I Don't Get Caught?," which will focus on ethical issues for teens. The purpose of the Olafson Ethics Symposium is to provide a platform for students and the business community, to explore the importance of ethical behavior. This event is named in honor of Robert Olafson, a 1971 graduate of the University of North Dakota who earned a degree in mathematics. He lives in St. Paul, Minn., where he serves as Vice President at Minnesota Life Insurance Company. Olafson is a native of Edinburg, N.D., and established a gift in 2005 to support ethics education and awareness in the College of Business and Public Administration. This is the fourth year of Olafson Ethics Symposium and the College of Business and Public Administration is grateful to Mr. Olafson for his generosity and support of UND students and this event. Additional support for this event was made possible by Jane Fercho Ludlow. For more information regarding the Olafson Ethics Symposium or information posted in this press release, please contact CK Braun-Schultz at (701) 777-6937 or ck.schultz@mail.business.und.edu. -- Lynda Kenney, Assistant Professor, Technology, lynda.kenney@und.edu, 701 777-2197