Sean Noble

The John Lennon Society will travel this weekend to Kent State University to participate in the Progressive Student Network’s annual conference.

ob Ferrera, JLS member and organizer of the trip, said a group of about 15 NIU students will join approximately 300 others at Kent, Ohio, for this educational conference. He said the purpose of the gathering is to “organize, educate and inform on issues important to (college) campuses” across the United States today.

The conference primarily will be concerned with three topics, Ferrera said.

“Third World Student Struggles” will be one discussion, dealing with the problems international students encounter at American schools. Ferrera said this should be an area of particular concern because of the recent problems with racism on campus at NIU.

e said a women’s liberation talk on contemporary women’s issues also will be given.

Ferrera said the third discussion will be “The Struggle Against Imperialism,” which will cover topics such as U.S. involvement in the Persian Gulf and Nicaragua. He said one highlight of this discussion will be a speech by Phillip Agee, a former agent of the CIA who has written several books on his CIA experiences.

Agee was featured recently on the Phil Donahue Show. Ferrera said Agee has spoken on various occasions about “personal, moral conflicts” which led him to quit the CIA after 12 years.

Ferrera said the Progressive Student Network was formed about eight years ago.