When: Wednesday November 30th, 2011   7PM

Where: Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts

David “Sonny” Lacks, the middle child of Henrietta Lacks, has enthralled university audiences across the country talking about his mother, Henrietta Lacks, and her important contributions to modern medicine.  The international success of the New York Times bestseller about his mother, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” has left people keenly interested in the Lacks Family and Henrietta’s legacy.  In his MSU appearance, Sonny will share with the audience what it meant to find out – decades after the fact – that his mother’s cells were being used in laboratories around the world without the family’s knowledge or consent.  He puts a face on the big issues such as the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics and the legal battles over “informed consent”.  The presentation will be in a moderated question and answer format.  If you would like to submit a question for consideration to be included in the presentation, please submit questions no later than 5 pm October 28 to firstyearprograms@missouristate.edu.  Questions will be reviewed by a committee of students, faculty and staff before being submitted to Mr. Lacks.  This is a free event, but a ticket will be required for admission.  Tickets will be available exclusively to the MSU community (students, faculty and staff) November 7-10.  Starting November 11, remaining tickets will be available to both the MSU community and the Springfield community.  Tickets may be picked up at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, JQH Arena or the Plaster Student Union ticket offices.  Seating will be general admission, first come first seated.  For additional information, see the Public Affairs website http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/.

Tickets for the Common Reader Special Event with David Lacks will be available exclusively to the campus community (students, faculty and staff) November 7-10.  Tickets may be picked up with a campus ID at Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, JQH Arena or the Plaster Student Union ticket offices.  Starting November 11, tickets will be available to both the campus community and the Springfield community.  Tickets are free and seating will be on a first come first seated basis.

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