YOUTH Forum Student Corresponds with Legendary Journalist Bob Woodward

Ben Friedman (second from right) chats with Bob Woodward at the pre-Forum dinner.

Ellington High School Freshman and Connecticut YOUTH Forum member Ben Friedman had the opportunity of a lifetime: to meet panelist Bob Woodward at the exclusive dinner before our last Forum, A World of Change. When Ben mentioned his interest in writing and journalism, Woodward encouraged Ben to send him a review of that evening's Forum, with the promise that he would offer his feedback. Ben followed up and, as promised, Woodward responded to him! You can check out their notes to one another below.

Hello Mr. Woodward,

My name is Benjamin Friedman. You may remember me from the dinner before the CT Forum show started. When you and I met, I had explained my interest in writing and you suggested I write a review or report on the show and e-mail it to you. This is that e-mail. I feel that it is necessary that I share some background information about myself before you read the review. I am fourteen years old and attend Ellington High School as a freshman. I am not certain what type of career I'd like to pursue, but reading and writing has captivated me for as long as I can remember.

However, I promised a review/report, so I will deliver upon that promise. This report was written on March 5th, a day after the Forum. I used my memory as best as I could to write the report. Despite my age and experience, I hope that if you plan to critique this report that you do so normally. I believe that the best way to improve myself as a writer is to take people's honest reactions to what I have written and use that as a tool to fix my mistakes. Let's begin.

The Connecticut Forum’s A World of Change show featured panelists Bob Woodward and Tina Brown. The show was moderated by Pulitzer Prize winner, Connie Schultz. With this combination of journalists, the night was ensured to be exciting. Bob Woodward, author of All of the President’s Men and one of the journalists who uncovered the Watergate scandal, provided intriguing anecdotes from his meetings with presidents and government officials. The experience of Tina Brown brought out commentary concerning process and changes. Connie Schultz did a fine job of directing the conversation on stage and made certain that all points of any question were answered.


The night proved to be hilarious, entertaining, and thought-provoking. Especially interesting was Woodward’s idea that “you can think you are so right, and then turn out to be completely wrong.” Everyone in the audience agreed with applause and a thoughtful, “Hmm.” However, the first half of the show strayed off the night’s true topic, change. Discussion was made that revolved around change, but it wasn’t until the second half of the show that most of the conversation was about change. The audience showed that they were listening intently and also thinking hard about what was said on stage by providing the panelists with interesting questions that they submitted. These questions led to discussion about change in America and the world, and also what change means.

It was not a night to be missed. A controversial topic and even more controversial panelists mixed together for an unforgettable evening. Mr. and Mrs. Sugarman, the founders of the Connecticut Forum, certainly stirred up interest in the Forum with this latest show. No doubt they will continue to provide successful shows and exciting panelists for years to come.

So there it is. I would like to say that nonfiction is not my strongest point, but I feel as if that would actually be me trying to excuse any errors I made. Hopefully you enjoy reading this review as much as I enjoyed meeting you and seeing the show.

Thank you for your time, and great job on stage!

Woodward responded:

Ben: I finally read your account of the Forum. You did an excellent job. I would suggest you put a specific thought in the first sentence to draw readers in. For example, you could have said something like this: Veteran journalist Bob Woodward last night that it is so easy to be sure you are right and you turn out to be dead wrong. (but use the quote as you did, and then cite the example of the Ford Pardon then something Tina Brown said. ) As my old editor used to say, What's the lead? What's the headline? What is new? Be as specific as you can as early in the account or story as possible. Nice work. Bob Woodward

CT YOUTH Forum Members Discuss Race in America on NPR

Photo by Chion Wolf, WNPR

Students from our very own YOUTH Forum appeared on WNPR's Where We Live yesterday to discuss their views and experiences on race in America in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Check out the audio on WNPR! (click episode audio)

Behind the Scenes: GOD

Why God?

Last night our diverse panel of experts lead us on a provocative and enlightening journey exploring the role of God in people’s lives and the common language we have used across all cultures and time to make sense of the mysteries of life.

Let's take a look behind the scenes!

The evening began with the panelist meeting. Here, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Rev. Peter Gomes, and Christopher Hitchens along with Moderator Connie Schultz had the opportunity to meet and greet each other before the Forum got underway.

Next it's off to the YOUTH Forum press conference. Here, YOUTH Forum Members, who are high school students from around the state, have an intimate opportunity to ask the panel anything that is on their minds.

Once the Forum was underway, the stage was electrified with a spirited, enlightening, and eye-opening conversation about God and religion. Stay tuned to our YouTube Page for clips of the Forum!

Ever wonder what's happening back stage at intermission?

A group of Forum Subscribers, Friends of the Forum, and Sponsors gather backstage to sort through your great questions, in preparation for the second half.

The panelists grab a quick snack in the green room.

After the program ended, we had the opportunity to ask Christopher Hitchens just one more question backstage...

(Click Here to see a video of Christopher's water board experience)

Want more insight on what happened back stage? Check out Forum Valet Peterson Toscano's Blog!

It's your turn! Share your reactions to God, leave us a comment!

Forum Holiday Highlights

What happens when diverse groups of people from across the spectrum of our community get together for a little holiday merriment?


Pure magic.

Check out the photos and blog post featured on the Hartford Courant's website about The Connecticut Forum's 16th Annual Children's Holiday Party for more than 250 Hartford Elementary school children - an event made possible by the gracious support of Target Stores, the Hartford Marriott Downtown, Lincoln Financial Group Foundation, and our incomparable army of Forum volunteers.

Happy Holidays!

Gay Marriage: Yes, no and maybe...

Connecticut YOUTH Forum Member Justin has something to say about the recent decision by the Connecticut Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage in the state.

I am extremely thrilled that CT made this decision. For the first time in my memory, I am genuinely proud to be a resident of this state. I never really saw CT as being all that progressive, but this proved that we could be. We are ahead of the rest of the country with same-sex rights, being the third state to grant marriage privileges and one of the first to enforce civil unions.

But, however ahead we may be I am still worried. It is only a matter of time before rallies and protests occur, and people start to fight against this new-found freedom. There has already been a proposal to create a constitutional convention that would undoubtedly reform and reverse the same-sex marriage bill. I hope that it does not come into creation, but even if it doesn't there will be something else. And if that doesn't work, there will be something else. While this may be a huge success, there is still a lot of fighting to do, and quite frankly I am tired. Tired of fighting for my rights, tired of discrimination, tired of having to actually prove that I am equal. I feel like I should not have to use all this energy, and that this fight should have never existed in the first place. "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is what this country was modeled after, yet the latter just isn't being fully embraced.

I am happy for Connecticut, but ashamed that the rest of the country has not come to same conclusion. 3/50 is far from good enough.

From another YOUTH Forum Member David from Granby…

Have anything to say about the topic? Do I ever! ^^ And awaaaay we go.

Before anything else, the distinction needs to be made between civil union and marriage. My personal belief is that civil union should be what's recognized by the government (on any level), and marriage should be upheld by churches, communities, what have you. With this distinction made, I don't see any reason why federal or state governments should fail to give gay and straight relationships equal weight. Our government is a secular institution, no matter how hard religious or anti-religious groups might try to hijack it, and moral/religious beliefs aside, I've seen no convincing reason why a gay couple is inherently less functional than a straight one. Thus, the government should recognize civil unions for both straight and gay couples, and not get involved with what is or is not a "marriage".

That said, I also don't believe that the government has the right to interfere with churches to force acceptance of gay marriage. If religious authorities on either a parochial or higher level decide that their faith or denomination does not support or sanction gay marriage, or consider same-sex couples married, then that's their right.

As a caveat: if there is a type of relationship (e.g. between an adult and a child) with the potential for serious inherent difficulty, it *may* be appropriate for the government to deny the same rights and benefits granted to most couples. I shouldn't be able to wed a three-year-old and expect to be treated as a "married" couple. This is the point where libertarianism becomes a bit fuzzy, though, and I'm extremely hesitant to take a stand here. I believe that if there is a valid argument against legal recognition for gay couples, it likely falls into the "slippery slope" category.

I'm obviously pulling my anti-gay-marriage punches pretty hard, because I don't actually know the extent to which it would be difficult to draw the line, as many opponents of gay marriage believe it would be. It definitely bears consideration by policy makers.

Best of luck with the blog, and I hope to see you at the next Youth Forum event. (It's at my school! W00ts!)

Not everyone is so thrilled. Juliet from Madison writes:

Marriage is and always has been a union between and man and a woman. To allow gays or anyone else to appropriate marriage as an institution is not only an insult to my marriage but a dangerous slippery slope. If two men or women are allowed to marry, what is stopping anyone from marrying a beloved pet or sibling? Further, marriages are the foundation upon which families are built and children should ALWAYS be raised in a family with a mother and father.

I have nothing in particular against gays. As far as I’m concerned they are free to do what ever they want in the bedroom. That does not give them the right to threaten my or any other normal couple’s marriage.

What do you have to say? Are we at the start of a golden age of tolerance, or on the precipice of the end of civilization?

The Connecticut YOUTH Forum: Straight Talk on Stereotypes

By Katlyn Knox, Executive Associate at The Connecticut Forum

This week, over 150 students from high schools all over the state of Connecticut kicked off the school year with the first monthly meeting of The Connecticut YOUTH Forum. Students from near and far came together in the cafeteria of Avon High School to listen, talk, and connect. This month’s focus: Stereotypes.

As a relatively new employee of The Connecticut Forum, this was the first YOUTH Forum meeting I have ever attended and I did not really know what to expect. I understood that the YOUTH Forum held monthly meetings that were focused on specific topics, and that adults could participate as silent observers, but I couldn’t imagine how this would work. I mean, more than 100 teenagers in a room engaging in civil and respectful dialogue…with microphones? Was this even possible? How?

I learned. I had heard that microphones would be passed…driven with minimal facilitation from adults, and I was absolutely blown away by the conversation I witnessed. To see such a large group of teens from very diverse walks of life speaking on their own accord about such a touchy subject was amazing. I was awestruck by the rawness, intelligence, and passion in their comments.

“It’s OK the be open minded, to have an opinion, and not be afraid to say what you want to say,” said Tina, a Senior at New Britian High School.

And they weren’t afraid. The conversation was broad and heartfelt, with students defining what the word stereotype meant to them, and sharing their own experiences.

The highlight of the afternoon, to me, came when Kyle, a Freshmen at Rham High School stood up and explained an experience he had.

“When we first started playing (hockey) everyone in the league was white, and there was one new black kid. We all assumed that that he would be the one that we probably wouldn’t be able to trust with plays and pass the ball to. He ended up being the fastest and highest scoring kid on our team.”

This young man, standing up in front so many other students and candidly admitting his own wrong, spoke directly to the mission of The Connecticut YOUTH Forum, which is to bring youth together through discussion and action while providing opportunities for growth and exploration.

I know that have grown from the experience of participating in this meeting as a silent observer. Days later, the comments and ideas that were expressed by those teens have stuck with me, kept me thinking, and have me looking forward to the next meeting.

Read more about the CT YOUTH Forum meeting at Avon High School in the Hartford Courant blog post, "Teens Talk Stereotypes at Avon HS."

For more information on The Connecticut YOUTH Forum, and how you can get involved, visit www.ctyouthforum.org or call (860) 509-0909 ext. 12