The Community Renewal Society will sponsor a senatorial forum for the Illinois candidates for the U.S. Senate, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Alan Keyes. While the two candidates will not be debating over the campaign issues on the same stage, each candidate will have an opportunity to speak separately, as well as to answer questions from a panel and from audience members.

Barack Obama, the state senator and former Senior Lecturer in law at the Law School, will speak first for about an hour. After his speech, the panel will ask questions. Obama will have three minutes to respond to each question before moving on to answer audience members’ questions.

Alan Keyes, who has run for U.S. Senate twice in Maryland, was on the staff of the National Security Council and has represented the United States in the U.N. General Assembly, will speak after Obama, and answer questions from both the panel and audience members following the speech. Keyes recently moved to Illinois from Maryland to run for the U.S. Senate after Republican Jack Ryan resigned from the senatorial race.

Both candidates are expected to address issues such as education, health care reform, gay marriage, and access to higher education.

The forum will be held at the Methodist Temple on 77 West Washington and will start at 5:30. For reservations to the event call the Community Renewal Society at 312-427-4830.