Members of the Socrates’ Cafe gather Monday evening at Java Cat for a Skype discussion with Eric Newport, one of the co-founders of the Anti-SOPA movement. Newport began the conversation with the question “What is a fair price for music?” and produced various viewpoints of the members. Jenny Pendarvis/The Bulletin
The Socrates Café, a group dedicated to discussing philosophy, met Monday at the JavaCat-5 coffee shop. In addition to this being their first meeting of the semester, it was also their first time chatting via Skype with Eric Newport, a software designer.
Newport, a former resident of Emporia currently living in Calif., discussed the matter of copywriting and piracy, putting forth his own ideas on how to deal with it.
Having worked for Google and Yahoo in the past, he has an “inside perspective,” interesting ideas on slowing down piracy and knows the pros and cons of his ideas, said J. G. Hollowell, a sophomore undecided major and member of the philosophy club.
Newport also has ties to the philosophy club, having been one of the people to start it several years ago. Although he was not a student at ESU, he came to the meetings “all the time,” said Charles Emmer, associate professor of philosophy and advisor to the club.
Hollowell also enjoys coming to the meetings.
“Even when I wasn’t going to Emporia State, (going to the meetings) was always something really fun to go out and do in this town,” Hollowell said.
Rachal Davidson, sophomore Psychology major and current president of the club, said she was very excited about the meeting and the ones to come.
The Philosophy Club is open to anyone interested and will meet at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at the JavaCat-5 coffee shop at 608 Commercial St.