One key (perhaps, the most important key) to promote interesting discussion is to identify connections between ideas which others might not have noticed. We will practice this skill throughout the course.
In an e-mail to me sent before Saturday morning, discuss one item of interest to you from a presentation during the Katrina teach-in. Try to construct a thought which is more complex than, "I agree with so-and-so," or "I found this idea interesting." Instead, try to identify a connection between something a presenter says to something else, either from your life experience or from another presenter's talk.