University Convocation
Spring Semester, 2012
Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Cone Chapel, Waller Hall (unless otherwise noted)
The University Convocation series is planned by the students of IDS 202 (Convo: Campus/Community/Cosmos) so the schedule is under constant development throughout the semester. These are the programs scheduled to date.
| January 19 | |
|---|---|
| ¡Viva La Causa! Dolores Huerta, the United Farm Workers and the Civil Rights Movement A video presentation and conversation about this year's MLK Celebration speaker. Dolores Huerta co-founded and and was the first vice-president of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW).Read details of presentation | |
| January 26 | |
| Seeing Torture: The Photographs from Abu Ghraib and Narratives of Violence Sarah Sentilles Sarah Sentilles is a religion scholar, sought-after speaker and the author of three books (the most recent being "Breaking Up with God: A Love Story") and numerous magazine and journal articles. She is committed "to investigating the roles religious language, images, and practices play in oppression, violence, social transformation, and justice movements." She has recently been working on "an edited volume that investigates the intersections of torture and Christianity." For a list of her works, see her website at http://www.sarahsentilles.com/. | |
| February 2 | |
| Willamette's Indian Country Connection ~ 170 Years Later In celebration of Willamette's 170th anniversary, join the Chemawa Tutors (members of IDS-205, The Chemawa Indian School Partnership Program) and explore Willamette's signature intercultural story through all its ups and downs – from Jason Lee's mission to Spring Semester 2012. | |
| February 9 | |
| Inauguration 101: The Story behind Willamette's Past Presidents, their Symbols of Office, and the Academic Regalia You'll See at the Installation History detectives from the crack Convo Class research team bring you news you can use about some of the notable 24 presidents before Steve Thorsett, their symbols of office, and how to "read" the drag your favorite professors put on for these occasions. | |
| February 16 | |
| Oregon's Capital Punishment Controversy With Governor Kitzhaber's recent announcement that he will not allow further executions to proceed while he is in office, those working for the abolition of the death penalty in Oregon have a new opportunity to affect public opinion. A pre-existing organization, Oregonians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, will present its case at Convocation, and open up a discussion on the issue. | |
| February 23 | |
| Marginal Mormons: Race and Religious Experience in the 19th Century Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Quincy D. Newell We often think of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS, or Mormon, Church) as a monoracial institution, inhabited only by white people. However, the nineteenth-century LDS Church was also home to both African Americans and Native Americans. In this talk Dr. Newell will explore the ways in which race and religious experience shaped one another for some of these early non-white Mormons. Quincy D. Newell is an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Wyoming. An Oregon native, she earned her Ph.D. in religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she specialized in the religious history of the American West. Newell is currently working on a book manuscript entitled Marginal Mormons, which analyzes the religious experiences of nineteenth century African American and Native American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. | |
| March 1 | |
| "Willamette's Bias Incident Reporting System" Come to JACKSON PLAZA and join in a discussion about the university's new system for reporting incidents of discrimination and celebration of its implementation. Recognizing the complexity of the university's established procedures "a group of students in the College of Liberal Arts proposed a simplified approach to reporting that would help ensure that any incidents of bias and discrimination are recognized, reported, and responded to as quickly as possible. ...the bias [incident reporting] system, is the outcome of their creative suggestions." For more details about reporting incidents of bias and discrimination, please see https://secure.willamette.edu/cgi-bin/datastore.cgi/biasreport. | |
| March 8 | |
| Stories Behind the "R-Word" George Estreich Author, George Estreich will read from and comment on The Shape of the Eye, his memoir of raising a daughter who has Down syndrome. As a part of the annual End the R-word Week, this presentation will address issues related to language and how it can be hurtful to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. George Estreich lives with his family in Corvallis, Oregon. His memoir The Shape of the Eye is a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. His collection of poems Textbook Illustrations of the Human Body won the Rhea & Seymour Gorsline Poetry Competition. | |
| March 15 | |
| Professors Profess Join us for this semester's installment of this popular series as Amber Davisson (Rhetoric & Media Studies), Michael Lockard (Exercise Science) and Scott Nadelson and Roy Perez (English) relate how they followed their calling to academia and, specifically, Willamette. | |
| March 22 | |
| Amulets, Weasel Feet and Pills: A History of Birth Control Historically birth control has been a controversial practice for men and women. The methods and opinions have changed over time, resulting in an increase in social and political awareness and debate. Please join us for some film clips and a discussion of a current, and increasingly controversial, subject. | |
| March 29 | |
| No Convocation - Spring Break | |
| April 5 | |
| Faith, Justice and Prisons: Why Doesn't Willamette Have a Relationship with the Salem Prison System? The "Soul" Group The "Soul" Group (students who recently attended "The Justice Conference" in Portland) takes a look at what faith and justice look like in our society and how we can better serve the prison systems in Salem. | |
| April 12 | |
| Innovating an End to Hunger - What Can YOU Do? Rick Gaupo (WU '90), Chief Operating Officer, Marion-Polk Food Share Marion-Polk Food Share is a national leader in the food bank world. While almost all food banks rely only on donated food, MPFS is starting to go beyond this traditional and ultimately limiting approach to serving hungry families in our community. Come hear more about MPFS and what you can do to help… Because no one should be hungry! | |
| April 19 | |
| Helping Others by Taking a Break Take-a-Break (TaB) Student Participants Join us as students share how they recently used their Spring Break to travel the country and help others in need in Chicago, New Orleans, Portland, San Francisco and around the Pacific Northwest. They will touch on what they thought was exciting, significant and fun. | |
| April 26 | |
| It's a Thin Line Between Radical and Common Sense: Honoring the American Radical Tradition Mark Harris, Coordinator of The Recovery Center, Lane Community College The natural condition of human beings is freedom. America was founded on that idea, though the Founding Fathers did not consider every human being as equal to them. The Radical Republicans, favored the immediate ending of slavery, accompanied by reparations, unlimited access to education, an end to segregation as well as the vote. In other words full citizenship regardless of race, gender, or national origin. This still remains a radical idea today, but one worth working towards. Mark Harris M.A., CADC I, coordinates The Recovery Center, a project of the Multicultural Substance Abuse Prevention Program at Lane Community College. He teaches addiction studies and a survey of African-American history from 10,000 BCE to the present day. He provides technical assistance to numerous community coalitions on substance abuse prevention and treatment, gang and violence prevention and other multicultural issues. An award winning journalist, he writes commentary for local newspapers and radio, as well as hosts a weekly television program DiversiTV. | |