Notes Along the Way

National Reporter Points Students to Dr. King

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:22:00 +0000

“Balm in Gilead.” “Precious Lord.” Those were a few of Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite hymns, according to Adelle M. Banks, a national reporter at Religion News Service (RNS), a Washington-based wire service that covers religion and ethics. Banks referred to her most recent RNS story as she visited two Gordon writing classes and met with students throughout the day yesterday, only a week after the national King holiday.

A native of Newport, R.I., and graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., the award-winning reporter talked with journalism and writing students about her many experiences covering religion as it relates to public life. She also provided numerous professional tips to better reporting for students considering careers in journalism. On Tuesday night, she addressed a larger crowd of students in the Ken Olsen Science Center, discussing issues of racial reconciliation, Dr. King’s legacy and the opportunities and responsibilities today’s students have to continue serving his dream for justice.

Banks was the Hearst Professional in Residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in April 2009, and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Religion Newswriters Association. This evening, January 25, at 6:30 p.m., she will be the guest speaker at Second Church of Dorchester, where Gordon's Global Education Dean Cliff Hersey ministers. Banks’ topic? “Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Favorite Hymns and Continuing Impact.” All are welcome.

Green Chemistry Commitment Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:52:00 +0000

As Boston welcomed its first blanket of snow yesterday, it also brought together a group of scientists and educators for the Green Chemistry Commitment Summit at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Boston. The summit included leading edge educators and programs from across the country.

This day-long event also featured keynote speakers who discussed the implementation of a Green Chemistry Commitment for academic chemistry departments around the country. Among the presenters was Professor Irv Levy, who spoke about the green chemistry program at Gordon College. "At the root of the green chemistry education community are the individuals, like our students, who are making positive change for a better future," said Levy.

Though Levy was asked to speak about Gordon as a model program, he also talked about the student culture on Gordon's campus. "Our students have a significant role in the success of this program," said Levy. "They have brought, and continue to bring, positive change as a result of their green chemistry outreach—in my life, in the institution and the community."

Photo: Irv Levy is a professor of chemistry and computer science at Gordon College and a founding member of the Green Chemistry Education Network. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Scientific Affiliation and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He also serves on the Faculty Advisory Board for the Green Chemistry Commitment.

Water is Life

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:34:00 +0000

Kevin Herr '09 shares reflections on his time in Haiti with Water Missions International, and the organization's ongoing work to bring clean water and the gospel message to people in need around the world:

I stood there, waiting for water to flow out of the tap. It wasn’t coming. The crowd grew restless—mothers in line pushed to get in front of each other, kids ran around yelling. Everyone was waiting. Some had been in line for hours, hoping to fill their buckets with clean water to bring home to their families.

My wife and I, both Gordon graduates, had been living in Port-Aux-Prince, Haiti, for over a month at that point, and we were just starting to get accustomed to our surroundings. We had come with Water Missions International, a Christian engineering ministry. I primarily assisted with the Community Development Department, attending community gatherings and meeting with local pastors, while my wife, Janice, taught the Health and Hygiene curriculum.

We were delayed that day due to a broken section of pipe in need of replacement. One side of the long pipe was attached to a submersible pump that went down into a bacteria-filled well. The other side of the pipe went into a small building that housed a Living Water™ Treatment System (LWTS™). The LWTS™ is Water Missions International’s patented water system, capable of purifying disease-infected water at a rate of 10 gallons per minute through a process of filtration and disinfection.

In Haiti, it is common to hear people say, “Water is Life,” and it’s true. As I stood there in front of the anxious crowd, waiting for the new pipe to be installed, I understood what water truly meant to these people. I could never imagine an American family waiting in line for hours just to get a drink. But this wasn’t a new experience for these Haitians—they didn’t have access to safe water before the 2010 earthquake, either. Driving down the road, I would frequently see people collecting water from dirty streams or run-off ditches.

Worldwide, this lack of safe water causes the death of one child every 15-20 seconds. But that message, on its own, has a hole: Safe water is certainly a staple of healthy communities, but true transformational development will never take place without Jesus at its core. Providing safe water to these populations allows us an incredible opportunity to tangibly share the love of Christ. Many times, I, or one of our Haitian staff, would hold up bottles of clean and dirty water while sharing the gospel message—the correlation between the safe and the Living Water is so clear!

Janice and I were blessed to have spent two months in Haiti. It’s been over a year since we returned, and I now oversee the Church Engagement Program for Water Missions International. When I speak with churches, I can communicate with confidence the direct impact that their involvement has on people’s lives, because I’ve seen it first hand.

My passion for international missions developed during my time at Gordon College, where I participated twice on Mexico Outreach trips and then led a trip to Guatemala with World Focus. Without these experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s incredible, the work that the Holy Spirit does inside of your heart when you leave your comfort zone and rely on him. If you give him the control, there’s no telling where you might end up.

Kevin and Janice Herr (both ’09) live in Charleston, SC. Kevin and Janice graduated from Gordon College with Business Administration and Biology degrees, respectively. Kevin is currently working on a church initiative called Water Sunday (recently featured in a front-page article at the Christian Post)—one Sunday for churches to dedicate to educating their congregations about the global water crisis.The goal is for 50 churches to host Water Sundays in March 2012, raising enough funds to bring safe water and the Living Water message to 25,000 people worldwide.To learn more about how your church can host a Water Sunday, visit their website here.

Water Sunday from Water Missions on Vimeo.

Photo: Kevin and a Haitian boy work on the Living Water™ Treatment System.

A Really BIG Move

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:30:00 +0000

A sea of red plastic moving bins were spotted in academic buildings on campus this week as faculty from two departments began their move to a new wing of office space on the third floor of the Ken Olsen Science Center.

The new wing now hosts faculty offices for the Department of Psychology and the Department of Kinesiology. Also opening this week is the new Psychology Observation Laboratory, which will serve as a space for the Counseling course and for small-class lectures and seminars. For faculty member Kaye Cook, professor of psychology, settling in the new space entails moving 33-years of scholarly work. Cook has spent just over two decades in an small office stacked with books and journals on the third floor of Frost Hall. For 21 years the office served as the writing space where Cook authored two books, contributed two chapters, ran four grants, wrote 27 scholarly papers, prepared countless presentations, and advised several hundreds students. “During that time, I acquired more great memories than books, and I’ve got a lot of books!”

Also moving this week are faculty from the Kinesiology Department. In a department that hosts 6 concentrations within health professions, the move is a big step in fostering a more centralized community for their students. “With offices and labs in the Jenks building, Kinesiology was somewhat fractured from the Natural Science Division,” said Sean Clark, associate professor of Kinesiology. “Faculty and students in Kinesiology missed out on the day-to-day interactions and conversations that characterize community within academia.” The move to the third floor of the Ken Olson Science Center will now connect the Department of Kinesiology with colleagues and students in the Division of Natural Sciences, as well as psychology. Clark, who serves as department chair, hopes the move will “provide for broader and better communication within the Division and expand on ideas for interdisciplinary connections.”

Though the new wing is open and faculty are starting to prepare their offices for the start of the spring semester, the Ken Olsen Science Center still has additional construction before the building is complete, including a botanical studies green house, a bioenergetics lab, a biomechanics lab and a neuromotor control lab.

Photo 1: Professor Cook unpacks books in her new office in the Ken Olsen Science Center. Photo 2: movers in Frost Hall carry thousands of papers, files and books to the new suite of faculty offices.

Winter Break in the Mission Field

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:56:00 +0000

Winter break can be a time of rest, relaxation and recovery after the end of a long semester. But quite a few Gordon students are cutting their hibernation short: They're packing their bags and flying off to serve others around the world. Over the next week, student-led missions teams will travel to Haiti, Mexico and Northern Ireland.

In Haiti, students will have the opportunity to work with Partners in Development (PID), a faith-based organization involved in many aspects of development, from medical clinics to child sponsorship, small business lending and housing creation. The Gordon team will work with Hatian masons, building homes and helping to complete various other construction projects at nearby sites, all while learning about Hatian culture and the broader work of PID's development efforts.

Students traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, will be the latest in a long line of Gordon trips to the Mexican border city, building upon an already strong relationship between Gordon and the Tijuana community. Gordon volunteers will work with several local churches and orphanages, providing everything from Bible lessons to manual labor.

And while Gordon students continue to strengthen those established bridges, others will be building new ones in the United Kingdom. This group will travel to the New Lodge area of North Belfast in Northern Ireland—where ethno-political tensions run particularly high—to partner with 174 Trust, a Christian community engagement organization. Working with 174 Trust, they will serve the community through various work projects, as well as offering daycare services and after school projects with local children.

Sponsoring short-term missions trips has been a staple of Gordon College's Chapel Office, understanding that these service projects "represent unique opportunities for individuals to grow in their knowledge of God, the world, self, and others."

We pray for safe travels and transformative experiences for all involved in these trips. All of the groups will return just days before returning to campus for the Spring semester.

Photo: Gordon students from the 2010 Haiti trip pose for a picture with some local children.

Making an Impact for Widows and Orphans in Zambia

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:19:00 +0000

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEFAR) was one of the most widely-praised initiatives of the George W. Bush Administration. It was a sweeping commitment—over $15 billion towards AIDS relief across the globe. And while it's easy to hear of broad policies and grand numbers and be unaffected, its impact is still being felt in communities like Ng'ombe, Zambia, where Linda Wilkinson '78 works with widows and orphans affected by HIV.

In 2005, Linda founded Chikumbuso Widows and Orphans Project, which serves this marginalized community with "free schooling for the children, as well as adult training and capacity building, income generation activities and community building programs."

The initiative has grown steadily since its birth, directly impacting the lives of dozens of at-risk individuals in Zambia—thanks in large part to the free treatment options they were able to access through PEFAR.
"Women who had nothing and children who had no direction are now living full and productive lives going to school and caring for one another," Wilkinson says.

"Living here in Zambia I am witness to the lives saved through this program. Ninety five percent of our widows at Chikumbuso and many of their children suffer from this virus. When I reflect on the women seven years ago and the hardships they were enduring, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually, I can see nothing but growth."

As a testament to Chikumbuso's community-shaping, life-changing work, President Bush paid the center a visit a few weeks ago. The community welcomed him with embraces and songs, and expressed their gratitude to him for his work on their behalf. President Bush, in turn, was "touched deeply by the stories the widows told and the lives of the children at Chikumbuso."

To learn more about Chikumbuso's work, and how you can get involved in Linda's work in Zambia, browse the organization's website here.

Linda Wilkinson was a history and education double major at Gordon College. Her husband, Bruce '77, works with World Vision in Zambia. The Wilkinsons were named Alumni of the Year at Gordon in 2008.

Photo: Former President and First Lady George and Laura Bush (in red) tour the Chikumbuso compound, guided by Linda Wilkinson '78 (in gray).

From Gordon to Harvard to MIT

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 13:39:00 +0000

After graduating from Gordon in 2003, Hiromu Nagahara didn’t go far—in fact, he went as far as Harvard (which is only about 30 miles away, give or take).

After studying history at Gordon, doing his senior thesis on “How nationalism informed the establishment of Western-style music education in late nineteenth century Japan,” he decided he wanted to get his masters and Ph.D. in Japanese history at Harvard. His dissertation was on popular culture and censorship in modern Japan.

He also taught two courses at Gordon during that time—Modern Japan and Advanced Seminar on Media and Culture in Asia. One of Hiromu’s students, history major Doug Barker ’12, loved these classes: “Professor Nagahara's class on Modern Japan was quite honestly the best class I have ever been in. He managed to take a subject I had absolutely no prior knowledge and make it not only interesting, but also a lot of fun. Thanks to him, I'm now considering pursuing further East Asian studies.”

Gordon and Harvard weren’t the only schools to notice Hiromu’s talent. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) didn’t waste any time offering him a tenure-track position in an assistant professorship in Japanese history soon after he was done at Harvard.

Even though Hiromu is now at MIT, he has fond memories of Gordon. His favorite professor was Jennifer Hevelone-Harper, professor of history. “She introduced me to the fascinating world of medieval culture and spirituality—and I consider medieval history to be my ‘first love’ in history, before I skipped time and space to study Japan,” he says. “She also helped me get acquainted with the world of the academy as a profession, both in terms of its rewards and challenges.”

Hiromu also took a few semesters of Hebrew with Marv Wilson, professor of biblical and theological studies. “I considered it a real pleasure to study Hebrew—which turned out to be quite fun in its own right—with a scholar who was involved in translating/editing the NIV.”

As a student, Hiromu made friends that he’s still close to today. “These friendships taught me a lot about life and they’ve gotten me through many experiences—both good and tough—during and after college.” Hiromu and his friends especially loved exploring the Gordon Woods together as students, finding peace and solace there. Hiromu was also part of the College Choir as a student. “Involvement in this deepened my love and knowledge of music in ways that still inform my research today,” he explains.

Hiromu says his semester abroad in Oxford was probably the most influential experience that relates to what he does today. “That's when I started to seriously engage with Japanese history in one of my tutorials. It's also where I became acquainted with various world-class scholars in fields ranging from anthropology to philosophy, and the insights I've gained from these encounters have continued to inspire me to this day.”

From Biology Labs to Nigeria—A Journey of Vocation

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Ever since she was a child, Damilola Junaid ’14 wanted to pursue a career in medicine. A biology major from Nigeria, she has spent the last few years at Gordon College cultivating her passion—research medicine. But when she began her sophomore year at Gordon, she came to classes with a new experience to share with her fellow pre-med students—an internship in Nigeria.

Last summer, Junaid asked her brother if she could start working in his Nigerian hospital to gain more hands-on experience in the field. He agreed and as a result, she shadowed her brother—a surgeon and physician—watching surgeries and working directly with patients, bringing her Gordon textbooks to life. “I really wanted to see how I’d react while observing surgery," she said. “It is one thing to observe a surgery on TV, and another to observe one in real life.”

As her internship progressed, her days soon became packed as she divided her time between different departments in the hospital. She shadowed medical rounds, helped check on patients before, during and after surgeries, and she also listened to weekly presentations that involved informing various departments about new drugs and technology for treatment. From her observations within the walls of the OR and the trauma unit, Junaid was in the trenches of African medicine. Because she’s especially interested in diagnostic medicine, Junaid paid close attention to different approaches doctors used to treat patients.

In general, Junaid felt prepared for her internship. She credits her Gordon professors for giving her the knowledge and experience she needed for this experience. (Her professors have always emphasized learning material instead of just studying for an exam.) Most notably, her knowledge of some medical terminologies from her Anatomy and Physiology course played a significant role in her interactions with the physicians in Nigeria. “My brother was surprised at my knowledge of medicine—and this gave me a great sense of accomplishment and competence," she said. In this experience, she realized how well Gordon was providing a solid foundation for a career in medicine.

Now that she’s back in the States, Junaid continues to explore the many fields of medicine. Her time working in Africa provided the confirmation she needed to continue in her vocation, and it has also intensified her curiosity to explore research-based medicine.

Photo: Junaid and her brother in the operating room.

Story by Gordon student Rebekah Connell ’15, an English major from New York and student writer for the Office of College Communications.

The Geekiest Christmas Ornament

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:03:00 +0000

Each year when the Christmas season rolls around, amid all the decoration and festivities, the Physics and 3-2 Engineering department at Gordon is there to remind us that nothing says "holiday cheer" quite like Star Wars.

Students from Dr. Lee's Intro to Engineering class gathered in the engineering lab yesterday for this year's annual "Geekiest Christmas Ornament" contest. Contestants followed some simple guidelines, as described by Dr. Lee:

- The ornament proper must fit within a 6” x 6” x 6” box
- The ornament proper can weigh no more than 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs)
- It cannot be dangerous (projecting marshmallows is fine but projecting marbles is not, for example)
- It needs to do something
- The descriptor 'geeky' can be interpreted in a number of ways: Mechanisms and motors and lights cobbled together is 'geeky'; Star Wars (as a theme) is also 'geeky'; etc...

With rules in place, students set out in their esoteric efforts, stringing up everything from planets to (what appeared to be) Da Vinci's helicopter hovering above a Christmas tree. Awards in several other categories were also granted by faculty judges: "Most Clever Design," "Most Aesthetically Pleasing," and "Best Extemporaneous Allegorical Exegesis," to name a few.

But there could be only one winner of the grand prize. This year's "Geekiest Christmas Ornament" was built by Ben Stewart '14. "The ornament was made up of a single truncated icosahedron (which the creator said was a single 'unit cell' of a quasicrystal) with four hanging tassels with Nobel Prize medals on their ends," explained Lee, "It spun around using a small motor and LEDs were positioned at the vertices of the icosahedron." And the reward for his hard work:

A chocolate bar in the shape of Han Solo, trapped in carbonite.

See all the pictures from this year's contest HERE.

Photo: Ben Stewart '14 with his first-place ornament.

Men’s Basketball: Dempsey Named CCC Player of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Commissioner Gregg Kaye and the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) announced Gordon's David Dempsey (Jr./Wallingford, Conn.) has been named the Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts in helping the Fighting Scots to a perfect 2-0 record last week.

Hosting conference opponent Western New England in game one of the week, Dempsey registered a double-double on the night, shooting 59 percent from the floor for 22 points while grabbing 10 boards to lead the Scots to a 63-56 win. He went on to post 19 points and seven rebounds in Gordon's 64-55 road conference win over the Colonels of Curry College on Saturday.

Overall on the season Dempsey is averaging 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Gordon Students Host Successful Recreation Program for Local Homeschoolers

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:58:00 +0000

Thursdays in November are exciting for local homeschoolers and Gordon students alike—because of Homeschool Recreation Classes, a program offered on Gordon’s campus that includes games, exercise and lots of fun for 60 homeschoolers, from preschool through high school.

Peggy Hothem, professor of recreation and leisure studies, has organized this annual program with students in her Recreation Leadership class for over 15 years.

Not only has the program provided fun for local homeschoolers, it’s also helped prepare Gordon students for future careers in recreation.
“I saw a huge need for my students to implement and practice the recreation instructional techniques that they were learning from their textbooks,” explains Hothem. “I wanted to give them an opportunity to effectively teach games, observe the developmental physical differences according to ages, and apply proactive behavior management strategies. I also knew that a lot of homeschool children don’t always have opportunities to be physically active in a way that will teach them new fitness, sport and recreational skills.”

Hothem’s recreation students collect a variety of innovative games and collaborate on the activities they will lead with each age category. They design their lesson plans using innovative (and colorful) equipment—an Omnikin ball, parachutes, scooters, floor hockey, hoops, rubber chickens, and balls of all sizes—and put into practice the techniques that they learn in Hothem's course. Each week the students grow in creativity and confidence as they learn the best types of activities for each of age group. They consider the social, emotional and physical benefits of play and games for the children, and their hard work pays off as they see the children enthusiastically playing the games and saying, as they leave, “Can we come back next week?” Hothem is thrilled with her students’ enthusiasm. “I encourage them to be creative, have fun with the children and teach them motor and recreational skills.”

Because this program has been offered for 15 years, Hothem and her students have been able to watch families grow up. “We’ve seen kids as early as four years old until they’re in their early teenage years,” she explains.

“This has also been a terrific way to introduce homeschool families to Gordon’s campus," Hothem added, “Each fall, parents tell me that they wait to schedule other homeschool events around these days because their children love our program so much. Although I haven’t kept records, I imagine that some of our present students could have had their first Gordon experience at this annual program.”

Finish the Course—Tips for Finals Week

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:52:00 +0000

Finish the Course—Gordon's final examination support program for students—begins today.

Now in it's 11th year, everyone at Gordon participates in the Finish the Course program—staff and faculty donate home baked snacks and refreshments to study halls, additional tutors are available, lounges become study halls and silent study areas occupy rooms within the library. This year, the Academic Support Center is adding final exam clinics during the lunch hour in Lane to gives students a place to stop by, ask questions, speak with academic support staff and learn additional study skills during this time of year.

"In the Academic Support Center, we often say that studying is an act of the will," said Ann Seavey, director of academic support. "This implies that studying is not always something you will want to do or feel like doing, but something that you must do as it relates to the task you have been given at this moment in your life."

Last week faculty and staff were asked to share with students study techniques from their days in undergrad and graduate school programs. We share a few of them here:

"Your task is not to memorize. It is to care—about the aspect of God's creation you are studying, and about the persons (textbook writers, professors) who are guiding your efforts to study. Dialogue with God, his world, and your fellow-learners (including the ones called 'teachers'), and you will pass the only test that counts."
-Bert Hodges, professor of psychology

"Read through your notes and summarize the main points on separate pages using an outline form so that you can see how smaller ideas connect to main themes. Study these summary pages. Then test yourself by trying to write out the main ideas and sub points. Go back and check this against your summary outline. Put important facts on 3x5 cards and work to memorize these. Take heart! Hard work pays off!"
-Megan K. DeFranza, instructor, The Great Conversation

"Stop every 3 minutes and ask yourself what you just read/learned: sum it up in a few words. This reinforces the pathways in the brain. Then repeat it again later and again much later—even if you only review a few items out of many, you'll know those things well."
-Stephen G. Alter, associate professor of history

"Study the most difficult course material first since you are motivated to study and your mind is sharp. Organize your time creating significant periods without interruption. When you take a short break to stretch/eat an apple/drink water be intentional about going back to your studies. Also, fast from social networks (including the telephone) during study time."
-Sybil Coleman, professor of social work

"Start by gathering all of your books and notes and settling into a comfy spot with a warm mug of tea or hot chocolate. Settle into the mindset of sitting in one place for a time and focusing on the work at hand."
-Katie Madden, administrative assistant, Center for Outdoor Education, La Vida

"Start early and study for the same amount of total time over several days. (Remember: Eight hours studying between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. is not the same as studying between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. for four nights.) Also get together with other students in your class to talk about topics that will be covered to make sure you understand them as much as you need to."
-Richard Stout, professor of mathematics

"Pace yourself and set a series of small goals that will lead to completion of the larger tasks before you. Give yourself some kind of reward when you finish each small goal (food, a 10-minute break, a short walk/run, whatever works for you) and be disciplined about not taking your reward before you've met each goal."
-David Starbuck, director, W.I.L.D. Semester Program

"Space. Give yourself space to do the one thing you’re doing well. Schedules, just like rooms, can become cluttered and claustrophobic, so give yourself the space to do what you’re doing well."
-Ryan Groff, program coordinator, Jerusalem & Athens Forum

"Get some sleep and study during your best waking hours. You’ll be more productive and get better results. Those papers you write in the middle or at the end of an all-nighter… I can tell."
-Casey Cooper, managing director, Center for Nonprofit Studies

"Study somewhere that is not too comfortable or like home. The library stacks are great… very quiet, and others are suffering along with you!"
-Debbie Drost, program director, Center for Christian Studies

"For those who tend to think of a million things they need to be doing while they are trying to concentrate—keep a pad of paper and a pencil next to the computer or book and every time your mind strays to all the things you need to do, write them down (don't put the book down) and get back to studying. When you’re done studying, start on the to-do list you created."
-John Soucy, environmental safety officer

"Get up earlier. I'm a much better writer early in the morning, so I get up earlier when I have to write papers."
-Stan Gaede, scholar in residence

"I would hold a stress ball in my hand and eat a peppermint candy when studying for finals. I would do the same while taking the test to connect my memory from studying to what was on the test. Also get plenty of sleep so your mind gets rest. It helps the material to sink in."
-Elizabeth Lyon, resident director, Wilson Hall

"Exercise. It may seem like it's taking away precious study time, but I never regret taking extra time to exercise in the midst of busyness. Exercise makes me more productive for work or study."
-Abram Kielsmeier-Jones, director of Christian life and worship

“In college, I could not study in my room or at the library due to distractions and wanting to be with people. I'd find a classroom and go there every night of the week from 7-10 p.m. My friends knew I didn't want to be disturbed during that time but at 10:00 they could come find me for some adventure. Once you find that quiet place free of distractions and competing activities, go there for a certain number of hours per day. Once it becomes a routine it will help with concentration and productivity."
-Rich Obenschain, director of outdoor education, La Vida

"Get enough sleep. Being able to think clearly is just as important as knowing all the facts."
Jonathan Senning, professor of mathematics & computer science

"Write it down—trust yourself to paper. Even if you just jot down a very incomplete idea about what you've just read or what you want to say in a paper or on an exam. Once you've actually committed yourself to a comment, it will be easier to go somewhere with it."
-Ann Blackwill, adjunct, English

"Start early. Start studying for finals a week before your exams. Study for a significant chunk each day and try and cover all the material from each class 2-3 times that week. Then, during the week of exams, you’ve 'saturated' yourself with the material and merely have to review. This is much more effective that cramming one subject on any particular day."
-Josh Wymore, director of orientation

"Study in advance to ensure a full night of sleep and turn off all screens (Facebook, TV and other media) and find a solitude place without distractions. Exercise, eat healthy food and avoid foods and drinks that claim to provide energy."
-Margaret Hothem, professor of recreation and leisure

"Imagine you are the teacher. What questions would you put on the exam?"
-Dale Pleticha, professor of physics

"Keep a calendar—as assignments are given in class, write down in the calendar when you plan to do it. Study at the allotted times, and cross assignments off when done so you can feel good about your progress."
-Sue Trent, adjunct, art

"Find a study partner. This can be a classmate or a roommate whether they are in the class or not. If the buddy is from class, ask each other questions you expect to be on the test and provide feedback on the answers. If they are not in the class, tell them what you expect to be on the test and ask them if they understand your explanations of the material. Be sure it is someone who will give good feedback and hold you to a high standard in terms of articulation and understanding of the material."
-Janis Flint-Ferguson, professor of English and education

"Use color coding when writing a long paper. Using a different color for each part of the outline/topic and coding the notes you want to include in that section the same color. This method helps sort out all the yellow notes or all the green notes together, read them over and then synthesize them into a paragraph."
-Carol A. Herrick, assistant dean and registrar

"Don’t panic: God does not ask you to do more than is possible. Your job is to glorify Him in the present, making wise, prayerful choices. If you can do this faithfully, God will be pleased."
Leasa Lutes, professor of foreign languages

"Stretch—standing, gently roll your spine down so you are relaxed and dangling your head and arms over your feet. Make sure your knees are loose. Gently roll back up, focus on your breathing to make sure it's relaxed and deep. Changing your position like this gets your blood moving to your brain and relaxes the brain and body so you can absorb more. Give yourself a neck massage and your scalp a scratch. This further relaxes your body and wakes up your synapses. A foot massage will help too."
Kristina Wacome Stevick, artistic director, History Alive!

Seeking Intergenerational Justice

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 15:00:00 +0000

It was completely unplanned, but very appropriate: Onstage in Gordon’s chapel, Friday’s speaker, Gideon Strauss, stood above an orchestra pit as he announced, “Justice is symphonic.” The pit had been set up in anticipation of last weekend’s Christmas Gala concerts, and the flanking seats and music stands became a fitting object lesson for Strauss’ message of intergenerational harmony. “Orchestras are the very picture of justice,” said Strauss. “Each instrument, with its own distinct voice, comes together in beautiful harmony rather than discordant cacophony.”

Senior Fellow at the Center for Public Justice, Gideon Strauss began his talk by describing a potentially bleak future. If current spending trends persist, he noted, it is likely that within 20 years the federal government will be unable to afford more than to pay interest on its debts and support the commitments it has already made to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. This pits different generations against one another, vying for available resources, and, according to Strauss, it stands in opposition to the principles of scripture.

Zechariah 8:4-5 paints a different picture, one of harmonic, intergenerational justice: “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Once again men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each of them with cane in hand because of their age. The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.’”

In striving for this peace between old and young, Strauss discussed the importance of cultivating “slow politics.” Slow politics involves preserving the integrity of our institutions, digging deeper into issues than talking-head news perspectives tend to allow, and being conscious of the long-term reach of the policies we support. “We need to manage our resources in such a way that we don’t reap the benefits while our children and grandchildren bear the costs.”

Strauss' convocation talk was the closing lecture in the Faith Seeking Understanding series, "The State, Society and Marketplace." Click here to watch his related lecture, "The Coming War Between the Young and the Old: Will Federal Debt Destroy the American Welfare State?", delivered the previous Thursday evening.

Tallamy Earns CCC Rookie Honors For Second Consecutive Week

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 13:16:00 +0000

As announced by Commissioner Gregg Kaye, freshman forward Leanna Tallamy (Wantage, N.J.) has been named the Women's Basketball Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Tallamy continued her dominance on the court in a one-game week for the Fighting Scots, shooting 85 percent from the floor (11-of-13) and 89 percent from the stripe (8-of-9) en route to a team-high of 30 points in Gordon’s 65-53 non-conference win over Pine Manor. She finished the night just one rebound short of a double-double with nine boards and also registered four steals and a block in the win.

After four outings, she is averaging 16 points and eight rebounds per game.

Tallamy and the rest of the Scots take to the court once again on Saturday, December 3 as they travel to Curry College for a conference tilt at 1:00 p.m.

To view upcoming games, visit our Athletics' webpages.

Is Free Enterprise Moral?

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 20:51:00 +0000

This was the question in last night’s Faith Seeking Understanding debate, which featured Jim Wallis of Sojourners Magazine and Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute. Drawing a diverse crowd of students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as members of the local community, the debate was the opening event in FSU’s three-day series, “The State, Society and Marketplace.”

For all the hyperpolarized back-and-forth that has recently defined these types of conversations in American society, the discussion was remarkably civil, apolitical and constructive. Though the two men clearly represented very different responses to this question, the tone of the evening was marked by mutual respect and understanding. In the spirit of Saint Anselm’s definition of theology as “faith seeking understanding,” Brooks explained, “We are doing theology here—seeking God’s face in the everyday.”

Wallis and Brooks both focused their initial statements on Christ’s words in the final verses of Matthew 25, when Jesus explains, “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. . . Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me” (Mt. 25:42-3, 45; NIV).

In light of these words, Wallis argued the free market system is not, in itself, enough to bring justice to the poor and the needy of the world. Quoting Adam Smith, he explained, “When there's no ethical sensibility, the market ends up devouring every other sector and finally ends up devouring itself.”

"Profit isn't enough," Wallis argued, to incentivize justice. There must be increased regulations on financial sectors, aid programs for the poor, and increased accountability for all sectors involved in the market. “A nation is not judged by its gross national product, but by how it treats the most vulnerable in its society. This is not how Democrats, Republicans, Wall Street or Washington D.C. think.”

Brooks, on the other hand, pointed out that in his opinion, Christ’s words tell us not necessarily how, specifically, to behave, but to “be careful” when we make policies that affect the poor. He stressed the system that most effectively lifts the poor out of poverty is, in fact, the free enterprise system, and the wealth inequality we see in our society is at its root a problem of unequal opportunity, and of flawed culture. “We need to give the bottom 20% of our society more access to the free enterprise system through entrepreneurship,” he argued, rather than over-regulate the top of the system. Culturally, we need to promote a society that values "earned success” rather than one that detaches rewards from labor. Finally, Brooks stressed the personal accountability of the consumer—that the blame for our flawed system extends to“Washington, Wall Street and Main Street.”

Wallis and Brooks, who have been involved in a series of these debates supported by Values & Capitalism, both agreed that solving cultural issues such as high divorce rates and failing public schools among the bottom 20% are crucial to remedying problems of what Brooks called “opportunity inequality,” though they disagreed on how we might go about doing so. But similarly to many of the talking points during the debate, even when they disagreed on the specifics, this was something both men clearly understood: they were two devoted Christ-followers seeking the most compassionate way to care for “the least of these” through economic policy.

"Sport in America: Courage, Integrity, Fair Play"

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Thomas Lake '01 is the youngest senior writer at Sports Illustrated--A weekly magazine with a circulation of three million. Last week's issue of Sports Illustrated featured a series of writer reflections, showing the personal side of sport and how many SI writers came to love following the game. The reflections made last week's cover story, "Sport in America: Courage, Integrity, Fair Play. How We Define Ourselves in Our Games," in an article spotlight called "In My Tribe."

Lake, a Sports Illustrated senior writer for six years, begins with memories of his youth--evenings clinging to a small radio listening to broadcasts of the Atlanta Braves, and a very personal moment of his first college basketball tryout when he became a student at Gordon College.
Lake wraps these moments together and concludes with thoughts on sport and the impact on today's youth. "Children think about courage and failure all the time, and sports help them with both. . . . Sometimes the things that are hardest are the most intimate."

To read this Sports Illustrated feature article, visit SI.com or pick up a copy of the November 28, 2011 issue on newsstands. To learn more about Gordon graduate Tom Lake, watch a video highlighting Lakes' recent Chapel address while visiting campus.

Skateboarding, Re-imagined

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +0000

“We live amid surfaces, and the true art of life is to skate well on them.”

When Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote these words in the 19th century, he could have no idea that they would be so aptly repurposed by a family of skateboarders 160 years later. But communication arts major Thomas Mull ’13, English major Steve Mull ’15, and their two brothers Charlie ’07 and Dave have adopted the quote as their boardsport motto. It’s a far cry from the “skate and destroy” culture popularized through the eighties and nineties—and that’s the point. Their Vermont-based skateboarding collective, The Worble, represents “rural skateboarding.” It’s about more than releasing pent-up aggression on a slab of concrete. They seek ways to return to nature, to respect and honor the terrain with their sport—much in the same way that surfing has done with the ocean.

The brothers will be premiering their latest skateboarding video, The Wander Years, tomorrow night at the Barrington Center for the Arts cinema. Spanning several years of filming and editing, the video was shot and produced mainly by Thomas, and features the brothers skating cities, skate parks, rural roads and even downed trees in their native Vermont and at spots across the Northeast.
“I think the film will appeal to skaters and non-skaters,” says Steve.

“We tried to make it visually interesting and representative of our rural perspective on skateboarding” explains Thomas, “There’s more beautiful fall foliage and nice scenery in our films—but also much more gravel.”

The Wander Years premiers at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow, November 29, at the Barrington Center for the Arts cinema at Gordon College.

Photo: Thomas Mull '13 (left) films his brother Dave (right) making creative use of a downed tree in Vermont. Watch the trailer.

A Successful Year for the Admissions Caravan

noreply@blogger.com (Natalie Ferjulian) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 18:22:00 +0000

For the second year in a row, the Gordon College Admissions Caravan filled every seat on a coach bus with high school juniors and seniors on their way to a unique campus weekend. Thursday, November 10th, 47 prospective students were picked up from three locations: Wayne, Pennsylvania; Hawthorne, New Jersey; and Trumbull, Connecticut, before heading to Wenham.

“Being on a bus for 22 hours with prospective students was a great way to share about Gordon, get to know one another, and have a good time!” says Admissions Counselor Justin Ellis, who chaperoned the trip with fellow Admissions Counselor Rob Mansfield.

Between exploring Boston, duck tours, chapel, class visits, student panels and residence hall overnights, prospective students experienced as much Gordon as possible during their stay. They also had the opportunity to connect with students visiting from the West Coast for Coast to Coast weekend, as well as local students on campus for Gordon Experience Day.

Serving within the American Immersion Process

noreply@blogger.com (Jo Kadlecek) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:17:00 +0000

Beverly resident Hanjing Lai graduated last May with a degree in business administration but wasn’t necessarily looking to work for a nonprofit organization. When an opportunity with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (BCNC) came her way, though, she couldn’t turn it down.

For the past four months, Lai has worked as a Parent Leadership Specialist for BCNC, an organization that serves as a vital link for the Asian immigrant and Asian American community to navigate U.S. society by providing essential services while preserving their culture.

“As someone who was born in China, and lived in Hungary before coming to the United States as an international student, I understand the difficulties involved in the American immersion process,” said Lai. “I feel that I am well-equipped to serve the Asian community in my knowledge of different languages and cultures.”

One of BCNC’s main goals is to help every low-income Asian child receive a quality education. As a part of this effort, Lai was chosen as the representative for BCNC to participate in a public education discussion meeting with Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston this past August 31.

“I brought a BCNC parent representative along with me to the meeting,” said Lai. “Mayor Menino wanted to hear the genuine opinions of those who were impacted directly by public school education, and by bringing a parent with me, I was able to add more depth and authenticity to the discussion.”

During her time at Gordon, Lai concentrated in international business, and now attributes her success in working for a nonprofit organization directly to her classes and professors. In addition to her educational experiences, Lai participated in Harvard’s Model United Nation program, Gordon’s women’s choir and Gordon’s International Student Organization. Lai especially enjoyed spending her junior year in China as part of Gordon’s study abroad program.

“I am very thankful that I am able to serve the people who I have a heart for,” said Lai. “Gordon professors demonstrated to me what is means to be a servant leader, and I strive to follow their example every day in working with the underprivileged Asian community.”

Story by Kate Brooks, a senior Communication Arts student from Scotch Plains, N.J.

Reality of a Writer’s Life

noreply@blogger.com (Cyndi McMahon) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Most young writers stare in awe when published authors visit their schools and local bookstores. But even deeper than the awe, there is also, I think, a strong connecting all writers to one another—a fundamental similarity. I look into their faces and I see a brightness, a curiosity, that I know well; there is a weariness that I understand. No matter that I’ve never published more than the occasional angsty poem. Peering into the faces of fellow writers, I can’t help but empathize.

So I sit in a college auditorium with a battered notebook, a cheap pen. At the front of the room, a man with tight graying curls and black-framed glasses bends over a creaking podium. Students shuffle in—the lit lovers, the ambitious, the dazed. We all clutch notebooks to our chests. We all perk up our ears. We all scramble for some scrap of success that may happen to flake off of the nobleman’s shoulders as he passes.

Sven Birkerts, celebrated author and editor of Boston University’s literary magazine, AGNI, spent an evening at Gordon College last Thursday to read selections from his various memoirs. All listened entranced, but particularly rapt were the English majors, myself included. I watched his posture, his gestures; I listened to his voice, the way he lifted his words up and down as he read them from the book in his hands. His book. Birkerts read his essays with smooth rapidity. I wrote this, I imagined him thinking as he turned the pages. But instead of arrogance, I sensed only a kind of weariness, a tired humility that years of success must bring. In my notebook I caught his most striking phrases. “Intense loaded echoes.” “Brittle fragility.” “Too redly.” “Levitating above the life of the street.” Birkerts painted the landscape of the writing life in all its gritty and colorful detail, all its annoyances and familiarities and loneliness.

Hearing the experiences of Birkerts’ life as a writer, who climbed rung by rung from the bottom of the food chain—that was encouraging, especially for a freshman English major. Birkerts did not smooth over his memories. Instead he dug into the overlooked details and raised them to humble poingnancy. We all knew what he meant to describe: the desperation of being a writer. It is something even we amateur writers at Gordon understand as we pore over texts and hand midnight poetry to our professors. We wrestle with words, both deciphering their meanings and forming them ourselves. Birkerts is a master of that wrestling match. Like us, though, he still fights to the death with every open page.

After the reading I asked him what in writing was still difficult for him. He laughed and said, “Writing.” Getting past the blockages, he said: soldiering on even when no words flow. The most curious students peppered Birkerts with questions, and he answered smiling, waving his hands excitedly. The weariness of reading his work to an audience was gone—he was a writer like us. “Read like crazy,” he said, “And discover what moves you.” He promised us that “breaking in” to the writing world is extremely difficult. But he told us to keep writing, to never stop.

At the podium, Sven Birkerts was an austere and brilliant author. Standing among students, he became, himself, a student of the written word. He filled our open hands with reality and hope. In his voice I could hear his love for students, and in his eyes I could see his love for writing. What a gift Gordon students received in having Sven Birkerts here, an example of what we can become.

[Photo: Rebekah Connell]

Story by Gordon student Rebekah Connell ’15, an English major from New York and student writer for the Office of College Communications.

A New Year (and a New Face) for the Vox Populi

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Susanna Young '12 is the editor-in-chief for the Vox Populi, a publication of the Gordon College Student Association that shares essays, fiction and poetry from members of the Gordon community—mainly students, but also faculty, staff and alumni. She shares her thoughts on the latest issue of the Vox, and a new phase in the publication's presence on campus.

"When I was offered the position of editor for the Vox Populi, I had no idea what kind of an undertaking it was. One summer and half a semester later, we—my team and I—were in full swing and straining for a steep learning curve. Thanks to the previous editors before me, the Vox was an established and professional operation of which we were the willing benefactors. Because of this groundwork, the Vox's presence on campus has been (and hopefully will continue to be) an outlet for expressing opinions and perspectives on various relevant topics as well as a venue for the creative voices of our community.

The challenge then, besides learning how to manage a publication, was to push the identity of the Vox Populi forward, to contribute to its actualization and get people’s attention. Plenty of nights were spent attempting to meet these tasks head on. We encountered what felt like a maze of possibilities surrounding elements of design, how to feature writing with specific segments, and how to remain flexible and open to being surprised by pieces we could not have anticipated. In the midst of all this wading though, a beacon emerged: we knew we wanted the Vox Populi to publish individual issues that stood on their own while fitting into the overall framework of the publication. So, we decided to organize each issue around a one-word theme.

For our fall issue, we decided on the word 'Contact,' which we liked for its dual noun and verb usage, and for its broad interpretive possibilities. While the decision to use a thematic shape for the Vox was a narrowing one, we wanted to invite all the voices we hoped to publish to speak it into existence and show us what it is that we meant. We’re thrilled with our first issue of the Vox Populi and are now in the midst of producing our second.

This next theme is 'Room' and it’s given us a promising point of departure for the issue, with pieces that imbibe both physical space and the conceptual realm of ideas in dialogue with one another. Thank you to those of you who wrote for us and thanks for reading!"

For more information on the Vox Populi, feel free to contact the publication staff at voxpop@gordon.edu.

Nick Fitzgerald '11 to Serve Teenagers in Ipswich, Mass.

noreply@blogger.com (kristin) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:14:00 +0000

by Jane Dooley, Wicked Local: Ipswich

"Hanging out with friends instead of an annoying sibling or even worse—mom and dad—is a rite of passage for kids in their early and mid teens.

But finding a safe place in Ipswich to hang with those friends has proven tough. Needing some independence, but too young to drive or have a job, and too old for daycare programs, Ipswich kids in their early and mid teens have often been left to fend for themselves.

Until now.

Nick Fitzgerald '11, new teen director at the Ipswich YMCA, is meeting with local groups, parents and teenagers to get input on what types of activities they would like to see offered to support teens in Ipswich."

Day of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 21:27:00 +0000

"Thy Kingdom come, on Earth as it is in Heaven."

This was the plea that underscored yesterday's Day of Prayer events. In various ways all over campus, students, faculty and staff took a break from the normal pace of academic life to refocus on God's Kingdom—His reign, as well as our responsibility to further it.

Dr. Greg Carmer, dean of chapel, commented on that duality at the start of the morning's worship service. "We are utterly dependent on God, and yet we must be attentive to our call to be wise stewards." The morning prayer service drew from a range of traditions and prayer styles—from liturgical to small groups to a performance by Gordon's Dance Ministry team.

Elsewhere around campus, other groups sponsored prayer opportunities, including prayer for the persecuted church, prayer through art and writing, and liturgical prayer. Out on the chapel lawn, Gordon College's Men's Ministry stoked a wood fire and led prayer through the Psalms, without ceasing, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. An additional worship service that afternoon was hosted by Gordon's multicultural club, ALANA (individuals of African-American, Latino, Asian, and Native American descent), and featured music, prayer and Bible readings in multiple languages.

Click here for more photos from the Day of Prayer.

Forging a Christian Conscience

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Every year, the Jerusalem and Athens Forum assembles curious minds from across campus for a year-long honors program devoted to delving into the history of Christian thought and literature, seeking to better understand the relationship between faith and intellect. But the influence of JAF at Gordon extends beyond the twenty-some students enrolled in the program each year: through lectures, debates and open faculty/student discussions, the Jerusalem and Athens Forum has become a staple of the intellectual life of the College.

Oftentimes, these events will ask expert scholars a divisive or difficult question, such as the one posed at this past Monday's JAF event, "What is Conscience?"

Gordon's scholars—Bert Hodges, professor of psychology; Lauren Swayne Barthold, associate professor of philosophy; and Steve Hunt, associate professor of Biblical Studies—each approached the question in light of their own disciplines, and with an eye toward the implications of their opinions within a Christian worldview. In the end, what resulted from the discussion was not a series of divergent viewpoints, but an exploration of the many levels of a complicated issue. In contrast with the common image of the person in internal turmoil with an angel on one shoulder devil on the other (see the figurines in the photo above), the faculty panel seemed to agree that what we call "conscience" seems to emerge from communities, rather than from individuals.

The actual "faculty" of conscience, as Dr. Swayne Barthold suggested, "allows us to make use and sense of specific laws... [it] is that mechanism or capacity within us that allows us to assume that something lies beyond our immediate and direct experiences, without which morality (and rationality) is impossible." Conscience is what makes a Christian morality feasible for us, because it is conscience that recognizes there is some truth beyond our full knowledge—the "Good-beyond-being," as Plato described it. "Its usefulness is in its ability to underwrite our belief that it is worth fighting for any goods at all."

Dr. Hodges presented a more filled-in version of this "bare-bones" conscience described by Dr. Swayne Barthold. For Hodges, "conscience is liturgy." It is what we as a collective culture have ventured to know and put into practice together—"joint or mutual knowledge," as Hodges quoted C. S. Lewis. "Conscience," he pointed out, "comes from the latin for 'together knowing.'" Conscience is closely linked with consciousness, a faculty we train to "interrupt, point out, and tutor" us in our normal behavior, not as an act of deep self-reflection, but in response to the community, and to the liturgy and the tradition that has been received. As such, the Church body represents a large facet of a Christian's conscience.

Dr. Hunt went on to distinguish between "conscience," which Paul claims can be "weak" in some and "strong" in others, from the leading of the Spirit. Conscience, as scripture discusses it, seems to refer to the right awareness of and response to the Law—which is distinct from the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit within us.

While the view of conscience being something socially conditioned can come off as unnerving to a Christian, each of the scholars insisted and maintained that such an idea does nothing to hurt the ultimate truth of the Gospel. In fact, this perspective on conscience frees the terminology from much of the Western individualism that prevents Christians from appreciating the truly communal effort of working, under the guidance of the Sprit, to forge and sustain a "Christian conscience."

Photo (left to right): Lauren Swayne Barthold, Bert Hodges and Steve Hunt discuss, "What is Conscience?"

The Lazarus at Your Gate

noreply@blogger.com (John) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:24:00 +0000

Scot McKnight, professor of religious studies at North Park University in Chicago and author of The Jesus Creed, spoke during this morning's convocation program as part of the Faith Seeking Understanding lecture series. An expert on the New Testament, early Christianity and the historical Jesus, Dr. McKnight focused his talk on the divergent perspectives on afterlife held by various Christians. His aim was to recast the debate, shifting its focus to the teachings of Jesus in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-31).

It is easy, McKnight pointed out, to view this parable as a preview of heaven and hell, touching on many of the questions alive in the debate today. When we view it in such a light, we imagine ourselves happily in paradise with Lazarus and Abraham. "We assume that we are the poor people," McKnight observes. But a closer look at the parable reveals that--more than any clear depiction of the afterlife--the story is an admonition of those privileged citizens in society who neglect those on the margins, at the gates. And in terms of privilege in the global society, "we're the rich man," McKnight stated candidly.

Dr. McKnight shifted away from the immediate concern over various opinions on the afterlife, explaining that this parable "is not designed to ask, 'What's your view on hell?' Instead, it reminds us of our accountability in our response to the Lazaruses in our world."

"Who is the Lazarus at your gate?" became the refrain of McKnight's lecture. Our love, as Christians, must "cross the distance" into marginalized communities in our own regions—not just around the world, but in Boston, on the North Shore, in Wenham. Otherwise, we succumb to the same unchecked, apathetic privilege of the rich man whom Jesus warns in this parable.

Photo: Dr. Scot McKnight speaking in Friday's convocation.