Calvin College

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

President of Diyar Consortium and of Dar al-Kalima University College in Bethlehem and president of the Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb also serves as the senior pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, Palestine. The most widely published Palestinian theologian to date, Dr. Raheb is the author of 16 books including I am a Palestinian Christian and Faith in the Face of Empire.  His books and numerous articles have been translated into eleven languages.  Recipient of many prestigious awards, his work has received wide media attention from major international media outlets and networks including CNN, ABC, CBS, 60 Minutes, BBC, ARD, ZDF, DW, BR, Premiere, Raiuno, Stern, The Economist, Newsweek, and Vanity Fair.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

Eric O’Neill is a security expert that will share with us current cyber threats facing industry, government and private individuals, from threats to national infrastructure, to corporate espionage and cyber terrorism, to identity theft and online fraud.  Eric has worked as an FBI counter terrorism and counterintelligence operative, a national security attorney and as a corporate security consultant. He is the founder of The Georgetown Group, a premier investigative and security services firm. In 2001, during his time in the FBI, Eric played a key role in capturing the notorious spy, Robert Phillip Hanssen, the story of which is captured in the movie Breach. Eric graduated from Auburn University and went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from George Washington University Law School.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

Kurt VerBeek is an assistant professor of sociology at Calvin College with a focus on poverty, development and Christian responsibility.   Kurt and his wife, Jo Ann, live in Tegucigalpa and lead Calvin’s Semester in Honduras. In addition to his work with Calvin, Kurt is one of six founding members of the Association for a More Just Society (AJS) in Honduras, an organization which seeks to create a more just society, focusing on the poorest and most vulnerable sectors through the creation of more just legislation, by a more just application of current legislation, and increasing the role of churches in promoting social justice.  While working for Calvin, Prof. Ver Beek has also carried out short-term consulting work with international development organizations including World Vision and Tear Fund UK.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

The Salgueros are co-lead pastors of the multiethnic Lamb’s Church in NYC which worships in three languages – English, Spanish, and Mandarin. They have ministered extensively in Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The Rev. Gabriel Salguero is also president of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NaLEC) and is a powerful voice on issues that affect Latino communities in the United States. Focusing on poverty, immigration, and education, Gabriel’s leadership of the NaLEC offers an important voice for growing diversity and changing demographics in our country. He has been named one of the most prominent Latino evangelical leaders by the Huffington Post, the Center for American Progress, El Diario, and Jorge Ramos’ Al Punto. In addition to her leadership at Lamb’s Church, the Rev. Jeanette Salguero provides leadership with Urban Strategies’ efforts to promote national health and wellness initiatives that empower Hispanic communities.  She is recognized for her work on multiethnic outreach and Hispanic women’s leadership empowerment.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

Jere Krakow recently completed a public service career with the National Park Service and previously was a college professor in American history.  Krakow served as superintendent of nine National Historic Trails, including the Oregon, Santa Fe, Pony Express, and Trail of Tears National Historic Trails.  He has a long-standing goal of connecting the historic sites of the nation with students and citizens alike.   Krakow is a fellowship recipient from the National Endowment for the Humanities and holder of awards from several historic trail friend groups.  He is a member of the Western History Association and a consultant on the administration of historic trails, commemorative events, and the activities associated with them.  Currently serving as a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, Krakow’s presentation will help us celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

At once primitive and futuristic, standing at the crossroads of music and art, The Earth Harp incorporates sculpting, architecture and sound design.  The Earth Harp was built and developed by William Close, a New York native and alumni at the Art Institute of Chicago. While studying at the institute, Close, an avid musician, started concocting, then building, his own instruments, turning them into functioning, great-sounding entities. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage, while the strings travel over the audience, attaching to the back of the theatre, concert hall and/or festival ground, turning every space into an instrument. By rubbing violin rosin covered gloves along the strings, the Earth Harp’s bowed tones and overlapping ripple effect makes it sound as if it were being played in some vaulted cathedral, giving the music a sanctified quality.  Close’s celebrated Earth Harp earned him a finalist slot on NBC’s America’s Got Talent and was recently named by the World Record Academy as creating and holding the record for the world’s largest stringed instrument.  Close has designed at least two permanent Earth Harp installations, one as part of Cirque du Soleil’s show KA at the MGM Las Vegas, the other as part of a 1,300-seat theater aboard the Royal Caribbean International’s newest ship, Quantum of the Seas. He has brought his Earth Harp to iconic venues like Rome’s Coliseum, Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center, New York’s Lincoln Center, Seattle’s Space Needle, Shanghai’s Grand Theater, Sao Paulo’s Theatro Muncipal, Qatar’s Dhow Harbour, as well as major U.S. festivals like Lollapalooza, Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lighting in a Bottle.  With an interest in soundtrack work, Close has also recorded music for Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim.

This lecture will be broadcast via webcast at the Dogwood Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free. For those who would like a lunch ($5) , please call 231.924.8885 to reserve one at least 24 hours in advance of the lecture you would like to attend.

For more information on the Calvin College January Series click here.
The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin College January Series, is supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

Leroy Barber has dedicated more than 20 years to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, healing racism, and living what Dr. King called “the beloved community.”  He is currently the Global Executive Director of Word Made Flesh, an international organization that works among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor.  Rev. Barber is on the boards of Mission Year and the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).  He is author of New Neighbor: An Invitation to Join Beloved Community and Everyday Missions: How Ordinary People Can Change the World.  He was a contributor to Tending to Eden and the groundbreaking book UnChristian. His third book was just released this spring, Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White: Who’s More Precious in God’s Sight? A call for diversity in Christian missions and ministry.

This lecture will be broadcast via webcast at the Dogwood Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free. For those who would like a lunch ($5) , please call 231.924.8885 to reserve one at least 24 hours in advance of the lecture you would like to attend.

For more information on the Calvin College January Series click here.
The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin College January Series, is supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

A Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, best-selling author, teacher, and essayist, Ron Suskind has spent his career chronicling our social and political landscape.  Suskind is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Confidence Men, The Way of the World, The One Percent Doctrine, The Price of Loyalty, and A Hope in the Unseen. From 1993 to 2000 he was the senior national affairs writer for the Wall Street Journal, where he won a Pulitzer Prize. His latest book, Life, Animated, chronicles his son Owen’s struggle with autism and the way in which the family used Owen’s affinity for Disney to connect with him. Through beloved animated characters the family discovers a way to help Owen learn about life, language, and emotion.  Suskind lives in Cambridge, MA, where he is Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Center for Ethics.

This lecture will be broadcast via webcast at the Dogwood Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free. For those who would like a lunch ($5) , please call 231.924.8885 to reserve one at least 24 hours in advance of the lecture you would like to attend.

For more information on the Calvin College January Series click here.
The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin College January Series, is supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

An expert on Russia and the former Soviet Union, Jill Dougherty spent 30 years at CNN where most recently she served as Foreign Affairs Correspondent, based in Washington, D.C., covering the State Department and providing analysis on international issues. Previously she served as U.S. Affairs Editor for CNN International; Managing Editor of CNN International Asia/Pacific, based in Hong Kong; CNN’s Moscow Bureau Chief and Correspondent, and CNN’s White House Correspondent. During her tenure she covered the presidencies of George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Since leaving CNN in 2013 she has plunged full-time into Russian affairs – writing, speaking, blogging, teaching and traveling to Russia.  She conducts her research on Russia and Putin as a fellow at Harvard University and at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

This lecture will be broadcast via webcast at the Dogwood Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free. For those who would like a lunch ($5) , please call 231.924.8885 to reserve one at least 24 hours in advance of the lecture you would like to attend.

For more information on the Calvin College January Series click here.
The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin College January Series, is supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation.

Calvin College January Series 2016 – Remote Live Webcast

One of America’s most prominent political commentators, David Brooks writes a bi-weekly OpEd column for the New York Times. He is a regular analyst on PBS NewsHour and on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. David has a gift for bringing audiences face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight and quiet passion.  David’s current book, The Road to Character, explores the road to a deeper inner life and explains why selflessness leads to greater success.  His previous books include The Social Animal, On Paradise Drive, and Bobos in Paradise.

This lecture will be broadcast via webcast at the Dogwood Center from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Admission is free. For those who would like a lunch ($5) , please call 231.924.8885 to reserve one at least 24 hours in advance of the lecture you would like to attend.

For more information on the Calvin College January Series click here.
The Dogwood Center, a remote site for the Calvin College January Series, is supported in part by the Fremont Area Community Foundation.