Coming Events
Know Your World
GSI worked hard this summer to line up events for the 2009-2010 academic year. In view of the great success we experienced in inviting international officers from Fort Leavenworth to the Saint Mary community, we are enthusiastic about continuing this fine program which puts us in intimate touch with a variety of cultures all over the world. These “Brown Bag” luncheon talks provide everybody on campus with the opportunity to expand their global competency by shattering stereotypical thinking and distilling myths about their homelands. Even their mere presence on campus serves to bring us closer to the cultures our speakers represent. Our community of students, faculty and staff get to see ‘up close and personal’ that people are people, no matter where they come from or what their creed, race, skin color or religion.
The following dates have been scheduled for new Know Your World speakers, but, though we already have several volunteers, we have yet to choose the six we need or schedule them for particular dates. Check back soon to see the agenda with the corresponding country.
All brown bags are held in the Mead Staff/Faculty Lounge.
• Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m., Maj. Tiong Keat Tan of Singapore
• Nov. 18, 11:30 a.m., Maj. James Reguena of Belize
• Feb. 17, 11:30 a.m., Maj. Torsten Walter of Germany
• March 17, 11:30 a.m., Maj. James Allen of Canada (discussing his time in Afghanistan)
• April 21, 11:30 a.m., TBA
The Starr Award for Scholarship and Service
Last spring’s study abroad trip to Jamaica made such an impact on those who attended, we are hoping to offer another opportunity next year. This is dependent, however, upon finding appropriate funding for our students. The average cost per student will be about $1500. GSI needs help to introduce our students to these life changing events. These trips are not sandy beaches and drinks with tiny umbrellas. If you have looked at the latest Starr Report, you will have gotten an idea of the environment they experienced. Rather, these trips dive right into the heart of poverty, malnutrition and social oppression. Feeding the poor, visiting the sick and elderly, assisting students with maintenance on run-down school buildings – these trips teach valuable lessons to our students.
If you would like to help GSI send students abroad next year by becoming a benefactor, please contact us. We are grateful for all the support we get, but the Starr Scholar Award cannot continue without help from our community.
The Lincoln Lecture
GSI is now a co-sponsor with the Marketing Department of the annual Lincoln Lecture. We have already collaborated to find another high profile speaker. He is Professor Ronald White. Dr. White is a Fellow at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, Professor of American Religious History Emeritus at San Francisco Theological Seminary, and a Visiting Professor of History at UCLA. He has taught at UCLA, Princeton Theological Seminary, Whitworth University, Colorado College, Fuller Seminary, and Rider University. He has lectured at the White House and was chosen to speak on Lincoln’s religious thoughts to an audience of members of Congress and their spouses as part of the prelude to the bicentennial last February sponsored by the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. He is the author of eight books, including “The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln Through His Words.” He is also the author of the recently published “A. Lincoln: A Biography,” which has been on the New York Times and Washington Post best seller lists.
Ron White spoke recently at the University of California, San Diego on “Abraham Lincoln’s Journey of Faith.” We thought his topic would be a very nice fit for a faith-based institution such as Saint Mary and of particular interest to our surrounding community. Date: Feb. 15, 2010.
The 2010 Global Human Rights Conference
GSI has already begun planning for the 2010 Global Human Rights Conference, and we are very excited about it. Over the past three years we have been very successful in bringing students to Saint Mary to study, not just the historical and political aspects of global conflicts, but focusing also on the process of conflict resolution. Response from high school participants has been overwhelmingly positive; many students feel that they leave with a better understanding of the process of negotiation, the necessity for compromise and the difficulty of resolving any issue, whether it is on a global scale or individual. This event is slated to take place in late April, 2010, with approximately 10 openings for area high schools. If you are interested in this event, and would like your high school to participate, please contact us.
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