Share this Story
On Deck Premier Speaker Series Brings Impressive Events to Campus
Mark your calendars for distinguished lineup of speakers and topics for fall 2019
University News | September 2, 2019
The fall 2019 On Deck Premier Speaker Series includes five impressive events that promise to be interesting, informative and thought-provoking. The On Deck Series is a program of the University's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), organized by the VWU faculty.
Mark your calendars for these notable fall semester events.
The VWU Fall 2019 On Deck Premier Speaker Series:
Thursday, September 12 (11:00 a.m.) Blocker Hall, Auditorium
KEN ILGUNAS - Trespassing across America: One Man's Epic Hike along the Keystone XL Pipeline
Author, journalist, and Alaskan backcountry ranger Ken Ilgunas walked 1,700 miles across North America, following the path of the Keystone XL pipeline. This was the first modern journey across private property on which he trespassed over the Great Plains, a land of stampeding cows, charging moose, and climate-change deniers. He will talk about the people of the heartland, the right to roam, and the stories that form the basis of his book, “Trespassing across America.”
Thursday, October 24 (11:00 a.m.) Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Brock Theatre
SAM KEAN - Spoons and Thumbs: Funny, Spooky, Poignant, and Completely True Science Stories
Join bestselling author Sam Kean as he spins science stories from several of his award-winning books, including Caesar’s Last Breath and The Violinist’s Thumb. Among the topics he will discuss are the joys of the periodic, the perils and promise of the human genome, and the enduring mysteries of neuroscience.
Thursday, October 31 (11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.) Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Brock Theatre
The Christians, a play by Lucas Hnath and a Talkback Session
Pastor Paul is about to preach a sermon that will shake the foundation of his church’s belief. Virginia Wesleyan’s Theatre Department, in association with the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and the Music Department, presents a play about faith in America today and looks at what happens when a pastor’s sincere revelations and theological convictions put him at odds with his staff, his congregation, and his wife. Lucas Hnath’s play takes religious faith seriously and, in an evenhanded manner, invites the audience to reflect on what happens when people of good intent disagree on matters of ultimate importance. “The Christians” is presented under the direction of Batten Professor of Theatre Sally Shedd. Immediately following the show, Professor Shedd and Dr. Craig Wansink, the Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr. Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, lead a talkback discussion focused on the major points of tension in the play. $5-10 | vwu.tix.com | Free to VWU students, staff, faculty
Thursday, November 7 (11:00 a.m.) Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Brock Theatre
BETH BIENVENU - Arts for All
AnchorBeth Bienvenu, Accessibility Director for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will offer insight into the NEA’s Creative Forces, a partnership between the NEA, the Department of Defense, and Veterans Affairs that serves the needs of military patients and veterans with traumatic brain injuries and psychological health conditions along with their families and caregivers. Creative arts therapies have become central to patient-centered care at clinics, telehealth programs, and community arts activities. This event is also sponsored by the Arts@VWU.
November 21 (11:00 a.m.) Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center, Brock Theatre
AUSTEN HARTKE - Transgender and Christian: A Coming Out and Coming Home Story
Too often the world tells LGBTQ+ people that they must choose either their identity or their faith. But what if there was a third option? Join author Austen Hartke as he shares his experience of coming out as a transgender Christian, from his childhood in non-affirming churches to the Bible stories that gave him strength as an adult in seminary. This event is also sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom and Women’s and Gender Studies.
All events, which take place on VWU's campus, are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. For more information about the On Deck Premier Speaker Series, contact Executive Director of The Lighthouse and Director of the QEP Sara Sewell at 757.455.3237 or ssewell@vwu.edu.