convocation
January 20, 2010
A Struggle for Migrant Worker Justice
Ken Barger, a current professor of anthropology at Indiana University, spoke at convocation on Monday. He was asked by the SST department to introduce students to different Latino issues that will be studied in the domestic SST unit. Barger quoted from former field hand and labor organization president Baldemar Velásquez to begin his speech, saying, “Crossing a border without papers is a misdemeanor- not a felony. Just like running a red light.” Barger went on to talk about the injustices migrant workers face and what can be done in response. Barger explained that many migrant workers suffer from the “most...
November 11, 2009
Gilbert Explores Coal Usage, Ancient Lighting
Students were held rapt during Monday's convocation as Glenn Gilbert, Goshen College's Utilities Manager and sustainability coordinater, walked onstage wearing a conductor's hat and poured roughly fifty pounds of coal from a metal trashcan. He strode forward and announced: “This is coal.” He then turned off all of the lights in the chapel and opened the blinds, allowing the current-day sunshine to break in and provide all of the light. Why use ancient sunlight when we can use today's? Gilbert then proceeded to illustrate Goshen College's addiction to coal both historically and in the present day, using easily understandable examples....
October 28, 2009
Wise unmasks white privilege
How are a 36-hour-old pot of rotting gumbo and white privilege alike? “It doesn’t matter who made the mess, you live with the residue and heritage of the mess now, and are responsible for the clean-up,” said Tim Wise, an anti-racism speaker and author whose most recent book is titled Between Barack and a Hard Place: Racism and White Denial in the Age of Obama. This illustration opened Wednesday’s special convocation about white privilege, as part of Goshen College’s endeavor to increase awareness of racism and diversity. Wise’s convocation focused on the root of racism: white supremacy and its effects,...
April 15, 2009
Ten minutes added to chapel and convocation
Next academic year, Friday chapels and Monday convocations will be extended to 40 minutes. In an on campus survey last year, the spiritual life advising committee – a group of students, faculty and administrators – examined the current chapel expectations and realities at Goshen College. "We found that students really value the time for singing," said Bob Yoder, campus pastor. According to those interviewed in the survey, a majority felt that singing builds community. After reviewing the results from the survey, the committee submitted a request to President's Council, in which they proposed a lengthening of the chapel time by...
March 4, 2009
Speaker shares her breaking points
In a bonus convocation on Wednesday, Juana Watson shared stories of challenge and triumph for both herself and the larger community of Latino immigrants to the state of Indiana. Watson, a senior advisor for Latino and immigrant affairs to Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, is a member of the growing population of Latinos seeking to find their way. Watson grew up in an uneducated family in a small, rural village in Mexico. Her schooling was limited, but her curiosity and thirst for learning was not. However, Juana's dream of attending the University of Mexico was impossible, as her minimal education would...
February 18, 2009
Abstinence convo canceled
Due to a miscalculation of the one-hour time change from Chicago to Goshen, Melody LaLuz didn't arrive in time to present her bonus convocation scheduled for Wednesday. She was set to speak on "The Choice to Wait: Valuing an Abstinent Lifestyle." LaLuz did arrive at Goshen in time to have conversation with students over lunch. According to Becky Horst, the convocation will not be rescheduled. LaLuz (28 years old) and her husband Claudaniel Fabien (30 years old), made the choice to practice abstinence until their wedding last November, even refraining from kissing each other on the lips until they were...
February 11, 2009
Goshen challenged to become more interculturally competent
The Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil presented 10 ways people can become more interculturally competent in her extended chapel on Wednesday. McNeil, a leader in the field of racial and ethnic reconciliation, used the story of Jesus at the well as a model in her speech “A More Excellent Way." According to McNeil, students at private Christian institutions have the potential to become the desirable graduates that employers are looking for. McNeil said that employers want moral and ethical people these days “who will show up for work and not steal things.” The second aspect of a desirable graduate is...
January 21, 2009
Three convos for a King
The day before Barack Obama’s inauguration, programs at Goshen College celebrated the impact of Martin Luther King Jr. and the continuation of his work on the national and local level. This year’s activities emphasized the history and contemporary issues of civil rights and racism in Elkhart County. Dr. Monica Tetzlaff of the Indiana University-South Bend Civil Rights Heritage Center offered historical background, while local families, including Adam and Maggie Williams’ family, shared stories of racism in Elkhart County. Adam Williams grew up in Alabama but “never experienced outrageous racism,” until he moved to Elkhart around 1993. In May 2008, Williams...
January 14, 2009
Student life goes back to BASICS in dealing with alcohol use
In the first convocation of the semester, Bill Born, vice president for student life, introduced a new response plan for alcohol violations called BASICS. An acronym for “Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students,” Born refers to BASICS as a shift in judicial response. Prior to BASICS, the main punishment for alcohol use was a fine. Now, Born said a goal with the new program is to “evaluate not the ‘who’ of drinking, but rather the ‘why.’” After a referral to BASICS, students will choose one of five trained counselors on campus and meet twice with the counselor. Bill...