GC Talks

Workshop on health disparities during the COVID-19 pandemic
GC students, faculty and staff participated in a Zoom workshop on health disparities facing people of color that have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers: Dr. Rose Alvarez Gillin ’81, a family physician from Goshen, GC Assistant Professor of Public Health Brianne Brenneman and Zenton Yobera, a senior interdisciplinary major and an intern for Goshen Health.

S.A. Yoder Lecture: Philip Metres, “The Place Where Peace and Justice Meet in Palestine/Israel”
Philip Metres, a poet, translator, scholar and Guggenheim Fellowship winner and author of “Shrapnel Maps,” presents a virtual GC Talk, sponsored by the S.A. Yoder Lecture Series, titled “The Place Where Peace and Justice Meet in Palestine/Israel.”

Beechy Lecture: Rob Vander Giessen-Reitsma
Rob Vander Giessen-Reitsma ’05, a community facilitator from Three Rivers, Michigan, and executive director of *culture is not optional (*cino), speaks about “Radical Imagination: Dreaming the Future Rooted in Place.”

Deep Dive: Telling the GC Marine Biology Story
Professors Ryan Sensenig (biology) and Kyle Hufford (communication) share how the making of the documentary “Deep Dive” exemplifies the college’s long standing commitment to education in marine biology. Using segments of the Deep Dive movie, the webinar tells the story of the marine biology program’s development and discusses the program’s future plans.

ECoSistema: Community-Building through Music Education in Elkhart County
Hillary Harder ’15 and Kent Dutchersmith ’90 share about their work with ECoSistema, a community music and youth development program now housed at the Goshen College Music Center. Join us to learn more about this unique music education approach, the partnerships throughout Elkhart County that make it possible, and the ways in which ECoSistema embodies Goshen College’s core values.

Where the People Go: Community, Generosity, and the Story of Everence
Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Everence, the Anabaptist stewardship agency, John D. Roth, Goshen College professor of history; Ken Hochstetler, president and CEO of Everence; and Todd Yoder, Goshen College VP for institutional advancement, discuss the story of Everence and how it has put faith into action.

Elizabeth Bennion: “Presidential Election Preview: What Voters Need to Know” (sponsored by the Yoder Public Affairs Lectureship)
Dr. Elizabeth Bennion, professor of political science and director of the American Democracy Project at Indiana University South Bend and host of WNIT’s Politically Speaking television show, presented a virtual lecture titled  “Presidential Election Preview: What Voters Need to Know” on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2020.

GC Talks: “An Introduction to the Criminal Justice and Restorative Justice Program” (sponsored by the GC Alumni Council)
Regina Shands Stoltzfus ’84, professor of peace, justice and conflict studies, and Robert Brenneman, professor of criminal justice and sociology, will introduce one of GC’s newest programs, the criminal justice and restorative justice major. Learn more about this new program and ask questions you may have.

GC Talks: “The Latinx student experience at GC” (sponsored by the GC Alumni Council)
Join members of the Latino Student Union, a recent GC Latina graduate and their adviser, Richard Aguirre, for a presentation about the Latinx students’ experience at GC.

GC Talks: “Community Networks and Successful Global Public Health: Roundtable Conversation with Franklin Baer, Rebecca Shelter Fast and Paul Shetler Fast” (sponsored by the Yoder Public Affairs Lecture Committee and the GC Alumni Council)
Join the 2020 Young Alumni Servant Leadership awardees, Rebecca ’08 and Paul ’08 Shetler Fast, and a Culture for Service awardee, Franklin Baer ’72, for a panel discussion about their public health work and advocacy. The panel will be moderated by Brianne Brenneman ’17, assistant professor and chair of our new public health major.

GC Talks: Carol Penner, “#MennonitesToo: Sexual Violence and Mennonite Peace Theology” (sponsored by the C. Henry Smith Lectureship)
Carol Penner has served as a pastor and is currently an assistant professor of theological studies at Conrad Grebel University, Waterloo, Ontario.

GC Talks: “Long-Term Energy Efficiency Gains at Goshen College” (sponsored by the GC Alumni Council)
Glenn Gilbert, retired director of facilities, will present on the decades long work that he led to increase energy efficiency on campus. He will show how even though the campus has significantly increased building square footage, the environmental footprint has shrunk.

GC Talks: Vocal Production and Interpretation Workshop with Hamilton Broadway actor Fergie L. Philippe
Fergie Philippe performed the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in Hamilton on Broadway, prior to the Pandemic. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member at New World School of the Arts and a screenwriter.

GC Talks: Luke Gascho,“The history of the Potawatomi Tribe in Elkhart County and Settler Impacts on the Tribe” (sponsored by the GC Alumni Council)
Luke Gascho, retired Executive Director of the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center, will share his research on the history of Elkhart County. He has done extensive research about the land, which was home to the Potawatomi people, and how the tribe was impacted by settlers to the area.

GC Talks: Shashi Buluswar ’91, “Decolonizing ‘Culture for Service’: A New Paradigm for Impact in the Developing World” (sponsored by the Yoder Public Affairs Lecture Committee and the GC Alumni Council)
Join us as Shashi Buluswar ’91, CEO of the Institute for Transformative Technologies and 2020 Culture for Service Awardee, talks about his decades of international development work and the paradigm shift he has experienced from reliance on external aid agencies, development organizations and missions to internal ideas, expertise and partnerships.

State of the College Webinar
Join President Stoltzfus ’83 and Jodi Beyeler ’00, vice president for communications and people strategy, for a brief update on the college and a chance to answer your questions via Zoom chat.

Biological Sciences Department virtual alumni presentation:
Three alumni who shared work relevant to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
• Bob Lerch ’84 spoke about COVID vaccine development at Pfizer;
• Rushika Perera ’95 discussed her work in antiviral drug testing at Colorado State University;
• Brianne Brenneman ’17 introduced the new public health major offered at Goshen College.

Center for Communication Studies Virtual Open House
Join the faculty and students of the Communication Department on a tour of the recently completed Center for Communication Studies.

Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center Presentation
Jason Martin, the Executive Director of Merry Lea, will provide an overview of the work of the environmental learning center. In addition, Marcos Stoltzfus ’06 and Jennifer Schrock, respectively, will present on the Environmental Education and Mennonite Creation Care Network programs.

Virtual Art Exhibit and Artist Talk
Join faculty and students of the GC Art Department as they discuss the student art currently on display in the Hershberger Art Gallery in the Goshen College Music Center.