Convocation and Lecture Series

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Convocation

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Convocation is an all-school assembly that generally meets twice weekly during the term. It is an integral part of the liberal arts education experience at Bethel. Guest lecturers, performing groups and audio/visual presentations provide students with a wide ranging exposure to issues in politics, society, religion, the arts and sciences. The convocation experience is designed to help build community, broaden horizons and explore basic value issues. Dale Schrag, director of Church Relations, serves as convocation coordinator.

Spring 2009 Schedule
Feb. 6  A Conversation on Racial Profiling
Kevin Myles, president, Wichita Branch, NAACP
Feb. 9 The Conflict in Gaza: Perspectives from the Jerusalem Seminar
Jerusalem Seminar participants
Feb. 13 Weathering an Economic Downturn in Kansas: More Taxes or Less Spending?
Duane Goossen, Director, Division of the Budget, State of Kansas, Topeka
Feb. 16 “I Am Not a Social Activist,”
Ron Sider, president, Evangelicals for Social Action, Eastern University, St. David’s, Pennsylvania
Feb. 20 Awakening from the Spell of Hypnotic Consumerism
Darryl Dahlheimer, Program director, Lutheran Social Services Financial Counseling Service, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb. 23 Bethel Jazz Band
Feb. 27 Study Abroad/Interterm Travel reports
March 2 David Munnelly Band
March 6 Staley Lecture, Living as an Ordinary Radical
Shane Claiborne, founding member of The Simple Way faith community and author of The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
March 9 Conflict and Rape in the Congo: Women Struggling for Peace
Sara Reschly, former staff member, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Chicago, Illinois
March 13 The Importance of Identity in a World of Diversity
Margaret (Cynthia) Peacock, Kolkata, India; Tigist Tesfaye, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bert Lobe, St. Jacob’s, Ontario, Canada; Global Church Advocates, Mennonite World Conference
March 16 Young Alumni Award convocation: Creating Change for the Health Care of Tomorrow
Jennifer Scott Koontz, M.D., Via Christi Sports Medicine, Wichita
March 20 Dealing with the Challenges; A Contrarian Agrarian’s View of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Godliness
Ken King, founder of Jako, Inc., an organic and sustainable agriculture farm near Hutchinson
March 23 NO CONVOCATION — Spring Break
March 27 NO CONVOCATION — Spring Break
March 30 To Be Announced
April 3 To Be Announced
April 6 Affirming the Conservative Voice in Convocation: An Attempt at Conversation
April 10 NO CONVOCATION — Good Friday
April 13 Forensics Road Show
April 17 Common Ground Among the Abrahamic Faiths
Jerald Dirks, clinical psychologist (ret.), Hesston
April 20 Student Senate convocation
April 24 The Sword, the Diamond, the Mirror & Me
Balbir Mathur, president, Trees for Life, Wichita
April 27 C. Henry Smith Oratorical Contest
May 1 Jazz, Image, Story: The Language of Faith
Duane Friesen, professor emeritus of Bible and religion; Jim Mininger, president of Lithuania Christian College (ret.), and Vern Rempel, pastor, First Mennonite Church, Denver, Colorado
May 4 Breaking Plowshares into Peaces
Neal Eash, associate professor & soil scientist, Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
May 8 Yes We Can: Creating Change through Personal Action
Jyothi Bathina, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, New York
May 11 Awards Convo
May 15 No convocation

Past Convocations

This list is constructed from the published convocation brochures, which may not necessarily reflect last-minute changes to the convo schedule.

2000-2008

1990-1999

1980-1989

1974-1979