Notes Along the Way

Monday, March 12, 2012

Princemere: the Gordon College Academic Journal

Hillary Sherratt ’12 is a Pike Scholar from Rowley, Mass, and student writer for the Office of College Communications. She writes about her experience as editor of the inaugural issue of Princemere: the Gordon College Academic Journal:

The Gordon student body is used to brightly colored signs and an endless supply of hot chocolate from the Academic Support Center during the final exam period each semester. Students carry stacks of books to and from the Jenks library and sit with each other late into the night in Chester’s Place, finishing the final papers and presentations for their classes.

When Alysa (Obert) Seeland ’11 suggested to me that there should be a way to honor the hard work of Gordon students in their classes, we immediately thought of an academic journal. I remember walking away and dreaming about how amazing would it be to gather a sample of excellent Gordon work, from different departments across campus, and share it with the whole community.

Friday, March 9, 2012

The Harmony Between Science and Faith

Dr. Karl Giberson, physicist and author of the recently published The Language of Science and Faith with NIH director Francis Collins, gave annual Crum Lecture, organized by the Center for Christian Studies, at Gordon College yesterday afternoon. Provocatively titled, “Are Science and Religion at War?” Dr. Giberson’s lecture aimed to “dismantle the falsehoods” that reinforce the concept of a war between science and religion in our culture. “How does pop culture feed this concept?” he asked, clicking through examples from The Simpsons, Family Guy, and the Ken Ham book, Answers in Genesis. In all of these examples, he argued, we can see the juxtaposition of the two camps.

For a recent book project, Dr. Giberson profiled six of the most influential scientists of our time—including Richard Dawkins, E.O. Wilson, and Stephen J. Gould. None of the scientists profiled have a particular religious conviction, which Giberson suggested feeds the misconception that science and religion are incompatible. “The public face of science is so different from the scientific community itself,” he remarked.

His lecture covered four key stories in the history of science that have been used to argue that there is a fundamental conflict between science and religious faith. The first was the Christian endorsement of the flat earth, followed by the story of Galileo and the inquisition, Darwin’s religious journey, and finally, the 1925 Scopes Trial in Tennessee.

In each example, Dr. Giberson pointed out that the historical evidence does not suggest there was a fundamental conflict between religious and scientific thinking. At the time of Christopher Columbus’ journey to the Americas, virtually no one believed in a flat earth—instead, they were concerned that the earth was much bigger than Columbus suggested. “In the time between Christ’s life and Christopher Columbus, we know of two minor people who genuinely believed the earth was flat,” said Giberson. Those two minor figures were used to stand in for the church in Andrew Dickson White’s book, History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom, published at the end of the 19th century to defend the secular charter of Cornell University. White popularized the notion that science and faith were fundamentally opposed using this and the other stories.

Dr. Giberson’s lecture revealed how historically nuanced each story is—from the papal politics surrounding Galileo’s inquisition to Darwin’s journey away from faith because of his daughter’s premature death. He noted that evolution during the Scopes Trial was closely associated with eugenics and the idea of categorizing people according to race in efforts to “improve” the human race. “It was not the theory of natural selection and mutation that was argued in the Scopes’ textbook.” In explaining the history of these stories, Dr. Giberson revealed many of our culture's misunderstandings about the relationship between science and faith. The speaker closed by urging the audience to see the absolute harmony between science and faith, rather than thinking of the two in conflict.

Dr. Giberson is currently teaching a course in science and writing at Gordon College, and his newest book, The Wonder of the Universe: Hints of God in Our Fine-Tuned World, has just been released from InterVarsity Press.

Story by Gordon student Hillary Sherratt '12, a Pike Scholar from Rowley, Mass, and student writer for the Office of College Communications.

Monday, March 5, 2012

The Justice Conference

Theresa Bennett '12 is an international affairs major from Mesa, Arizona. Bennett has just returned from the national Justice Conference in Portland, Oregon. She shares her story with Notes Along the Way:

It was a typing mistake that first led me to the World Relief website where I noticed an advertisement for the Justice Conference in Portland, Oregon. But once on the Justice Conference website, I quickly recognized that typo as a blessing.

I was instantly enthralled by the Justice Conference materials intoducing me to the largest gathering on social and biblical justice, with keynote speakers like Shane Claiborn, The Simple Way; Richard Twiss, Wiconi International; John Perkins, JMPF.org; and author Francis Chan. I'm an international affairs major with a minor in peace and conflict studies, and my vocational focus at Gordon is community development—with a particular emphasis on education in sub-Saharan Africa. I was excited to connect my vocation and academics with the Justice conference and it wasn't long before I registered and purchased my plane ticket.

Last weekend, I began my six hour plane ride to the Pacific Northwest to gather with 4,000 Christian activists who were similarly interested and passionate in living out the Word of God by advocating and working for the rights of all beings in Creation. When I arrived in Portland, I noticed most of the conference attendees were college graduates or recent retirees now ready to “do something good." But there I was, a college student—encouraged by my understanding Christian stewardship, my conversations back at Gordon, and my experience in the Elijah Project, to do something good now.

I absorbed the wise words of some great Christian adovates and scholars at the conference, listened to the music and poetry of up-and-coming artists, and learned about organizations actively living out the Gospel among their neighbors—next door and abroad. I was encouraged to see how God’s people are fighting global and local injustices and making a legitimate and noticeable difference. I was enlightened about sanctioned and promoted injustices even within the Church, and I was made aware of the dichotomy of giving to the poor within the church and society. I absorbed it all. I left convicted to redefine my understanding of working for justice and how I can actually live out Micah 6:8 as a 21-year-old soon-to-be college graduate.

Next year's Justice Conference is scheduled to take place in Philadelphia and yes . . . I’m already registered for it.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Missions Week

Missions Week is an annual event that highlights Gordon's strong global missions history. The week includes two chapel services, three evening dialogue sessions and daily access to representatives from various missions boards. This year we will have 11 visiting organizations representing mission outreaches such as church planting, sustainable agriculture and ministry to the urban poor. Today and Wednesday we welcome to our sanctuary guest speaker Libby Little of Interserve, who will speak on "For Love of Neighbor."

"We're excited to have Libby Little as our speaker this year for missions week," said Dean of Chapel Greg Carmer. "Through 35 years of faithful ministry in Afghanistan, Libby and her husband, Tom, were wonderful examples of incarnational ministry, serving through medical care, hospitality, and education. Their lives have been great models of living out the Gospel for the sake of our neighbors--even those on the other side of the world.

Also this week, the Lane Student Center will host many visiting missions organizations, so be sure to stop by their tables and welcome them to our campus. "We hope these three days are rich and meaningful for the community," said Megan Wigton, administrative assistant for the Chapel Office. Ensuring students have exposure to a diverse range of missions organizations over a student's four-year experience is key to each year's scheduled planning. "The week should demonstrate a variety of examples of faithful service to global missions."

This year's visting global missions include:
African Inland Mission
Asian Rural Institute
Center for Student Missions (CSM)
InnerCHANGE
International Teams
Kupenda for the Children
Pioneers
Send International
Serving in Mission (SIM)
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Youth Works

Many of these global missions representatives will also join classes this week to talk with students about how the work their doing impacts the topics they are studying. Over ten courses this week will bennefit from these personal reflections.
View the schedule online.

Photo: Heather (Smith) Kopri, senior admissions counselor in the Gordon College Admissions Office, during her month-long mission trip to Nepal.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Digital Man/Digital World

Half a century ago, computers filled entire rooms and consumed enough electricity to power over 100 households. The Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) transformed the entire industry, making computers smaller, less expensive and more accessible. DEC’s founder, Ken Olsen, was a major contributor to the innovations that made possible the Information Age. In 1986, Fortune Magazine named Olsen "America's most successful entrepreneur."

Olsen joined the Gordon College Board of Trustees in 1961, inspired by the openness with which science is taught at Gordon as well as with the critical thinking and empirical approaches of the faculty. Today Gordon College is home to the Ken Olsen Science Center and the Ken Olsen Archives--the largest intellectual property donation in history from Olsen. The loggia of the building also serves as a museum to Ken Olsen and all the employees and inventions that made up Digital Equipment.

Digital Man/Digital World: The Story of Ken Olsen and Digital Equipment Corporation, premiered at this year's Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis. The film was nominated for Best Documentary at the festival, where the producers of the film, the family of the late Ken Olsen and Gordon College President D. Michael Lindsay and Vice President Dan Tymann were present. "From the first minicomputers to the first corporate credit union, the documentary highlights the many dimensions of Ken's leadership," said Tymann. "His impact on Gordon's community and culture was also significant--those pathways are still felt here today."

The documentary will be shown in its first public television broadcast on WFYI Indianapolis tonight at 8 p.m. It will then air on 300-plus PBS affiliates around the country this summer.

Photo: Ken Olsen, founder and president of Digital Equipment Corporation.

Digital Man/Digital World was made possible by a grant from Gordon College.

Opening Doors for the Next Generation of Scientists

Four high school students from Covenant Christian Academy, a Christian and preparatory preK-12 school in West Peabody, visited the Ken Olsen Science Center Wednesday to perform a molecular biology lab--a requirement for their Advanced Placement biology curriculum. Gordon's science facility is second to none in the region. So when their teacher Kelly Story '88 contacted science faculty at Gordon, the College opened the labs for the student research.

The students were given access to Gordon's biotechnology equipment. During the lab, they transformed some E. coli bacteria to make it antibiotic resistant; created DNA fragments using restriction enzymes; and studied the fragments using gel electrophoresis and a fluorescent dye.

Photo: Area high school students from Covenant Christian Academy discovered a few exciting living and preserved animal specimens while in the Ken Olsen Science Science this week. . . including a cougar!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Echoes of Deep Faith: A Week of Questions with Michael Ramsden

Story by Rachel Bell ’12

Feb. 6 - 8, Gordon College hosted Michael Ramsden, European Director of RZIM Zacharias Trust, as the guest speaker for a spiritual emphasis week entitled “Deep Faith: Loving God with Hearts and Minds.” This week of spiritual renewal was a collaborative effort between President D. Michael Lindsey and the Chapel Office.

Dean of Chapel Dr. Greg Carmer met Ramsden last summer at a conference in Oxford, where Ramsden is a lecturer in Christian apologetics at Wycliffe Hall. Though he grew up in the Middle East in a non-Christian family, Ramsden now lives in Oxford with his wife and three children. “His person and his approach are appealing,” said Dr. Camer, “because he is both professional and pastoral.”

In five separate talks, Ramsden covered topics such as “obstacles to the Christian walk” and “moral objections to the church and to God.” In a chapel service on Wednesday morning he encouraged students not to be afraid of their doubts about the Christian faith. “The god of the gaps is not the God of the Bible,” he said. “The basis for encountering God is not what you do not know, it’s what you know.”

Ramsden’s approach was popular with many students. “He was an incredible speaker who was able to combine intellectual pursuit and doubt, which is very relevant on a college campus,” said Kristin Beebe ’13, a linguistics and Spanish double major. Beebe appreciated that the week focused on questions posed to the Christian faith. “No matter what, when we leave the confines of the "Gordon bubble," we will have to face these questions,” she said, “coming either from our friends and coworkers or from within ourselves, when we're not surrounded by other believers.”

During the Deep Faith week, Ramsden asked students to bring up the most challenging questions they could think of concerning Christianity. “We can’t bury the questions about God,” he said. “The question is: are we prepared to follow the truth?”

View videos from Ramsden’s week of messages to the Gordon College community.

Photo: Michael Ramsden speaks on Christian apologetics in the A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel during Deep Faith week.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Beyond Nowhere

As Cassie Larson, VP of academic affairs for the Gordon College Student Association, welcomed students, parents, teachers and community members to the Macdonald Auditorium in the Ken Olsen Science Center, she reminded them to spread the word of the film through social media. “Tweet, text, update your Facebook status,” she said, “The filmmakers want us to spread the word through our communities.” The audience quickly settled in to watch the documentary.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Scot Radio Returns

They're back!

Scot Radio, Gordon's student-run radio station, returns Monday, February 13, for another entertaining and stimulating semester. Student Directors Naama Mendes ’13, Mac Gostow ’13 and Ricky Marte ’12 are pushing the station in a new direction, emphasizing listener call-ins and giveaways, while collaborating with more student organizations on campus. Featuring interviews with popular recording artists such as mewithoutYou and Toots & the Maytals, along with Monday and Wednesday night dance parties, the station looks to create more listener interaction while providing an eclectic mix of conversation. Co-director Naama Mendes shares, “We have a bunch of new, diverse hosts this year, all eager to make this station as big and fun it can be.”

Scot Radio's new schedule is Monday through Thursday from 8–11 p.m. Tune in and learn more at www.gordon.edu/scotradio.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Students Take the Lynn Plunge

While many students were still in bed, 135 students from Gordon's first-year seminar, The Great Conversation (TGC), gathered in the Ken Olsen Science Center on Saturday, January 28^th to be rallied to order by the energetic Lynn Step Team. The performance was a kick off for a morning immersion session about the Lynn community to help prepare students for a semester of service-learning.

In addition to the Step Team, students heard from newly-elected city councilman Hong Net, a survivor of Cambodia’s genocide and the first Cambodian leader on Lynn City Council. Mr. Net shared his hopes for a flourishing multicultural community and charged students to join in his efforts to promote the assets of Lynn. Students then had the opportunity to meet their Gordon In Lynn intern and fellow SALTeam (Serve and Learn Team) members who’ll be serving together in Lynn at a dozen different community partners each week.

After attending a variety of workshops on issues—such as the education achievement gap, led by Mike Brown from KIPP Academy, or an introduction to the Boys and Girls Club from its Program Director, Terrell Patterson—students finished the morning with lunch and reflection on their experience with their TGC classes and professors.

Photo: TGC students start their morning with a performance by the Lynn Step Team in the Ken Olsen Science Center.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Sociologist Q & A

Two prominent sociologists, Dr. Stan Gaede, President of the Christian College Consortium, and Dr. Brad Wright, author of Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites. . .and Other Lies You've Been Told, shared the stage this week for a unique question and answer session of the Faith Seeking Understanding Lecture Series.

Wright, a sociologist and researcher from the University of Connecticut, fielded questions about his latest two books, the nature of his work in religious sociology, and why American Christians are inclined to believe negative accounts of their faith. When asked to describe his research, Wright said, “I act as a kind of mythbuster. I say, here is what people are saying, what is really going on? Let’s take a look at the facts.” As an example, Wright says that while there is a cottage industry of scaring us about the youth, or that we are losing the young, it is far from the truth. “Compared to the 80s and 90s, we see about the same numbers, with some variation across denominations.”

Dr. Gaede, a Scholar in Residence at Gordon College, pressed Wright to explain the reasoning behind this overly negative or pessimistic take American Christians have on their own faith. In response, Wright laughed and said, “Well, there seems to be an ecumenical acceptance of the negative view. We all have disagreements, but we all agree that things are going wrong.”

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

National Reporter Points Students to Dr. King

“Balm in Gilead.” “Precious Lord.” Those were a few of Dr. Martin Luther King’s favorite hymns, according to Adelle M. Banks, a national reporter at Religion News Service (RNS), a Washington-based wire service that covers religion and ethics. Banks referred to her most recent RNS story as she visited two Gordon writing classes and met with students throughout the day yesterday, only a week after the national King holiday.

A native of Newport, R.I., and graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., the award-winning reporter talked with journalism and writing students about her many experiences covering religion as it relates to public life. She also provided numerous professional tips to better reporting for students considering careers in journalism. On Tuesday night, she addressed a larger crowd of students in the Ken Olsen Science Center, discussing issues of racial reconciliation, Dr. King’s legacy and the opportunities and responsibilities today’s students have to continue serving his dream for justice.

Banks was the Hearst Professional in Residence at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication in April 2009, and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Religion Newswriters Association. This evening, January 25, at 6:30 p.m., she will be the guest speaker at Second Church of Dorchester, where Gordon's Global Education Dean Cliff Hersey ministers. Banks’ topic? “Reflections on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Favorite Hymns and Continuing Impact.” All are welcome.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Green Chemistry Commitment Summit

As Boston welcomed its first blanket of snow yesterday, it also brought together a group of scientists and educators for the Green Chemistry Commitment Summit at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Boston. The summit included leading edge educators and programs from across the country.

This day-long event also featured keynote speakers who discussed the implementation of a Green Chemistry Commitment for academic chemistry departments around the country. Among the presenters was Professor Irv Levy, who spoke about the green chemistry program at Gordon College. "At the root of the green chemistry education community are the individuals, like our students, who are making positive change for a better future," said Levy.

Though Levy was asked to speak about Gordon as a model program, he also talked about the student culture on Gordon's campus. "Our students have a significant role in the success of this program," said Levy. "They have brought, and continue to bring, positive change as a result of their green chemistry outreach—in my life, in the institution and the community."

Photo: Irv Levy is a professor of chemistry and computer science at Gordon College and a founding member of the Green Chemistry Education Network. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the American Scientific Affiliation and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He also serves on the Faculty Advisory Board for the Green Chemistry Commitment.

Monday, January 9, 2012

Water is Life

Kevin Herr '09 shares reflections on his time in Haiti with Water Missions International, and the organization's ongoing work to bring clean water and the gospel message to people in need around the world:

I stood there, waiting for water to flow out of the tap. It wasn’t coming. The crowd grew restless—mothers in line pushed to get in front of each other, kids ran around yelling. Everyone was waiting. Some had been in line for hours, hoping to fill their buckets with clean water to bring home to their families.

My wife and I, both Gordon graduates, had been living in Port-Aux-Prince, Haiti, for over a month at that point, and we were just starting to get accustomed to our surroundings. We had come with Water Missions International, a Christian engineering ministry. I primarily assisted with the Community Development Department, attending community gatherings and meeting with local pastors, while my wife, Janice, taught the Health and Hygiene curriculum.

We were delayed that day due to a broken section of pipe in need of replacement. One side of the long pipe was attached to a submersible pump that went down into a bacteria-filled well. The other side of the pipe went into a small building that housed a Living Water™ Treatment System (LWTS™). The LWTS™ is Water Missions International’s patented water system, capable of purifying disease-infected water at a rate of 10 gallons per minute through a process of filtration and disinfection.

In Haiti, it is common to hear people say, “Water is Life,” and it’s true. As I stood there in front of the anxious crowd, waiting for the new pipe to be installed, I understood what water truly meant to these people. I could never imagine an American family waiting in line for hours just to get a drink. But this wasn’t a new experience for these Haitians—they didn’t have access to safe water before the 2010 earthquake, either. Driving down the road, I would frequently see people collecting water from dirty streams or run-off ditches.

Worldwide, this lack of safe water causes the death of one child every 15-20 seconds. But that message, on its own, has a hole: Safe water is certainly a staple of healthy communities, but true transformational development will never take place without Jesus at its core. Providing safe water to these populations allows us an incredible opportunity to tangibly share the love of Christ. Many times, I, or one of our Haitian staff, would hold up bottles of clean and dirty water while sharing the gospel message—the correlation between the safe and the Living Water is so clear!

Janice and I were blessed to have spent two months in Haiti. It’s been over a year since we returned, and I now oversee the Church Engagement Program for Water Missions International. When I speak with churches, I can communicate with confidence the direct impact that their involvement has on people’s lives, because I’ve seen it first hand.

My passion for international missions developed during my time at Gordon College, where I participated twice on Mexico Outreach trips and then led a trip to Guatemala with World Focus. Without these experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s incredible, the work that the Holy Spirit does inside of your heart when you leave your comfort zone and rely on him. If you give him the control, there’s no telling where you might end up.

Kevin and Janice Herr (both ’09) live in Charleston, SC. Kevin and Janice graduated from Gordon College with Business Administration and Biology degrees, respectively. Kevin is currently working on a church initiative called Water Sunday (recently featured in a front-page article at the Christian Post)—one Sunday for churches to dedicate to educating their congregations about the global water crisis.The goal is for 50 churches to host Water Sundays in March 2012, raising enough funds to bring safe water and the Living Water message to 25,000 people worldwide.To learn more about how your church can host a Water Sunday, visit their website here.

Water Sunday from Water Missions on Vimeo.

Photo: Kevin and a Haitian boy work on the Living Water™ Treatment System.

Friday, January 6, 2012

A Really BIG Move

A sea of red plastic moving bins were spotted in academic buildings on campus this week as faculty from two departments began their move to a new wing of office space on the third floor of the Ken Olsen Science Center.

The new wing now hosts faculty offices for the Department of Psychology and the Department of Kinesiology. Also opening this week is the new Psychology Observation Laboratory, which will serve as a space for the Counseling course and for small-class lectures and seminars. For faculty member Kaye Cook, professor of psychology, settling in the new space entails moving 33-years of scholarly work. Cook has spent just over two decades in an small office stacked with books and journals on the third floor of Frost Hall. For 21 years the office served as the writing space where Cook authored two books, contributed two chapters, ran four grants, wrote 27 scholarly papers, prepared countless presentations, and advised several hundreds students. “During that time, I acquired more great memories than books, and I’ve got a lot of books!”

Also moving this week are faculty from the Kinesiology Department. In a department that hosts 6 concentrations within health professions, the move is a big step in fostering a more centralized community for their students. “With offices and labs in the Jenks building, Kinesiology was somewhat fractured from the Natural Science Division,” said Sean Clark, associate professor of Kinesiology. “Faculty and students in Kinesiology missed out on the day-to-day interactions and conversations that characterize community within academia.” The move to the third floor of the Ken Olson Science Center will now connect the Department of Kinesiology with colleagues and students in the Division of Natural Sciences, as well as psychology. Clark, who serves as department chair, hopes the move will “provide for broader and better communication within the Division and expand on ideas for interdisciplinary connections.”

Though the new wing is open and faculty are starting to prepare their offices for the start of the spring semester, the Ken Olsen Science Center still has additional construction before the building is complete, including a botanical studies green house, a bioenergetics lab, a biomechanics lab and a neuromotor control lab.

Photo 1: Professor Cook unpacks books in her new office in the Ken Olsen Science Center. Photo 2: movers in Frost Hall carry thousands of papers, files and books to the new suite of faculty offices.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Winter Break in the Mission Field

Winter break can be a time of rest, relaxation and recovery after the end of a long semester. But quite a few Gordon students are cutting their hibernation short: They're packing their bags and flying off to serve others around the world. Over the next week, student-led missions teams will travel to Haiti, Mexico and Northern Ireland.

In Haiti, students will have the opportunity to work with Partners in Development (PID), a faith-based organization involved in many aspects of development, from medical clinics to child sponsorship, small business lending and housing creation. The Gordon team will work with Hatian masons, building homes and helping to complete various other construction projects at nearby sites, all while learning about Hatian culture and the broader work of PID's development efforts.

Students traveling to Tijuana, Mexico, will be the latest in a long line of Gordon trips to the Mexican border city, building upon an already strong relationship between Gordon and the Tijuana community. Gordon volunteers will work with several local churches and orphanages, providing everything from Bible lessons to manual labor.

And while Gordon students continue to strengthen those established bridges, others will be building new ones in the United Kingdom. This group will travel to the New Lodge area of North Belfast in Northern Ireland—where ethno-political tensions run particularly high—to partner with 174 Trust, a Christian community engagement organization. Working with 174 Trust, they will serve the community through various work projects, as well as offering daycare services and after school projects with local children.

Sponsoring short-term missions trips has been a staple of Gordon College's Chapel Office, understanding that these service projects "represent unique opportunities for individuals to grow in their knowledge of God, the world, self, and others."

We pray for safe travels and transformative experiences for all involved in these trips. All of the groups will return just days before returning to campus for the Spring semester.

Photo: Gordon students from the 2010 Haiti trip pose for a picture with some local children.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Making an Impact for Widows and Orphans in Zambia

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEFAR) was one of the most widely-praised initiatives of the George W. Bush Administration. It was a sweeping commitment—over $15 billion towards AIDS relief across the globe. And while it's easy to hear of broad policies and grand numbers and be unaffected, its impact is still being felt in communities like Ng'ombe, Zambia, where Linda Wilkinson '78 works with widows and orphans affected by HIV.

In 2005, Linda founded Chikumbuso Widows and Orphans Project, which serves this marginalized community with "free schooling for the children, as well as adult training and capacity building, income generation activities and community building programs."

The initiative has grown steadily since its birth, directly impacting the lives of dozens of at-risk individuals in Zambia—thanks in large part to the free treatment options they were able to access through PEFAR.

Friday, December 30, 2011

From Gordon to Harvard to MIT

After graduating from Gordon in 2003, Hiromu Nagahara didn’t go far—in fact, he went as far as Harvard (which is only about 30 miles away, give or take).

After studying history at Gordon, doing his senior thesis on “How nationalism informed the establishment of Western-style music education in late nineteenth century Japan,” he decided he wanted to get his masters and Ph.D. in Japanese history at Harvard. His dissertation was on popular culture and censorship in modern Japan.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

From Biology Labs to Nigeria—A Journey of Vocation

Ever since she was a child, Damilola Junaid ’14 wanted to pursue a career in medicine. A biology major from Nigeria, she has spent the last few years at Gordon College cultivating her passion—research medicine. But when she began her sophomore year at Gordon, she came to classes with a new experience to share with her fellow pre-med students—an internship in Nigeria.

Last summer, Junaid asked her brother if she could start working in his Nigerian hospital to gain more hands-on experience in the field. He agreed and as a result, she shadowed her brother—a surgeon and physician—watching surgeries and working directly with patients, bringing her Gordon textbooks to life. “I really wanted to see how I’d react while observing surgery," she said. “It is one thing to observe a surgery on TV, and another to observe one in real life.”

Friday, December 9, 2011

The Geekiest Christmas Ornament

Each year when the Christmas season rolls around, amid all the decoration and festivities, the Physics and 3-2 Engineering department at Gordon is there to remind us that nothing says "holiday cheer" quite like Star Wars.

Students from Dr. Lee's Intro to Engineering class gathered in the engineering lab yesterday for this year's annual "Geekiest Christmas Ornament" contest. Contestants followed some simple guidelines, as described by Dr. Lee:

- The ornament proper must fit within a 6” x 6” x 6” box
- The ornament proper can weigh no more than 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs)
- It cannot be dangerous (projecting marshmallows is fine but projecting marbles is not, for example)
- It needs to do something
- The descriptor 'geeky' can be interpreted in a number of ways: Mechanisms and motors and lights cobbled together is 'geeky'; Star Wars (as a theme) is also 'geeky'; etc...

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Men’s Basketball: Dempsey Named CCC Player of the Week

Commissioner Gregg Kaye and the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) announced Gordon's David Dempsey (Jr./Wallingford, Conn.) has been named the Men's Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts in helping the Fighting Scots to a perfect 2-0 record last week.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Gordon Students Host Successful Recreation Program for Local Homeschoolers

Thursdays in November are exciting for local homeschoolers and Gordon students alike—because of Homeschool Recreation Classes, a program offered on Gordon’s campus that includes games, exercise and lots of fun for 60 homeschoolers, from preschool through high school.

Peggy Hothem, professor of recreation and leisure studies, has organized this annual program with students in her Recreation Leadership class for over 15 years.

Not only has the program provided fun for local homeschoolers, it’s also helped prepare Gordon students for future careers in recreation.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Finish the Course—Tips for Finals Week

Finish the Course—Gordon's final examination support program for students—begins today.

Now in it's 11th year, everyone at Gordon participates in the Finish the Course program—staff and faculty donate home baked snacks and refreshments to study halls, additional tutors are available, lounges become study halls and silent study areas occupy rooms within the library. This year, the Academic Support Center is adding final exam clinics during the lunch hour in Lane to gives students a place to stop by, ask questions, speak with academic support staff and learn additional study skills during this time of year.

"In the Academic Support Center, we often say that studying is an act of the will," said Ann Seavey, director of academic support. "This implies that studying is not always something you will want to do or feel like doing, but something that you must do as it relates to the task you have been given at this moment in your life."

Last week faculty and staff were asked to share with students study techniques from their days in undergrad and graduate school programs. We share a few of them here:

"Your task is not to memorize. It is to care—about the aspect of God's creation you are studying, and about the persons (textbook writers, professors) who are guiding your efforts to study. Dialogue with God, his world, and your fellow-learners (including the ones called 'teachers'), and you will pass the only test that counts."
-Bert Hodges, professor of psychology

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Seeking Intergenerational Justice

It was completely unplanned, but very appropriate: Onstage in Gordon’s chapel, Friday’s speaker, Gideon Strauss, stood above an orchestra pit as he announced, “Justice is symphonic.” The pit had been set up in anticipation of last weekend’s Christmas Gala concerts, and the flanking seats and music stands became a fitting object lesson for Strauss’ message of intergenerational harmony. “Orchestras are the very picture of justice,” said Strauss. “Each instrument, with its own distinct voice, comes together in beautiful harmony rather than discordant cacophony.”

Senior Fellow at the Center for Public Justice, Gideon Strauss began his talk by describing a potentially bleak future. If current spending trends persist, he noted, it is likely that within 20 years the federal government will be unable to afford more than to pay interest on its debts and support the commitments it has already made to entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare. This pits different generations against one another, vying for available resources, and, according to Strauss, it stands in opposition to the principles of scripture.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Tallamy Earns CCC Rookie Honors For Second Consecutive Week

As announced by Commissioner Gregg Kaye, freshman forward Leanna Tallamy (Wantage, N.J.) has been named the Women's Basketball Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Is Free Enterprise Moral?

This was the question in last night’s Faith Seeking Understanding debate, which featured Jim Wallis of Sojourners Magazine and Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute. Drawing a diverse crowd of students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as members of the local community, the debate was the opening event in FSU’s three-day series, “The State, Society and Marketplace.”

For all the hyperpolarized back-and-forth that has recently defined these types of conversations in American society, the discussion was remarkably civil, apolitical and constructive. Though the two men clearly represented very different responses to this question, the tone of the evening was marked by mutual respect and understanding. In the spirit of Saint Anselm’s definition of theology as “faith seeking understanding,” Brooks explained, “We are doing theology here—seeking God’s face in the everyday.”

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

"Sport in America: Courage, Integrity, Fair Play"

Thomas Lake '01 is the youngest senior writer at Sports Illustrated--A weekly magazine with a circulation of three million. Last week's issue of Sports Illustrated featured a series of writer reflections, showing the personal side of sport and how many SI writers came to love following the game. The reflections made last week's cover story, "Sport in America: Courage, Integrity, Fair Play. How We Define Ourselves in Our Games," in an article spotlight called "In My Tribe."

Lake, a Sports Illustrated senior writer for six years, begins with memories of his youth--evenings clinging to a small radio listening to broadcasts of the Atlanta Braves, and a very personal moment of his first college basketball tryout when he became a student at Gordon College.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Skateboarding, Re-imagined

“We live amid surfaces, and the true art of life is to skate well on them.”

When Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote these words in the 19th century, he could have no idea that they would be so aptly repurposed by a family of skateboarders 160 years later. But communication arts major Thomas Mull ’13, English major Steve Mull ’15, and their two brothers Charlie ’07 and Dave have adopted the quote as their boardsport motto. It’s a far cry from the “skate and destroy” culture popularized through the eighties and nineties—and that’s the point. Their Vermont-based skateboarding collective, The Worble, represents “rural skateboarding.” It’s about more than releasing pent-up aggression on a slab of concrete. They seek ways to return to nature, to respect and honor the terrain with their sport—much in the same way that surfing has done with the ocean.

The brothers will be premiering their latest skateboarding video, The Wander Years, tomorrow night at the Barrington Center for the Arts cinema. Spanning several years of filming and editing, the video was shot and produced mainly by Thomas, and features the brothers skating cities, skate parks, rural roads and even downed trees in their native Vermont and at spots across the Northeast.

Monday, November 21, 2011

A Successful Year for the Admissions Caravan

For the second year in a row, the Gordon College Admissions Caravan filled every seat on a coach bus with high school juniors and seniors on their way to a unique campus weekend. Thursday, November 10th, 47 prospective students were picked up from three locations: Wayne, Pennsylvania; Hawthorne, New Jersey; and Trumbull, Connecticut, before heading to Wenham.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Serving within the American Immersion Process

Beverly resident Hanjing Lai graduated last May with a degree in business administration but wasn’t necessarily looking to work for a nonprofit organization. When an opportunity with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (BCNC) came her way, though, she couldn’t turn it down.

For the past four months, Lai has worked as a Parent Leadership Specialist for BCNC, an organization that serves as a vital link for the Asian immigrant and Asian American community to navigate U.S. society by providing essential services while preserving their culture.

“As someone who was born in China, and lived in Hungary before coming to the United States as an international student, I understand the difficulties involved in the American immersion process,” said Lai. “I feel that I am well-equipped to serve the Asian community in my knowledge of different languages and cultures.”

One of BCNC’s main goals is to help every low-income Asian child receive a quality education. As a part of this effort, Lai was chosen as the representative for BCNC to participate in a public education discussion meeting with Thomas M. Menino, Mayor of Boston this past August 31.

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