Afternoon Sabbatical series line-up announced at Goshen College for 2006-07

GOSHEN, Ind. – Whether featuring presentations about global living or personal geography, performances by exceptional music talents, trips to theater and musical productions or a Senegalese luncheon, the 2006-07 Afternoon Sabbatical Series schedule offers a wide variety of engaging speakers and topics to the Goshen College community.

Drawing on the concept that a sabbatical is needed from our daily routines to refresh our minds and spirits, Goshen College’s Afternoon Sabbatical program is in its 30th year of offering programs that appeal to a wide variety of interests. Community friends and local alumni are invited to attend the programs and concerts scheduled monthly from September to May. Events are typically held on a Tuesday at 1 p.m., followed by a reception, in Sauder Concert Hall of the Music Center on the campus of Goshen College. Programs are free to the public, except those noted, and people of all ages are welcome.

The 2006-2007 Afternoon Sabbatical Series program includes:

·    Sept. 12 – “Can Life Be More Interesting?” with Gordon Yoder, associate director emeritus of college relations. From small town lad to traveling across the U.S. to meet donors, Gordon has lived life with a sense of humor. Through tragedy and triumph, he has made life an adventure. Gordon won the hearts of co-workers, donors and fellow travelers with his positive attitude and ready story. Gordon will share interesting stories from his life. 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    Sept. 15-17 – Shaw trip to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake offers wonderful theater in “the prettiest town in Canada.” The trip includes bus travel, two nights lodging in the beautiful Prince of Wales Hotel, Friday dinner at the Pillar and Post, two theater tickets with an optional third play, Sunday brunch and a stop at Niagara Falls. Cost: $565.

·    Oct. 10 – “Growth of a Dream: The Goshen College Art Department at 50.” In 1955 Ezra Hershberger moved to Goshen to enlarge a fledgling art department at Goshen College. Fifty years, nearly two-dozen faculty and approximately 400 majors later, the GC art program continues to pulse with vitality. Join us in celebrating the art department’s 50^th anniversary, showcasing the history of the department and the accomplishments of art faculty. The Hershberger Art Gallery will feature the work of faculty spanning 50 years. 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    Nov. 11 – Chicago bus trip to “The Pirate Queen.” A spectacular new musical by the creators of “Les Miserables” and “Miss Saigon,” based on the real-life story of the legendary pirate chieftain, Grace O’Malley, who led an extraordinary life as a pirate, chieftain, lover and mother in 16^th century Ireland. “The Pirate Queen” combines storytelling with vibrant Irish song and dance to create a musical that is both an historic romance and a timeless epic. Cost: $105 (covers bus, theater and sack supper).

·    Nov. 14 – Our Community Connection – The River Race Project. Already the River Race is used by many as a biking and walking trail. What other exciting possibilities are in the future for this great city asset? Tom Stark, chair of the River Race committee; Everett Thomas, City Council president and Mayor Allan Kauffman will share what efforts are underway to enhance and develop the River Race. 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    Dec. 5 – A Baroque and Renaissance Christmas. Danielle Svonavec, soprano, Amos Burkholder, recorder, Mary Anne Ballard, viola da gamba, Rosalyn Troiano, viola and Kathryn Sherer, harpsichord will perform the cantata, “O che nuovo stupor” by Medici court musician and composer, Francesca Caccini (1587-c 1640). The ensemble will also present Renaissance settings of traditional Lutheran Chorales. 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    Feb. 13 – Hand-Me-Down Songs – The Power of Melody with Jim Heiks, associate professor of music. What songs did you learn as a child that were so important in your life that you want them handed down to your children and grandchildren? Jim Heiks, Goshen College associate professor of music, will discuss his work with composer Alice Parker on the power of melody, which has resulted in the publication of the “Hand-Me-Down” Songbook. A group of young singers from Diane Hertzler’s Shout for Joy Choir accompanied by Les Gustafson-Zook on folk instruments will perform some of the songs in the book, and will share the adventure they had making the recording of the book for GIA Publications. 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    March 6 – Imagining Serengeti: Landscape Memory as History in Tanzania with Jan Bender Shetler, associate professor of history. Everyone knows the Serengeti as a place of pristine African wildlife. Yet people whose ancestors have lived on the western borders of the Serengeti National Park have imagined this environment and their place in it in very different ways. Associate Professor of History Jan Bender Shetler uses her extensive collection of oral traditions from this region to demonstrate what we can learn about the past and how we might rethink conservation by learning to see this landscape from a different perspective as she introduces her new book: “Imagining Serengeti: A History of Landscape Memory in Tanzania from Earliest Times to the Present.” 1 p.m., Sauder Concert Hall, Music Center.

·    April 10 – International Luncheon – Senegal with Assistant Professor of Art Gwen Miller and Suella Lehman Gerber, co-leader of 2006 Senegal SST. Following a traditional Senegal meal, we will take a fascinating journey to experience the sights and sounds of daily life in Senegal. 12 p.m., College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall. Cost: $20.

·    May 16 – Chicago bus trip to see “The Color Purple.” The soul-stirring new musical and Broadway’s newest musical comes to Chicago first. From Alice Walker’s classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and Steven Spielberg’s film, “The Color Purple” is brought to stage with the endorsement of Oprah Winfrey. This inspiring and unforgettable story of a woman, who finds the strength to triumph over adversity and discover her unique voice in the world, is brought to life by a musical score that includes gospel, jazz, pop and blues. Cost: $110 (covers bus, theater and sack supper)

For more information on the Afternoon Sabbatical series call the College Relations Office at (574) 535-7565 or e-mail edutravel@goshen.edu.

– by Megan Blank

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.