Reflections Magazine Issue #69 - Spring 2009 | Page 8

Campus Feature

Gordon, who has a history background and was
the former dean of the Graduate College, is part
of a diverse faculty grouping that includes areas
like English and mathematics.
Gordon, who is currently working on a more
formal honors program for the university, said
this colloquium is a good starting point for a
larger, more structured program.
“It’s a way to talk to each other, instead of past
each other,” Gordon said. u

Freshman Orientation
SHU Hosts Hudson High School
Ninth-Graders in Unique Pilot Program

Honors Colloquium Ignites
Discussion and Debate
Does Manifest Destiny truly represent the
American Dream? Is the economic crisis a product of greed or regulation? Does technology
stimulate or stunt intellectual activity?
Those are just a sampling of the topics debated
by a group representing the wide array of the
Siena Heights educational spectrum. The group,
called the Honors Colloquium, met each week
(photo above) during the academic year in the
university library to deliberate on topics related
to “Speaking of Faith,” a National Public Radio
show hosted by Krista Tippett.
Dr. Robert Gordon, director of the SHU library, said he has been a fan of Tippett and her
program since 2003. He helped bring Tippett
to campus in 2006 when Siena Heights awarded
her an honorary degree. He has since kept in
contact with her, and after discussing the idea of
starting a colloquium with fellow faculty member Sister Pat Schnapp last summer, Gordon said
using Tippett’s radio program as a catalyst for
discussion made sense.
“We both agreed that would be a good idea,”
Gordon said. “It was intended to be an opportunity to engage in seminar format about ideas. It’s
a free-ranging discussion about ideas.”

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Reflections Spring ’09

Gordon said a small group of faculty, students
and staff current comprise the colloquium,
which began meeting in September. However,
anyone in the Siena community had an open
invitation. Those participating were asked to
listen to Tippett’s show, then a member of the
group facilitated discussion.
Religious Studies faculty member Ian Bell led a
recent discussion based on Tippett’s show about
late American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr,
an important contributor to modern “just war”
thinking who is also attributed to creating the
“Serenity Prayer.”
“I think my strong reaction against (Niebuhr) is
because I think he’s right,” Bell said, grinning as
the discussion turned to Niebuhr’s philosophies.
Over the course of the hour, the conversation
turned in many different directions, with students Brad Lorenz and Kelly Jackson livening up
the room debating America’s role in the world.
On that particular afternoon, Tippett was even
scheduled to join the discussion by phone, however, her radio duties called her away. Gordon
said Tippett will be part of a future conversation.
Gordon said colloquium attendees “run the
range of society,” and includes people from different belief systems, including Christian, Jewish,
Daoist religious traditions—even mythology
and agnosticism are represented.

On Jan. 21-22, Siena Heights took the concept
of freshman orientation to a new level.
Working with the Lenawee Intermediate School
District, Siena Heights hosted approximately 70
freshmen students from Hudson High School
and their chaperones for a pilot program called
“Freshmen Focus: What Is College All About?”
In a time where students are beginning the college search process as early as junior high school,
SHU Assistant Director of Admissions Sarah
Baker Korth said Hudson ninth-graders who
attended the program received an early preview
of college life.
“The program went well,” said Baker Korth of
the two-day “sleepover” designed to introduce
the notion of college to high school freshmen.
“People were willing to buy into what was kind
of a sketchy vision and think outside the box.
That’s the part that was really gratifying to me.”