The Forums are held on Sundays from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. in Room 6 at People's Church. Visitors from the community are welcome!
Forum Programs: 2007 |
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Date |
Speaker |
Topic |
9/16 |
Gerald and Marcella Martin |
Join Us in Japan - The Martins, our world traveling friends, will again treat us to another of their multi-media programs. Honored as associates of the Photography Society of America, they have presented their wonderful programs many times for People's people, as well as in the much wider community. Please join us for this outstanding experience. |
9/23 |
Ruth Harring |
An Introduction to the Sambodh Society - Here is an opportunity to hear Ruth Harring, PhD, tell us about the Sambodh Society here in Kalamazoo and its brand new Center for Human Excellence. Ruth has taught in the English Departments of Grand Valley State University and WMU and is a Trustee of the organization. She will give us a brief history of the Sambodh Society, tell us of its vision and plans, and describe Vedantic teachings emphasized at the Center. |
| 9/30 | Marc Downing, M.D. | Medical Mission in Liberia - Marc, a pediatric surgeon and brother of our own Diane Downing, will discuss his recent medical mission in Liberia. The Kalamazoo Gazette recently gave front-page coverage to one child he treated here in Kalamazoo, correcting a very serious birth defect. An uplifting story! |
| 10/7 | Dorothy Eppstein | A Biographical Documentary - Dorothy has been attending People's Church for well over 60 years, but gmbles that many of you are not aware of all the facets of her interesting life. A family friend, who makes biographical documentaries professionally, volunteered to make one about her. Come to learn more about our fascinating friend. |
| 10/14 | Arthur Falk | Darwinism and the Meaning of Life - Arthur Falk, Ph.D, is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Western Michigan University and served as Department Chair of the Philosophy Department for many years. His talk was brought to our attention by the newsletter, Humanist News, found at General Assembly in June. Please join us to hear Arthur's interesting perspective on the Meaning of Life. Newcomers are always welcome at Forum. |
| 10/21 | Jeffrey Klan | Skydiving: Report From a Retired Skydiver - Jeffrey Klan will explain his 40 months of skydiving experience that encompassed over 300 aircraft exits. A DVD will be utilized of a 3-way (three person) formation to capture some of the freefall organization. He will explain in detail the differing stages prior to and following aircraft exits. A wind tunnel ride is also available on the DVD, if time permits. |
| 10/28 | Dizzy Warren | Racism - Dizzy works for the National Resource Center for Healing of Racism. The presentation will be based on the work that is being done there. |
| 11/4 | Conrad Hilberry | "Interviews with Two Convicted Brothers - Conrad Hilberry , a popular speaker at Forum, will talk about his interviews with two brothers who grew up in Kalamazoo and who were each convicted of multiple murders in the 60's and early 70's. Conrad, retired from the faculty at Kalamazoo College, published a book about these men in 1987. He has also published a number of books of his poems. |
| 11/11 | Tracy Cobb & Rick Johnson | "Traveling in Thailand" - Tracy Cobb and Rick Johnson will describe their impressions of this wonderful country. |
| 11/18 | Joseph Ellin | "Why Philosophy Isn't Funny " - Some people may think that philosophy is a joke, but it isn't funny, and neither are jokes about it. This talk explains why, with several not very funny illustrations. Dr. Ellin is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at WMU. He retired several years ago after 42 years of teaching. |
| 11/25 | Dick Grandberg | "Radiation: Perception and Reality, Part II" - A radiation physicist, Dick Grandberg will complete the discussion of radiation which he began in an earlier Forum. Most of his career has been in nuclear power plant operations. He has also worked in the U.S. Navy nuclear power plant program and has spent some time in Department of Energy site cleanup. He is now the Radiation Safety Officer at MPI Research in Mattawan. |
| 12/02 | Lois Dickason and Shadia Kanaan | "Palestine/Israel Peace: What Direction? Our Personal Experiences " - The frightening occupation of Iraq by U.S. military makes this topic extremely important. Both Shadia Kanaan and Lois Dickason grew up in the Middle East, and have long been concerned about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. In June, Lois took a three week trip to Israel and Palestine as a member of a Christian Peacemaker team. Shadia was born in Nablus, West Bank, has a Mater's Degree in Political Science from WMU, and is very active in the Kalamazoo Nonviolent Opponenets to War and the Kalamazoo Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice. |
| 12/09 | Seth Jones | "Treating with Acupuncture " - A lifelong resident of Southwest Michigan, Seth Jones has been practicing acupuncture for ten years and will address the role of acupuncture in health care, particularly in the treatment of pain, allergies, stress reduction, and smoking cessation. His training took place at the Midwest College of Oriental Medicine. |
| 12/16 | Assefa Kitilla | "Ethiopia: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know” - This talk will be done by native Ethiopian Assefa Kitilla who is here on a ten month internship through Colleagues International. |
| 1/6 | Brian Johnson | "County Justice Issues ” - Brian is serving his sixth term on the Kalamazoo County Commission. He previously worked as a Legislative Aide in the Michigan Legislature, and served on the County Community Health Board and Criminal Justice Committee. He and his wife Linda, a teacher in the public schools, have a son Michael who received a Heyl scholarship. Commissioner Johnson is one our most experienced community leaders. |
| 1/13 | Michael Pritchard | "Moments with Millie ” - Long time People’s Church member and Philosophy professor, Michael Pritchard, will tell us about the writing of his poignant book, “Moments with Millie.” Mike writes in the preface, “ This book is as much, if not more, about my struggles with Millie’s Alzheimer’s as it is about hers” and explores the question “what is it like for a couple (married more than 40 years) to experience the gradual disappearance of the us that once defined who they were.” For Forum Mike will expand the inquiry to include a discussion of what enables us to share meaningful moments with others, regardless of whether we or they are "afflicted" with serious health problems. |
| 1/20 | Martha Aills | "Kalamazoo Riverfront Development” - Martha is a Special Projects Coordinator in the City of Kalamazoo's Economic Development Department. She has a Master's degree from the University of Michigan in Urban Planning and formerly worked for the City of Flint. A resident of Kalamazoo for the last 8 years, she has a special interest in downtowns and views the arts as a key to downtown improvement. She lives in a "Cool Cities" condo loft. |
| 1/27 | Gloria Larrieu | "Building Bridges of Understanding: Religious Institutions and GLBT Community” - Dr. Gloria Larrieu, Ph.D, will be talking to us as part of the Arcus Gay & Lesbian Fund program that has as its goal to create un derstanding and tolerance between GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) individuals and people of faith. Dr. Larrieu is a longtime resident and performer in the Kalamazoo area. She has lived and taught in Arizona and is now back in Michigan , living close to Lake Michigan and teaching at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. |
| 2/3 | Cathy Kothari | "Maternal Depression" - Researcher Cathy Kothari will be speaking on the topic of postpartum depression. She cover both what we know about it and what we are doing about it in Kalamazoo. |
| 2/10 | Jennifer Lang | "Colleagues International" - Jennifer heads this group which attempts to influence foreign relations locally by creating opportunities for our citizens to look beyond skin color, religious or life-style differences to see the essential person. They will honor a local activist this winter who has been chosen "Citizen Diplomat of the Year" for exemplifying these attitudes. |
| 2/17 | Shirley Bach | "From Wartime Italy to the Nobel Prize: Stories of Two Professional Exemplars, Rita Levi Montalcini and Mario Capecchi" - Since the announcement of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the press has picked up on Dr. Capecchi's story of persistent and exquisite genetic research in Utah after a lost childhood in wartime Italy. Perhaps less well-known is the elegant path of Dr. Levi-Montalcini, after denial of an academic position in wartime Italy to a flourishing research career in St. Lous and, with Dr. Stanley Cohen, recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1986 for discovery of nerve growth factor. Shirley Bach is Associate Director of WMU Ethics Center, and a long-time favorite of our Forum. |
| 2/24 | Don Brown | "Kalamazoo River Reborn " - The Kalamazoo River has undergone an outstanding rebirth in public awareness and actual resource quality in recent years. Once shunned as a repulsively polluted waterway, it now supports canoeing, kayaking, and many urban waterfront development initiatives. Don Brown will highlight the groups and initiatives that have helped to transform the public perception of the river and the reality of its natural resource value to the region.
Since retiring as Professor of Chemistry at W.M.U. Don Brown has worked on numerous watershed improvement projects. He has been a member of the Kalamazoo Environmental Council since its inception and is Vice-Chair of the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council. |
| 3/2 | Michael Raphelson | "Hospice and End of Life Care: From Then to Now"- Dr. Raphelson was a social worker before getting his M.D. from Michigan State. He is now a board certified Family physician and is board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Care and is currently the Medical Director for Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan’s Cass/Van Buren office. |
| 3/9 | Leslie Decker | "Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Revitalization"- Leslie and her husband Fred moved to Kalamazoo's Stuart Area neighborhood in 1971 when Fred became Western Michigan University's baseball coach. As Leslie says, "We liked the town and never left." Leslie has a BA in History and English and an MA in Communications from WMU. In 1973 she attended a neighborhood meeting chaired by Jean Bright and Ann Gerould about conditions in the Stuart Ave. area. She views preservation as part of neighborhood development. She began work in her neighborhood as a volunteer. The association, Stuart Area Restoration Association (SARA) was first funded in 1980. Funding came in the form of City Community Block Development grants. Leslie became the Director of SARA, holding that position until her retirement in 2007. A highlight of her tenure each year has been the Holiday and Historical Home Tours. The tours have undoubtedly inspired many to support historic preservation as well as other city building blocks such as code enforcement, noise ordinances and neighborhood crime prevention efforts. The Deckers have 2 adult children who live in the Kalamazoo area. |
| 3/16 | David Sadler | “A Photographer’s Eye: Finding Pictures” -A retired WMU faculty member, David Sadler has been taking photographs for more than sixty years. His slide show will demonstrate how his “photographer’s eye,” developed over the years, has made it possible for him to find pictures in unusual places as well as in everyday settings. He has been intrigued by the way the computer can transform seemingly ordinary views to reveal remarkable beauty. The slide show will conclude with some of these transformations. |
| 3/23 | Nasim Ansari | “All About Pakistan” - A native of Pakistan and current County Commissioner of Portage, Nasim Ansari will present this Forum on Pakistan, and will include facts about the country’s history, geography, and where Pakistan fits in the larger picture of the world.
Ansari has been living in the United States since 1977. He earned Master’s degrees in both Business and Chemistry from Western Michigan University and has taught there as well as KVCC and Kellogg Community College. He has worked as a consultant for several businesses, and has a great deal of knowledge in the environmental quality field. He and his wife have four children. |
| 3/30 | Stephen Covell | “Temple Buddhism in Japan Today” - This talk will focus on Buddhism as it actually occurs in the tens of thousands of neighborhood temples across Japan. The role of temple wives, movements aimed at the reinvigoration of lay members, and the struggles facing the priesthood will be discussed.
Stephen Covell holds the Mary Meader Professorship in Comparative Religion and is Associate Professor of Japanese Religions in the Department of Comparative Religion at Western Michigan University. He is also the director of the Soga Japan Center at WMU. He has recently published Japanese Temple Buddhism: Worldliness in a Religion of Renunciation. |
| 4/6 | Helen Bray | “Cemetery Art in Europe” - Helen will show how cemeteries developed from churchyards into the beautiful garden cemeteries that include Highgate in London and Pere Lachaise in Paris. We'll look at graves of the famous and the not so famous, the beautiful and the bizarre.
Helen is a former instructor at Western Michigan University, and a former member of People's Church. |
| 4/13 | Amy Collins | “Humanizing Our Heroes” - Who are our heroes? Are you somebody's hero? We all have the capacity to be heroic, and we are all human. Even the superheroes have their vulnerabilities. If we keep our heroes off a pedestal, we can recognize ourselves reflected in their greatness.
Amy grew up at People's Church, youngest child of Dave and Vera Collins. She is currently Commissioned Lay Leader of the UU Society of Cleveland, Ohio. She also works as a dietician and a massage therapist. She is always delighted to return to Kalamazoo to visit her father and her old stomping grounds at People's Church. |
| 4/20 | Denise Miller | “Poetry and Visual Arts” - Denise Miller will lead us in a discussion of the history of the interaction of poetry and visual arts through the examples of materials prepared by various individuals. She will talk about social justice issues as they are reflected in poetry. Topics might include: poetry about the author’s family, slavery and the intersection between domestic violence and slavery. Ms. Miller is a Kalamazoo Valley Community College instructor, an artist, a poet and a community activist. She is the artistic director of So This is The Fire, a multi-media performance of stories of escape from slavery in Michigan. Ms. Miller is the co-owner of Fire, a cultural lounge in Kalamazoo featuring visual art, poetry, music and Tai Chi. |
| 4/27 | Nancy Falk | “Politicizing Religion” - Many Americans think that the fusion of religion with politics is something recent and new. But in fact, religion and politics have been enmeshed since ancient times. Nancy Falk, Professor Emerita of Comparative Religion at WMU, will discuss the Hindu nationalist movement in India as an example of the forces driving similar movements elsewhere in the world.
Dr. Falk taught at WMU for 38 years, and has written several books. Her most recent is Living Hinduisms: An Explorer’s Guide, published in 2005. |
| 5/4 | Janet French | “Mystery, Ministry and More” - This forum will be presented by our intern minister Janet French. Janet lives in Valparaiso, IN with husband Tim and daughter Cara. She received her Master's of Social Work degree from Indiana University in 1986, and anticipates receiving a Master's in Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School in June ‘09. She is a former social worker, and has worked with troubled youth and families, Planned Parenthood, and has been director of a battered women's shelter. She also formerly served as director of religious education for her home church--First Unitarian of Hobart (IN). |
| 5/11 | David Isaacson | “Ralph Waldo Emerson: Master of the One-Liner” - Retired WMU librarian David Isaacson will speak on Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Emerson was a poet and essayist, a critic, and was important in the Transcendentalist movement. His father was a Unitarian minister. Mr. Isaacson was a reference librarian. |
