[1] From: David Hoekema <DHOEKEMA@LEGACY.CALVIN.EDU> (74)
Subject: January lectures; Web sites; ACLS
Returning to Humanist after an absence necessitated by a schedule
that added a course in Aesthetics to continuing deanly duties and
extended the workday past endurance, now finding a bit of time to
breathe by the simple expedient of skipping the annual meeting of the
Eastern Division of the philosophers (how many divisions have the
philosophers? three, actually), I can report that it's possible to
catch up on three months' postings in a hurried and highly selective
hour. A few matters to place before my electronic colleagues, while
most of you are huddled in convention hotels, on (1) a January
lecture series, (2) some worthwhile Web sites, and (3) the
Humanist-ACLS marriage announcement:
(1) Anyone contemplating travel through or near Grand Rapids in
January (the XC skiing conditions are excellent, as has been evident
in several tours of the the golf course that adjoins my back yard in
the past three days have demonstrated--blessed luxury of having some
time for recreation) is cordially invited to attend any or all of a
series of free public lectures held on Calvin's campus at 12:30 each
weekday from January 4 through 24. Highlights of particular interest
to Humanist readers:
C. Everett Koop, "Managed Care for the 21st Century," Jan. 5
William Raspberry, "Another Look at Welfare,": Jan. 8
Khalil Jahshan, "Challenges of Peace in the Middle East," Jan. 9
Robt Wuthnow, "Christian Stewardship in an Age of Exhaustion," Jan.11
Nicholas Wolterstorff, "Lament as Part of Life," Jan. 12
Kenneth Bratt, "Rootless in America," Jan. 17
Reed Tuckson, "Violence as a Public Health Problem," Jan. 18
Deborah Ajakaiye, "Africa Today: Democracy, Factionalism, and Brain Drain," Jan 23
Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, led by Fred Starr, Jan. 24
(2) If you have a spare hour over the holidays, here are a few favorite
WWW sites that offer outstanding graphics together with (rare
exception to the rule) extensive and helpful text.
First, the Royal Dutch Library (Koninkljk Bibliotheek Nederland)
http://www.konbib.nl/100hoogte/hh-en.html (English language version)
to which Jim O'Connell's home page first directed me. (I had the
delightful experience of finding that I had signed the electronic
guest book there only hours after Umberto Eco--I figure it's the
electronic equivalent of having a table next to Harrison Ford at a
little cafe in Soho.) Second, the Carlos Museum at Emory, at
http://cc.emory.edu/CARLOS/carlos.html
which contains a small but unusual collection, indexed in interesting
ways for browsing.
(3) Congratulations to WM and other collaborators on the incipient
link with ACLS (of which more news was promised). As a relative
old-timer on the Humanist list, and also as one much involved with
ACLS during my 8 years at the American Philosophical Association, I
agree that each can benefit from the marriage (treaty? dalliance?
choose your metaphor). Best wishes to all (along with an offer to
help in any way I can) as you work out what the association will
mean.
ACLS has very capable and far-sighted leadership in Stan Katz, Doug
Bennett, Steven Wheatley and others. And it offers a good model for
leadership in academia. Knowing that it has stringently limited
resources and a moral obligation not to let new initiatives erode
core fellowship programs, it has chosen to serve as a channel of
communication and coordination in many areas, initiating projects it
can only advance with others' help. ACLS has a finger in nearly
every interesting pie in the realm of higher education in the
humanities and social sciences, domestically and internationally, but
nearly everything is undertaken in partnership with other
organizations with needed financial and human resources. (True, it
has been enmired at times in some internal and some external
controversies, especially with respect to Washington politics in the
Reagan/Bush years. But I'm only a philosopher and I pay no attention
to such mundane matters, which do not seem to be to have weakened
ACLS programs or affected its long-term effectiveness.)
Best wishes to all for a New Year filled with new joys and new
challenges.
--David Hoekema
/David Hoekema, Academic Dean, Calvin College, Grand Rapids MI 49546\
\\ tel. 616 957-6442 || fax 616 957-8551 || <dhoekema@calvin.edu> //