By J. CHAD KEBRDLE
Instructor of English, Institutional Advancement Associate, Ancilla College

DONALDSON — The thirst for knowledge is ever-quenched at Ancilla College’s Lampen Lecture series. The purpose of these lectures is to promote each individual’s ability to think beyond his or her own experiences and interests. The upcoming lecture Feb. 17, “Tell Us Who You Are,” presented by Jennifer Weinert is from the Memorial Hospital BrainWorks Program The Heart of Aging with Wisdom and Vitality.

The goal of the Heart of Aging program is to encourage people in the second half of their lives to reflect on their experiences and create legacies.

“The group will gather to explore questions we all grapple with at various points in our lives, in relation to our purpose. Our answers to such questions often give us much deeper insights to who we are now and where we are going. A guided meditation will take us to the place where poetry is,” said Weinert.

The Lampen Lecure series was designed to combine the universality of the Catholic Church, the international character of the PHJC, and the Earth Charter, which is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society. Named for Sr. Joel Lampen, Ancilla’s first president, the Lampen Lecture series was initiated by Sr. Carleen Wrasman in 2005.

The first lecture of the Lampen Lecture Series for Spring Semester 2016 was presented Thursday, Feb. 11, by Dr. James Riley, PhD, who has worked with institutions such as Syracuse University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Delaware. The lecture, titled “Servant Leadership: Leading from Within,” focused on the inadvertent leadership qualities that arise from simply acting out of inner strength and passion.

Though centered on a technical framework, Riley spoke mostly from his experiences with other people who have shown exceptional leadership skills by following their heart. One example was a man who had a fichus tree obsession; another inadvertently received help from the community to help him build a functioning carousal with hand-carved horses and a working hurdy-gurdy.

This series is open to Ancilla students, staff, others in the PHJC ministries, as well as the general public at no charge. The remainder of the Spring Lampen Schedule for 2016 is as follows:

Feb. 17 — Tell Us Who You Are presented by Jennifer Weinert , Certified Sage-ing Circle Facilitator. To be held in the Hardesty Room C231 at 3 p.m.

March 9 — Canon Law presented by Sr. Kate Kuensler, PHJC, Canon Lawyer. To be held in the Hardesty Room C231 at 3 p.m.

April 20 — Trafficking presented by Rondi Wightman, MSW Hardesty Room C231 at 3 p.m.

Ancilla College and the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ are proud to offer these lectures at no charge to anyone who might have interest in attending.

If you have any questions about the details, please contact Sr. Jolise May, Vice President of Mission Integration, [email protected] or (574) 936-8898 ext. 361.

We look forward to seeing you at future Lampen Lectures.