Colorado College Notable Lectures & Performances

Robert Shedinger, author of "Was Jesus a Muslim?" gave a lecture with the same title, focusing on countering Islamophobia with authentic dialogue. Shedinger is an associate religion professor and chair of the department at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. He teaches courses on Islam and has lectured on Western perceptions of Islam. He also is the author of "Tatian and the Jewish Scriptures" and coeditor of "Who Killed Goliath? Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind." Recorded September 24, 2010.

Wade Davis P'10, anthropologist, ethnobotanist and Explorer-in-Residence at National Geographic, addressed the Colorado College Class of 2010 at its commencement at 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 17. Transcript available at http://www2.ColoradoCollege.edu/commencement/. Recorded May 17, 2010.

Baccalaureate for seniors and guests. Tomi-Ann Roberts, professor of psychology, will discuss "It Was Like This: You Were Happy." Recorded May 16, 2010.

Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of the film "Milk," is coming to Colorado College to speak on social movements in film and media with a focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender inequality. Recorded April 2, 2010.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom, an expert on Shanghai history, is author of several works on China, including "Global Shanghai, 1850 � 2010: A History in Fragments" (2009) and "China's Brave New World and Other Tales for Global Times" (2007). His newest work, "China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know," will be published by Oxford University Press in April. Recorded March 31, 2010.

Four governors, on one stage, in one night: Former Colorado Governors Dick Lamm, Roy Romer, and Bill Owens discuss their common challenges and successes during their terms of office, and provide valuable insights for the next person to fill this leadership role. Colorado College President Dick Celeste, a former two-term governor of Ohio, will facilitate the discussion. Recorded March 31, 2010.

T.R. Reid is a prizewinning Washington Post reporter and the author of several books, including "The Healing of America" and "The United States of Europe." A frequent guest on NPR, he has narrated and produced several PBS documentaries. Recorded March 4, 2010.

Lois Quam, an internationally recognized visionary and leader on the emerging New Green Economy (NGE) and universal health care reform, is the founder and chair of Tysvar, LLC, a newly created, privately held, Minnesota-based NGE and health care reform incubator, and was named one of America's "50 Most Powerful Women" by Fortune magazine in 2006. Recorded March 1, 2010.

Charles W. Mills will deliver the annual J. Glenn and Ursula Gray Memorial Lecture on "Race and Liberalism." Professor Mills�s first book, "The Racial Contract" (Cornell, 1997), reassessed the social contract philosophy at the heart of early modern Western constitutionalism and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Recorded February 25, 2010.

George Weigel, the official biographer of Pope John Paul II, reflects on how we see the implications of his legacy and achievement today. George Weigel (Baltimore, 1951 - ) is an American Catholic author, and political and social activist. Recorded February 23, 2010.

Dr. Bonnie Lynn-Sherow's talk will focus on the mythological power of the "family farm" ideal in American history and the West in particular. She will discuss the "mythical" power of Jeffersonian agrarianism, and how it has been transformed into something Jefferson would never have recognized. Recorded February 22, 2010.

Three of America's greatest playwrights discuss the intersections of the arts and society and assess the future of playwriting, the relative impact of their own plays and the socio-historical elements involved in creating modern dramatic works. Tony Kushner has received the esteemed "double" of the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize for his work, "Angels in America: Millennium Approaches"; Suzan-Lori Parks won a Pulitzer and was nominated for a Tony Award for "Topdog/Underdog"; and David Henry Hwang is a Tony winner and Pulitzer nominee for "M. Butterfly." New York University professor and noted theater historian Laurence Maslon moderated the event. Recorded February 3, 2010.

"This Beautiful City" is a provocative musical about the growth of the evangelical movement in Colorado Springs, created by the New York-based investigative theater company The Civilians. Performed off-Broadway in New York City and in several cities across the country, "This Beautiful City" is the culmination of The Civilians� residency in Colorado Springs in 2006. While conducting interviews with residents involved with or affected by the mega-church movement and the battle raging over gay marriage, scandal broke about New Life Church pastor Ted Haggard and shook the city of Colorado Springs, providing the play�s creators with an unprecedented opportunity to capture an important event as it was taking place, and providing the people of Colorado Springs the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns as those events unfolded. Recorded December 6, 2009. Talkback recording available at http://www2.ColoradoCollege.edu/news_events/multimedia

Poets Conrad and Jane Hilberry read from their work. His books include "After Music" and "Sorting the Smoke." She�s the winner of the Colorado Book Award for "Body Painting." Recorded December 10, 2009.

Annie Leonard is the author and host of the online film, "The Story of Stuff," an expose on the hidden environmental and social costs of current systems of production and consumption. The film has generated more than seven million views in 200 countries and territories since its launch in December 2007. She has spent nearly two decades investigating and organizing on environmental health and justice issues. She is now working on a book version of the film, to be published in March 2010. Recorded December 3, 2009.