Barry McNamara  |  Published September 04, 2019

Great Lecture Series Returns Sept. 7

Pre-game talks by College faculty showcase ‘the great teaching and learning that goes on at Monmouth College.’
The Great Lecture Series is designed to expose people to different disciplines on campus and see some of the great teaching and learning ...
The Great Lecture Series is designed “to expose people to different disciplines on campus and see some of the great teaching and learning that goes on at Monmouth College,” says political science professor Andre Audette, the event’s organizer.

MONMOUTH, Ill. – Are you ready for some great lectures?

If the answer is “Yes,” then Monmouth College football fans will want to make the short pre-game trek to Hewes Library for the second year of the Great Lecture Series.

ANDRE AUDETTE: This lecture series is an opportunity for everyone to see some of the great work ... ANDRE AUDETTE: “This lecture series is an opportunity for everyone to see some of the great work that's being done on the College campus and celebrate all of the things that make us a great liberal arts institution.”Started last fall, the series features a talk by a Monmouth faculty member on the morning of each home football game. This year, the talks will be held in the Barnes Electronic Classroom on the lower level of the library, which is located directly south of April Zorn Memorial Stadium.

“It’s a pre-game talk designed to expose people to different disciplines on campus and see some of the great teaching and learning that goes on at Monmouth College,” said political science professor Andre Audette. “It’s open to the public, so everyone can come see what’s going on in our classes.”

Most of the talks will be held at 11 a.m., with the exception being the lecture before the Homecoming game on Oct. 19, which will be presented at 11:30 a.m.

Up first in the series is communication studies professor Trudi Peterson, who will speak Sept. 7 about “The Complexity of Intimacy: Thinking Dialectically about Interpersonal Relationships.”

“We have a lot of great teachers on the Monmouth College campus, but not everyone gets a chance to take a theatre class or a communication studies class,” said Audette. “This lecture series is an opportunity for everyone to see some of the great work that’s being done on the College campus and celebrate all of the things that make us a great liberal arts institution.”

Audette said it’s worth noting that on Mondays through Fridays, the members of the Fighting Scots football team are students in those classrooms.

“It’s important to keep in mind that shortly after these events, we’ll have a field full of student-athletes who are competing,” he said. “They are student-athletes, so they are going to be taking classes from these professors. Before we head to the football field, we can see what they’re doing most of the week in the classroom.”

The Great Lecture Series

      • Sept. 7 – “The Complexity of Intimacy: Thinking Dialectically about Interpersonal Relationships” (Trudi Peterson, Communication Studies)

      • Sept. 28 – “Fighting Scots Wha Hae! The Whole of Scottish Literature in Just Under an Hour” (Dean of the Faculty Mark Willhardt, English)

      • Oct. 19 – “Following the Fingerprint of Human Innovation Through the Analysis of Ancient Ceramics” (Janis Wunderlich, Art)

      • Nov. 9 – “The Wonder of DNA” (James Godde, Biology)

      • Nov. 16 – “History Has Its Eyes On You: ‘Hamilton’ and the Social Functions of Theatre” (Vanessa Campagna, Theatre)
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