Professors, alumni to assist in community speaker series

By Nathan Elg

Mirror Staff Writer
February 22, 2008

Augustana is reaching further into the community with its new speaker series, the Thought Leader Forum.

The forum hosts three Augustana faculty and alumni speakers each semester at the Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Sioux Falls to discuss a particular issue with the community.

“We’re trying to share our great professors and alumni with the community in a more obvious way,” vice president for marketing and communications Bob Preloger said. “We want to be the major player in the region, and we have the capacity through our gifted professors and alumni.”

Augustana’s first Thought Leader Forum, “Islam and the West,” commenced last week with government professor Joe Dondelinger’s remarks on the topic of jihad, which drew more than 200 people. One Augustana student came to the event.

In his talk, Dondelinger illustrated what it means to be an authentic Muslim. He also explained misconceptions of the Crusades and the controversies that have arisen from the multiple understandings of jihad. He ended by describing how we should be treating Muslims.

“Muslims can’t be dealt with by Muslimophobia,” Dondelinger said. “The Sioux Falls advertising slogan ‘Diversity - It’s what we have in common’ has good intentions, but it’s empty. Even the Yugoslavs had diversity in common, and look what happened. Diversity is one empty vessel, and we fill it with respect or we fill it with violence.”

The event was covered by and sponsored in partnership with KELO-TV.

The next speaker in the series, Vice Admiral Lyle Bien, is scheduled to speak March 12, and will be discussing a military perspective on Islam and the West. Bien is a former “top gun” flight instructor and a member of the South Dakota Hall of Fame.

Dr. Jarret Brachman will conclude the “Islam and the West” Thought Leader Forum on May 14, with a discussion on terrorism. Brachman currently teaches courses on terrorism at West Point Military Academy.

Each speaker event, begins at 11:30 a.m., costs $20 per person and includes lunch.

Some Augustana students are upset about the daytime forums conflicting with their class schedules, while others are disappointed about the price of tickets.

“It’s unfortunate we have to skip class and pay $20 to participate in a forum that really could be interesting,” senior sociology and government major Mandy Sieck said.

Preloger understands that most students will not be attending the forums, but he believes it is important for Augustana to be involved in the community.

“We are investing in the community to express who we are and to discuss issues that affect our city and region,” Preloger said.

The alumni speakers will be lecturing in Augustana classrooms the day before their scheduled talks.

Thought Leader Forum topics for subsequent semesters have already been selected. Presidential elections will be the focus next fall, followed by a theme on healthcare in spring 2009.