Virtual Events

Below are recordings from virtual events hosted by Principia Alumni & Field Relations. For more information on upcoming events visit principia.edu/events

How I Built This Virtual Book Talk
Dr. Peter Dry and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin (C’07)
January 26

How do entrepreneurs make their dreams a reality? Hear Dr. Peter Dry explore their tips and stories, and learn about the journey of successful entrepreneur Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin (C’07) in this recording of January’s book talk.

The Dutch House Virtual Book Talk
Linda Conradi (C’65)
November 30

Linda Conradi (C’64) gave a book talk on a 2020 finalist in fiction for the Pulitzer Prize, The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. Linda led us through a discussion of the book’s themes of an unbreakable bond between siblings Maeve and Danny as they moved from childhood through adulthood, and also their obsession with their childhood home. The book talk was followed by breakout rooms. This recording is just of the book talk.

The State of Democracy in the World
Dr. Sarah Andrews
November 17

Enjoy this talk by assistant professor of Global Studies, Dr. Sarah Andrews (US’03, C’07), which addressed the state of democracy in the world.

Massive protests in places such as Hong Kong and Hungary are making headlines and illustrate both threats to democracy and popular demand for democracy. This talk will looked globally at places where democracy is progressing and places where it is backsliding. Dr. Andrews presented trends and offer some explanations for those trends.

Principia Virtual Book Club The Boys in the Boat
College Athletics Director Ann Pierson
October 27

Principia College Athletics Director Ann Pierson gave a book talk of this irresistible #1 New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Ann Pierson led us through the epic journey of these 9 incredible men and their quest for gold in 1936, beating the odds, and finding hope in the most desperate of times.

Principia Homecoming 2020: Alumni Concert
October 16

Our Homecoming Alumni Concert includes a wide variety of musical genres performed by alumni and current College students. Enjoy a mix of traditional, classical, singer-songwriter, and pop, as well as a special feature performance honoring beloved professor emeritus, Dr. Robert “Rocky” Rockabrand (C'53).

Principia Virtual Book Club Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace
Dr. John Glen
September 28

Former Principia College history professor Dr. John Glen gave a book talk on New York Times bestseller, Countdown 1945 by Chris Wallace. Dr. Glen took us through Chris Wallace’s day by day account of the 116 days between the death of President Franklin Roosevelt in mid-April, 1945, until the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, effectively ending World War Two.

Biblical Messages of Inclusion and God’s Infinite Embrace
Dr. Barry Huff
September 22

Enjoy this talk by Dr. Barry Huff, “Biblical Messages of Inclusion and God’s Infinite Embrace.” After the Babylonian exile, some leaders excluded those they deemed “other” from the Jerusalem community, but the Jewish authors of Ruth, Jonah, Job, and Isaiah 56–66 boldly portrayed foreigners’ devotion to God and God’s embrace of all people. These postexilic biblical texts laid the foundation for messages of inclusion that also appear in the opening and closing chapters of the New Testament, the parables of Jesus, and the letters of Paul. Click here for a handout of resources from the talk.

Faith in Action: Praying about Racism

Have you ever thought about praying about racism? Can you pray about it? Alumni and friends joined the conversation with two Principia College alumni and faculty members, Winnie Hinchman Needham (US’88, C’92) and Dr. Billy Miller (C’72). This live, online event was hosted by Principia College as part of its Faith in Action series and held on Thursday, September 10.

Principia Virtual Book Club with Linda Conradi

Enjoy this book talk by Linda Conradi about The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate. Dive into its dramatic and hopeful story of three young women searching for family amid the destruction of the post–Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who learns of their story and its vital connection to her students' lives. Click here for further resource recommendations from the discussion leader.

Race and Faith with Dr. Brian Blount

Listen to our conversation with Dr. Brian Blount, president and professor of New Testament at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Dr. Blount’s scholarship focuses primarily on the Gospel of Mark and the Book of Revelation, and in the area of cultural studies and hermeneutics. He is the author of six books, many of which contextualize the Bible in terms of the African American experience.

Get to know Dr. Blount.

We are honored to have closed our Race and Faith summer series with such a profound thinker and practitioner of the faith.

This conversation was held on August 14, 2020.

A Conversation with Black American Principia Alumni

On Tuesday, August 11, we “shared the mic" with several Black American Principia alumni, who discussed topics ranging from the Black Lives Matter movement to the role of faith in addressing racism. The program began with a brief presentation by College professor Dr. Billy Miller (C’72) on the history of race in the United States. The panelists were Zekita Armstrong Asuquo (C’19), John Butler (C’87), Dr. Billy Miller (C’72), Dr. Trudy Palmer (US’72), and Dorian Watkins (US’11, C’15). The talk was moderated by Principia College President John Williams. 

Click here for more resources recommended by the panelists.

Engaging Community with Rev. Traci Blackmon

Rev. Traci Blackmon was our second speaker in this summer's Race and Faith series at Principia. She was our guest on Friday, July 17, 2020.

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A book talk on One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson, given by former Principia College professor Dr. John Glen

A Talk by Dr. Art McCoy—part of the College's Race and Faith series

The first talk in the series, given on Friday, June 19, 2020.

A Conversation with the Apostle Paul by Dr. Barry Huff

This is a recording of a talk given by Principia College associate professor of religious studies, Dr. Barry Huff, "A Conversation with the Apostle Paul." Calvin Rotzel has observed that reading Paul’s letters is like listening in to only one side of a phone conversation. In this talk, Barry will give you a taste of what the other side might have sounded like by playing the role of Paul in a radio talk show in which callers will voice the issues to which Paul was likely to be responding to in his letters. Click here for the link to the handout from the talk.

Principia Virtual Book Club with Linda Conradi

This is a recording of the book talk by Linda Conradi on the book *Where the Crawdad Sings* by Delia Owens. Join us as we take a deep dive into the themes and relationships that took place in the book.

Biblical Inspiration for Exiles and Our World Today: Psalms and Job, Part 2 of 2, May 19, 2020

This recording is part 2 in a two-part webinar series “Biblical Inspiration for Exiles and Our World Today” with Dr. Barry Huff. Part 2 is focused on Psalms and Job and features Psalms’ proclamations of God as a refuge and king, the journey from lament to praise in lament psalms and the Psalter, Job’s resilience through suffering and loss, and his discovery of God’s expansive embrace of the marginalized. This recording will be up for at least the next month. Click here for the PDF of the slides from Dr. Huff’s talk.

Biblical Inspiration for Exiles and Our World Today: Genesis and the Prophets, Part 1 of 2, May 14, 2020

This recording is part 1 in a two-part webinar series “Biblical Inspiration for Exiles and Our World Today” with Dr. Barry Huff. Part 1 is focused on Genesis and the Prophets and explores biblical authors’ inspiring responses to the crisis of the Babylonian exile and the healing relevance of their messages to our world today. This recording will be up for at least the next month. Click here for the PDF of the slides from Dr. Huff’s talk.

Principia Alumni Virtual Concert, May 6, 2020

Please enjoy our the full replay of our Alumni Online Concert on our YouTube channel. 

This special online concert presented by the Principia College Music Department showcases Principia alumni who have gone on to become independent and professional musicians. It features a wide variety of musical genres, including traditional and contemporary jazz, classical, singer-songwriter, Broadway, pop, and more.