Axinn Center Abernethy Room (221)

A lecture by Charles Hill, Yale University Charles Hill is a diplomat in residence and lecturer in International Studies at Yale University. He is a career minister in the U.S. Foreign Service, serving in a variety of roles such as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East at the State Department, Chief of Staff of the same, and executive aid to former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz. Dr. Hill has been a fellow at the Harvard University East Asia Research Center, a Clark fellow at Cornell University, and is currently a research fellow at the Hoover Institution.

The Western Star: an epic poem, with songs, written and performed by Jack DesBois ‘15.5. A performance in the epic oratory tradition, The Western Star tells the story of the Three Kings and their journey west to Bethlehem. With poetry and song, it celebrates the season of Epiphany and the return of the light and contributes to the living tradition of Biblical storytelling with freshness and reverence. Jack DesBois is a singer, actor, poet and playwright based in Middlebury, seeking to create dramatic works that build community and restore the soul.

2015 CONSTITUTION DAY LECTURE Dr. Norma Thompson is Associate Director of the Whitney Humanities Center and Senior Lecturer in the Humanities at Yale University. Her scholarship and teaching are in the humanities, with special interests in political philosophy.

MacArthur Fellow Peter Cole has taught during Winter Term and lectured at Middlebury in the past, most recently on Jewish mystical poetry.

Editors from The BreakBeat Poets of Chicago facilitate a short open mic, featuring participants from the afternoon workshop and members of the local poetry and hip hop community. The editors then perform an interactive reading from The BreakBeat Poets, discussing the anthology’s genesis, impact, and the role of BreakBeat poetics in contemporary literature. Sponsored by the Theater Department, Black Student Union, Oratory Now, Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life, and Department of English