UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Garaventa Center

“Reading the Bible Disruptively” with Susanne Scholz, March 18

On Wednesday, March 18, scholar and author Susanne Scholz will present “Reading the Bible Disruptively for Gender Justice in an Authoritarian Age,” at 7:15 p.m., in Bauccio Commons. Scholz will ask whether gendered Bible readings constitute viable intellectual alternatives to transform contemporary structures of domination.

Scholz serves as professor of Old Testament at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Her research focuses on feminist biblical hermeneutics and the epistemologies and sociologies of biblical interpretation.

The lecture is free and open to all, and is sponsored by the Garaventa Center, CAS, Catholic Studies Program, the Department of Theology, and many more. For ADA accommodations or more information: up.edu/garaventa or x7702

Poetry Reading with GC Waldrep, March 12

Celebrated poet GC Waldrep will read select passages from his work and unpack connections between his faith and his art on Thursday, March 12, at 7:15 p.m., in the Brian Doyle Auditorium (DB 004). GC Waldrep is the author most recently of feast gently (2018), winner of the 2019 William Carlos Williams Award from the Poetry Society of America, and the long poem Testament (2015). Waldrep currently teaches at Bucknell University and edits the journal West Branch. Free and open to all. Sponsored by the Garaventa Center and the English department. For ADA accommodations or more information please use this link or call x7702.

“Hold Fast to Love and Justice” with Bernadette Farrell, March 21

Mark your calendars for a special Lenten concert with renowned liturgical composer Bernadette Farrell entitled, “Hold Fast to Love and Justice,” on Saturday March 21, at 7 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. The concert features music focused on social justice, as well as beloved favorites such as “Christ, Be Our Light.” The event is free and open to all, with a reception to follow. Sponsored by the Garaventa Center, Campus Ministry, the Office of International Education, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Oregon Catholic Press. For ADA accommodations or more information contact the Garaventa Center at up.edu/garaventa or x7702.

The Season of Lent: Did You Know?

The season of lent banner with white crucifix on purple background Paint brush style vector design

Lent is a period of preparation for the Easter celebration, which is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus.  This liturgical season has been a part of the practice of Christians since the late second century. The length of this period varied early on but was proposed to be set at forty days at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) More than just a time to give something up, Lent is a time to renew one’s attentiveness to life as a disciple of Jesus.  Fasting seeks to strip away the distractions, almsgiving draws deeper attention to our relationship with our neighbors, and prayer looks toward deepening a relationship with Jesus. This renewal of life as a disciple of Jesus is meant to prepare Christians for the fullness of life that is promised by the resurrection. Lent this year begins on Wednesday, February 26 and lasts up to the Holy Triduum, which are the three days leading into Easter on Sunday, April 11.

“Did You Know?” is a mostly weekly feature in upbeat that pokes around the many interesting features of UP as a Catholic and Holy Cross university. If you have a question or topic of interest that you would like covered in this feature, please send it to Fr. Jim Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry, or Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center.

“The Relation Between Revolution and Religion,” Feb. 18

On Tuesday, February 18, MIT history professor Jeffrey Ravel will offer a lecture entitled, “The Relation Between Revolution and Religion: The Case of the French Revolution of 1789 and French Catholicism,” at 7:15 p.m., in Franz Hall 120. The event is free and open to all, and is sponsored by the Garaventa Center.

In the early twenty-first century, we often assume that the great eighteenth-century revolutions in North America, France, and Haiti were popular political movements that ushered in the modern, secular age. A selective reading of these events has made us lose sight of the role religion played in these watershed events, a role that continues to have relevance in today’s national and global politics. This lecture will re-examine this relationship by focusing on the French Revolution and French Catholicism.

Jeffrey Ravel’s research focuses on the history of French and European political culture from the mid-seventeenth through the mid-nineteenth centuries. He currently co-directs the Comédie-Française Registers Project, and is serving as president of the American Society for Eighteenth Century Studies.

For ADA accommodations or further information, please contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.

Why Theology Needs Marie Kondo, Feb. 11

All are invited to the next installment in the popular “Why Theology Needs…” series from the Beckman Humor Project on Tuesday, February 11, at 7:15 p.m., in the Brian Doyle Auditorium (DB 004). Senior theology major  Andrew Plasker will explore Marie Kondo’s methodology for “tidying up” and how her attitudes toward cleaning can enrich spiritual practices and help us look at our faiths in new ways.

For ADA accommodations or more information contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu, or visit up.edu/beckmanhumor.

TLC From The TLC: Brown Bag Session on Feb. 12

In the fog of the semester, we all can use some small teaching interventions to refresh our work with students. Join Lars Larson and Jeffrey White at this TLC brown bag event on Wednesday, February 12, 11:30-12:15, in the Murphy Room as they present ten suggestions for intentional teaching drawn from a variety of practitioners and researchers in teaching and learning.

For more information contact Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu.

Thirst Friday: Celebrate Our Neighbors to the North, Feb. 7

Celebrate all things Canadian at the next Thirst Friday, February 7, from 4-6 p.m., in the Garaventa Center (Franz 330). All faculty and staff are invited to enjoy Canadian-themed treats along with a generous selection of additional appetizers and goodies as you mingle with campus neighbors. Bonus: the first 18 people will qualify for an authentic Canadian beverage! For more information, contact Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu, eh?

 

 

“The Undertaking,” Pomerleau Concert Series, Feb. 5

“The Undertaking,” part of the Rev. Claude Pomerleau Memorial Concert Series, will take place on Wednesday, February 5, at 7 p.m., in Hunt Center Recital Hall. A reception will follow.

An aging mother’s health teeters on the brink. Her adult daughter scrambles to find footing as her role shifts from child to authority figure. Death pounds at the door and they both wonder, “Could someone this ticked off actually be dying?” Through an interdisciplinary blend of music, movement, and theatrical storytelling, “The Undertaking” uses actor/dancers to portray the end-of-life care of an elder using Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, played live by local music ensemble Northwest Piano Trio.

Featuring UP alumna Hannah Hillebrand ’05 and music faculty member Susan McDaniel, and directed by UP faculty/alumna Jessica Wallenfels, this performance is free to the UP community. Co-sponsored by the Garaventa Center, the Beckman Humor Project, the Fr. Claude Pomerleau Memorial Concert Series, the School of Nursing, and the Performing and Fine Arts Department. For ADA accommodations or more information contact Wallenfels at wallenfe@up.edu.

Thirst Friday: Celebrate Our Neighbors to the North, Feb. 7

Celebrate all things Canadian at the next Thirst Friday, February 7, from 4-6 p.m., in the Garaventa Center (Franz 330). All faculty and staff are invited to enjoy Canadian-themed treats along with a generous selection of additional appetizers and goodies as you mingle with campus neighbors. Bonus: the first 18 people will qualify for an authentic Canadian beverage! For more information, contact Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu, eh?