The current special issue of Achieve is all about giving, the giving of our many generous supporters who want the experience of current William Jewell students to be the best it can possibly be. 

If we take a look at one small sliver of the Jewell experience—special events in just one semester—you will see what your gifts have made possible for the next generation of leaders for our world. 

Our speaker series, titled “Perspectives on the Common Good,” encompasses four endowed lectureships and one annually funded lectureship. This fall we have enjoyed the Peggy Kern Lecture on Women and Society with Dr. Mary Frances Berry, who has appeared regularly over the past few months as an election analyst on CNN. Her timely topic at Jewell was “Race, Politics, and the 2008 Election.”

The Walter Pope Binns Lectures on the Sacred and Secular, and Power and Justice in Society, brought Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, professor of New Testament at Vanderbilt, for a discussion of “Understanding the Jewish Jesus” and “The Women Who Followed Jesus.” Dr. Levine’s most recent book, The Misunderstood Jew, is a wonderful treatise on the early Christian church and its relationship with Judaism. 

In between, Dr. Niall Ferguson, professor of history and business administration at Harvard, delivered a very relevant Hall Distinguished Visiting Scholar lecture on “Sinking Globalization: What Could Go Wrong?” Dr. Ferguson is an internationally known scholar whose books include Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power and Colossus: The Rise and Fall of the American Empire, along with the soon-to-be-published The Ascent of Money. 

All three of these speakers brought unique insights into very distinct aspects of our world. They sparked conversations that continue to resonate within the campus and the larger community. 

Along with world-class speakers, our students have enjoyed world-class performing artists. The Harriman-Jewell Series presented a sparkling program of the world’s best performers this fall, including the legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianists Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman in a duo recital, the Jerusalem Symphony and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 

Speakers and performers of this international caliber add a rich dimension to the Jewell experience. Our students are among a very fortunate few who have the opportunity to be part of a liberal arts college community in which these life-enriching experiences are readily available. And all of these experiences are provided free to Jewell students because of the generous support of donors like you whose annual gifts make such programming possible.  

On behalf of our students and faculty, I offer my heartfelt thanks for all you have done and all that you continue to do to enhance the Jewell experience.