GREENVILLE, PA —From children’s books about baseball to starting a recycling program to worship services led by a biologist, the Thiel College Community Gathering and Community Worship events for fall 2008 offer something for everyone—and a few surprises along the way.

Community Gathering events occur on the first and third Thursdays of each month in the Lutheran Heritage Room of the Howard Miller Student Center while Community Worship events are scheduled for the second and four Thursdays in the David Johnson Memorial Chapel.  Both start at noon.

The Community Gatherings schedule for fall 2008 is as follows:

September 18—Dr. Bill McDonald

McDonald is the vice president for student life at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., and is the author of “Creating Campus Community.” His presentation promises to deliver numerous insights into the joys and challenges of community building.

October 2—Jonah Winter: “From Baseball to Barack: The World of a Political Children’s Book Author”

Winter is an Pittsburgh-based author, musician, artist and baseball fanatic who writes and illustrates children’s books, many of which are biographies of famous people. His most recent books are “Steel Town,” which chronicles one day in the life of a 1930s steel town, and “Barack,” a biography of Barack Obama that will be released on Sept. 30.

October 16—Dr. Henry & Donna Barton: “Southeast Asia Up Close: Encountering Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand”

Barton, Thiel professor of environmental science, and his wife, Donna, a lecturer in sociology and criminal justice studies at Thiel, will share photos and stories about their travels to Asia during summer 2008.

October 30—Gerhard Peters: “The Presidential Election in Perspective”

Peters, professor of political science at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif.,  and co-founder of the American Presidency Project, an online archive featuring more than 70,000 documents related to the American presidency, will speak about the upcoming election and place it into historical perspective.

November 13—“The Water Front”

This documentary film chronicles the story of Highland Park, Mich., and the larger issues of water privatization and human rights.

December 4—Dan Kuzma: “Campus Recycling Can Make a Difference”

Kuzma, manager of the award-winning Youngstown State University recycling program, will share YSU’s story of developing and managing a multi-dimensional recycling program.

The schedule of presenters for the Community Worship events for fall 2008 is as follows:

• September 25—Dr. Mary Theresa Hall, Thiel professor of English
• October 9—Dr. J. Henry Barton, Thiel professor of environmental science
• October 23—Dr. Michael Balas, Thiel professor biology
• November 6—Gary Witosky, senior vice president, Thiel College
• November 20—TBA

The Community Building Initiative is a new effort to renew a sense of community and togetherness on Thiel’s campus as well as between Thiel and the greater Greenville Community. The Community Building Initiative has a five-tiered approach to community building, including Community Experiences, Community Gatherings, Community Traditions, Community Worship and Community Greening events.

All Community Building Initiative events are free and open to the public.

For more information, call 724-589-2106 or visit www.thiel.edu/cbi.

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