For the past three weeks, participants in Principia College’s first-ever “Trash the President” competition toted plastic buckets everywhere they went, storing in them all the trash and recyclable materials they generated. The competition, which was created and organized by all-campus eco-heads Amber Dahlin and Austin Kingsbery, earned the right to its name when President Jonathan Palmer agreed to compete against student representatives from each dorm. The competition’s goal? To generate the least trash possible.

Dahlin and Kingsbery, both sophomores, were exuberant as they discussed the event. “We wanted a competition in which the whole campus would be involved. It needed to be controlled and yet still be interesting,” said Kingsbery. They were undoubtedly successful.

Posters, located outside the dining room, tracked the progress of all participants, making it easy for community members to follow the competition. And that’s exactly what they did. Kingsbery notes, “Even people who don’t talk often [about environmental initiatives] were talking about it.” Dahlin appreciated the widespread community involvement as well: “One of the most important things has been making connections with people—dining services, facilities, Dr. Palmer, admissions. All those parties need to be involved.”

As for the results of the competition, “Dr. Palmer was fairly confident he could win,” said Kingsbery, “but he didn’t even come close.” Still, considering the fact that he doesn’t eat all his meals in a school dining room and that his office generates a lot of paperwork, the President turned in only a modest amount of trash. “I generated a lot more recycling than trash,” he noted. (If you’re curious, the President’s bucket included aluminum cans—a mark of his weakness for Fresca—paperwork, and the wrappings from a pre-packaged meal.) “I’m disappointed I didn’t trash the students,” Palmer conceded. “But I did do some trash talking,” he added jovially.

The winner, Christian Richardson (a sophomore representing Lowrey), amassed a startling amount of trash—none! “It was a little harder than I thought it would be,” he admitted. “The hardest thing was not ordering from the Pub.” (The competition required saving the used paper plates and plastic ware ubiquitous to Pub dining.)

Richardson’s prize? Two Cardinals tickets. As of now, he hasn’t decided whether he’ll go with a friend or auction off “A Date with Christian” for a Lowrey fundraiser.

“The way I normally begin is simple,” explained Emmanuel Jal. “I have a three-minute way in which I tell my story in the form of a poem.” It may have been a poem, but even such an abridged version of Jal’s story was far from simple. A former Sudanese child soldier turned international hip-hop star, Jal addressed the Principia College campus on February 11th as one of this year’s speakers in the Vogel Moral Courage series, named for Lucha Noerager Vogel.

While broken up by moments of optimism and levity, Jal’s talk was not for the faint of heart. He spent ample time detailing his childhood as a warrior in the Sudanese civil war and the three months he and other child soldiers spent wandering through a desert after escaping the army.

Salvation came when Jal reached a village where he met Emma McCune, a British aid worker who adopted him and smuggled him to Kenya so he could attend school.

It was during the time spent in the desert that Jal remembers calling on God and feeling that his prayers were answered. In response to a student’s question about maintaining faith, Jal replied, “Along my journey I was able to try and test out God, and so my faith was built. When you call on those experiences where you feel like God has answered, that will build your faith.” When asked how he established his faith, Jal credited his mother: “I think for every kid, their parents play a big part. My mother planted the seed.”

Jal ended his presentation with a lively performance of “Emma,” a song he wrote as a tribute to the woman who saved him. He began the song only after giving the audience a brief lesson on how to bob your head to hip-hop music and then requesting that all listeners get on their feet.

Despite the sober nature of Jal’s experience, he exudes gratitude and calm. “When you forgive someone who has done you wrong, you are actually more free,” he told listeners. He has clearly taken that message to heart.

You can listen to Jal’s talk in its entirety here.

For generations of Principians, studying abroad has been a highlight of their College experience. Based on the line-up of abroad programs stretching into 2012, that won’t be changing anytime soon. Far from tourist-style travel, Principia’s abroad programs include a home stay whenever possible so that students experience day-to-day life much as an ordinary citizen would. And although each program has a clear academic focus, participation is never limited to those in a particular major. As a result, students with a wide range of interests and expertise wind up traveling together, which adds to the richness and diversity of the experience.

Here’s a list of the abroad programs taking place over the next two years:

Peru (Spring Quarter 2010)
Students will cultivate an understanding, appreciation, and respect for the Peruvian culture while advancing their Spanish language skills through small-group instruction and home stays. They will also do volunteer service work and help harvest fields on the island of Amantani. The ecology block will include a 5-day trek, exploration of Machu Picchu and the Colca Valley, and a study of the marine environment.

Mongolia (Summer 2010)
Students will live and learn by spending one week in China and eight weeks in Mongolia, exploring the connections between physical, biological, and human environments.

Nepal (Fall Quarter 2010)
Focusing on the history, culture, and natural environment of Nepal, students will explore its culture, religious philosophies, conservation practices, and biophysical characteristics, in part by conducting individual field research on specific social issues.

Japan (Fall Quarter 2010)
Through a cross-disciplinary study of contemporary Japan, with an emphasis on its culture, history, language, and society, students will examine the key events, values, and forces that have shaped Japan’s history and culture—and supply the context for understanding its future.

Brazil (Winter Quarter 2011)
Students will concentrate on contemporary Brazil and the innovative solutions being used to address longstanding problems. These solutions incorporate cultural and ethnic diversity and integration, green energy and habitat conservation, antipoverty and development measures enabled by economic growth, and new ways to think about urban space. Coursework will focus on culture, sustainable development, and the Portuguese language.

China and the Silk Road (Spring Quarter 2011)
Through an introduction to the Silk Road, especially Central Asia (from the Caspian Sea to Beijing), students will consider the question, “What is the self-image of the peoples/nations of the Silk Road?” Academic study will focus on geography, history, culture, religion, politics, and popular culture.

Prague Abroad (Spring Quarter 2011)
Students will explore the connections between creativity, critical thought, and responsible citizenship through cultural study, literature, creative writing, and studio art as they travel and study in Prague and the Czech Republic.

Shakespeare’s England (Fall Semester 2011)
To better appreciate the work of Shakespeare as both literature and theatre, students will spend half of the term in England doing intensive study and rehearsal of Shakespeare as well as cultural study. The other half will be spent on the College campus, culminating in a Shakespearean production.

Drawing beyond the Surface (Turkey and Greece) (Fall Semester 2011)
Through an interdisciplinary study of the visual cultures of Turkey and Greece, students will explore studio art, art history, film, photography, design, art criticism, and cultural studies. In the process, they’ll develop new skills in seeing, drawing, designing, writing, and presenting ideas and information.

Paris and Nice Abroad (Spring Semester 2012)
For the first nine weeks of the term, while still on campus, students will use an interdisciplinary approach to the study of history, art history, sociology, and the French language to develop broadly applicable tools of cross-cultural understanding. Then, for three weeks in Paris and three weeks in Nice, they’ll use these tools to bridge the gap between Americans and the French.

Iceland Abroad (May 2012)
For a month in Iceland, students will explore the theme “sustainability through community.” With one of the world’s oldest eco-villages as their home base, they’ll learn about renewable energy, organic cultivation, recycling, the production of arts and crafts from natural resources, and the big difference a small group of committed people can make.

Last month, at the invitation of the Political Science Department, Meggen Watt (US’86, C’90) spoke at the College about her decades-long efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, including her work, until recently, as U.S. Coordinator of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. In her talk, titled “Our Nuclear World: India, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Terrorism,” Watt provided an overview of the history, evolution, and current status of nuclear non-proliferation around the world. Noting the progress that has been made, she pointed out that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)—whose three major components are non-proliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear technology—has 189 countries party to it, making it almost universal.

Since completing her master’s in International Policy Studies and Nuclear Non-Proliferation at Monterey Institute, Watt has worked for the State Department, the Department of Energy, and its laboratories. She has travelled to over 50 countries and lived, for a time, in Vienna while working for the International Atomic Energy Agency. Many of Watt’s 17 years in the field, however, have been spent working with the Russians on a swords-into-plowshares type of program. Then, recently, her focus turned to preventing nuclear terrorism by fostering cooperation that strengthens not only accurate accounting and strict control of radiological materials but also the highest levels of security at civilian nuclear facilities.

During her talk, Watt shared an experience she had long ago that taught her the power of prayer in handling terrorism or any threat of violence. She was in Central America when a heavily armed man came into a Christian Science church service and demanded money. With the love and prayers of those present, the situation came to a peaceful resolution, and the man left with Christian Science literature instead of money. Watt also reminded the audience that the recent attempt to blow up a U.S. plane on Christmas Day wasn’t thwarted by a government, but by alert, unselfish individuals. She concluded by encouraging everyone to consider the role that people of good conscience can play in holding crime in check.

Every year, eight regional theater competitions nationwide determine which university and college theater students will participate in the prestigious national American College Theater Festival. Competition is always rigorous. In the seven years Principia College had participated, only two Principia students ever advanced past the first round of competition.

This year was a different story. With over 280 students entering the competition, 64 advanced to the semifinals—including all three entrants from Principia!

Students Ben Rowe, Alice Stanley, and Kirsty Rivett were selected to compete by festival representatives who viewed the students’ performances in last spring’s musical, Wonderfultown, and last fall’s play, Summer Brave.

Along with their scene partners and Director and Associate Theatre Professor Trish Brown, the performers traveled to Kansas City for the regional competition. “It was such a gift to go with this group,” Brown shared. “The students’ metaphysical preparedness really shined through during the trip.”

In conversations with other students and directors, the Principia group didn’t come across any schools that had all of its competitors advance to the semifinals. As a result, the competition was buzzing with interest in Principia’s theater program, with more than 80 people attending a workshop given by Brown on a movement technique developed by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

The experience was fulfilling for the three scene partners as well as the competing performers. “I was nervous pretty much the entire time, but I felt really good after each performance,” said Hunter Hoffman, a freshman and first-time attendee. “I grew a lot as an actor on this trip.” Hoffman credits Brown’s direction specifically. “She was phenomenal, always making sure everything we were doing was connected and honest.”

Brown is confident the competition was beneficial to all participants. “All our students received very positive feedback in one-on-one conversations with the judges, and one of our students, Alice Stanley, was given an interview with The Actor’s Theater of Louisville as a result of her work.”

Although the Principia performers did not advance past semifinal competition, Brown considers the week a success. “I know that the students’ strong desire to see everyone do well is what made a difference for them.”

“Practice is an action, not a block of time,” stated senior Wes Fleming, the first of four student speakers nominated by their peers to deliver the winter convocation address on the topic of Principia College as a community of practice.

After a brief introduction by College President Dr. Jonathan Palmer and readings from junior Godfred Fianu, Fleming delivered his remarks to College students, faculty, and staff. Focusing on being part of a community of perfect practice, he stressed the significance of being engaged, and reminded the audience that “the desire to practice being better, being perfect, today more than we were yesterday or an hour ago, must be put into action and demonstrated.”

Sophomore Will Pappas spoke about the practice of putting God first, citing his work during a particularly challenging quarter. “No matter how hard it was, I made sure that I met the suggestion of stress with the affirmation that God was All-in-all and was taking care of everything in my life. The result was a very harmonious quarter, where everything seemed to fall into place perfectly.”

Addressing the community aspect of the topic, senior Alice Stanley prompted the audience to consider the ways our practices affect one another. “What do you spend your time and energy on? You must find it valuable. It’s valuable to others too—whether they know it or not. You will never meet someone who cannot learn from you in some way.”

Junior Amanda Dunlap echoed this idea. “Besides just staying alert in your own thought, a team involves being willing to share your inspiration with others. This is why a community of thinkers is so unique—not only can we be practicing Christian Science individually through our activities, but we can also be helping each other to do it.”

The comments shared by all of this quarter’s convocation speakers brought new insight on Principia’s community of practice—how students are digging deep into spiritual ideas and sharing their progress and inspiration with others.

Join Christian Science Monitor Editor John Yemma and a panelist of correspondents for an interactive and educational evening as “Monitor Night Live” comes to Principia College and airs live on Principia Internet Radio (PIR) on Friday, January 15, 2010, at 8 p.m. (CST).

Yemma and Monitor White House Correspondent Linda Feldmann will be in Elsah, joined via live webcast by Monitor correspondents and bureau chiefs Peter Ford (Beijing Bureau Chief), Carol Huang (Asia Editor), and Gloria Goodale (US West Coast Bureau Chief). You can expect the dialogue to be lively and thought-provoking, addressing these topics and more:

• US policy regarding global hotspots
• domestic affairs ranging from healthcare to economics and education to immigration
• the status of media in today’s technologically advanced world
• globalization of commerce, religion, transportation, and communication
• politics and government
• the status of The Christian Science Monitor (in print and online)

If you’re in the St. Louis and/or Elsah area, we hope to see you in Cox Auditorium on January 15. *

* This event is free of charge to all Principia students (both campuses), employees, and official retirees. There is a $10 charge (payable by cash or check) for all others at the door. We cannot accept credit cards. Family members who are not enrolled or employed by Principia must pay the entrance fee.

For alumni and friends throughout the country and worldwide, please get your front-row seat by listening live on PIR.

Tasting rabbit with sesame and teaching children how to blow bubbles were among the many cultural exchanges 16 students and two professors took part in during their recent month-long abroad in Vietnam and Cambodia. Travel didn’t begin until November 24, but the group had been preparing for weeks.

During Fall Quarter, students took two courses team-taught by Professors John Williams and Linda Bohaker. As their program description explains, both classes focused on “the basic characteristics of national identity and the forces (external and internal) that shape national identity.” Specifically, students examined Japanese history and Chinese politics to develop decoding tools, so to speak, for understanding a country’s history, culture, and identity. Then they applied these tools for three weeks on the ground in Vietnam and one week in Cambodia. In addition, while in-country students observed and analyzed artifacts, customs, cultural performances, and social interactions, all the while making connections with a wide range of people.

When asked for a highlight of the trip, Lacey Crabill, a sophomore, named several: talking with Vietnamese and Cambodian college students, all of whom were very welcoming, and interacting with Vietnamese children in the countryside who “spoke no English whatsoever but were very happy to have visitors.” She also recalled a memorable night in Ho Chi Minh City when news spread that the Vietnamese soccer team had beaten Singapore in the Southeast Asian Games. “People flooded the streets,” Lacey explained. “They were so happy, cheering and waving flags. So we joined in and celebrated with them!” Reflecting on these interactions, she said, “Even though the culture seems so unknown, the people are very similar to us.”

Back on campus now, the group is taking one last class together to reflect on the trip, share the results of their individual research projects, and arrive collectively at two Top Ten lists of the things one needs to know in order to understand the Vietnamese and Cambodian national identities. Impressed by the depth of students’ comments, Professor Williams also remarked on the tenor of the group, noting the closeness that had formed among the students. Professor Bohaker, who acted as resident counselor on the trip, attributes part of that closeness to the selflessness and spiritual support students shared with each other. Concurring with this assessment, Professor Williams summed up the trip in six words, with a smile in his voice: “Good weather, good food, good company.”

There might be snow on the ground and ice jamming the Mississippi River today, but we promise it’s safe to pack your shorts and sandals this June when Reunion 2010 celebrates the class years ending in 0, 1, 5, and 6!

What’s in store for you at this year’s reunion? Plenty! As always, you can expect a full line-up of activities that include exceptional guest speakers, art exhibits, incredible evening entertainment, and of course, class reunion parties. We know you’ll love seeing what’s new on campus and savoring what’s still the same—the gorgeous views for starters!

But more than anything, it’s the joy of reconnecting (the old-fashioned way) with friends and classmates to recall the moments and memories of your days at Principia, and to share stories of how life has unfolded, that makes reunions so special.

Online registration for Reunion 2010 is now live, with early-bird pricing available for a variety of packages. In addition to attending, if you’d like to take an active role and join the reunion planning committee, please e-mail us.

We look forward to welcoming you back home to Elsah this summer.

After one of its best seasons ever, the baseball team is drawing cheers from a new set of fans. Since September, the team has been volunteering once a week at the Boys & Girls Club of Alton. Recognizing the value of giving to others, Coach Pete Paciorek fully expects this activity to benefit his players both individually and as a team. As he points out, “Mary Baker Eddy states, ‘Giving does not impoverish us in the service of our Maker, neither does withholding enrich us’ (Science and Health, p. 79). When engaging in acts of charity, initially we think we are doing something for others. In reality, we get more from it than those we are helping. Giving and caring for others is what it is all about, and I think our baseball players are getting a good sense of that each week.”

Comments from players confirm that Paciorek hit a home run with this activity. Ron Meyer, a catcher, notes, “Getting involved in the community—especially working with kids—has added a whole new level of satisfaction to my Principia athletic career. Seeing these kids’ faces light up every time the team walks in the door gives me hope that we are making a difference in their lives, because I know they’ve already made a difference in mine.”

Pitcher Stuart Waller agrees: “Volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club provides a unique opportunity for our team to help our community. It is refreshing to step out of our role as student-athletes to interact and mentor the children at the club. The pressures of school and our lives disappear, and we are free to have fun being with the kids.”

Principia College baseball fans of all ages will be ready to cheer on the team when they play their first game of the season (at home) on February 26.

Mark your calendars for Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8 p.m. (CST) for an interactive and educational evening as “Monitor Night Live” comes to Principia College and airs live on Principia Internet Radio (PIR).

Christian Science Monitor Editor John Yemma and Monitor White House Correspondent Linda Feldmann will be in Elsah to moderate the dialogue with Monitor correspondents and bureau chiefs joining in the conversation over the phone. Learn more about breaking news of the day, along with topics that include:

• U.S. policy regarding global hotspots
• domestic affairs ranging from healthcare to economics and education to immigration
• the status of media in today’s technologically advanced world
• globalization of commerce, religion, transportation, and communication
• politics and government
• the status of The Christian Science Monitor (in print and online)

If you’re in the St. Louis and/or Elsah area, we hope to see you in Cox Auditorium on Friday, January 15. For alumni and friends throughout the country and worldwide, please get your front row seat by listening live on PIR.

Until now, not even a superhero could make it possible to talk or text on campus using a cell phone. Those days are over! Look up in the sky from the baseball field near third base and you’ll discover a 120-foot cell tower disguised as a field light. With antenna hidden, it’s no surprise how this stealth tower got its name.

In mid-November, the College’s first cell tower began transmitting calls and syncing smart phones. For now, AT&T is the sole provider, but the tower has the ability to host one or two additional carriers.

Since the tower’s launch occurred so close to the end of fall quarter, there wasn’t much time for cell phone use to become ingrained in campus culture. Come January, however, cross-campus texting will surge, and the request to silence cell phones (previously never heard on campus) will likely become commonplace.