The first annual Matthias Wahlstrom Lecture was given by Deborah Goodwin on Friday, April 14. The topic was on liberal arts education for the 21st century specifically looking at Liberal Arts and Class Warfare.
Associate Provost and Dean of Arts and Humanities Paula O’Loughlin has been working on getting this lecture started for the past two years, and recently received the funds from an anonymous donor.
“I spent my last two years working to get a donor and we got one. The donor made the gift in honor of our new President. The donor chose the broad topic of the liberal arts for the 21st century thinking it would be something that every faculty member here would have thoughts on,” O’Loughlin said.
The new lecture series is something faculty have wanted for a long time, in order to hear their colleagues thoughts on the liberal arts education. It will be an annual lecture staying within the topic of liberal arts education for the 21st century.
“Ever since I came to Gustavus almost 3 years ago, I have heard from faculty across campus that they would like to have the chance to hear colleagues present their broad intellectual thoughts in a more college-wide setting,” Dean O’Loughlin said.
President Bergman opened the lecture explaining why the lecture was named after Gustavus’ fifth president, Matthias Wahlstrom, who brought Gustavus to a higher collegiate level.
“He was the first alumnus to be president. He was very instrumental in the growth of the college, and it was under his leadership that we really transitioned from the high school, higher prep college to a new division which we would be strong in collegiate training,” Bergman said.
Matthias Wahlstrom focused on training teachers to have an equal focus in sciences and languages, which started Gustavus on its liberal arts education path.
“Dr. Goodwin possesses the deep scholarly understanding of the way the liberal arts advance intellectual conversations.”—President Bergman
Associate Professor in Religion; Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies; and Environmental Studies Deborah Goodwin was chosen to give the first Matthias Wahlstrom lecture due to her understanding of how the liberal arts advance intellectual conversations around campus.
“Dr. Goodwin is well recognized on campus as an exceptional teacher. Dr. Goodwin also possesses the deep scholarly understanding of the way the liberal arts advance intellectual conversations,” Bergman said.
Goodwin chose the topic of “Liberal Arts and Class Warfare,” focusing on the two questions: what are the liberal arts? and what are they for?
“In many ways, I think Gustavus should become more rather than less vocational in the Lutheran sense of the word for the purpose of waging class warfare,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin focused on the importance of vocational calling and how it can better portray skewed perceptions about liberal arts education.
“I believe we can use our vocational calling in scholarly teachings to unmask false consciousness perpetuated by the liberal education and to alter its course,” Goodwin said.
She also stressed the importance of putting the pressure on students to find a major that in turn will lead to a successful life – don’t let students forget about their creative side.
“Again the pieces are here, let’s talk boastingly about our students as chemists who sing, political science majors who dance, for many, our students’ creative lives are their vocation,” Goodwin said.
Sophomore Biology Major Carolyn Del Vecchio’s role in Goodwin’s Religion & Ecology course led to her work closely with Goodwin and a team at Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light to improve the campus sustainability efforts.
“While her speech was mostly targeted at faculty, because that was her audience, it was interesting to hear the critiques and benefits of a liberal arts education, especially in an economy where graduates are expected to enter the work force equipped with a specific set of skills. Students cater their majors in anticipation of a career path, but sometime their real passions are only extracurricular,” Del Vecchio said.
Del Vecchio was excited to have the chance to hear Goodwin speak based on the admiration Goodwin receives around campus, and all the work she does for Gustavus.
“Deborah is a person that I admire, both in her intelligence and her passion for education, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to listen to her speak,” Del Vecchio said.
-Christine Peterson