Katie Samek – Staff Writer
Gustavus Adolphus College’s 42nd annual MAYDAY! Peace Conference was held on Wednesday, May 3 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Alumni Hall. This year’s topic of discussion was “The Future of U.S. Education: Who Decides What Gets Taught?”
The conference opened with a welcome speech by College President Rebecca Bergman, followed by panelist introductions by MAYDAY! Director Yurie Hong. A keynote speech was given by Dr. Lisa Dembouski discussing how education laws and guidelines are passed in the United States, punctuated by audience participation trivia questions that revealed common myths about the education system. After this, a panel of various Gustavus faculty members featuring Greg Kaster, Lisa Dembouski, Sun Hee Lee, Colleen Stockmann, Katie Leehy, and Jill Locke was called onstage to discuss the interdisciplinary consequences of the current education system and how it impacts all disciplines. Audience questions were taken after the panel, and closing remarks were given by Yurie Hong.
Following the MAYDAY! conference, the spring carillon bell song I Saw Thousands of Birds Carrying Away the Sorrows and Injustices of the World, composed by Gustavus alumni Steve Heitzeg ‘82, was premiered outside of Christ Chapel at 11:45 AM. This new song will replace the winter composition, which premiered last year at Christmas in Christ Chapel and can be heard daily when the carillon bells play at 12:30 p.m.
The MAYDAY! Peace Conference was established in 1981 with the theme of “Arms Control – MAYDAY! MAYDAY!”, with funding provided by the late Florence and Raymond Sponberg. Their surviving family members continue to fund the conference to this day and carry on the legacy that their parents started. Created to inspire attendees to work for justice and peace throughout the world, the event has grown into an annual tradition that uplifts and promotes this continued call for peace and justice in the world.
New to the event this year was the introduction of a “teach-in” model, in which speakers and panelists are pulled directly from the Gustavus faculty rather than inviting guest speakers from off-campus. This format is designed to learn more about a complex and current topic from a variety of disciplinary perspectives and will be a continuing tradition from this year onwards.
“The teach-in model is kind of a one-stop shop opportunity for students to see how different disciplines approach the same topic,” said MAYDAY! Director Dr. Yurie Hong. “It’s a great way to see faculty communicate with one another and share ideas about these important issues since they don’t really get to connect with each other outside of events like this.”
The MAYDAY! Peace Conference is organized by the MAYDAY! committee which consists of MAYDAY! Director Dr. Yurie Hong, a member of the Marketing Office Barb Larson Taylor, Michael Sponberg, and Seniors Ellie Hartman, Emma Anderson, and Sophomore Harriet Anderson.
“This year’s theme is hugely impactful for everyone – current students and families, as well as for our society as a whole,” said Hong. “Right now, we’re seeing increased efforts to legislate what gets taught in classrooms from K-12 to colleges and universities – particularly around topics such as history, race, gender, sexuality, and identity. The outcomes of these debates will have a tremendous impact on peace, justice, and our democracy at home and abroad, not to mention the lived reality for students who are closely connected to the topics being banned.”
“I think understanding the incredibly tangled and complicated systems of government and schooling – and the impacts of both on our nation and world – are both true to our liberal arts focus here at Gustavus, and important as members of this nation,” said MAYDAY! keynote speaker Dr. Lisa Dembouski. “We need to be informed, we need to make up our own minds about what we think, and we need to understand how we are players in these systems as national and world residents. That’s why I agreed to be on the panel and participate in this year’s Mayday events, and it’s also what I hope attendees will take with them.”
Student input on this year’s event, specifically the “teach-in” format, as well as suggestions for future MAYDAY! Peace Conference topics are being sought by the MAYDAY! Committee. Students and faculty can email these suggestions directly to Yurie Hong at yhong@gustavus.edu.
“I was really pleased with the turnout and student engagement during this year’s event,” said Hong. “But we’re always looking for suggestions on how to improve our events to bring in more students and spread further awareness about our events.”