The Seminary Explores

Dr. Richard Stewart, Professor Emeritus United Lutheran Seminary, discusses his current history project funded through a Louisville Institute grant. This oral and written history project seeks to collect and archive the experiences of being African American in contemporary Lutheranism. His work is a race against time to gather first hand accounts whenever possible and track down family members and peers of those who have passed on for their second hand accounts and memories of those early pioneers.

To learn more about this project listen to the interviews visit: http://rnstewart.blogspot.com/

Fresh from a day of hanging large format portraits of Garmair Marines in the woods near the National Park Visitor Center, documentary photographer and film-maker Louie Palu took time for a chat with Katy Giebenhain and The Seminary Explores. Palu has navigated combat zones, mining shafts, Arctic terrain and many other sites and situations in his role as artist and photojournalist. For his mid-July to mid-August 2019 residency on the Gettysburg Battlefield he installed the portraits (taken in Afghanistan) and began new work in response to his experience in Gettysburg. Palu’s many awards include a Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Grant (2012) to cover the Mexican Drug War and a Milton Rogovin Fellowship at the Center for Creative Photography.

The Artist-in-Residence program is made possible by the Gettysburg Foundation and The National Park Arts Foundation, with support from the National Park Service

Jean LeGros has served as the former Director of Alumni Relations, Gettysburg College, and Major Gifts Officer at Gettysburg College and Gettysburg (now United) Lutheran Seminary and the Majestic Theater, Gettysburg.

Ms. Legros recently completed a study of women and Gettysburg College in the early years of the 20^th century, relates the stumbling blocks along the path to permanent co-education at the school.  Although the college’s charter did not designate the school as all male, the founder’s purpose to provide men for the ministry began a tradition that lasted into the 1930’s. Pressure to allow women on an equal footing with men (rather than as day students), came from local women’s groups, forceful leaders such as the noted author, Elsie Singmaster, and even the Lutheran Church which had special ties to the school.  Equally important, change came during the Depression when dollars and students were scarce.

Gettysburg photographer and resident Gregory Christianson talks about his new children’s book, Gettysburg Kids Who Did the Impossible. Christianson has walked Seminary Ridge and other sections of the Battlefield since he was a child. While working as an inn-keeper in Gettysburg he was frequently asked to recommend books for children about the Battle of Gettysburg. This led to his own research and discoveries, and to a book which fulfills what he had so often been asked to provide.

Thank you to Waldo’s on the Square, our host site for this episode.

In this second interview, Leon Reed, former aide to Senator William Proxmire, suggests what we can expect from the new Congress in the next two years, although he admits that many of these ideas will not necessarily be approved by the Senate or signed by the president. In addition to continuing investigations into election interference, campaign reform, the tax bill, minimum wage, and “Obamacare,” he recommends two areas and two committees to watch. 1) In the Agriculture Committee, the pros and cons of tariffs.  2) In Homeland Security Committee, facts and figures about border security; the effect of global warming on the economy; and the disaster in Puerto Rico.

Listen to the first interview.

Maarten Halff, Senior Political Affairs Officer, Electoral Assistance Division, United Nations, New York City, describes the large number of requests from client nations for technical assistance in conducting elections, especially in emerging democracies. The UN neither observes nor evaluates the results.  It works with local officials to encourage people to vote, establish voting procedures, and count the votes. Human rights are an important consideration in these consultations.

Presidential elections in the Central African Republic, Feb. 2016. UN Photo/Nektarios Markogiannis

Pope Frances has called a special meeting in Rome for February 2019 to address the scandal in the Roman Catholic Church concerning the abuse of boys by priests, but will it be enough?

Dr. Christopher Bellitto, Professor of History , Kean University, and author of “Renewing Christianity.”, explores the history and future of this ongoing crisis. How it has been handled and ignored in the past and what is being done about it now. He believes that–despite the bishops’ historic reservations toward “secular” interference—the first call when abuse is suspected must be to the police.

On the 50th anniversary of the Tet Offensive, Lt. Col. (ret.) Thomas Dombrowsky a Vietnam War combat veteran and Adjunct Professor, Gettysburg College, asks what we have learned: the trauma of veterans was not so much outright hostility as disinterest or silence; we should not blame the soldiers for bad policy; and, above all, we need to think beyond the end of hostilities so that winning the peace becomes as important as winning the war. On the positive side, he notes that two American presidents, Obama and Trump, have visited Viet Nam.

Dr. Dennis Onieal discussed the events of 9/11 as a first responder. the former head of the Jersey City Fire Department and currently Deputy U.S. Fire Administrator for the U.S. Fire Administration, was called to help following the attack. He discussed the clean-up effort and the responsibility of civilians during such a crisis. He called attention to the issues that were not publicized but essential in the recovery effort. In addition, he talked about the post-9/11 changes in instruction for policemen, firefighters, etc. in responding to attacks. In addition, he shared how he handled his own feelings after working at the 9/11 site.

In this episode Dr. Scott Hancock discusses the work of the historian. In particular he talks about his research interest in the African American experience and the Underground Railroad. While it is part of the 19th century, the underground railroad continues in our times with people crossing borders, human trafficking, etc. In addition, he discussed the state monuments on the battlefield and what they are teaching and saying to onlookers.