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Big-name speakers featured at Meant to Live
October 20, 2006
An address by bestselling author Anne Lamott, a discussion with the Extreme Kindness Crew and a Josh Ritter concert highlight the third annual “Meant to Live” conference beginning Friday, Oct. 27.
“All three keynote speakers represented vocation – the work they do is unique, and you can tell through the work they do that it’s more than just a job to them,” said Andrea Shea ’06, the graduate intern for student life.
The three-day conference is a program of the Wild Hope Project, which pushes students to consider questions of value and meaning in order to claim their life’s purpose. Open to all students, the conference kicks off with a vocational chapel address by Shea at 10:30 a.m. on Friday in Lagerquist Concert Hall.
That evening, Lamott will speak about her vocation as a writer, mother, political activist and a person of faith at 7:30 p.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall. The author of six novels, Lamott is best known for her four books of nonfiction that incorporate her personal stories and reflections.
“She is an extremely honest writer,” Shea said. “She’s willing to share her experiences so others can learn from them.”
Lamott tackles the hard subjects, like alcoholism, the death of her parents and her non-traditional faith. Her nonfiction work includes “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life;” “Operating Instructions,” a manual on parenting that recounts the first year of her son’s life; and “Traveling Mercies” and “Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith,” both reflections on faith.
After her speech, Lamott will hold a book signing in Mary Baker Russell Music Center. For more about Lamott, visit www.barclayagency.com/lamott.
Saturday’s schedule begins with three hour-long panel discussions focused on areas of study and “big enough questions,” Shea said. Hosted by PLU community members, the panelists will discuss how they found their vocation and made a career out of it.
“We’re utilizing our current faculty and staff, as well as bringing in community members and alums to speak about what they do and why they are passionate about it, why it’s more than just a job,” she said.
Areas of study to be discussed include education, ministry, politics, communications, arts, health care and business. Shea described the “big enough questions” as those that stay with you throughout your life, such as, “Does what I’m studying really matter?”
Between the second and third panel sessions is a lunch conversation with The Extreme Kindness Crew, a group of four best friends from Victoria, British Columbia. Pushed into action by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the death of member Brad Stokes’ mother, the men embarked on an Extreme Kindness Tour in 2002, traversing Canada in a motor home while committing random acts of kindness.
“In college, they all wanted to save the world,” Shea said. “These guys made their dream happen.”
Since the tour, the crew has been gaining international recognition and speaks to Fortune 500 companies about social responsibility and the importance of being involved in their communities. Learn more about the group at www.extremekindness.com.
Between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, small groups will be embarking on a variety of activities. These include a community service trip to a local elementary school to revive their garden with the Extreme Kindness Crew, a tour of Tacoma community organizations, a writing reflection workshop with faculty member Rick Barot and a vocational fair in Chris Knutzen Hall.
Saturday wraps up with a concert by Josh Ritter at 7:30 p.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall. A singer and songwriter from Moscow, Idaho, the 29-year-old Ritter has been working to gain recognition as an artist. He recently signed with the label V2 and released his first album, “The Animal Years,” Shea said.
“He is now being recognized as a national artist, and he can speak about why he stayed true to this and didn’t give up,” she said.
The conference is brought to a close on Sunday, Oct. 29 at the weekly University Congregation service in Lagerquist Concert Hall at 11 a.m. The service will feature guest preacher Greg Schafer, a representative from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
Students can choose to participate in one or more of the conference activities. Shea encourages students to attend at least one session to get an idea of what vocation is and how to find theirs.
“I think the beauty of this event is that it can appeal to all, it’s for all students,” she said.
Registration is strongly encouraged for the conference, as some sessions have a limited capacity. To register and view a complete schedule of events and list of panel topics and hosts, visit www.plu.edu/~mtl.
For more information, contact Andrea Shea at ext. 8294 or sheaaj@plu.edu.
Photo credit: www.markrichards.com
The three-day conference is a program of the Wild Hope Project, which pushes students to consider questions of value and meaning in order to claim their life’s purpose. Open to all students, the conference kicks off with a vocational chapel address by Shea at 10:30 a.m. on Friday in Lagerquist Concert Hall.
That evening, Lamott will speak about her vocation as a writer, mother, political activist and a person of faith at 7:30 p.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall. The author of six novels, Lamott is best known for her four books of nonfiction that incorporate her personal stories and reflections.
“She is an extremely honest writer,” Shea said. “She’s willing to share her experiences so others can learn from them.”
Lamott tackles the hard subjects, like alcoholism, the death of her parents and her non-traditional faith. Her nonfiction work includes “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life;” “Operating Instructions,” a manual on parenting that recounts the first year of her son’s life; and “Traveling Mercies” and “Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith,” both reflections on faith.
After her speech, Lamott will hold a book signing in Mary Baker Russell Music Center. For more about Lamott, visit www.barclayagency.com/lamott.
Saturday’s schedule begins with three hour-long panel discussions focused on areas of study and “big enough questions,” Shea said. Hosted by PLU community members, the panelists will discuss how they found their vocation and made a career out of it.
“We’re utilizing our current faculty and staff, as well as bringing in community members and alums to speak about what they do and why they are passionate about it, why it’s more than just a job,” she said.
Areas of study to be discussed include education, ministry, politics, communications, arts, health care and business. Shea described the “big enough questions” as those that stay with you throughout your life, such as, “Does what I’m studying really matter?”
Between the second and third panel sessions is a lunch conversation with The Extreme Kindness Crew, a group of four best friends from Victoria, British Columbia. Pushed into action by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and the death of member Brad Stokes’ mother, the men embarked on an Extreme Kindness Tour in 2002, traversing Canada in a motor home while committing random acts of kindness.
“In college, they all wanted to save the world,” Shea said. “These guys made their dream happen.”
Since the tour, the crew has been gaining international recognition and speaks to Fortune 500 companies about social responsibility and the importance of being involved in their communities. Learn more about the group at www.extremekindness.com.
Between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, small groups will be embarking on a variety of activities. These include a community service trip to a local elementary school to revive their garden with the Extreme Kindness Crew, a tour of Tacoma community organizations, a writing reflection workshop with faculty member Rick Barot and a vocational fair in Chris Knutzen Hall.
Saturday wraps up with a concert by Josh Ritter at 7:30 p.m. in Lagerquist Concert Hall. A singer and songwriter from Moscow, Idaho, the 29-year-old Ritter has been working to gain recognition as an artist. He recently signed with the label V2 and released his first album, “The Animal Years,” Shea said.
“He is now being recognized as a national artist, and he can speak about why he stayed true to this and didn’t give up,” she said.
The conference is brought to a close on Sunday, Oct. 29 at the weekly University Congregation service in Lagerquist Concert Hall at 11 a.m. The service will feature guest preacher Greg Schafer, a representative from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
Students can choose to participate in one or more of the conference activities. Shea encourages students to attend at least one session to get an idea of what vocation is and how to find theirs.
“I think the beauty of this event is that it can appeal to all, it’s for all students,” she said.
Registration is strongly encouraged for the conference, as some sessions have a limited capacity. To register and view a complete schedule of events and list of panel topics and hosts, visit www.plu.edu/~mtl.
For more information, contact Andrea Shea at ext. 8294 or sheaaj@plu.edu.
Photo credit: www.markrichards.com