Recent and Future Events

Spring Humanities Symposium, a yearly event that engages in a week-long campus-wide conversation around a common theme. The 2008 symposium theme was Eyes Wide Open: Engaging Technology with our Humanity with Dr. Edward Tenner, noted scholar and writer on technology and culture.  The 2009 symposium theme is Faith in the Public Square with Dr. Alan Wolfe, Director, Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life as keynote speaker on Thursday, February 26, 2009 during the symposium week of February 23-27, 2009,   The 2010 symposium theme is Memory with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. as keynote speaker on Thursday, February 25, 2010.  The symposium week of February 22-16, 2010 falls during Messiah College's centennial year celebration.

History Day, a regional competition involving students from many middle school and high school districts. Students present their work on a variety of topics and using various media (essays, oral presentations, video documentaries, and dramatic performances), with finalists chosen to continue to the state History Day finals at Penn State University.

Debate Day, a regional debate competition involving students from many middle school and high school districts. It is sponsored by the Pennsylvania High School Speech League.   Messiah College and the Center for Public Humanities will host the next event on Saturday, February 7, 2009.

American Democracy Lecture Series, alternating annually between the departments of History and Politics. Previous distinguished speakers include Jean Bethke Elshtain, James McPherson, Peter Onuf, Wilfrid McClay, Gertrude Himmelfarb, E.J. Dionne, Larry Diamond, Wilma King, and John J. DiIulio, Jr..

Film Series, screened in our campus cinema. To date there have been a semester-long series on the Holocaust and an annual series tied to the Spring Humanities Symposium theme.