Events at Calvin and Janet High Center for Worship and Performing Arts

2022 Annual American Democracy Lecture with Michael Dobbs, best-selling author and Washington Post foreign correspondent will lecture on "Defending Democracy: Lessons from History."

As a presidential crisis historian, best-selling author, and foreign correspondent for the Washington Post, Michael Dobbs had a front row seat to the collapse of Communism, covering landmark events such as the breakup of the Soviet Union, the rise of Solidarity in Poland, and the Tiananmen protests in China.

Dobbs has written six books on the Cold War and World War II, including the widely acclaimed One Minute to Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev and Castro on the Brink of Nuclear War, on the Cuban missile crisis. His latest book, King Richard, Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy, was named New York
Times critics’ “Top Book of 2021.”

Keynote lecture of the 2024-25 High Center Season | Sponsored by the Office of the President

“How to Know a Person”

David Brooks is a bestselling author, op-ed columnist at the New York Times, and recurring commentator on “PBS NewsHour.” He has a gift for bringing readers and audiences alike face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight and quiet passion. He is a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs whose columns are among the most-read in the nation. The author of six books with many bestsellers among them, Brooks seeks to further explore and explain humanity and the way we live with every addition to his critically acclaimed body of work. With intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom, he underscores the value of community and the importance of nourishing both the inner self and the social self in our journeys to live fulfilling lives. His latest release, “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen,” debuted on the New York Times and Amazon bestseller lists and has maintained spots on both for many weeks. It was deemed both “a hands-on guide to making meaningful human connections” and “yet another inspirational roadmap to building strong moral character and achieving authentic self-actualization” by Kirkus. Brooks makes the case that at the center of any healthy and thriving business, organization, community or nation is the crucial skill of being able to see and value other people. Written to speak to audiences of all kinds, “How to Know a Person” is his attempt to repair America’s torn social fabric by giving us the tools we need to move beyond division and polarization and connect with others on an innately human level.

How to purchase tickets

Ticket prices are $25 for adults; $10 for Messiah University students (with ID) and youth (18 and under). Tickets go on sale starting Sept. 1, 2024; to order, contact the Messiah University Box Office at 717-691-6036 option #1 or via the "Purchase Tickets" link below.

Purchase tickets

Anandita Sakore Senior Piano Recital

Nov. 10, 4 p.m.
High Center, High Foundation Recital Hall

Program

Andrew Hutchinson Senior Piano Recital

Nov. 6, 8 p.m.
High Center, High Foundation Recital Hall

Program

Andrew Morgan & Nicholas Moglia Joint Trumpet Recital

Apr. 2, 4 p.m.
High Center, High Foundation Recital Hall

Program