Dr. Palmer’s Update: October 2010

The new school year is off to a great start. Fall is in the air and the trees are beginning to show it! Our theme for the year, “Trust in the Lord, and do good” (Ps. 37:3), is being actively explored and demonstrated on both campuses.

At the Cardboard Canoe Regatta last weekend, College students challenged common assumptions regarding seaworthiness as they braved the rigors of our little inlet along the Mississippi. Check out the slideshow featuring some of the expertly designed, colorful cardboard vessels.

It’s Family Weekend at Middle and Upper School. Visiting parents will fill classrooms, cheer at athletic competitions, and attend parties at day-student homes, enjoying the fun and excitement of an active start to the school year.

This weekend is homecoming at the College. If you can’t attend Saturday evening’s Gold & Blue Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in person, listen to it live at 8 p.m. (CDT) on Principia Internet Radio (PIR). The Hall of Fame ceremony will honor the record-breaking accomplishments of past athletes and coaches. In addition, Sports Illustrated reporter Rick Lipsey will deliver the evening’s keynote address.

This year’s George A. Andrews speaker, Nobel Peace Prize-winner Muhammad Yunus, shared his powerful insights on the global impact of microenterprise lending last week at the College. Mr. Yunus was informed of receiving the Congressional Gold Medal two days before his talk at Principia. Last night, former Ambassador Joseph Wilson shared his perspective in a talk entitled “The Politics of Truth,” which is also the name of his 2004 book. Both programs can be downloaded from PIR.

On a recent trip to Washington D.C., I joined nearly 60 Principians for the annual Principia Club of Virginia/Maryland/DC Capitol Hill Luncheon. Gary Jones, manager of the Federal Office of the Committee on Publication, gave a talk about federal health care reform. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) spoke about key issues in the upcoming election, and Gail Russell Chaddock, Capitol Hill staff writer for The Christian Science Monitor, shared insights from her reporting on a recent road trip taking the political pulse of the country. This was a lively, informative gathering of Principia friends, and Sue and I were grateful to be there.

Back at Principia, the Principia-Euphrates Center for Middle East Understanding just named six current students as fellows. This group will bring their spiritual lens and desire to “do good” in the world to this complicated topic. They will lead on-campus events and coordinate with area universities and other groups involved in the Middle East. One of their first events will take place next week with a screening of “Encounter Point,” an award-winning documentary film on non-violence movements in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, followed by a facilitated discussion.

Our students are embracing their work with enthusiasm, freshness, and inspiration. It’s fun to watch and participate alongside them. The School has four AP Scholars who have been recognized for demonstrating college-level achievement through Advanced Placement courses and exams. Kudos to these exemplary scholars!

And congratulations to College athletic director Lee Ellis on his 200th victory as head coach of the College women’s varsity soccer team. Since his tenure began in 1996, Coach Ellis’ teams have won the prestigious National Soccer Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the past 13 consecutive seasons—only two other programs have accomplished this feat among all divisions nationally. Go Panthers!