You're Invited to Homecoming 2000
"Jubileeeee!" is the celebratory theme of the first Seattle Pacific University Homecoming and Family Weekend of the new century, February 3-5. From reunions to sporting events to concerts, SPU will mark the occasion with a wide array of events, such as:
Class Reunions. Members of the Classes of 1950, 1955, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995 are invited to special gatherings in your honor.
Alumnus of the Year Chapel and Luncheon. The Homecoming Chapel and Alumnus of the Year Luncheon will honor Denny Rydberg '67, president of Young Life International.
Theatre. A lavish production with a big cast, The Royal Hunt of the Sun returns to the Seattle Pacific stage for the first time in 30 years.
Basketball. The competition will be keen when the Falcon women meet the Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves and the Falcon men tangle with the St. Martin's Saints. Halftime presents the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen.
Student Talent Show. "Journey Through the Century" features student acts full of laughs, drama and surprises.
President's Alumni Luncheon. President Philip Eaton will speak on "Tools for the Lion Tamer: Preparing Leaders for the New Millennium."
Thalia Orchestra Homecoming Concert. SPU's resident orchestra will perform the immortal Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
A "Jubileeeee!" brochure with a full schedule of Homecoming and Family Weekend 2000 events was mailed in early January. If you need a copy, or have questions, please call 206/281-ALUM.
Seattle made international headlines when the World Trade Organization met here on November 30. For four days, clashes between police and protestors filled televisions and newspapers worldwide. Yet even before protestors arrived, Seattle Pacific University faculty and students undertook a different kind of action.
"The whole WTO phenomenon served as a great platform to discuss the issues of international trade and the role of the West and the rest of the world," says Tim Dearborn, dean of the chapel. "It served as a catalyst for further reflection about international trade, labor policies, environmental issues, and the relationship of development and foreign policy."
In early November, the campus organization Student Forums on Social Awareness (STUFOSA) organized forums to discuss WTO and its surrounding issues. Among the guest speakers were a Seattle City Council member, labor representatives and environmentalists. The final forum brought together professors from a variety of disciplines, including history, sociology and psychology.
Immediately prior to and during the WTO meetings, some faculty members and students chose to participate in various public events and marches. Many also attended a special citywide prayer service where Christians from all denominations and ethnic and economic groups prayed for the event and the world. "In all my years living in Seattle, I have never seen as diverse a worship service as occurred the night before WTO began," says Dearborn.
All in all, he emphasizes, the tumultuous events of the week following Thanksgiving provided students with an unparalleled opportunity to grapple with issues of faith and public policy. "I think it's critical that we affirm for our students the importance of Christians' engagement in public policy reflection."
For a limited time, Response invites alumni to dine in the new Gwinn Commons absolutely free! To claim your free lunch, stop by the Alumni Center on campus or call 206/281-ALUM for a special alumni coupon. Take the coupon to the cashier at the entrance to Gwinn's "Campus Crossroads" dining room weekdays 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 12:00-1:00 p.m.; or Sundays, 12:30-2:00 p.m. - and bon appetit! This offer expires June 30, 2000. Alumni may request one additional coupon for a friend or family member.
Palmer Lecture Features Two Top Scholars
The life work of Greg Jones centers on the nature of forgiveness. In part, that means challenging his students to explore the implications of forgiveness in everyday life. His attempt to encase the lifestyle of forgiveness between the covers of a book is titled Embodying Forgiveness, and it earned him the honor of having written the "Outstanding Book of 1995" in the estimate of both Christianity Today and the Academy of Parish Clergy.
Jones is dean of the Divinity School and professor of theology at Duke University. This winter, he brings his telling observations on Christian living to campus as the 2000 Palmer Lecturer. The series of three lectures is free of charge and open to the public: "The Apprentice's New Clothes," Thursday, February 10, 7:30 p.m., Demaray Hall 150; "The Grace of Daily Obligation," Friday, February 11, 9:30 a.m., first Free Methodist Church (on campus); "Shaped by Holiness," Friday, February 11, 2:00 p.m., Library Seminar Room.
Besides being the author of several books, Jones serves as co-editor of Modern Theology, a scholarly journal published in Oxford, England. His reviews, opinion-editorials and other articles have appeared in The Christian Century, Books and Culture, and various newspapers.
"Dr. Jones is uniquely gifted to communicate clearly and cogently the great truths of the Christian faith in ways that touch the hearts of all Christians," says Les Steele, chair of the Department of Theology at SPU.
Jones' respondent for the Alfred S. Palmer Lectures in Wesleyan Studies is Parker Palmer, one of the nation's most influential authors and teachers in spirituality and higher education.
The Seattle Pacific University winner's circle is again crowded with the names of 2,369 donors who pledged a total of $585,825 during Phonathon '99, dubbed "The Thrill of Victory." Each was invited by postcard to take a "victory lap" in celebration of another outstanding response to The University Fund.
Alumni Association President and Phonathon Chair Darlene Hartley '65 emphasized the positive impact that a strong Phonathon has on the future of Seattle Pacific. "A financial gift to The University Fund clearly demonstrates a person's commitment to the University's mission."
Dean Carrell, associate director of The University Fund, calls these kinds of gifts "lifeblood" donations. "They help keep tuition increases to a minimum," he says, "and result in increased scholarships, a stronger faculty and improved facilities."
He credits the approximately 125 alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends who volunteered over eight nights to make nearly 5,000 phone calls and process the pledges. "SPU Team 2000" - made up of volunteers and donors - turned in another exceptional performance. "I have been involved with a number of fund-raising efforts for several different organizations, but not one of them compares with SPU's Phonathon," says Carrell. "It is this type of ministry that makes SPU a special community and a leader among Christian universities."
Robert Gunsalus, director of development, likes the chemistry generated by the annual University Fund effort. "God's wonderful providence, generous people and an inspiring vision make events like Phonathon a real celebration."
Seattle Pacific University's annual arts journal, edited and designed by students, is now accepting submis-sions of music, poetry, art, photo-graphy, prose and creative non-fiction from students, faculty, staff and alumni.
For more information, e-mail dmac@spu.edu, call 206/281-2120, or send your submissions to Second Essence, Tiffany Hall, Seattle Pacific University, 3307 Third Avenue West, Seattle, Washington 98119. Entries are due by February 25.
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A Thanksgiving Meditation by James Crichton
Death is inevitable, but love is not. Love is the gift of God. Thanks be to God. James H. Crichton, Nov. 19, 1999
On December 18, 1999, James H. Crichton, professor of physics and engineering at Seattle Pacific University, died of cancer at the age of 62.
A beloved SPU professor since 1965, Jim Crichton was born and raised in Seattle's Ballard neighborhood and attended Seattle Pacific College. Yet long before he graduated summa cum laude in 1959, and long before he earned a 1965 doctorate in physics from the University of California-Berkeley, people noticed his quick mind.
"I met Jim when I was 11 and he was 4," says Roger Anderson, SPU professor emeritus of physics. Shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor, 11-year-old Anderson and other kids were on a local street corner, talking about growing world tensions. A 4-year-old made an "unusually bright remark," recalls Anderson. "So I went over and quizzed him." He asked the boy about world leaders, and a 4-year-old Jim Crichton reeled off the names of Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler and Mussolini.
Years later, in addition to teaching physics and engineering to countless Seattle Pacific students, Crichton gained international recognition by disproving a long-held opinion pertaining to quantum physics and "phase shifts." His view became known as the "Crichton Ambiguity."
Yet his interests went beyond science. Crichton was passionate about classical music, baseball, and sports statistics - including Falcons stats. He also hiked, climbed 180 mountains, ran marathons, and reached 22 official U.S. state elevation "high points."
He frequently climbed with his students and with longtime friends such as Anderson, Professor of Music Eric Hanson, Professor of Chemistry Grayson Capp and Professor of Chemistry Paul Lepse. After scientific conferences, he and Lepse often climbed nearby state high points, including Humphries Peak in Arizona and Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
Crichton never shied away from grappling with faith and science. "I learned a lot from him about things like the Big Bang theory and how that relates to God as the creator," says Lepse. Anderson had similar experiences. "He was truly a spiritual inspiration to me," he says. "He faced hard questions continuously."
James Crichton is survived by his wife, Evelyn Vander Pol Crichton, also of the class of '59; two children; three grandchildren; and one sister. Remembrances can be made to the James H. Crichton Scholarship Fund at SPU.
Editor's Note: Click here to contribute your memories of Professor James Crichton.
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