鶹ԭ offers more than a dozen presentations in its Values,Ideasand the Arts (VIA) series forSpring2026. Presentations are at 11 a.m. on Mondays in Wine Recital Hall at the North Manchester campus unless otherwise noted. They are free and open to the public.
- Feb. 2:JamesKelly,historian, film consultant, lecturer and historical interpreter,discusses museums, memoryand the moral vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.This event commemorates the 1968 visit of Dr. King to Manchester’s campus—his last campusvisitbefore his assassination two months later.
- Feb. 9:Dr. ZacharyElewitz, who heads the Enterprise AI Lab at McKesson,shareswhat major enterprises are trying to achieve with AIandidentifiesitslegitimate concerns.
- Feb. 16:Dr. KyleBesing, associateprovostfor curriculum and instruction and associate professor of mathematics at Kentucky Wesleyan College, explores our innateintuition and how probability guides the choices we make each day.
- Feb. 23:TheHealthSciences Career Conferenceis a day-long eventwithakeynotepresentation by Dr. Joshua Kline, 1998 Manchester graduate and Chief MedicalOfficer for Parkview Physicians Group, at 9 a.m. in CordierAuditorium.
- Feb. 26 “Marx in Soho,” a one-person play written by Howard Zinn and performed by Bob Weick, portrays Karl Marx in modern-day New York as he defends his ideas, critiques contemporary capitalism, and shows the human side of a figure often reduced to caricature.
- March 2:Students from the January Session travel course to Nepal, led by Dr. Anuj Gurung,explore the unprecedented role of Nepal’s Generation Z in challenging entrenched political systems and catalyzing a change of government.
- March 8:Manchester Symphony Orchestra performs “Invocation” in Cordier Auditorium at 3 p.m.
- March 9:Naomi Love,guest teacher at Kokua Education in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, discusses Conjure traditions and history, including its legacy of resistance and Black women’s agency. She challenges Eurocentric narratives and urges a decolonized approach to religion.
- March 23:鶹ԭ senior Megan Pierce shares a 10-year journey of collecting memorabilia of the DCComicsvillain, The Joker. As of 2025, Pierce’s collection was officially recognized by Guinness World Recordsas being the “Largest collection of the Joker memorabilia.”
- March 30:Seasoned theatre professionalsKate Black and Bob Haluska share a look “backstage” at the community theatre experience. They will discuss auditions, casting, rehearsal, and performance.
- April 6:Andrea Warnkeis a1979 Manchester graduate andtheformer associate director of the ACLU of Vermont.She is now active with Third Act, an organization that joins her concernsfor the environment with her civil liberties background to safeguard out climate and democracy.
- April 13:“Appeals on Wheels”is an outreach program of the Indiana Court of Appeals that brings live appellate oral arguments to communities across the state. By holding sessions in high schools, colleges, and civic venues, the Court offers the public a rare, firsthand look at how an intermediate appellate court works.Held inUpper Jo Young Switzer Center.
- April 20:Tom Nielson, award-winning folk musician and activist,weaves humor, political insight and storytelling into musicthat has been performed in more than 20 countries.
- April 27:Mike Staudenmaier,independent scholar and historian,discusseshow Chicago and the whole Midwest have generated elements of culture and politics that helped pave the way for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl moment, and suggestsa possible futurepath for Puerto Ricans and their relationship with the U.S.
- May 3:Manchester Symphony Orchestra performs “Take Flight!” at the Eagles Theatre in Wabash, Ind., at 3 p.m.
Manchester’s VIA programming broadens students’ cultural experiences, enriches students intellectually and aesthetically, provides opportunities to experience the arts, promotes dialogue about ideas and values, and embodies in its presentations the values expressed in the University Mission.VIA features speakers,musiciansand dramatic performers from the University community, across the country and around the globe.
For the media
鶹ԭ, in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers vibrant and transformative student experiences. Learn more atwww.manchester.edu/about-manchester.
Our mission and values
鶹ԭ respects the infinite worth of every individual andgraduatespersons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.
