On January 9-11, Starr King was pleased to host our first Graduate Reunion and Mentorship Weekend. The festivities began with graduates joining us for our traditional Threshold Ceremony and Vesper Service. The next day was filled with programming and fellowship. Breakfast began at Easton Hall, with grads, students, faculty, and staff meeting and forging relationships. This was followed by an interactive lecture led by Rev. Dr. Meg Richardson and Arliss Ungar entitled With Heart and Soul and Mind: Aurelia Henry Reinhardt as a Radical Prophet for Starr King’s New Beginnings.
After the lecture, the group moved back over to Le Conte Avenue to have a look at the Treasures of the Earl Morse Wilbur Rare Book Collection, led by Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson and Arliss Ungar. Participants then met for lunch in the Fireside Room, again with current and new students. The Fireside Room then became the location of our Gratitude Chapel, where our graduates began the process of expressing gratitude for what the Le Conte Avenue building has meant for the school and for their lives. It was a moving process which included some participating remotely via Zoom. After Chapel, the group heard from SKSM faculty member and graduate, Dr. Som Pourfarzaneh, on the topic of The Social Justice Algorithm: Countering Oppression with Multi-Religious Media.
After a break, our fellowship resumed with a celebratory Graduates’ Dinner at Mills College, with a presentation by Vice President for Advancement, Jessica Cloud (on behalf of President Rosemary Bray McNatt) and SKSM Graduate Zebulon Green, who spoke about how Starr King prepared him for his current work on the U.S.-Mexico border. The dinner program was followed by dancing. The following day, 20 graduates attended our 8th annual Symposium with our Honored Teacher, Dr. Rachel Harding.
Altogether, more than 30 Starr King graduates, 8 faculty and staff, and 15-20 students participated in this memorable weekend. We are grateful for the support of The E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation for a grant of $25,000 which made this phenomenal weekend possible.
