Presidential Inaugural Events Begin with Wednesday Night Symposium

Gustavus Adolphus College will kick off its series of events related to the inauguration of President Rebecca M. Bergman on Wednesday, Oct. 1 with a symposium on “The Future of the Liberal Arts”. The symposium will feature seven speakers, including Gustavus students, employees, and alumni, who will each present a short vignette or reading related to the future of the liberal arts. From the sciences to the fine arts to the humanities, these representatives of Gustavus will articulate how the future needs of society and the Earth will require leaders with an education rooted in the liberal arts—the bedrock of a Gustavus education. This event will take place at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall and is free and open to the public.

Click here for the live stream of the Symposium on The Future of the Liberal Arts. 

Inauguration events will continue on Thursday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 3. The Inaugural Concert will take place at 8 p.m. in Bjorling Recital Hall and is free and open to the public. This event will showcase faculty, student, and alumni performers including the College’s new Director of Jazz Ensembles Dave Stamps, President Bergman’s son Matt ’07 and his wife Katherine Johns Bergman ’07, and dancers Philip Flickinger ’01 and Kelsey Hanstad ’14. This event will also be live streamed.

On Friday, Oct. 3, the Inaugural Tree Dedication will take place at 10:45 a.m. in Linnaeus Arboretum. President Bergman will then be inaugurated as the College’s 17th President at a 2:30 p.m. ceremony in Christ Chapel. Those who will speak at the ceremony include Governor Mark Dayton, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, George Hicks ’75, Chair of the Gustavus Board of Trustees, The Rev. Heather Teune Wigdahl ’95, President of the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations, and the Rev. Dr. Harold Weiss, father of President Bergman and former Bishop of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The ceremony will also be live streamed. A 4 p.m. reception in Lund Center will follow the inauguration ceremony.