Elizabethtown College
Lecture Series
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October 24, 2024 Leffler Lecture
Winona LaDuke
Native American Activist, Environmentalist, and Author
2024-2025 Speakers
During the 2024–25 academic year, Elizabethtown College presented its annual Lecture Series, one of the region’s most notable and enduring programs. The series continued the tradition of hosting thought-provoking speakers who inspire, challenge, and entertain audiences. Each lecture also recognized one of the College’s three Educate for Service Award recipients for the year. The 2024–25 events featured three internationally recognized and remarkable individuals:
Winona LaDuke
Leffler Lecture
October 24, 2024 | 7 p.m.
LEFFLER CHAPEL AND PERFORMANCE CENTER
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE
The Green Path Ahead: Indigenous Teachings for the Next Economy
Winona LaDuke is an economist, environmentalist, and writer known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation and commitment to sustainability. A two-time U.S. Vice president candidate for the Green Party, she has drawn upon her work as a global leader and activist on culturally-based sustainable development strategies, renewable energy, water, and sustainable food systems, to identify a clear path forward toward a cleaner and better world. LaDuke will share her vision for this transition, one that is equitable and just for everyone, including Mother Earth.
The Leffler Lecture is made possible by a generous endowed gift from Linda '67, H'03, and Patrick Castagna.
Vicki Sokolik
Lefever Lecture
February 6, 2025 | 7 p.m.
LEFFLER CHAPEL AND PERFORMANCE CENTER
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE
Why We Need to De-Criminalize Poverty
When Vicki Sokolik realized that safety nets for teenagers with no place to call home and no parents, caretakers, or guardians to shepherd them into adulthood are currently flawed and grossly inadequate, she decided to do something about it. Sokolik founded Starting Right, Now (SRN), a pioneering nonprofit that provides social and health services to unhoused students in Florida. Her book released in 2024, “If You See Them: Unhoused and Alone in America” explores the largely unrecognized crisis of homeless youth in America told through the inspiring story of a woman working on the frontlines. In this talk, Vicki Sokolik makes the case for having our criminal legal systems focus on the root of the problem instead of prosecuting these children and young adults to the fullest extent of the law—thereby breaking the cycle of generational homelessness and poverty.
The Lefever Lecture is made possible by a generous endowed gift from Ernest W. Lefever '42, H'92.
Nadia Murad
Ware Lecture
April 10, 2025 | 7 p.m.
LEFFLER CHAPEL AND PERFORMANCE CENTER
ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE
Nadia’s Initiative: Rebuilding Communities, Protecting Survivors
Human rights activist and recipient of the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Nadia Murad is a leading advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence. Her New York Times bestselling memoir, "The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State," is a harrowing account of the genocide against the Yazidi people of Iraq and Nadia’s imprisonment by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS). In this conversation, Nadia outlines the programs to promote health, relocation, justice, and reparations for the thousands of displaced survivors. She calls for worldwide concerted humanitarian efforts — overcoming all political and cultural divisions — to create a better future for women, children, and persecuted minorities.
Founded in 2018, Nadia’s Initiative is dedicated to rebuilding communities in crisis and advocating globally for survivors of sexual violence. Its work is focused on the sustainable redevelopment of the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar, Iraq, where Nadia Murad grew up. When ISIS launched their genocidal campaign, they not only killed and kidnapped Yazidis, but also destroyed the Yazidi homeland to ensure the community could never return. All of Nadia's Initiative programs are community-driven, survivor-centric, and work to promote long-term peacebuilding. In line with a grassroots approach to sustainable development, the organization works with the local community and a variety of implementing partners to design, support, and implement projects that promote the restoration and improvement of education, healthcare, livelihoods, women’s empowerment, and cultural preservation. Nadia's Initiative advocates for governments and international organizations to support rebuilding efforts in post-conflict communities such as the Sinjar region, seeks justice for Yazidis by holding ISIS accountable for their atrocities and advocates globally for survivors of genocide and sexual violence.
The Ware Lecture is made possible by a generous endowed gift from Judy S. '68 and Paul W. Ware.
Bag Policy:
All lectures held on the Elizabethtown College campus spaces will operate under a Clear Bag Policy which prohibits guests (including Etown students, employees, and campus visitors) from bringing large bags inside venues for events in accordance with event guidelines and security best practices.
To expedite the implementation of this policy we ask that attendees adhere to the following guidelines:
Guests should be prepared to have all hand-carried items open and ready for inspection. Hand-carried items include, but are not limited to, bags and purses that meet the following criteria:
- Each person may have one clear bag no larger than 12”x6”x12” that is constructed of plastic, vinyl, or PVC.
- In addition to or in place of the clear bag, one hand clutch/wristlet/small purse, with or without a handle or strap, and not exceeding 6.5"x4.5" is permitted.
- Elizabethtown College is inclusive and family-friendly, so exceptions for bag sizes are as follows: A medical needs bag and/or a parenting needs bag. These bags are subject to a physical search.
- Visitors will be asked to return non-approved bags or other prohibited items to their vehicle prior to entry. There is no check-in location for prohibited bags.
Approved Bags
Prohibited Bags
