"A Warrior's Story: Perspectives
on Nation, Safety, and Prosperity"
Cecil College invites you to join us for the fourth year of our Speakers Series. This year's theme, "A Warrior's Story: Perspectives on Nation, Safety, and Prosperity," will challenge us to think of the identity and future of America in the global landscape. Between September and April, we will be joined by several men and women with very different backgrounds in the U.S. military, some from our own community. While the speakers share a vested interest in the present and future of the nation, their relationship to and vision of nation differ greatly. As a Navy pilot and engineer, a career Air Force photographer, and a Muslim former soldier who teaches religious and cultural tolerance, each speaker promises to be engaging and memorable as we explore new ways of thinking about challenging issues of national concern. Each speaker will address audience questions after his or her presentation, so come prepared to learn, query and engage with these vital questions of our time. Presentations will be given in our beautiful, 500-seat Milburn Stone Theatre, from 6:30 p.m. to
8 p.m., and all events are free and open to the public.
According to Lieutenant Commander Jake Staub, for the few lucky enough to be American citizens, "tremendous opportunity comes with tremendous responsibility." Staub will discuss how his experience as an engineer and a Navy pilot have led him to believe that one of our greatest national threats comes from the lack of satisfactory education. To ensure a prosperous national, and personal, identity in the current global climate, we need to, among other things, focus more intensely on educating our youth in engineering, science and mathematics.
Born in Ohio, Kimberly King entered the Army at age 18, serving in the communications field for Military Intelligence Battalions. At the end of her tour of duty, King studied comparative religion before converting to Islam in 1989. In her talk, she will address the struggles she has faced both internally and externally as a Muslim American woman, particularly after 9/11, as well as offer strategies for building diverse and mutually supportive communities among cultures/identities in apparent conflict.
In his 22-year career as an aerial qualified combat photographer, Senior Master Sergeant Richard Freeland has journeyed to Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sarajevo and Panama in support of various combat and peacekeeping missions. In his presentation of images, Freeland will discuss the roll and impact of combat camera and imagery in conflict, as well as the ways in which photos communicate, motivate and preserve history. Freeland's work will be on display in the Gallery in the Milburn Stone Theatre.
This roundtable will feature Cecil College faculty, staff and students, as well as other members of the Cecil community who have a vested interest in and experience with the military. We will hear individual stories of combat and homecoming, wellness and need, and success and struggle, as well as learn strategies for better understanding and supporting the soldiers in our community. Specific speakers TBA.
