Direct From the Director

A message opening our newsletter from our director Gleaves Whitney discussing COVID-19 and how the staff at the Hauenstein Center is responding to these challenging times.

"Dear Members of the Hauenstein Center Community: As I begin my 18th year leading the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, I am happy to report on the ways we’ve grown strategically to fit into Grand Valley State University’s mission, engage the surrounding community, and expand our reach to an ever-larger national audience."

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American Conversations: Cornel West and Robert P. George

On April 2, 2015, Robert P. George and Cornel West of Princeton University spoke at our American Conversations series to discuss their friendship and its implications in the pursuit of common ground. By reflecting on George and West’s conversation during this pandemic, we can remind ourselves what we must bring to the table when engaging in civil dialogue.

“If you don’t have intellectual humility, you’re going to assume you have everything to teach and nothing to learn. The conversation is not going to be a conversation. It’s going to be a lecture. I lecture for a while and then he lectures for a while. That’s not going to get us anywhere. When the virtue of intellectual humility is in place, we can get somewhere. When it’s in place, then some magic begins to happen.” - Robert P. George

Click here to view the full article   Click here to watch the video recap of the presentation

Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy Spotlight

Finally, we will conclude with our Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy fellow candidate and alumni spotlight. This spotlight will showcase two of our incredible Peter C. Cook Leadership Academy Fellows. A recent CLA graduate, Riley Pearl, has made a lasting impact in our community, and an established alumus, Michael Dykstra, is continually working to improve the lives and health of people in the margins of society.

Click here to see the full spotlight