30th Anniversary History Book

HIGHLIGHTS

Author and NPR

commentator Diane Roberts

Salon se r i es Channeling the ethos of the French salons of the Great Enlightenment — for which men and women gathered under a host’s roof for debate and intellectual discourse — the Beacon Salon Series is one of the college’s primary academic outreach programs to the Central Florida community. The series debuted in 2017 with a series of forums exploring subjects as diverse as the Beat Generation authors to the deontology of Batman in a panel delving into the philosophy of comic books. Later, the Beacon Salon Speaker Series followed in September 2017. The series mixes Florida- based lecturers and performers and nationally known authors, historians, and poets. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy S. Collins, author and NPR BEACON

commentator Diane Roberts, author and creator of Amazon Prime’s “Lore,” Aaron Mahnke, author Bruce Henderson and other luminaries have captivated Speaker Series audiences. The events are free and open to the public and offer free catered heavy hors d’oeuvres. The 2018-19 school year saw the launch of the Beacon Salon Lecture Series, which showcases Beacon College faculty lecturers. Hewing to the college’s mission to educate and edify, the Salon Series is the spiritual godchild of the popular, but short-lived Global Awareness Program lecture series. Launched in February 2008 by Dr. Harriet Masembe, a former English professor at Beacon, speakers from around the world lectured

on historical, social, political and educational developments in their nations. Lectures included “U.S.A. and Kazakhstan History, Culture and Rap Music,”

Dr. Harriet Masembe

“Gender Issues and the Constitution in Uganda,” and “Race Travelers and African- American Romance with the Soviet Union.” Continuing that legacy, the Beacon Salon Series — with more than 500 subscribers (“Salonists”) and growing — honors the college’s duty as an institution of higher learning to uplift the community in which it operates, spark engagement, and sow seeds of discovery and conversation.

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