Tuesday, March 13, 2012

5:00 – SOCIAL

5:15 – LITERATURE—BOOK DISCUSSION – Founders Room

The Falls by Joyce Carol Oates

Discussion Leader:  Beth Montgomery

This is a haunting story of the powerful spell Niagara Falls casts upon two generations of a family, leading to tragedy, love, loss and ultimately, redemption. It is a drama of parents and their children, of secrets and sins, of lawsuits and murder.  The author explores not only the characters in this family, but America itself in the mid-twentieth century.  She examines what happens when the richly interwoven relationships of parents and their children are challenged by circumstances outside the family.

6:00 – DINNER

7:00 – PROGRAM – Presidents’ Hall

A Woman Serves Her Country and Then Comes Home

Speaker:  Kristin Schwarze, Staff Sargeant (E-6) US Army

After high school, Kristin Schwarze enlisted in the Army and the Minnesota National Guard, serving from 1997 until 2007. During that time, Kristin trained and served in nine states as well as in Germany.  She was deployed to Bosnia from 2003-2004 and in Iraq from 2005-2006. Kristin was a cook, a military intelligence specialist, and a drone pilot.  She will share her experiences in the military and her reacclimation to civilian life.

Louise Winter

Back to Programs Page