Elizabethtown College
Lecture Series
Join Us
for 'evenings of enlightenment'
hosted by Elizabethtown College
October 24, 2024 Leffler Lecture
Winona LaDuke
Native American Activist, Environmentalist, and Author
February 6, 2025 Lefever Lecture
Victoria Sokolik
Youth Social and Health Services Advocate and Author
2024-2025 Speakers
Elizabethtown College is proud to present its 2024-25 Lecture Series, one of the region’s most notable programs. Our free Lecture Series continues a rich tradition of hosting speakers who provide audiences the opportunity to be enlightened, engaged, and entertained. We are also pleased to recognize one of the College’s 2024-25 three Educate for Service Awardees at each lecture. All attendees must pre-register for each event.
Join our community as we host Evenings of Enlightenment with three internationally known and remarkable individuals including:
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.
Victoria 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.
Register Now
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.
The Ware Lecture is made possible by a generous endowed gift from Judy S. '68 and Paul W. Ware.
Register NowBag 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
