On October 8, The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology hosted the second annual Symposia: An Intersection of Conversation & Innovation, featuring presentations by more than 20 alumni representing each of our degree programs.
Symposia was created to celebrate the vibrant, innovative work of our alumni and to highlight The Seattle School’s unique position at the intersection of many different disciplines and schools of thought. Alumni presentations engaged topics as varied as marriage equality, play therapy, theater in theology, lament, masculinity, performance art and ritual, parenting, identity, and many more. Core to the mission of The Seattle School is the belief that topics like these are best engaged in an integrated fashion and in conversation with other disciplines, and in that we are led by our alumni and their work in the world.
“I am an alumnus of six schools in total, including Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, but it wasn’t until The Seattle School that I really came to understand that in good education, alumni lead us. Alumni are what we sometimes call ‘postcards of the future,’” said Dr. Keith Anderson, President of The Seattle School, in his opening remarks. “Symposia is a community of learners who are here to talk about what you’re practicing at your own altar in the world, a time to listen to what some of our more than 1,000 alumni are pondering. For me, this tells you nearly everything we believe about alumni. I don’t know of other schools that do this, gather as a community to take seriously the creativity, curiosity, care, and attention that you are giving to your craft.”
This year, we were thrilled to offer live-streaming of Symposia through a partnership with Internet broadcasting company Varvid. As alumni gathered for Awaycoming events throughout the country, including at our new Mid-Atlantic Alumni Hub, they were able to tune in and watch their friends, colleagues, and former classmates present live. The videos of those presentations are also featured on our Vimeo page, and they will be shared on the Intersections blog throughout the coming year. In the meantime, you can also check out all of the presentations from last year’s Symposia.