by Victoria Kinney
November 19, 2007

Students gathered last week to attend PLNU’s Political Science Fall Speaker Series, in which they were able to interact with many leading public service and political figures. The series began last Monday and will conclude tonight with a dinner featuring William Inboden, former member of the National Security Council.

Ron Kirkemo, professor of political science and organizer of the series, said that he brought in the speakers to help students get connected.

“My interest is, how does [crisis and terror] impact our faith? That’s why I wanted to bring the speakers here, to discuss these issues. … All of the things I do are designed to help students,” said Kirkemo. “And to do that, I wanted to get people in high places; you don’t get any higher than the National Security Council.”

Freshman Kimberly Jensen was particularly impressed with the series. While the events are open to students from all majors and concentrations of study, the majority of students attending the event were political science and international relations majors.

“I really just wanted to take the opportunity that was given to me by my department,” said Jensen, political science major.

The Thursday night forum, which drew 15 students, featured Steve Shaw, author and political science professor at Northwest Nazarene University, and Amy Black, associate political science professor at Wheaton College. The two led a discussion on the role of Christians in politics.

Nikole Omotoy, a senior, said that she valued the discussion about the influence of personal faith on political decision-making.

“I’m a political science major, so my goal is always to come and see new speakers but, at the same time, to understand my role as a Christian in politics and to see the balance between the two,” said Omotoy.

Other speakers included Kent Hill, assistant administrator of the Bureau of Global Health, U.S. Agency for International Development; Cliff Fisher, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who has served at the Air Force Command Center in the Pentagon for almost four years; and Chris McHorney, author and political science department chair at California Baptist University.   

Tonight, the final speaker in the series, Inboden, a former senior director of the National Security Council, will meet with Kirkemo and students in the Fermanian Business Center for dinner and discussion. For more information, contact Ron Kirkemo at RonKirkemo@pointloma.edu.