Chancellor discusses Bible

Apart from meetings of student religious organizations on campus, it's not too often the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are read aloud in Wright Quad. Wednesday night IU-Bloomington Interim Chancellor Ken Gros Louis brought the New Testament to Jordan Avenue in the inaugural speech of the Alpha Hall Lecture series. \nGros Louis presented the literary differences between the two Gospels in a 40-minute address to students, faculty and community members at Wright Quad's formal lounge. About 60 people attended the lecture.\n"I think the audience was very attentive, and that helps a lot," Gros Louis said. "This is a topic people would be familiar with."\nThe presentation, titled "History and the Individual: The Jesus Birth Stories in Matthew and Luke," was one Gros Louis is knowledgeable about, as he once submitted an essay on the topic to Bible Review magazine. He received a $500 prize for his submission.\nSenior Elliott Magers said while he enjoyed the topic, he was more interested in seeing Gros Louis speak.\n"I thought he did a fantastic job," Magers said. "Obviously he's had a lot of years of experience and knows how to engage students on an academic level."\nThe Alpha Hall Lecture Series is the brainchild of John Lawler, assistant director of academic initiatives and services for Residential Programs and Services. Lawler said the objective of the lecture series is to foster a relationship between residence hall students and members of the faculty. \n"A lot of students say they are intimidated by the faculty," he said. "A lot of our freshmen at IU don't have a good sense of who the faculty members are. When students hear of a professor's office hours, they kind of consider their office as hostile territory. We're trying to create an opportunity for students to socialize with the faculty at IU."\nLawler said they had considered bringing faculty into the residence halls to talk with students on a regular basis, but the schedules of faculty were too busy to create such a program.\nOwen Sutkowski, president of the Residence Halls Association, helped Lawler create the program. \n"This is something other universities do," he said. "We have such a great faculty here at IU. We want students to have a chance to hear these great minds speak. A lot of our older faculty members like Ken might leave before the younger students get to hear them. Likewise, a lot of our older students might not get to hear the new faculty members."\nHe said it also gives faculty a chance to speak about their hobbies -- something they might never have a chance to share with their students.\nGros Louis said he was happy to give the first speech of the series. \n"I would have even been happy to give the third speech," he said. "(Speaking first) might inspire other faculty members to be part of the program."\nThe lecture series will have five other lectures this year.\nThe series was named in honor of Alpha Hall, the first student residential center at IU, which will celebrate its 100-year anniversary next year.