On Sat., March 16, student scholars from across California gathered for Concordia’s annual Questions that Endure Virtual Undergraduate Conference to spend the day participating in the ongoing Great Conversation of the liberal arts. 

From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Concordia University was joined virtually by student and faculty representatives from Fresno Pacific, Biola and Pepperdine, as nearly 30 undergraduate students responded to the questions ‘What is Beauty?’ and ‘How Shall I Live?” After an engaging keynote address on brain science and beauty from neuroscientist and biology professor Dr. von dem Bussche, the students gave ten-minute presentations over Zoom on a breadth of topics, ranging from feminist literature, modern sculpture and ancient Roman texts. 

“We hold the conference to talk about how we should live in light of the Great Conversation — the great books and big ideas and enduring questions that shape civilization, history, art, society and scientific thought,” said Dr. C.J. Armstrong, Director of the Honors Program and founder of the conference. “Concordia scholars have peers around the nation that want to join in that conversation, and a conference like this allows us to exchange ideas, welcome new scholars and enjoy a reunion of curious people pursuing the good, true and beautiful.” 

"I found the event genuinely exciting,” said Noah Shifter, a freshman presenter from Pepperdine. “This was my first time experiencing a college-level academic conference, and I found that, especially in a Christian liberal arts context, the exchange of ideas was valuable. Some papers invited me to read new texts, but I was most influenced by those papers that exposed me to insightful new interpretations of texts I've already read."

"It's awesome to get the opportunity to speak about such topics that can often be overlooked in today's society,” said Josiah Chin, a sophomore presenter at the conference. “Exploring beauty and how it affects our culture, literature, philosophy and life was such a privilege. It opened my mind to different viewpoints and perspectives on beauty!"

“I love the way students and professors get to act as colleagues, and how connections can be made outside of the walls of the school,” said Dr. William M. Johnston, Professor of Ancient History and Classics at Fresno Pacific University. “One can see that we are part of the Great Conversation!” 

Concordia students were able to gather together in person for the midday lunch break, where they debriefed and discussed the previous sessions. “The chatter between sessions with real live people on campus is probably my favorite part,” said Armstrong. "It’s a nice counterpoint to the virtual mode that reminds us a scholarly community can exist in lots of spaces, but there’s nothing quite like being together face to face.”

“Without the discussion that took place in this conference, I don't think I would have thought so deeply about how to live with beauty,” said Paloma Banto, junior moderator for the conference. “What I found is that beauty starts with relationships, and it only grows with intentionality.”

“It was great presenting my paper on an alchemical view of beauty,” said Dylan Arant, junior. “Being part of a larger conversation on the nature of beauty with other students from Concordia, Fresno Pacific, Biola and Pepperdine really showed the many perspectives and facets of this topic. I found a common theme of beauty as relational and ethical among many papers across disciplines. Last year’s conference had a similar effect regarding humanity, which led me to participate this year too.”

“Organizing the conference is a delight because our students pitch in with their good scholarship, organization and hospitality, and the faculty and students at the other schools are so enthusiastic about the opportunity,” said Armstrong. “It’s wonderful to see the work our students have done shared publicly, and it’s gratifying to see the preparation and professional presentation of that work discussed and extended to others.”  

The Questions that Endure Conference is hosted annually, and all students are welcome to participate, whether by moderating panels, presenting papers, or simply viewing and contributing to the conversation. For recordings of the presentations, as well as more information about the conference, contact Dr. Armstrong at clinton.armstrong@cui.edu. 

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