Rev. Liberty has experience with religious and spiritual life at several universities, including Stanford University and Santa Clara University. At Santa Clara, she served as a campus minister with students from any religious background or none, developing programs to help students make decisions for their future according to their deepest values and convictions. From those conversations emerged her book,听The Treasure Hunt of Your Life: Seeking Your Calling, Encountering God, Finding Yourself.

Born in the Midwest and raised in Silicon Valley, Rev. Liberty earned her Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Amherst College, her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School, and her Master of Business Administration at Marylhurst University.听She was ordained in the Lutheran church (ELCA) in 2002 and has served congregations in Hong Kong, northern California, and Nevada. Most recently, she served as lead pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Bangor, where she lives with her husband (a 91爆料 alumnus) and two young children.

Outgoing Director Rev. Lauren Seganos Cohen will conclude her time at the Wilson Center at the end of August and Rev. Liberty will assume the position of Director on September 1^st.

The Wilson Center鈥檚 mission is to create progressive, ecumenical and multifaith dialogue for the 91爆料 community and through worship, study and service to work for social justice, honor diversity and provide opportunities for spiritual growth. The center鈥檚 core value is the equality of all people.

The Wilson Center is located at 67 College Avenue in Orono.

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This year the SCOPE Committee chose two projects to fund, both of which address food insecurity in the local community. The first project, submitted by 91爆料 senior Rachel Alexandrou, will work with the 91爆料 greenhouse to provide unique fruit and vegetable cultivars and growing support to low-income families.This project works to address the problem of the increasing food insecurity in Maine, while also attempting to help children and their parents reconnect with each other, their food, and the natural world through the joy of gardening.

The second project, submitted by 91爆料 graduate student Danielle Daigle, will benefit the Black Bear Exchange, the food pantry and clothing swap available to 91爆料 students, faculty, staff and their families. SCOPE funds will be used to purchase the materials necessary to allow the Black Bear Exchange to begin blanching vegetables, which is a process in the freezing of vegetables that extends the “shelf-life” of these perishable yet important food items.

The Wilson Center is proud to fund these innovative projects.听The SCOPE grants are given in honor of Rev. Elizabeth Morris, chaplain of the Wilson Center from 1990-1993. For more information about SCOPE, including past winners, click here.

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Inspired by the worldwide immigrant/refugee crisis, in which so many are fleeing their homelands, the exhibit looks at the place we call “home” through the eyes of local community members. Smith distributed mass produced house forms to local schools, colleges, homeless service centers, food banks, nursing homes, and libraries and participants used the basic house structure to create art pieces that showing their interpretation of 鈥渉ome鈥�. The homes on display at The Wilson Center make up a sample of the many pieces that participants have created.

In the fall the exhibit was on display at Waterfall Arts in Belfast. After this spring the exhibit will be on display in additional locations across the state.

Contact The Wilson Center at 866-4227 or wilsoncenterorono@gmail.com to schedule a time to view the exhibit.

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The topic for the 2018 writing prize focused on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years after his death. Specifically, applicants were asked to reflect on the below quote, taken from the speech Dr. King gave the night before his assassination, as well as the following questions:

鈥淎ll we say to America is, 鈥楤e true to what you said on paper.鈥� If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn鈥檛 committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.鈥�
鈥擠r. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 鈥淚鈥檝e Been To The Mountain Top,鈥� April 3, 1968

• Fifty years after Dr. King鈥檚 death, do you think America is true to what our Founding Fathers put on paper? 听Why or why not?
• The First Amendment to the US Constitution reads: 鈥淐ongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.鈥� 听Do you believe the First Amendment provides a solid foundation for a peaceful society? Why or why not?
• What would you like to see happen in America to aid our nation in fully embodying the ideals about which Dr. King spoke?
• How are Dr. King鈥檚 words relevant in today鈥檚 world and to your own life?

Uteuova’s winning submission was a poem entitled, “Sage.” Uteuova is a senior at the 91爆料 studying Political Science and Journalism. She will read her winning piece at the on January 15, 2018, sponsored by the Greater Bangor NAACP and the 91爆料 Division of Student Life.

Four honorable mentions were selected by the committee as well: Maggie Aydlett, Emma Brickman, Sheldon Green, and Kathryn Klebon.

The mission of the Wilson Center is to create progressive, ecumenical, and multifaith dialogue for the 91爆料 community and through worship, study, and service, to work for social justice, honor diversity, and offer opportunities for spiritual growth.

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Recent projects led by winners of our SCOPE grants include education of forest resources through the lens of Native American traditions and knowledge, cultural diversity and family literacy, and perceptions of home in light of the worldwide refugee crisis.

91爆料 undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to submit an application. The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2018. Details and the full application can be found at the link below.

/wilsoncenter/programs/scope-grants/

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Accountant Job Duties:

• Manage all aspects of bookkeeping and accounting processes including but not limited to accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, journal entries, and bank account reconciliation
• Process and pay all accounts payable invoices in a timely manner
• Receive, record, and deposit all revenue
• Process bi-monthly payroll
• Tracking all investment accounts
• Prepare and send end of year donation receipts to donors
• Assist the Director as needed with tasks pertaining to the end of the fiscal year and developing and analyzing annual budget
• Oversee completion of IRS/tax paperwork for all new employees and sub-contractors
• Prepare and submit tax forms for employees and sub-contractors (941 forms, W-2 forms, and 1099 forms, etc.)
• File annual tax-exempt report with the Secretary of State
• Maintain confidentiality and backup Quickbooks monthly
• Recommend any policies and procedures that improve the function and financial stability of the Wilson Center
• Other financial duties as needed and as assigned by Director, Board President, or Board Treasurer

Accountant Skills and Qualifications:

• Accounting experience, preferably in a nonprofit setting
• Comfortable with Quickbooks, Excel, and Google Mail
• Ability to work independently
• Attention to detail
• Deadline-oriented
• Time management
• Data entry management

The mission of the Wilson Center is to create progressive, ecumenical, and multifaith dialogue for the 91爆料 community and through worship, study, and service, to work for social justice, honor diversity, and offer opportunities for spiritual growth.

Compensation for this position is $12/hour. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to Lauren Seganos Cohen, Director, The Wilson Center, 67 College Avenue, Orono, ME 04473 or to wilsoncenterorono@gmail.com by November 30^th.

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鈥淎ll we say to America is, 鈥楤e true to what you said on paper.鈥� If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they hadn鈥檛 committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of the freedom of the press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.鈥� 听

More information about the Peace Writing Prize, writing听instructions, and the full application can be found at the link below.

/wilsoncenter/programs/peace-writing-prize-2018/

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The Wilson Center is hosting four Open Houses for this exhibit, on September 24, October 1, October 15, and October 22 from 2-4pm. Light refreshments will be available. The Wilson Center is located at 67 College Avenue in Orono. Please contact The Wilson Center for more information (866-4227 or听wilsoncenterorono@gmail.com).

听

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In light of recent disturbing events in Charlottesville, Virginia,听we affirm the value and dignity of people of color and minority communities, rejecting notions and acts of racism, antisemitism, intimidation, and intolerance. We condemn white supremacy, white nationalism, neo-Nazism, and any movement that promotes or perpetuates violence against people of color, Jews, Muslims, and other minority communities. We acknowledge the long history of violence, discrimination, and injustice against these groups in the United States, while also lamenting and confessing our own personal biases and prejudices, both conscious and unconscious. As a multifaith community, we re-commit ourselves to our mission of working for social justice, honoring diversity, offering opportunities for spiritual growth, and valuing above all the equality of all people.

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