Whitworth kicked off Homecoming Weekend 2007 with a keynote lecture by Richard Cizik, '73, a leader among Christian evangelicals in the creation-care movement. He was also one of four Whitworth alumni who, along with
key university donors, were recognized at the weekend's George F. Whitworth Honors Banquet. (See story on Page 24.) Other 2007 Whitworth Homecoming events included a reunion of communication studies students, and a celebration of Whitworth's 50-year relationship with Young Life, including the awarding of an honorary doctorate to the organization's president, Denny Rydberg (pictured).
During the weekend, alumni gathered with Whitworth Communication Studies Department faculty to celebrate the service of professors Gordon Jackson (25 years), Mike Ingram (20 years) and Ron Pyle (20 years) to the department. The celebration was the brainchild of current department chair Ginny Whitehouse, who says of the reunion, "We were very honored that so many alumni came to this Homecoming Weekend brunch and pleased that they were able to reconnect with their professors and classmates."
At the honorary-degree ceremony for Rydberg, Whitworth President Bill Robinson spoke of the honoree's work with Young Life, a nonprofit Christian organization committed to making an impact on kids' lives and preparing them for the future. Young Life is active in all 50 states and in more than 45 foreign countries, reaching an estimated one million teenagers annually. Rydberg says that the scope of the group's ministry is no less than "to reach every kid, everywhere, for eternity." The plan for implementing this mission is as straightforward today as it was when it was first articulated by Young Life founder Jim Rayburn, according to Rydberg. "We can't wait for teenagers to come to us," he says. "We must go to them."
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