Manchester University offers more than a dozen presentations in its Values, Ideas and the Arts (VIA) series for Spring 2026. Presentations are at 11 a.m. on Mondays in Wine Recital Hall at the North Manchester campus unless otherwise noted. They are free and open to the public.
- Feb. 2: James Kelly, historian, film consultant, lecturer and historical interpreter, discusses museums, memory and the moral vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This event commemorates the 1968 visit of Dr. King to Manchester’s campus—his last campus visit before his assassination two months later.
- Feb. 9: Dr. Zachary Elewitz, who heads the Enterprise AI Lab at McKesson, shares what major enterprises are trying to achieve with AI and identifies its legitimate concerns.
- Feb. 16: Dr. Kyle Besing, associate provost for curriculum and instruction and associate professor of mathematics at Kentucky Wesleyan College, explores our innate intuition and how probability guides the choices we make each day.
- Feb. 23: The Health Sciences Career Conference is a day-long event with a keynote presentation by Dr. Joshua Kline, 1998 Manchester graduate and Chief Medical Officer for Parkview Physicians Group, at 9 a.m. in Cordier Auditorium.
- Feb. 26 “Marx in Soho,” a one-person play written by Howard Zinn and performed by Bob Weick, portrays Karl Marx in modern-day New York as he defends his ideas, critiques contemporary capitalism, and shows the human side of a figure often reduced to caricature.
- March 2: Students from the January Session travel course to Nepal, led by Dr. Anuj Gurung, explore the unprecedented role of Nepal’s Generation Z in challenging entrenched political systems and catalyzing a change of government.
- March 8: Manchester Symphony Orchestra performs “Invocation” in Cordier Auditorium at 3 p.m.
- March 9: Naomi Love, guest teacher at Kokua Education in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies, discusses Conjure traditions and history, including its legacy of resistance and Black women’s agency. She challenges Eurocentric narratives and urges a decolonized approach to religion.
- March 23: MU senior Megan Pierce shares a 10-year journey of collecting memorabilia of the DC Comics villain, The Joker. As of 2025, Pierce’s collection was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as being the “Largest collection of the Joker memorabilia.”
- March 30: Seasoned theatre professionals Kate Black and Bob Haluska share a look “backstage” at the community theatre experience. They will discuss auditions, casting, rehearsal, and performance.
- April 6: Andrea Warnke is a 1979 Manchester graduate and the former associate director of the ACLU of Vermont. She is now active with Third Act, an organization that joins her concerns for the environment with her civil liberties background to safeguard out climate and democracy.
- April 13: “Appeals on Wheels” is an outreach program of the Indiana Court of Appeals that brings live appellate oral arguments to communities across the state. By holding sessions in high schools, colleges, and civic venues, the Court offers the public a rare, firsthand look at how an intermediate appellate court works. Held in Upper Jo Young Switzer Center.
- April 20: Tom Nielson, award-winning folk musician and activist, weaves humor, political insight and storytelling into music that has been performed in more than 20 countries.
- April 27: Mike Staudenmaier, independent scholar and historian, discusses how Chicago and the whole Midwest have generated elements of culture and politics that helped pave the way for Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl moment, and suggests a possible future path for Puerto Ricans and their relationship with the U.S.
- May 3: Manchester Symphony Orchestra performs “Take Flight!” at the Eagles Theatre in Wabash, Ind., at 3 p.m.
Manchester’s VIA programming broadens students’ cultural experiences, enriches students intellectually and aesthetically, provides opportunities to experience the arts, promotes dialogue about ideas and values, and embodies in its presentations the values expressed in the University Mission. VIA features speakers, musicians and dramatic performers from the University community, across the country and around the globe.
For the media
Manchester University, in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., offers vibrant and transformative student experiences. Learn more at www.manchester.edu/about-manchester.
Manchester University respects the infinite worth of every individual and graduates persons of ability and conviction who draw upon their education and faith to lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.
