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The public is invited.  Admission is free.

Often the title of the overall series is rhetorical, designed to reflect that the speakers are presenting the thoughts they would share if they had just one last opportunity to address the college鈥檚 students.  In Luidens鈥� case, however, it applies literally, since he will be retiring at the end of the school year.

Luidens, a 1969 Hope graduate, has been a member of the faculty since 1977.  In addition to his teaching on campus, he led students on study-abroad programs in both Japan and Palestine/Israel in the 1980s.

In 1987, he received the 鈥淥utstanding College Sociology Teacher of the Year Award鈥� from the Michigan Sociological Association.  The graduating class awarded him the 鈥淗ope Outstanding Professor Educator鈥� (H.O.P.E.) Award in 2003, and the college presented him with the 鈥淛anet L. Andersen Excellence in Teaching Award鈥� in January of this year.

Luidens has received or co-received a variety of external grants in support of his research, which has focused primarily on the sociology of religion and the sociology of sport.  In many of those studies, student researchers were significant collaborators, which provided invaluable foundational experience as they continued their education in pursuit of graduate degrees.  Several are now faculty members at the college level (including Dr. Debra Swanson, who is a colleague in the department of sociology).

He is the author of dozens of scholarly articles, and author or editor of five books.  He co-authored the book 鈥淰anishing Boundaries: The Religion of Mainline Protestant Baby Boomers,鈥� which received the 1994 鈥淒istinguished Book Award鈥� from the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion, and co-edited 鈥淩ethinking Secularization: Reformed Encounters with Modernity,鈥� 鈥淩eformed Vitality: Continuity and Change in the Face of Modernity,鈥� and 鈥淩eformed Encounters with Modernity: Perspectives from Three Continents.鈥�  With Hope sociology colleague Dr. Roger Nemeth and collaborators from Calvin College, he co-authored the book 鈥淒ivided by a Common Heritage: The Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America at the Beginning of the New Millennium.鈥�  An article he co-wrote with Nemeth for 鈥淭he Church Herald鈥� received an 鈥淎ward of Excellence鈥� in the 1998 Awards Contest of the Associated Church Press.

Luidens grew up overseas, the son of Edwin and Ruth Luidens, missionaries serving in the Middle East through the Reformed Church in America.  He was the third generation of his family to attend Hope, graduating from the college with a history major.  He subsequently earned a master of divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1972, and a master鈥檚 and a doctorate at Rutgers University in 1974 and 1978 respectively.

He and his wife, Peggy, who is a Hope classmate, live in Holland.  They have two grown daughters, Sara and Martha (鈥�03), and three grandchildren.

The chapter initiated the Last Lecture Series during the 2008-09 school year.  The speakers are asked to reflect on their careers and lives, and to think deeply about what matters to them and about what wisdom they would like to impart.

The concept was inspired by the 鈥淟ast Lecture鈥� delivered at Carnegie Mellon University by Dr. Randy Pausch on Sept. 18, 2007.  Pausch, a member of the Carnegie Mellon faculty who had terminal pancreatic cancer--a fact known at the time that he spoke--presented 鈥淩eally Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.鈥�  He died on July 25, 2008, at age 47.

Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service, and provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to college and universities, and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community.  Since its founding in 1918, the organization has grown from the four founding chapters to 230 collegiate chapters with nearly 250,000 initiated members across the nation.

The Alcor chapter has existed at Hope since the 1936-37 academic year, although it did not become part of the national Mortar Board organization until 1961.  The chapter has received multiple awards at the Mortar Board National Conference during each of the past several years, including being named the top chapter during the national conference in July 2010.  During the conference this past summer, the chapter received a 鈥淕olden Torch Award鈥� and 19 鈥淧roject Excellence鈥� awards, with long-time co-advisor Dr. Dianne Portfleet of the English faculty receiving one of only two top advising awards.

The chapter also sponsored a 鈥渓ast chance talk鈥� during the 1960s.  The idea back then was to invite a faculty member to express his/her ideas under the hypothetical assumption that this would be the last opportunity to address the student body.  The late Dr. D. Ivan Dykstra, professor of philosophy, delivered the first 鈥渓ast chance talk鈥� in the spring of 1962.

The first 150 attending will receive one of the following books:  James Baldwin鈥檚 鈥淎nother Country,鈥� Ralph Ellison鈥檚 鈥淚nvisible Man,鈥� Piri Thomas鈥檚 鈥淒own These Mean Streets鈥� or Richard Wright鈥檚 鈥淣ative Son.鈥�  A limited number of copies of 鈥淒ivided by a Common Heritage: The Christian Reformed Church and the Reformed Church in America at the Beginning of the New Millennium鈥� will be available as well.  The chapter will also distribute copies of the 鈥淟ast Lecture鈥� to audience members following the address.

There will also be a freewill donation box, with all gifts supporting Mortar Board鈥檚 many service projects.

The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street.