SNL cast members to perform free comedy show for GVSU students

Saturday Night Live cast members Jay Pharoah and Aidy Bryant will bring their talents to Grand Valley State University to perform a comedy show on Oct. 22.

Presented by Spotlight Productions, the show will take place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. inside the Fieldhouse Arena on GVSU’s Allendale Campus. Doors are scheduled to open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are free for GVSU students, $15 for GVSU alumni, faculty and staff and $25 for the general public. Tickets are available at both the 20/20 Desk and at www.startickets.com.

For more information about the show, contact Spotlight Productions at [email protected].

Mindfulness activities and presentations scheduled for GVSU

In an effort to manage stress and improve the overall quality of one’s life, an expert on the concept of mindfulness will present on this topic at Grand Valley State University on Oct. 23.

David McCown, assistant professor and director of the Center for Contemplative Studies at West Chester University, will give three separate presentations throughout the day.

Prior to these presentations, students, faculty and staff are invited to kick off the day with a “Mindful Triathlon” at 7 a.m. inside the Kelly Family Sports Center. At the triathlon, participants complete three 15-minute segments of a walk or run, a yoga session and a guided meditation session.

McCown’s first two presentations will take place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. inside the Pere Marquette Room on GVSU’s Allendale Campus.

The third and final presentation will take place from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the downtown Grand Rapids Seidman Center, Room 1008A.

To register for the triathlon and the presentations, go to www.gvsu.edu/sprout.

New York Times best-selling author to present about Richard Nixon

A New York Times best-selling author will give an in-depth analysis on the life of America’s 37th president, Richard Nixon during a special presentation at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on Oct. 22.

Evan Thomas, author of the best-selling book “Being Nixon: A Man Divided,” will provide a balanced analysis of Nixon’s life in terms of his scandals as well as his bravery while serving as president.

The presentation of the same name will take place at 7 p.m. inside the auditorium of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.

To RSVP, contact the Ford Museum at (616) 254-0384 or [email protected].

For additional information, go to www.hauensteincenter.org.

“To Repair the World: How Does Religion Help or Hinder”

This year’s Kaufman Interfaith Institute’s Triennial Jewish-Christian-Muslim Dialogue conference will focus on the idea of how religions have the ability to help or stop progress in societies located around the world.

The theme of this year’s conference is “To Repair the World: How Does Religion Help or Hinder.”

The presenters at the conference include Rabbi Donniel Hartman, president of the Shalom Hartman Institute and director of IEngage Project; Cynthia Campbell, president emerita of McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago; and Ingrid Mattson, London and Windsor chair of Islamic studies at Huron University College at the University of Western Ontario.

The free discussion is scheduled to take place from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 29 on the secondfloor of the L.V. Eberhard Center, located at the Pew Campus.

To register for the event, go to www.gvsu.edu/interfaith/triennial-dialogue-29.htm.

Former Second City cast member to present at GVSU

A former cast member from “The Second City,” an improvisational comedy theater located in Chicago, is scheduled to give a presentation at Grand Valley State University on how both individuals and organizations can use improvisation to better adapt to new changes.

In addition to performing at “The Second City,” presenter Mary Jane Pories is the CEO of Fishladder Inc. and the author of the book “Yes, And! Harnessing the Power of Improvisation to Transform Your Life and Work.”

The presentation, “Improvisation: Wild Brainstorming,” will take place from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on Oct. 27 in the Loosemore Auditorium, located inside the DeVos Center on the Pew Campus.

To register for the event, go to www.gvsu.edu/designthinking/theory. For additional information, contact John Berry at [email protected].