The January Series

The January Series is an annual program of lectures and concerts at Calvin College, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and held during the college's January Interim Term.
During the Interim, the college sponsors the daily hour-long cultural enrichment series called The January Series. Presented at 12:30 pm in the 1000-seat Fine Arts Center Auditorium on campus, the series is open without charge to students, faculty, and the community. Despite typical Michigan winter weather, the auditorium often fills up and the audience spills over into closed circuit television rooms. The Series has become an important part of the cultural and educational offerings in Western Michigan and has received nationwide attention. The International Platform Society, founded by Daniel Webster in 1834, has awarded TJS the Silver Bowl Award for "Best Campus Lecture Series in the U.S.A." three times (1994, 1995, and 1999) and has since retired the award. The Director of the January Series is currently Kristi Potter.
In the twenty-year history of the series, speakers have included such notables as C. Everett Koop, Morris Dees, Garrison Keillor, Stanley Hauerwas, Paul Farmer, Jimmy Wales, and many more.
In 2010, due to renovation of the Fine Arts Center, the series was held in the smaller venue of the College Chapel, with live video streaming to other locations. In addition to on-site streaming, the series is shown across the country in remote sites (28 in 2010), from Washington to Florida.
One interim course titled "An Inside Look at the January Series" gives the students enrolled in that class the opportunity to ask questions of the speaker in a smaller setting before the afternoon lecture.

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