The Bible and ecology, American foreign policy post-September 11 and music the medieval way will be among the topics featured during the annual Hope College Winter Happening on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Winter Happening will feature six seminars, a luncheon with musical entertainment, a home men's basketball game and an art exhibition. The event is sponsored by the college's Alumni Association, and is open to the general public.

Admission to the seminars and the exhibition is free.

The seminars "The Sanctuary of Poetry," "Is God Green?: Biblical Wisdom and Ecological Vision" and "American Foreign Policy and September 11, 2001" will be presented concurrently at 9:30 a.m. "Euthanasia: Where Are the Dutch Going?," "Krumhorns, Sacbuts, Rebecs, and Racketts -- A Medieval and Renaissance Feast of Sounds," and "Profiling the American Religious Scene" will be presented at 11 a.m.

"The Sanctuary of Poetry" will feature readings by Dr. Susan Atefat Peckham, Jackie Bartley, Dr. Joel Peckham and Jack Ridl, all of whom are members of the Hope English faculty and each of whom has had a collection of poems published during the past year. The poets are different in style, vision and subjects, providing a sense of the range of ways of working in the form. The seminar will consider poetry as a refuge in unsettling times.

"Is God Green?: Biblical Wisdom and Ecological Vision" will consider what the Bible has to say concerning environmental stewardship. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Steven Bouma-Prediger, an associate professor of religion at Hope whose publications include multiple books on theology and ecology.

"American Foreign Policy and September 11, 2001" will examine some of the problems that led to September 11 and will look at the U.S. policy response to the day's attacks. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Jack Holmes, who is professor of political science and chair of the department, and has written about U.S. foreign policy.

"Euthanasia: Where Are the Dutch Going?" will discuss the legalization of euthanasia in the Netherlands and the future of the policy. The seminar will be presented by Dr. James Kennedy, who is an assistant professor of history at Hope and a research fellow with the college's A.C. Van Raalte Institute, and author of a book on the topic.

"Krumhorns, Sacbuts, Rebecs, and Racketts -- A Medieval and Renaissance Feast of Sounds" will demonstrate instruments and discuss instrumental music from the ninth to the 17th century. The presenter will be Dr. Robert Ritsema, who was a member of the Hope faculty for 32 years prior to retiring in 1999.

"Profiling the American Religious Scene" will consider the results of recent nationwide surveys of some 45 religious communities, including the Reformed Church in America. In addition, participants will use an electric keypad system to produce a parallel profile of themselves. The seminar will be presented by Dr. Donald Luidens, professor of sociology and chair of the department, and Dr. Roger Nemeth, professor of sociology.

The luncheon, which will feature musical entertainment by student musicians, will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center ballroom, and costs $9 per person. Reservations for the luncheon are required.

The men's basketball team will host Olivet College at 3 p.m. in the Holland Civic Center. Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for students, and a limited number of general admission tickets will be available for persons attending other Winter Happening events.

In addition to the day's other activities, the gallery of the De Pree Art Center will be featuring the on- going exhibition "Midwest Photography Invitational XI." Running Tuesday, Jan. 15-Friday, Feb. 15, the traveling exhibition features contemporary photography and was organized by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

In addition to being required for the luncheon, advanced registration is recommended for the seminars. Additional information may be obtained by calling the college's Office of Public and Alumni Relations at (616) 395-7860.

Registration during the morning of the event will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Haworth Inn and Conference Center.