Only this time, in addition to students and professors having an academic conversation, the group included Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ronan Farrow, who was in town as part of the Guilford College Bryan Series. He gladly answered questions and shared his opinions and knowledge from his wide-ranging career.

“It was exciting to see the students so engaged with the discussion,” says Tracie Fellers, the journalism instructor who moderated the Q&A session. “There were some really great questions, including one about whether or not young people will move away from digital media and back to print for news and information. Ronan’s response was that in his way of thinking, the platform isn’t as important as reaching your audience through great storytelling and reporting. It really gave everyone in that room something to aspire to with their own work.”

Ronan himself was impressed enough by the time with Guilford students that he mentioned it later that night in his Bryan Series presentation at the Tanger Center, remarking that after his afternoon he had hope for the future of journalism.

Bringing Cultural Programming Alive

That afternoon session on campus was made possible by an endowed gift to the college by Trustee Chair Emeritus Joseph M. Bryan Jr. ’60 in 1994. Two years later Guilford College began presenting prominent speakers thanks to this funding, a program which eventually became known as the Bryan Series. Each year the program brings people renowned in their field to Greensboro, from politicians to athletes, musicians to historians.

The community-facing part of the Bryan Series helps bring awareness of the educational opportunities available at Guilford to a wider audience, through a speaker series which aligns with the college’s core values.

“The Bryan Series is directly aligned with Guilford College’s academic missions and the speakers that are brought also line up with our core values,” says Kami Rowan, Charles A. Dana Professor of Music. “The organizers have done a great job with academic diversity, bringing in scientists, artists, musicians and business people, to really present a wide range of topics.”

Sharing Experiences with the Students

In addition to the community outreach component, the Bryan Series provides a way to enhance educational opportunities for students outside the classroom. They attend each evening presentation free of charge, and in the afternoon prior to the event the speaker is featured at Q&A session on campus moderated by a professor or staff.

“Bringing the person onto campus is crucial to our mission to provide transformative programs for our students,” Kami says. “It provides access for the students who might not be able to get to the Tanger Center for the presentation. But also, getting to ask questions in an intimate space with these amazing critical thinkers and creators is just a fabulous experience for our students.”

Participation in the Q&A sessions is open to all students, and professors do their part to help encourage attendance, from communicating information about the event and the speaker to letting class out early to make it possible for students to attend. “I have an internship course for journalism student, and I offered them extra credit to anyone who attended the session with Ronan Farrow,” Tracie says.

“Only at Guilford” Moments

Having the opportunity to talk with people who are leaders in their field is one of those unforgettable “only at Guilford” moments for students.

“Something I’ve appreciated about Guilford College is the welcoming environment in all aspects, whether that’s being able to text my teachers outside of class or just being respected as a person,” says Noah Dabney ’23. “I found that exact same environment at the Q&A with (musician and neuroscientist) Daniel Levitin before his performance. It almost surreal to be able to talk with him, learn from him, and see his passion for his work first hand, all in such a comfortable setting.”

As a student majoring in Chemistry, Health Sciences and Music, Noah was excited to be able to talk with Daniel. “The opportunity to talk to an expert who does the two things I enjoy was incredible. As a student, that’s what a want in my college experience, those types of close encounters, and I appreciate Guilford College for helping make it happen.”