House of Dietrich Bonhoeffer Launches New Website

After months of hard work, the house starts the year off with a launch party in the Founder’s Room.

Empire State Building, NEW YORK—Members of the House of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and distinguished guests gathered in The King's College's Founders' Room on January 20, 2011 to celebrate the launch of the house's new website.

Present at the launch party were Bonhoeffer biographer and head of Socrates in the City Eric Metaxas, King's professor Joseph Loconte, and Vice President of Advancement Jamey Nordby, along with Bonhoeffer members, for a total of 35 attendees. The house also publicized the site launch via live online streaming of the event (viewed by 200 students, friends, and family)and a press release. Speakers included Eric Metaxas, Jamey Nordby, and site creators Josh Encinias, and Chad Abbott.

The launch of the site is news, but the site itself is not. Originally created as part of a house competition several years ago, it hadn't been updated in about five years.

Encinias, a senior studying Media, Culture, and the Arts, realized the need for the new website soon after his arrival at the school. He proposed the idea last year to Chad Abbott, (PPE ‘12) who agreed. Starting in November, 2010, they worked with website architect, Chris Ellison to plan and create the new site.

300 hours later, visitors viewing the site will be able to view a video introducing them to the house, pictures and news from the house, articles written by members, a list of Bonhoeffer members, and brief biographies on both the house and its namesake.

Abbott says they also plan to debut a house store this month where members can purchase house-related gear.

The site is similar to other student publications at King's - The Lewis Review is another house-based web production, but unlike TLR where the writing covers a spectrum of topics, Bonhoeffer's site is internally-focused: the stories focus on house members, house events and house history. Encinias says it's designed to be a place where house members can share their story, triumph and struggles.

Both productions are similiar in that they depend on student involvement. Abbott pointed out the challenge of rallying house members to write articles and turn them in on time. Ultimately, the success of the house publications will depend on their ability to establish sustainable systems of production.

Ideally, the new site will help the house fulfill its mission, which states, "Men of Bonhoeffer strive to persevere in righteousness, grow in integrity, live and die with conviction, and serve with courage, steadfastly upholding a Christ-like community dedicated to these ideals."

The new website can be viewed at www.houseofbonhoeffer.com.