MLK Day 2001 Schedule of Events Opening Convocation Hymn: Lift Every Voice and Sing Our MLK Day Speaker Focus Session I Focus Session II Planning + Award Committee

Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 14 and 15, 2001
Valparaiso University

[ SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ]
     [ THE CONVOCATION ]
          [ HYMN: "Lift Every Voice And Sing" ]
          [ ABOUT OUR MLK DAY SPEAKER ]

     [ FOCUS SESSION I ]

     [ FOCUS SESSION II ]

[ UPCOMING EVENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS ]

[ MLK DAY 2001 PLANNING COMMITTEE + AWARD COMMITTEE]

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Jan. 14 - Sunday
Global Music of Faith

"A Celebration in Song"
7 p.m., Chapel of the Resurrection
Christian gospel song
Potawatomi chant and dance
Zen Buddhist chant
Sikh kirtan

Jan. 15 - Monday
Community Prayer Breakfast
8 a.m., Union Great Hall
(Pre-purchased tickets required)
Rev. Gregory Jones, speaker

Convocation
10 a.m., Chapel of the Resurrection
Dr. Howard Jones, speaker
"Amistad: A Triumph of Freedom"

Luncheon
11:45 a.m., Union Great Hall
(Pre-purchased tickets required)
Dr. Howard Jones, speaker

Focus Sessions I
1 to 2:30 p.m.
Various locations around campus

Focus Sessions II
2:45 to 3:45 p.m.
Various locations around campus

Closing program
4 p.m., Union Great Hall
"Justice Works: Me and You"

DJ and dance
7:30 p.m., Union Great Hall
Latin Street Dancing of Chicago

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About our MLK Day speaker:

Dr. Howard Jones wrote the book on which Steven Spielberg’s powerful movie Amistad is based, the story of a group Africans kidnapped for slave trade who turn on their captors in a bid to return to their homeland. His book, Mutiny on the Amistad: The Saga of a Slave Revolt and its Impact on American Abolition, Law, and Diplomacy, was published in 1997.

Dr. Jones is University Research Professor and chair of the Department of History at the University of Alabama. He has written a number of award-winning books on different periods of history. He recently published a book on Abraham Lincoln, is completing another on John F. Kennedy, and is under contract to write a survey of Civil War diplomacy for the 16-volume "Littlefield History of the Civil War."

His topic for Valparaiso University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Convocation is "Amistad: A Triumph of Freedom." The Amistad affair of 1839 was the only time in history that a group of black people who were captured in Africa for purposes of slave trade won their freedom before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Dr. Jones is a native of Lake Station and a graduate of Lew Wallace High School. He received his doctorate from Indiana University. He was on the faculty at the University of Nebraska before his present position at the University of Alabama, where he teaches courses in American foreign relations and the United States-Vietnam War.

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THE CONVOCATION

10 a.m., Chapel of the Resurrection

Prelude: VU Chamber Concert Band
Dr. Jeffrey Doebler, conductor

Invocation:
Rev. Joseph Cunningham, University Pastor

Welcome:
Dr. Alan Harre, University President

Hymn:
"Lift Every Voice and Sing"
Led by VU Gospel Choir

Presentation:
Martin Luther King Jr. Award

Premiere:
Work commissioned for MLK Jr. Day 2001
VU Faculty Jazz Trio

Introduction of Speaker:
Jane Claiborne

Keynote Address:
"Amistad: A Triumph of Freedom"
Dr. Howard Jones

Announcements:
Dr. Bill Marion

Benediction:
Rev. David Kehret
Rev. Kevin McCarthy
Rev. Carolyn Leeb

Post-Convocation Music:
VU Chamber Concert Band

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"LIFT EVERY VOICE AND SING"

Lift ev’ry voice and sing

Till earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of liberty.

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the List’ning skies;

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us;

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun

Of our new day begun

Let us march on, till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,

Bitter the chast’ning rod,

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet, with a steady beat,

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our parents sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;

We have come, treading our path through

the blood of the slaughtered.

Out from the gloomy past,

Till now we stand at last

Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;

Thou who hast by thy might

Led us into the light:

Keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God,

Where we met thee;

Lest, our hearts drunk with the wine of the

World, we forget thee;

Shadowed beneath thy hand

May we forever stand,

True to our God, true to our native land.

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FOCUS SESSIONS

Focus Sessions I: 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The Tobacco Industry’s Targeting of Women, Youth and People of Color
VUCA 1412
Cecilia Bordador and Natalie Rivich, Smokefree Indiana
A presentation on the roles of advertising imagery in the increasing incidence of smoking among youth, women and people of color. This is a close-up look at some of the advertisements used by the tobacco industry and the strategy behind them. Through information, the presenters hope to empower people to counteract the harmful effects of tobacco advertising.

The Game of Life: Opportunities and Obstacles
Mueller Refectory
Jamie Buffington of Habitat for Humanity
Interactive life-sized board game where people start at birth and are assigned different life situations, and go on to random life-changing experiences. Followed by discussion.

Faculty/Staff Study Circles on Race Relations
Mueller Commons
Approval needed from Peter Mercer-Taylor
Gregory Jones, pastor, and Peter Mercer-Taylor of Christ College
An introduction to the study circles offered as a course on campus, and an invitation to sign up for the spring semester circles, which meet for five 90-minute conversations on the subject of race relations at VU and in the Valparaiso community.

The Hidden Advantage: An Experiential Workshop on Privilege
Union Squire Room
Andrea Greenwood and Michael Gottfried, Student Counseling Center
A workshop to raise personal awareness about the impact of privilege; to provide an opportunity to explore how privilege operates on personal and institutional levels; and to discuss implications for work, friendships, family and self. Through experiential activity, video and discussion, participants will identify and explore core attributes of privilege. Discussion will begin with a focus on white privilege because of its pervasiveness and relevance for a predominantly white student population at VU, but also will address other forms of privilege including gender, size, age, religion and sexual orientation.

Peaceful Violence
Mueller 114
J.C. Crane Jr. of the Office of Admissions
A discussion of the various emotions surrounding violence. Participants will investigate various circumstances and feelings that can move a heated controversy towards violence. Slavery, religion, domestic abuse, gangs, hate crimes and athletics will be examined to create an understanding of how violence erupts when someone is oppressed and when someone else feels superior and becomes an intimidator.

Race and Racism: Past, Present and Your Visions of the Future
Union Crusader Room
Timothy Clark, William Hartley and Peter Venturelli, of the Department of Sociology
This is an "open mike" format. The audience will be given the opportunity to participate in a discussion of people’s visions for the future. The three presenters serve as facilitators and share their own visions as well.

"Invisible" Asian Americans: Encounters with the American Film Industry
Mueller 2
Robin Visser and Stephen Wilson of Christ College and Katherine Yooli Chung, Korean American actress
Asian Americans, sometimes identified as the "invisible" minority, struggle for cultural recognition in a country where racial difference is often imagined in black and white binaries. Participants will discuss Asian American identity in response to film clips from "Double Happiness" (1995), by Chinese American director Mina Shim. Chung, who is from New York City, will make a presentation.

Let’s Party
VUCA lobby
Barbara Gaebel-Morgan from the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education and peer-educators
The setting seems to be a typical party scene with music, merry people, lots of alcohol, some food. The twist is that there are only non-alcoholic drinks, lots of food and a healthy agenda. Discussion centers on who is targeted by "party" products and who in essence makes up the majority of alcohol-centered social life participants.

Peacemaking through Mindfulness
Mueller 4
David Malicky of the Department of Mechanical Engineering
An exploration of the relationship between mindfulness and peacemaking with oneself and others. Mindfulness is the simple but difficult practice of cultivating acceptance of and attention to the present moment, which tends to lead to greater clarity and understanding. The development of acceptance, which does not imply passivity or resignation, may lead to peacemaking rather than violence. The program is a combination of lecture, discussion, short meditation and further discussion.

Beyond Violence: Empowering People to Make a Difference
Guild/Memorial basement lounge
Ben Nicol and Dave Wurzburger, students
An interactive program that focuses on recognizing people’s differences and empowering them to make change through these differences. Participants learn about personal preferences through exercises that help them to understand each other, the world and one’s own preference. Participants are invited to explore targeted groups of society and the complexity that both mistreatment and actions play on one’s personality.

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Focus Sessions II - 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

Amistad: A Triumph of Freedom
MLK Center
Dr. Howard Jones, MLK Jr. Day speaker
A continuation of Dr. Jones’ message at the MLK Jr. Day morning convocation with time for discussion and interaction with the audience.

Lupus: The Silent Killer
Mueller 1
LaDawn Burnett, student, and Dr. David Ashbach, local physician
While the exact cause of the disease lupus is unknown, it is found to be three times more common in black women than Caucasian women. As many as one in 250 black women are diagnosed and it occurs eight times more frequently in females than males. Come and learn about this disease that affects more than 1.4 million people.

Student Study Circles on Race Relations
Mueller Commons area
Participant approval needed from Peter Mercer-Taylor
Jane Claiborne of VU administrative staff and Peter Mercer-Taylor of Christ College
An introduction to the study circles offered as a course on campus, and an invitation to sign up for the spring semester circles, which meet for five 90-minute conversations on the subject of race relations at VU and in the Valparaiso community.

King 2000: Same Dream, Different Time
Mueller 2
J.C. Crane Jr. of Office of Admissions
A review of the civil rights movement focusing on key events that caused conflict with the mission of Dr. King. The session will move forward to modern day America and focus on similar problems that are present and still manipulate the mission of Dr. King. This is an interactive session with two short writing exercises to help examine racial stereotypes and diverse populations. Participants also will take a look at some national occurrences: the O.J. Simpson trial, affirmative action and racial profiling.

The Real Game of Life
Mueller Refectory
Kim Zabitski, Jen Sales and Catrina Cofer, all of Student Social Work Organization
Participants will be assigned an ethnic background and move through a life-sized version of the Game of Life. Through the activity, it will be illustrated what holds people back in life and what moves them forward. The history of various ethnic groups will be discussed as well as other topics concerning people of color.

Jackie Robinson and His Lasting Contributions
VUCA 1412
Andrew Malone, student
Participants will view the A & E biography on baseball player Jackie Robinson and participate in discussion on what Robinson meant to baseball, the civil rights movement and America.

Can This Be Justice? The Burden of Affirmative Action
Union Crusader Room
Ryan Adler, student
This interactive session, followed by a question-and-answer period, deals with the issue of racial discrimination of affirmative action, from national policy to issues and problems at VU. The focus is the destructive nature of affirmative action on race relations and civil liberties.

Past and Present: An Inquiry into Stonewall
Mueller 114
Amanda Bright, Alliance
This program focuses largely on the question, "Is the homosexual civil rights movement inclusive in its fight for equality or does it marginalize individuals who cannot or will not be defined?" Participants will chronicle major landmarks in the movement, look at goals for the future, and critique accomplishments that may not have been all-encompassing.

Tibet and Its People: Less Important than a New Market?
Mueller 4
Danielle Panza, student
Come and learn about Tibet, its rich history and how just a little effort can make a big impact on this country. Students will be broken into groups of four. Each group will represent a country with a fact sheet and stance. Questions and issues then will be raised and discussed.

Native American Issues
Mueller 5
Ron Janke, Department of Geography, and John Warren, Potawatomi Indian
The Potawatomi once occupied Northwest Indiana. In 1994 they were recognized as a tribe and can create a reservation in Northwest Indiana. They are now buying back land and experiencing racism in this area. Potawatomi Indians will be present to talk about their difficulties in the area.

Justice: Not Just Us
Union Squire Room
Students Jason Parks, Mark Eggleston and Heather Meriweather
This program examines ways that Black Student Organizations can reach out to other organizations and students on their campuses. Members of other Black Student Organizations from the area will attend. The discussion will address issues prevalent on a number of campuses. The participants also will discuss what organizations like BSO can do to make general populations more comfortable with collaborative projects.

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Upcoming events from the Office of Multicultural Programs

Feb. 1: Speaker Series

Rev. Lucius Walker of the Inter-religious Foundation for the Community Organization will speak on "Pastors for Peace: Religious Response to Social Injustice"

8 p.m., Union Great Hall

Feb. 7: Speakers Series

Quentin P. Smith, honor cadet graduate of Tuskegee Army Airfield 50 years ago, will tell the story of how 100 black airmen took a stand against segregation in the military.

8 p.m., Union Great Hall

Feb. 10: "Dialogue on Racism" Workshop.

Two sessions, limited to 20 persons in each. Call 464-5400 by Feb. 2.

9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m., MLK Center

Feb. 17: Annual Black History Dinner Celebration

For tickets, call 464-6679.

8 p.m., Union Great Hall

Feb. 18: "One Race, One People, One Peace"

VU students will dramatize historical events that look at racism, sexism, violence and acts of hate and how common folks can effect social change.

8-10 p.m., Union Great Hall

Feb. 24: DuSable Museum bus trip

Visit the nation’s oldest institution devoted to promoting awareness of African and African-American history and culture. For tickets, call 464-5400.

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Chicago

Feb. 26: Black History Jeopardy

Teams compete for cash. Study guides provided. Apply through OMP by Feb. 16, 464-4500.

8-10 p.m., Union Great Hall

March 3: Minority Leadership Conference

Seminars on leadership, self-esteem, job interview protocol, finances and personal relationships. For more information, call 464-6462.

9 a.m.-4 p.m., Center for the Arts

March 29: Series Speaker

Julie Chavez of the board of trustees of Chicago’s Mexican Fine Arts Museum and in community relations with Bank of America will speak on "Community Involvement and Philanthropy."

8 p.m., MLK Center

March 31: Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum bus trip

Learn about Mexican culture as seen through the eyes of Mexican artists and American artists of Mexican descent. For reservations, call 464-5400.

9 a.m.-5 p.m., Chicago

April 7: Cultural Festival and Concert

Student art display, ethnic food samplings, demonstrations (Native beadwork, salsa dancing). Concert at 5:30 p.m. will feature regional and local talents.

3-7 p.m., Union Great Hall

April 16-20: Holocaust Remembrance Week

Mural display by VU student artists.

Union lobby

May 3: National Day of Prayer

"United Through Faith" is the theme. Representatives of various religious groups will share a prayer for world peace, good will and solidarity. Refreshments follow.

Time and place, TBA

May 5: Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Music, food, program.

8 p.m., Union Great Hall

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MLK JR. DAY 2001
Planning Committee

Co-chairs

Nandina Bhattacharya, ext. 6744

Larry Mosher, ext. 5007 - Sunday Evening

 

Peter Mercer-Taylor, ext. 6874

Joseph Bognar, ext. 6782 - Prayer Breakfast

 

Larry Mosher, ext. 5007 - Convocation

 

Jane Claiborne, ext. 6894

Bill Marion, ext. 5422Publicity

 

Gretchen Bucki, 464-0584

Sharon Rocchio, ext. 5114Luncheon

 

Virginia Shingleton, ext. 5405

Sue Dunlap, ext. 5016Focus Sessions

 

Jennifer Jones-Hall, ext. 5411

Jaishankar Raman, ext. 6814 Closing of the Day

 

LouJeanne Walton, ext. 6015

Lorri Petties, ext. 6794Deejay and Dance

 

Ryan Adler (Union Board), ext. 5194

Martin Luther King Jr. Award Committee

Nandini Bhattacharya, Vanessa Burrows, Jane Claiborne, Larry Mosher and Fred Niedner

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