Page 2 - The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, January 30, /997
Dear Dr. King,
Behrend celebrates MLK Day
On Monday, Jan. 20 Behrend community honored the memory of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. with a campus-wide celebration.
The day began with a "family breakfast" at 7:30 a.m. in Dobbins Hall
Gazebo. The breakfast included a short presentation illustrating the
importance of the campus community coming together.
At 4 p.m., classes were canceled for a special program in the Reed Union
Commons. Dear Dr. King.., included presentations by faculty, staff,
students and family members. The program included a performance by the
St. James A.M.E. Church Male Chorus.
The celebration concluded with a presentation by Dr. Robert Bullard,
professor of Sociology and Director of the Environmental Resource Center at
Clark Atlanta University. His lecture, "Dumping in Dixie: Race, Class and
Environmental Equality," took place at 7:30 p.m. in the Reed Union Building
Commons.
I really wanted people to personalize the event and program. It
was designed to have people figure out for themselves what
Martin Luther King meant to themselves and how his life
impacted each reader's life. 1 think people are still trying to
better themselves. There are countless people out there that are
still concerned with improving the lives of those around us. This
is proof that Dr. 7(ing's dream hasn't died!
-- Jacquette Wade
Coordinator, Residence Life and Human Relations Programs
Dear Dr. King: Roxanna Kelly, Colleen Fromknecht and Thian Tran read passages from their
letters to Dr. King about his contributions to society and the effects his beliefs had on them.
Singing Together: Amaya and Sequoia sing together showing that Dr. King's
dream has begun to come true--that black little girls and boys would play with
white little girls and boys as equals one day.
The Meeting
BEHREND-Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. will come
alive on stage for a fictitious meeting and debate in The Meeting.
The performance will provide a powerful and insightful examination
of the thoughts and motivations behind the philosophies of these
civil rights leaders. The Meeting has proven itself an inspiring and
emotional performance.
Members of the Pin Point Theatre will present The Meeting at
7:30 p.m. tonight in the Reed Lecture Hall.
Photos and Design by
Colleen Gritzen/Photo Editor
Spiritual Melodies: The St. James A.M.E. Church Male Chorus sang heartfelt spirituals setting
the mood for the ceremony.
I asked my nine year old son if he knew who you are. He told
me you were a man who made a speech and then was shot in
the back When I asked him what the speech was about he
thought for a minute then replied, "Freedom." gfe is learning
lessons from your life also. They may not be the same as the
ones I learned, but I know that they willl be valuable as he
grows up and carries on with his fife.
--Colleen Fromknecht, Student
Times Are A Changing: Natasha Brooks, Anne Marie Welsh and Greg Fowler tell Dr. King how
times have changed and that members of Generation X have realized that the only way to
overcome racial tension is to accept America not as a melting pot, but a salad.
As Things Began: Dean Lilley opens the ceremony with his recollection
of high school in the deep south as segregation laws were just beginning
to break down.