University plans seventh annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration
The Office for Diversity and Inclusion released the list of events planned for the university’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, Jan. 15-21. This year’s theme, Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?, focuses on service and the university’s mission of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).
Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. Events begin Sunday, Jan.15, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Church in Christiansburg, Va. The local NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) branch will present a program to bring together members of the community to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. For more information email Dr. Dennis Means.
Monday, Jan. 16, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in Latham Ballroom at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center, area kindergarten through 12th-grade student winners of the Martin Luther King Jr. poster and essay contests and their families are invited to share brunch with university faculty, staff, students, and community members. Mike Ellerbrock, a professor in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will be the guest speaker. This event is free, but registration is required. The registration deadline is January 11th. For more information contact the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at 540-231-1403.
Tuesday, Jan. 17, from 4 to 6 p.m., university and community members are invited to attend an art reception in Perspective Gallery in Squires Student Center that will feature the Martin Luther King Jr. poster and essay contest participant’s work. Light refreshments will be served. Artwork will be displayed Jan. 17 through Feb. 10. For more information email Laurie Brogdon or call 540-231-1403.
Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown auditorium, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated will sponsor a student unity step show coordinated to provide an opportunity to unite the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and National Pan-Hellenic Council, raise awareness about their initiatives, and showcase their stepping talent. The annual Martin Luther King Jr. candlelight vigil will take place immediately following the show. For more information email Jonathan Gaines.
Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6 p.m. in Haymarket Theater in Squires Student Center, President Charles W. Steger will deliver the keynote address. Steger will outline how the university’s “Plan For A New Horizon” aligns with King’s dream. For more information email Laurie Brogdon or call 540-231-1403.
Also Thursday, Jan. 19, at 6:30 p.m. the Student Government Association along with several umbrella student organizations, will host a town hall Twitter forum in Haymarket Theater in Squires Student Center. The forum will feature panelists who will take live questions from the audience about the principles that King stood for including social and economic justice and the role Virginia Tech students can play in carrying on King’s legacy on college campuses. For more information email Justin Graves.
Friday, Jan. 20, from noon to 2:30 p.m., second floor atrium, room 219 in Squires Student Center, Jaan Holt, director of the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, and professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, will host a presentation on the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Holt will discuss the pivotal role the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center played in the acquisition of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial site on the National Mall and how it managed the international design competition. For more information email Laurie Brogdon or call 540-231-1403.
Saturday, Jan. 21, the Center for Student Engagement and Community Partnerships invites faculty, staff, students, and community members to participate in the annual Daycare Facelift Project, which utilizes student led teams to help revitalize the community through assisting local childcare centers with maintenance projects. For more information email Whitney H. Johnson or call 540-231-0691.
Faculty, staff, students, and community members are encouraged to participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration week by attending programs and serving as judges for the poster/essay competition. For a full schedule of events and additional information on how you can get involved please visit the Office or Diversity and Inclusion website, email Laurie Brogdon or call 540-231-1403.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
