Documentary, speakers are part of MLK celebration at Valpo
The 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at Valparaiso University will focus on the theme of “Education Today: Our Passport to the Dream.”
The Valpo community will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a range of activities from Jan. 11 through Jan. 26.
On Friday, Jan. 13 and Saturday, Jan. 14, community conversations will be held from noon to 1 p.m. Participants will have the chance to share stories about the value of diversity, explore the challenges and opportunities of diversity in education, and create a personalized action plan for involvement in education in our community. These conversations are scheduled at sites throughout the Valparaiso area. For location details, visit valpo.edu/mlk/conversations/. To register for any of these conversations, contact Stacy Hoult-Saros at 219.464.5120 or stacy.hoult-saros@valpo.edu.
The award-winning documentary “The Interrupters” will be screened on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 4:30 p.m. in the Christopher Center for Library and Information Resources, Room 205. This film takes the viewer through the lives of three anti-violence activists in Chicago during a time when the city was nationally known for a spate of violent acts. Following the film is a panel discussion with cast members from the documentary.
The main convocation on Monday, Jan. 16, features speaker Tim King, founder, president and CEO of Urban Prep Academies. The convocation is in the Chapel of the Resurrection at 10 a.m. King started Urban Prep Academies in 2002, with the mission of providing a comprehensive, high-quality college preparatory education for young men that results in graduates succeeding in college. A luncheon will be in the Harre Union Ballroom at 11:45 a.m. and features a question-and-answer session with King. Tickets are $12 each and will be on sale until Jan. 16. It is a first-come-first-served basis and is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the Harre Union front desk.
Following the focus sessions on Monday is the closing, which will feature Iris Chen, president and CEO of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. The closing is in the Christopher Center Community Room at 4 p.m. Iris Chen has been working for the foundation since 2007. The “I Have a Dream” Foundation started when Eugene Lang promised a class of sixth graders that, if they finished high school and graduate, he would pay their college tuition.
For more information on other MLK Day events, visit valpo.edu/mlk.
