Office of Residence Life plans 2009 ‘I Have a Dream Week’

Kelly Homan Rodoski
(315) 443-3784

Syracuse University’s Office of Residence Life has planned a series of programs and events, “I Have a Dream Week,” to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

This year’s theme is “Evolution of a Dream.” Events will be held beginning Monday, Jan. 19, on the SU campus and will end Friday, Jan. 23, with a Day of Service held at various locations throughout the City of Syracuse. The events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For more information, contact Michelle Singletary at (315) 443-3637 or msinglet@syr.edu.

“I Have a Dream Week” was created in 1999 and is sponsored by the Office of Residence Life, a principal unit in SU’s Division of Student Affairs. The programs and activities of “I Have a Dream Week” are centered on King’s life and legacy, and are aimed at fostering awareness about his teachings and work, as well as the Civil Rights Movement.

The planned events and activities include the following:

Monday, Jan. 19
A Candlelight Vigil, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, will be held at 7 p.m. on the steps of Hendricks Chapel. Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to gather for a vigil to reflect on King’s legacy and teachings. A gospel music performance by SU’s Black Celestial Choral Ensemble will immediately follow the vigil at 7:30 p.m. on the chapel steps.

Tuesday, Jan. 20
“Capturing the Dream,” an art display and book signing reception, will be held from 5-6:30 p.m. in the Panasci Lounge in the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center. The display will feature the work of schoolchildren from Franklin Magnet, Dr. Martin Luther King and Delaware Academy elementary schools in Syracuse. The artists’ pieces will relate to King’s life, legacy and dream. London Ladd, illustrator of the children’s book “March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changed The World” (Scholastic Press, 2008) by Christine King-Ferris, is scheduled to sign copies of this book. The first 15 students to arrive will receive a free copy of “March On!” A reception will follow the book signing.

Wednesday, Jan. 21
John Rogers III, director of orientation at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, will offer a keynote address at 7 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. Rogers will speak on “Hip Hop 101: The Psychology of Hip Hop Survivalists Turned Into Consumers.” This thought-provoking presentation will examine hip hop and how the media shapes the global perceptions of African American men and women. Rogers will discuss the impact of hip hop on mainstream culture and explore the influence of the hip hop subcultures on urban and suburban environments, the African American value system, consumerism, stereotypes, ethics, morality and more.

Thursday, Jan. 22
Poetry Night, featuring a performance by Poetry to the People, will be held at 7 p.m. in Watson Theater. Poetry to the People is a group composed of poets, performance artists and human rights advocates Milton Jackson and Kendall Exume. The performance is a unique blend of civil rights and eroticism, self adoration and social acceptance that is unreserved, yet mysterious, and based on both truth and fantasy. Performances by Verbal Blend, from the Office of Multicultural Affairs, will also be part of this event.

Friday, Jan. 23
An MLK Campus Day of Service will be held in the Schine Student Center Underground from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Members of the SU and greater Syracuse communities are invited to make blankets for the severely ill or cards for the elderly. The event is sponsored by the civic engagement and diversity committees of the Office of Residence Life.

Later that evening, a Performance Showcase will be held at 7 p.m. in the Inn Complete on South Campus. The showcase will display the talents of various SU clubs/organizations and is a cultural exchange that will give the performers the opportunity to express King’s dream.