Friday, January 22, 2010

MLK Celebrations: Dartmouth students rock my world

From January 16 - 29th, the whole Dartmouth community is engaged in our annual celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Events have included a lively concert with African-American Appalachian string-band The Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Keynote Address by law professor Kimberle Williams Crenshaw, and countless films, dinners, presentations, and discussions. The two events that most impressed me were completely student organized: the Student Conference on Global Learning, and the student performance showcase "Lifted."

The Student Conference on Global Learning featured Dartmouth students who recently pursued international internships and projects, thanks to Dartmouth's unique calendar -- the D-Plan. From researching AIDS in Vietnam, to volunteering in Cameroon, to interning with the World Health Organization in Geneva, to interviewing Iraqi refugees in Syria... (and so much more!), Dartmouth students have stretched themselves during their terms away from Hanover, and this week reflected upon their experiences. Read their presentation abstracts here. I am amazed and inspired just by browsing the summaries!

LIFTED: A Celebration of Unity and Song, the culmination of our MLK celebration, is a dinner, fundraiser, dance show, and community party all rolled into one. Students have teamed up to bring together high-energy performances from hip-hop dancers in Sheba, slam poets in Soul Scribes, rock band Occam's Razor, and more -- plus food from local favorite restaurants Gusanoz, The Orient, and Jewel of India.

One of the best parts of my job in Admissions is staying connected with students and seeing the amazing work they are doing -- across the globe and here in Hanover. This week has been a beautiful example of that, combined with a wonderful celebration of MLK's legacy.

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