Labor Day Goes Green |
Author(s): Carol Davey , Patricia L Stephens
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Students enjoyed many fun activities at Berea College's annual Labor Day. |
It seems like everything these days is “going green,” and this year's Labor Day, which fell on Earth Day, April 22, was no different. Aimed at sustainability, Labor Day's theme was also green: “Planting Hard Work for a Greener Tomorrow.”
Students spent the morning hours before lunch sampling ice cream, snow cones, kettle corn and other free Labor Day staples. The Seabury gym was transformed into an arcade of games and booths for students and staff alike to visit and gain knowledge about different labor departments and groups on campus. Also present were booths aimed at educating students about fair trade, recycling and becoming more sustainable, all incorporating the Earth Day mentality.
There was entertainment on hand as well. Labor Day is one of the only days of the year when you can see a professor and a student battling it out on an inflatible obstacle course. Media Services brought a karaoke machine and recording equipment along with their booth so that both talented and not-so-talented students were able to capture their voices and their moves on video. Not only were there booths from clubs and departments, but there was a booth for the senior class as well. “We are trying to raise money for the senior gift” said Rachel Saunders, the executive VP for the Student Government Association.
Lunch presented some surprising additions to the goodies brought by food service. Keeping with the theme of sustainability and the message of Earth Day, Sodexho provided an alternative to plastic silverware by supplying cutlery made out of potatoes--making them biodegradable. The plates were also environmentally friendly and made out of cornstarch. This prompted some students to ask why this alternative was not provided every day at the café or dining services.
As the festivities took off, the fun really began as the students moved from lunch to the activities area where they entered to win prizes and partook in the activities that were set for that day. Students began their experience by grabbing a bag and a card with the list of booths set up around the arena. The booths ranged from the Forestry Department to the Media Services karaoke area. As they went around the room, students participated in a small activities, such as building a keychain or judging the design of a chair, and had their card punched. They could then pick a small prize such as samples from Avon and tee shirts.
There were also huge blow-up structures for competitions including a bungee pull and an obstacle course for participants of all ages. The CAB coordinators invited friends and strangers alike to compete against each other to be the best, or in some cases the worst, with everyone laughing the whole way through.
As the students kept busy at the booths, several groups entertained spectators by displaying their skills. E.Y.C.E. performed in a military fashion, the Middle Eastern Dancers and the African Drum Ensemble also amazed the audience with their footwork and music. As the day began to wind down, the winners of the talent show were asked to perform again. Micah Perkins sang an original song and played his guitar, drawing in onlookers as they clapped in sync with the song. Valton Jackson was a definite crowd pleaser as he mesmerized everyone with his talent in dance which kept every eye on him.
To cap off the afternoon, prizes were given out. The Labor Day coordinators threw out a large amount of tee shirts and other clothes and also gave out mp3 players, DVD players, fishing boxes, a bicycle and various other prizes. All in all, Labor Day continues to prove year after year that there is still one day, between classes and exams, when students can still be kids.
Author(s): Carol Davey
Lines in food service are one thing… but lines to get into Woods-Penn? Over two-hundred people lined up to wait for the doors to be opened for Empty Bowls on Monday April 28th, 2008. Students, faculty, and staff all purchased their ten dollar tickets to gain entry into this up close and personal opponent to hunger.
Students lined up to recieve their handmade bowls and homemade soup and bread. |
Empty Bowls is a national annual event that works to end hungry in the community as well as globally. The premise of Empty Bowls is simple, someone attending pays ten dollars for a ticket; this buys them a handmade ceramic bowl to take home with them, as well as homemade soup and bread. After getting food people gather around and eat family style while discussing hunger. When the bowls are empty they represent the hungry that is felt through the community and the world.
The One Campaign “has committed itself to one person, one place, and one time to making a world a better place” stated Bianca Poa who was volunteering at the table with Arlett Franco. Franco stated that empty bowls helps to “bring awareness to the hunger situation in the world as well as in our local community and the one campaign helps to meet that goal.”
Students, faculty, and staff came out in drones for the occasion and were very impressed with the event. “I came last year and I think it is a good cause to help feed others in need” stated Junior, Kaia Goodwin.
Debra Bulluck was the coordinator for the event, which is part of her labor position. She states that Empty Bowls is one of the favorite parts of her job. “It is great to see all the different people coming together to support the hunger awareness in the community.”
The event raises not only awareness but money for local food banks as well. Last year with tickets and extra bowls being sold the program raised over $2,900 dollars. The coordinators estimate the same monetary gain this year. The placemats also served as a reminder to the goal of the event. “Every time you see your empty bowl, be encouraged to do something about hunger” was boldly printed on the mats as well as the list of sponsors and contact list for those who wanted more information or to become involved. “The event would not have been the same without the handcrafted bowls made by students and Teresa Cole” stated Bulluck.
If there was anything Ms. Bulluck wanted the campus community to know about the event it would be “That they missed a fun event for a great cause… also that the extra bowls will be sold in the CELTS office.
This year there was a new twist to the program as well. The first annual soup recipe competition took place to choose soups to serve at the event. Sodexho donated broccoli cheese soup and there was a selection of soups from a multitude of regions and people. The winner of this year’s competition was Heather Schill, Coordinator for Student-led programs, with a white chili recipe. Second place was Shirley Carlberg from development; and Ashley Cochrane who is the associate director of CELTS placed third. David McHargue and other Food service administrators served as judges for the competition.
The event was sponsored by the Berea College Ceramic Apprenticeship Program and CELTS. For more information on world hunger and the Empty Bowls Project, visit the links below.
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Author(s): Carol Davey
Convocations bring a myriad of different, acclaimed people to Berea’s campus. May 2 marked the last official convocation of the academic year and it also marked the addition of Dr. Stephanie Evans to an already long list of distinguished speakers.
Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans |
Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans is an assistant professor in African American Studies and Women Studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She was born in the District of Columbia but is a self proclaimed “transient” because of her military upbringing. Dr. Evans’ research focuses on the relationship of black women and the “ivory tower” which is a common symbol of higher education.
Despite it being the final convocation of the 2007-2008 academic year, this convocation had people on the edge of their seats for a different reason. Dr. Evans engaged the audience with banter and anecdotes that were easy for students to relate to. She began by saying that she was “blessed to be back.” She was returning to Berea after first arriving as a guest speaker for the Peanut Butter and Gender lecture series earlier this year. She also had a message for the audience by jokingly telling them to stop complaining, saying, “I am still seventy thousand dollars in debt… I don’t want to hear about it.”
Her book, “Black Women in the Ivory Tower, 1850-1954: An Intellectual History,” focuses on the role of Black women in academia because, as she states “There were no role models for black women who were bookworms.” The book took her ten years to write, even though through her own context she has been researching it her entire life.
Dr. Evans has literally travelled the world to learn the black woman’s perspective and has gone so far as to Africa in order to learn what women there were educating themselves in. The answer was surprising. People describe Africa as this dark continent, but African women were studying science, anthropology, history, and education,” said Evans.
Her goal to increase education in minorities culminated when she asked the audience “How dare you? How dare you not seize the opportunity and continue to graduate school?” She continued in this vein this by giving out her website and personal web address to anyone who would like to talk to her or needed advice.
Dr. Evans left the crowded room with the parting words “Amani moto,” which means “May you find a balance between peace and passion.”
Dr. Evans was one of the most approachable speakers that the convocation program has had in a long time. After her presentation, she was swamped with students and a few starry-eyed professors who were clamoring to speak to her in person.
The convocation was sponsored by CELTS, the Campus Christian Center, and the Convocation Committee.
For more information on Dr. Stephanie Evans, please click the link below.
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