Wichita State News: Multicultural

Salsa, Soul, & Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age

Diversity speaker Juana Bordas will deliver a keynote speech at Wichita State University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Lowe Auditorium, Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex. Admission is free.

During the day, Bordas will be involved in several "mini" speaking engagements on WSU's campus, before ending her day with the keynote. This event is co-sponsored by WSU's Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Student Activities Council.

Bordas, president of Mestiza Leadership International in Denver and vice president of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, founded the only American program that prepares Latinas for national leadership, Mi Casa Women's Center. Since its start, almost 500 outstanding Latina leaders have completed this program.

She was honored with the 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Business Responsibility Award. Formerly with the Center for Creative Leadership, Bordas taught the Leadership Development Program, which is the most highly used executive program in the world.

Bordas has spoken all over the country on the topic of leadership. She continues the discussion on leadership in her award winning book "Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age."

In the book, Bordas discusses leadership principles common to Latino, African-American and American Indian cultures and demonstrates how incorporating these principles will create a more effective and inclusive style of leadership. Bordas' book is available for purchase in the WSU Bookstore and a book signing will immediately follow her keynote.

To learn more information about Jauna Bordas and the Mestiza Leadership International, visit www.mestizaleadership.com.

For more information on the keynote or other engagements call the Student Activities Office at (316) 978-3495 or the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (316) 978-3034.

Students are VIPs at Wichita State's MVPs

High school juniors and seniors are invited to discover firsthand all Wichita State University has to offer students from diverse backgrounds and to find out more about becoming a "Thinker, Doer, Mover and Shocker" by attending a Multicultural Visit Program.

Programs will be offered from 9 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23; Friday, Nov. 20; and Friday, Feb. 19, 2010.

These programs are the ideal time for students from multicultural backgrounds to break out of their normal routine and visit the WSU campus to learn more about WSU's academic and social resources. Students will get information on the admission and financial aid processes, meet with representatives of the academic colleges and mingle with current students and WSU alumni.

One lucky senior or transfer student will win a $1,000 scholarship to attend WSU. The student must be present to win. All students who attend will receive a WSU gift and a free lunch.

Students can RSVP at www.admissions.wichita.edu, where they will choose their desired program.

For more information about Multicultural Visit Programs, call the Office of Admissions at (316) 978-3085 or (800) 362-2594.

WSU's multicultural affairs announces October events

The Wichita State University Office of Multicultural Affairs has a full schedule of events in October. Included are events in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), and National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11). In addition, Oct. 26-30 has been designated "Anti-Hate and Respect Week" throughout campus.

All events are free and open to the public.

Domestic Violence Awareness Fair, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, in Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Square (lounge in middle of first floor).

Campus departments and local agencies will provide educational information on domestic violence and resources for those involved in violent relationships.

Allies: Day of Silence Sign-Ups, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in RSC Shocker Square.

This event is co-sponsored with That Gay Group at WSU. According to DayofSilence.org, "The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools."

The event has grown each year and hundreds of thousands of students come together to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

You can help bring the Day of Silence to WSU by signing up to participate.

Brown Bag Diversity Discussion, 12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in 210 McKnight (tentative).

This will be a topical discussion on diversity issues at WSU. This month, the event will be hosted by the College of Fine Arts under the leadership of Dean Rodney Miller.

OMA Safe Zone Training, from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, in 006-007 RSC.

Learn how to make your office a "safe zone" where GLBT students will feel welcomed and safe.

Hispanic Heritage Month Main Speaker, Jimmy Cabrera, 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the CAC Theater.

Cabrera will present "Leadership is More Than About Becoming a Legend — It's About Leaving a Legacy."

Hate Wall (Anti-Discrimination Display), 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, at the RSC east patio (rain site, RSC Shocker Square).

Participants will "Hate Wall" hateful speech they or acquaintances have experienced because of their culture, ethnicity or other group affiliation.

Tunnel of Oppression, 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in 203 RSC.

Participants will go through a series of rooms with depictions and enactments of discriminatory behavior. The event is aimed at encouraging a collective community effort against oppression of any kind against others.

Break Down the Wall, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the RSC east patio (rain site, RSC Shocker Square).

Participants write on the "Hate Wall" hateful speech they or acquaintances have experienced because of their culture, ethnicity or other group affiliation. On Oct. 27, the "Hate Wall" will be torn down.

Anti-Hate and Respect Week Main Speaker Sylvia Guerrero: The Gwen Araujo Story, 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in CAC Theater.

In October 2002, Gwen Araujo was brutally bludgeoned and strangled to death by three men. It appeared that they had become enraged by discovering that Gwen was biologically male. Her mother relates the story of Gwen's life, death and the murder trial.

For more information, call (316) 978-3034 or e-mail oma@wichita.edu.

The complete Office of Multicultural Affairs Schedule of Events for the fall semester 2009, can be found at http://www.wichita.edu/multicultural.

WSU celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Wichita State University and the Office of Multicultural Affairs will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15-Oct. 15.

The following events are free of charge and open to the public. Events include:

Hispanic Heritage Fair, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Square (lounge in middle of first floor)

Area cultural organizations and libraries will have displays.

Hispanic Heritage Panel Discussion, "The Hispanic Presence in Kansas: Challenges and Benefits," 1-2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Rhatigan Student Center Fireplace Lounge (first floor)

Hispanic Heritage Month Main Speaker, Jimmy Cabrera, "Leadership is More Than About Becoming a Legend — It's About Leaving a Legacy," 7-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, Campus Activities Center Theater.

In 1968, Congress authorized the president to issue an annual proclamation of National Hispanic Heritage Week. Five Hispanic nations celebrate their independence on Sept. 15: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala.

The week was expanded to a month in 1988, with Sept. 15 as the beginning. Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity for the nation to recognize and celebrate the achievements of the large population of Hispanic Americans from many different backgrounds.

In signing the Hispanic Heritage Month proclamation in 2008, President Bush said, "The rich cultural traditions of the Hispanic-American community have made a remarkable impact on American society."

For more information, call (316) 978-3034 or e-mail oma@wichita.edu. The complete schedule of events for fall semester 2009 can be found at www.wichita.edu/multicultural.

Wichita State celebrating MLK Unity Week with several events

Several public events will be held during MLK Unity Week on the Wichita State campus in observance of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

Events, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs at WSU, will be held through Friday, Jan. 23, on or near the WSU campus.

Presidential Inauguration Watch Party and Reception/Open Forum

When: 10:30-12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 20

Where: 305 Rhatigan Student Center

Watch the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama, and participate in an open forum on racial and social justice in the 21st century.

MLK Poster Contest Display

When: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21

Where: 223 Rhatigan Student Center

Young Wichitans in grades 6-12 participating in a poster contest with the theme "How the Dream Lives in my Future" will have their artwork displayed.

MLK Unity Rally

When: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22

Where: South of Charles Koch Arena

The MLK Unity rally is aimed at remembering and continuing King's legacy. It begins at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot immediately south of WSU Charles Koch Arena and ends at the Rhatigan Student Center.

Darryl Van Leer: The Norm of Greatness

When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22

Where: WSU CAC Theater

Darryl Van Leer, television and film actor, will dramatize the early days of Martin Luther King Jr.'s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement: the "I Have a Dream" speech and the "I See the Promised Land" sermon.

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Dinner

When: Friday, Jan. 23

A celebration of unity and diversity. By invitation only.

Admission for all events except the Celebration Dinner is free and open to the public.

These events are sponsored by the WSU Office of Multicultural Affairs, under the direction of Associate Dean of Students/Director of Multicultural Affairs, John O. Bello-Ogunu.

WSU showing film on Wichita's role in civil rights movement

In the summer of 1958, two dozen young people from the Wichita Branch NAACP Youth Council staged what would become the first successful student-led sit-in of the civil rights movement.

Come see a free screening of a documentary, "The Dockum Sit-In: A Legacy of Courage," about those events at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Wichita State University Hughes Metropolitan Complex, Lowe Auditorium.

By Aug. 11, 1958, the Dockum Drug Store lunch counter and all Rexall Drug Stores throughout the state of Kansas had been desegregated, and the movement gained a powerful new weapon in the fight for equal accommodations.

This event occurred nearly two years before the more famous Greensboro sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter.

The video, produced by KPTS, includes first-person accounts from participants, as well as perspective from local historians.

The screening is free and open to the public. It is co-sponsored by KPTS and sponsored by the WSU Office of Multicultural Affairs, under the direction of Associate Dean of Students/Director of Multicultural Affairs John O. Bello-Ogunu.

WSU College of Fine Arts has busy October planned

Among the most heartfelt events in the October lineup of WSU College of Fine Arts' offerings is the world premiere of "Waltzing in Heaven," an uplifting musical tribute to the 1970 WSU football team, many of whose members and supporters died in a plane crash that year. The Opera and Musical Theatre production's opening night will be attended by about 100 of the surviving players, parents, coaches and supporters.

The Marcussen organ will be showcased in two "Wednesdays at Wiedemann" recitals with distinguished professor Lynne Davis, and by David Heller in the Rie Bloomfield Organ Series. The Faculty Artist Series will feature mezzo-soprano Deborah Baxter and cellist Jakub Omsky.

Also on tap are the Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Concert Band and Jazz Arts II; Chamber Singers and Madrigal Singers; A Cappella Choir and Women's Ensemble; and the Symphony Orchestra. And the Ulrich Museum of Art will celebrate the installation of a new outdoor sculpture by world-class artist and Wichita native Tom Otterness.

Subscription series or individual tickets for Wichita State's 2008-2009 performing arts series can be purchased in person or by phone from noon-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the College of Fine Arts Box Office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Lynne Davis, organist, Wednesdays in Wiedemann, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Free half-hour concert. Information, (316) 978-6218.

Musical Theatre: "Waltzing in Heaven," WSU Opera and Musical Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2-Saturday, Oct. 4; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, Wilner Auditorium; rated G. Tickets $15, $10, $6. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: Heartland Choral Festival, WSU School of Music and Wichita Chamber Chorale, 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Oct. 4, Wiedemann Recital Hall. For more information about registration costs and schedule, go to www.wichita.edu/choirs.

Concert: Tracy Hoover, Viola DaGamba and David Brody, guitar, WSU faculty artists, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: Deborah Baxter, mezzo-soprano, Faculty Artist Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: Middle School Band Festival, WSU School of Music, 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 10, Miller Concert Hall and Wiedemann Recital Hall. Information, Victor Markovich at (316) 978-6424 or victor.markovich@wichita.edu.

Exhibit: "The Making of the Millipede," Saturday, Oct. 11, through 2008, Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU campus. Free admission. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays. Information, (316) 978-3664.

Concert: WSU Symphonic Wind Ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Concert Band & Jazz Arts II, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: David Heller, organist, WSU Rie Bloomfield Organ Series, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $7, $6, $3. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Lecture: Paul Bowen Photographer's Talk, 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU campus. Free admission. Gallery hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-5 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays. Information, (316) 978-3664.

Concert: Jakub Omsky, cello, Faculty Artist Series, 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Chamber Singers, Madrigal Singers, guest ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Youth Outreach: High School String Day, WSU School of Music, 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24, Miller Concert Hall and Wiedemann Recital Hall. Information, Jacquelyn Dillon at 316-978-3359 or jacqueline.dillon@wichita.edu.

Youth Outreach: Men's Choir Festival, WSU School of Music and Senseney Music, 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, Miller Concert Hall and Wiedemann Recital Hall with 3 p.m. concert on same day in Wiedemann. Free admission to concert. Information, Tom Wine at (316) 978-3103 or www.wichita.edu/choirs.

Concert: WSU A Cappella Choir, Women's Ensemble, guest ensemble, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Concert: WSU Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, Miller Concert Hall, Duerksen Fine Arts Center. Tickets $6, $5, $2. Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Lecture: Tom Otterness Artist's Talk, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, CAC Theater, WSU campus. Event begins with refreshments at 2:30; performance by WSU dancers at 3 p.m. Free admission. Information, (316) 978-3664.

Concert: Lynne Davis, organist, Wednesdays in Wiedemann, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, Wiedemann Recital Hall. Free half-hour concert. Information, (316) 978-6218.

Theater: "The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail," WSU Mainstage Theatre, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30-Saturday, Nov. 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, Wilner Auditorium. Cost: $10, discounts available. . Box office, (316) 978-3233.

Exhibit: WSU School of Art & Design, 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, WSU Shift Space gallery, 803 E. Third St. in Old Town; normal gallery hours 4-7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Free. Information, (316) 978-3518.

Students are VIPs at WSU's Multicultural Visit Programs

High school juniors, seniors and transfer students are invited to discover firsthand all Wichita State University has to offer students from diverse backgrounds and to find out more about becoming a "Thinker, Doer, Mover and Shocker" by attending a Multicultural Visit Program (MVP).

These programs are the ideal time for students from multicultural backgrounds to visit the WSU campus and learn more about the university's academic and social resources. Students will get information on the admission and financial aid processes, meet with representatives of the academic colleges and mingle with current students and WSU alumni.

One lucky senior or transfer student will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship to attend WSU. The winning student must be present to win. All students in attendance will receive a WSU gift and free lunch.

Students can RSVP at www.admissions.wichita.edu, where they will choose their desired program.

For more information about Multicultural Visit Programs, call the Office of Admissions at (316) 978-3085 or (800) 362-2594.

Fun for all at the WSU Family Carnival Oct. 4

Bring your family and friends out for a fun-filled day at Wichita State Saturday, Oct. 4. From 1-4 p.m. there will be inflatables, games, a clown, face painting, international food fest and much more.

For more information, contact the Activities Office at (316) 978-3495 or visit www.wichita.edu/sac.

'Planning for College: A Multicultural Perspective' set for Oct. 1

Juniors, seniors and their parents are invited to "Planning for College: A Multicultural Perspective" at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, at the Marcus Welcome Center. Wichita State has developed this special program — geared toward the specific needs of students from diverse backgrounds — to give information on college preparation.

This free seminar includes information on researching colleges, the admissions process, financing college and applying for minority scholarships. Learn how to avoid common pitfalls during the college search process and how to take advantage of student success resources. Professionals from WSU will be on hand to answer questions. Light refreshments will be served.

Students and parents can RSVP for this event at www.admission.wichita.edu.

For more information, call the Office of Admissions at (316) 978-3085 or (800) 362-2594.

World Trade Week centers on business in the Middle East

The Middle East will be the focus of the 32nd Annual World Trade Week 2008, sponsored by Wichita State's Center for International Business Advancement and the World Trade Council of Wichita Inc.

The trade conference is titled "Doing Business with Arab States-Middle East."

It will be from 7:45 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, May 15, and starts with Mayor Carl Brewer's welcome, followed by Abdul Shaik, regional coordinator of the Middle East U.S. Department of Commerce address on "Doing Business in Middle East: An Overview & Opportunities" with special reference to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco.

Panels feature country briefings on trade opportunities by H.E. Ambassadors, Minister-Counselors [Trade].

Other panels throughout the day discuss business in several Middle Eastern countries, agriculture and food products trade of Kansas in the Middle East, and Wichita aircraft global operations.

Holly Vineyard, deputy assistant secretary for Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, U.S. Department of Commerce, will be the keynote speaker during lunch. There is also an opportunity for various breakout sessions in the afternoon.

From 5:45-9:30 p.m., there will be a VIP reception and banquet program featuring the Governor's Proclamation, presented by Secretary of Commerce David Kerr, and keynote address by H.E. Ambassadors. Winners of the International Business Excellence Award and Scholarship/Internships will be recognized.

All the day's events will be held at the Olive Tree Banquet Hall, 2949 N. Rock Road.

For a full schedule of the day's events and information on how to register, go to http://wtc.wichita.edu/index.html or call (316) 978-3176.

Langston Hughes Project a coup for Connoisseur Series

A multimedia touring production of deceased American poet and playwright Langston Hughes at his best — insightful, wise, poignant, funny and soulful – will jazz up the Wichita State University campus April 2.

The Langston Hughes Project "Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz" is a College of Fine Arts Connoisseur Series bonus event with the WSU Office of Multicultural Affairs as co-sponsor.

"Ask Your Mama" will open at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 2, in Miller Concert Hall.

Langston Hughes

Its mood is set in an 800-line suite of poems written by Hughes in the 1960s that reflect the writer's vision of the global struggle for freedom during the early years of the decade.

Illustrated by voice and accompanied by music from the nationally known McCurdy/Wright Consort, it will be lit up by on-screen visual illustrations of Hughes' Harlem Renaissance world by such collaborators and contemporaries as Gordon Parks, Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden.

Music director and composer Ron McCurdy orchestrates the original musical based on music cues suggested by Hughes.

McCurdy is chairman of jazz studies and a professor in the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. He has served as president of the International Association of Jazz Educators and as director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC.

He has also served as professor of music, chair of Afro-African American Studies and director of jazz studies at the University of Minnesota.

In demand as a guest clinician, soloist, speaker, director of honor jazz ensembles and choirs throughout the United States and Canada, McCurdy received his undergraduate degree from Florida A & M University and his master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Kansas.

WSU to host day of African American music, dance and storytelling

An afternoon celebrating African American history through the arts is planned from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, March 9, in Wichita State University's Ablah Library.

Admission is free.

The program, "Sharing Our Story: An Afternoon of African American History through Music, Dance and Storytelling," is sponsored by the WSU Library Associates.

The program will include performances of spirituals by ARISE (African Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble) directed by Josephine Brown; a dance performance by Demetria Williams of Southeast High School; and storytelling by Griots members Sheila Kinnard, Tasleem Muqtasid and Rob Simon.

Refreshments will be served. For more information, call (316) 978-3586.

Black History Month honored at Wichita State

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at Wichita State University is holding several events throughout February on the WSU campus in observance of Black History Month.

The first event, the movie series "History of Black Achievement," is from 1-5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, in the Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Square. The series of films will run all afternoon. It documents the history of contributions of African-Americans, which may not always appear in history books.

From noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Square, the Spike Lee movie "4 Little Girls" will be shown. The movie is based on the 1963 bombing of a black church that took the lives of four little girls and caused outrage throughout the country, lending strength to the Civil Rights Movement.

The next event will be the Office of Multicultural Affairs Open House from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, at Grace Wilkie Annex 174.

The Black History Awareness Fair is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 11, at the Rhatigan Student Center First Floor Corridor. Exhibits from local libraries, WSU departments and other campus and community agencies will highlight the rich contributions of African Americans to the history of the United States.

A panel discussion, "Civil Rights Then and Now," is being held from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, in 203 Rhatigan Student Center. Panelists from the Wichita community will share their experiences from the Civil Rights era.

From noon-1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, in the Rhatigan Student Center Shocker Square, the movie "The Tuskegee Airmen" will be shown. Based on a true World War II story, the movie tells the story of the U.S. Army Air Corps' first squadron of African-American combat fighter pilots.

Daisy Kabagarama

"From Africa to America: Black History Told in Music, Drama, Dance and Drumming" will be held from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the Hughes Metropolitan Complex Lowe Auditorium. The story of the journey from Africa and beyond will feature African-American history dramatizations by Daisy Kabagarama, Bishop Jeanette James and Tony Brown, as well as gospel music by local choirs.

The final event will be the film premiere of "From the Bottom," a documentary on former state senator Ulysses Lee "Rip" Gooch, from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the Hughes Metropolitan Complex Lowe Auditorium. The documentary chronicles Gooch's outstanding aviation career.

Admission for all events is free, and all are open to the public.

The events are sponsored by the WSU Office of Multicultural Affairs, under the direction of associate dean of students and director John O. Bello-Ogunu Sr.

MLK, civil rights movement to be the focus of WSU program

Former Colorado Lt. Gov. Joe Rogers, who was the youngest lieutenant governor in the country and the highest ranking African American state elected official, will present the "Dream Alive" program at Wichita State University from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, at the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex Lowe Auditorium, 5015 E. 29th St.

The event is part of WSU's 2008 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration. It is free and open to the public.

"Dream Alive" is an acclaimed and uplifting dedication to the memory and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and other leaders of the civil rights movement. The program has been presented at colleges, businesses and conferences throughout the United States.

The live commentary during the program will take audience members back in time from the renowned 1963 march on Washington where King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech to his final words delivered in 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.

Rogers, who completed his term as lieutenant governor in 2003, is now an attorney in Colorado and has served on the seven-member blue ribbon National Commission on the Voting Rights Act. He is a recipient of the Trumpet Award from Time Warner's Turner Broadcasting System.