Calvin plans MLK day events

Summary: The multicultural student development office at Calvin College has a host of events planned for Monday, January 18, 2010 to honor the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A silent march kicks off the day's festivities. At 9:40 a.m. the entire Calvin community is invited to meet at the Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex and march through campus over to the college chapel.

Then at 10 a.m., dean of multicultural affairs, Michelle Loyd Paige will lead a special 20-minute chapel service honoring the civil rights leader.

Soong Chan Rah will deliver the January Series lecture from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on MLK Day, talking about the vision for the multi-cultural church.

Following the January Series lecture at 2 p.m. in the Commons Lecture Hall, Calvin director of community engagement Gail Heffner and sociology professor Mark Mulder will be part of a panel discussion addressing the challenges and benefits of a multiethnic church.

"The civil rights movement, led by Dr. King, reminds us that ordinary people united by an extraordinary purpose can bring about phenomenal change in the world," said Jacque Rhodes, Calvin's assistant dean of multicultural development. "But, I'm less interested in students memorizing key dates or important facts about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. I hope that people see Dr. King as an example of one who was willing to serve and was faithful in that service and thus be inspired to do likewise."

The day's festivities will conclude with a community-wide MLK celebration at 6:30 p.m. downtown at GRCC's Ford Fieldhouse. Dr. Randal Pinkett, a successful entrepreneur, author, speaker and known by many as the season four winner of NBC's hit reality show, The Apprentice will speak at the event.

For more information on Calvin's celebration of MLK Day, visit www.calvin.edu/admin/msdo

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Matt Kucinski
Media Relations Manager
Calvin College
msk23@calvin.edu
616.526.8935 (office)
616.307.7429 (cell)
Received on Tue Jan 12 11:46:12 2010