Martin Luther King Day

                This past Monday we celebrated the life and achievements of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK), who was an influential American civil rights leader. Every year on the third Monday in January, we remember the contributions of MLK in celebration of the anniversary of his birth. He was a prominent leader in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation in the United States in the 50’s and 60’s. He is known for his “I Have a Dream” speech he delivered in an effort to advocate for equality.

                MLK Day is a federal holiday that is celebrated all around the United States. Often people celebrate the life of MLK by dedicating the day to community service. There are several community service projects in Decatur, parades around downtown Atlanta, and 5k marathons going on around the city. As Dr. King was an Atlanta native we are fortunate enough to have The King Center 10 minutes from the Agnes Scott College campus. It is a historic site that is dedicated to educating the world on the life, legacy, and teachings of MLK.  The center has a number of artifacts and memorabilia from the life of MLK and his family. You can also visit his birth home and his tomb and that of his wife Coretta Scott King.

  In addition to the activities occurring around Atlanta, we had our annual MLK Convocation right here at Agnes Scott. Every year we remember the legacy of MLK by having spring convocation dedicated to his teachings and contributions to United States history.  The convocation is how we officially begin the spring semester at Agnes Scott College. This year we were very lucky to have civil rights activist Dr. C.T. Vivian as our guest speaker. Dr. Vivian worked alongside MLK in the non-violent fight for civil rights. He has been described by the New School for Social Research as a “…spiritual leader, apostle for social justice, strategist of the civil rights movement.” We had the pleasure of listening to his powerful words of wisdom, encouragement, and motivation in honor of MLK. Throughout the week we will be having different programs, panels, and events to celebrate MLK and his contributions to human rights and social justice. 

Dr. C.T. Vivian

Pre-Exam Pancake Jam!

As finals time gets closer and closer, students look forward to one of the best meal in Evans dining hall all year… Pancake Jam!! Pancake Jam is a light-hearted tradition that takes place every year just before final exams. Faculty and staff don chef’s hats and aprons and cook breakfast for students! Around 9 PM students begin lining up outside the dining hall with their plates and silverware in hand, ready to devour the delicious breakfast our faculty and staff so kindly prepare for us. They serve all the traditional breakfast favorites. We have pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, potatoes, fruit and so much more!  There is music, food, and lots of singing and dancing. It’s a great time to relax before finals, and enjoy the company of your classmates before the holiday break.

International Fashion Show

Every year the Office of International Education and the International Student Association (ISA) puts on an extravagant fashion show during Diversifest. The Office of International Education (OIE) is a great resource on campus for international students and all students looking to study abroad. OIE works very closely with the International Student Association (ISA).  ISA is a student organization on campus that offers a space for international students and others alike to bond, share their culture, promote cultural diversity, and have awesome events like the fashion show! The fashion show showcases beautiful outfits from nations far and wide! The entire community is welcomed and encouraged to participate as models or by donating traditional clothing from their country or one they have visited. The purpose of the show is to highlight different cultures and countries represented in our community as well as to fund raise for a different charity every year. This year’s charity was “Global Growers”.

“The Global Growers Network creates new agricultural opportunities in Georgia for international farmers who were forced to flee their homelands as refugees, due to war, genocide and persecution. The Network uses a whole-systems approach to produce good food, train and place farmers, and create economic opportunity for local communities in the Decatur-Clarkston-Stone Mountain area.”

Check out this cool behind the scenes video from current exchange student Nagima Kulbaeva! Keep up with OIE campus and community events on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/asc.internationaleducation

Halloween!

Greetings Everyone!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

            It was chilly but sunny afternoon in Decatur, and HALLOWEEN!! It is probably one of the most festive days on campus. Halloween is an exciting holiday that combines traditional harvest festival celebrations with customs more unique to the occasion like costume wearing, trick-or-treating, pranks, spooky stories, and festive black and orange decorations! It is celebrated on October 31^st every year. There are so many fun and exciting activities that go along with Halloween. At night kids dress up as their favorite characters, animals, and even ghosts! In the spirit of the fall season, several people make jack-o-lanterns out of pumpkins! We had a pumpkin carving contest in the dining hall this week! Check out the pictures! Sometimes they have scary faces, and people get creative like the pumpkin with the infamous Agnes Scott ring carved on it. Everyone on campus was definitely in the Halloween spirit. Students, faculty, staff and even President Kiss dressed up in costume!

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