News Briefs
February 3, 2010 by spelmancollege
Filed under February 2010, News Briefs / Contest
Neo-Soul Songstress India Arie Shares Personal Journey With Students
Grammy Award-winning neo-soul singer and songwriter India Arie bared her soul to a captivated student audience while sharing her personal journey during Convocation on Thursday, Jan. 21. Serving as the 2010 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation speaker, Arie discussed her personal journey as a singer and songwriter, her insecurities, and how she uses music as a way to assess, heal and analyze her life. Her music, she told students, allows her to grow, transform, and inspire others while spreading messages of love, healing, peace and joy. By questioning her assumptions about life and how she defines herself, Arie said she’s now open to different experiences and fulfilling her God-given destiny. “I realize now that I have more potential than I realize,” said Arie, who performed an original song during the convocation and answered questions from students. “My songs really help with self-acceptance.” View a slideshow of the convocation featuring India.Arie.
Spelman Launches the Senior Legacy Gift Program
This February, the Senior Class Council in collaboration with the division of Institutional Advancement launched the Senior Legacy Gift program. The program allows seniors an opportunity to leave their legacy and help support their Spelman sisters who follow in their footsteps. Seniors who contribute $20.10 to Spelman College will receive a commemorative Spelman Blue tassel to be worn as part of the Founders Day Convocation regalia. All gifts are welcomed and all support from the senior class will be designated to the President’s Safety Net Fund. The Senior Legacy Gift campaign will end on March 31, 2010. Gifts can be made online via www.spelman.edu/seniorlegacy, by calling (404) 270-6410, in person at Rockefeller Hall on the 2nd Floor, or by mailing to the Office of Annual Giving, Campus Box 1551.
Drama and Dance Present the ‘Hattitude’ of Crowns
Under the direction of Jade Lambert-Smith, Spelman’s drama and dance department presents “Crowns,” an oral history of African-American women affectionately known as “hat queens.” The production will run in the Baldwin Burroughs Theatre from Feb.18 – 21. Based on the coffee-table book “Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats” and Regina Taylor’s musical production of “Crowns,” this theatrical event is a course in cultural history about the symbolic importance of hats for Black women. This must-see production is filled with drama and “hatitudinal” attire and reminds us that hats have been a crowning glory for Black women since the days of slavery and beyond —particularly at church.
Spelman Breaks Records in Gilman Scholars
Out of 13 applicants, an unprecedented number of 10 Spelman students were recently awarded Benjamin A. Gilman scholarships to study abroad for spring 2010. Totaling $44,000 in awards, students will travel to Africa, Latin America, and Asia as part of their studies. Twelve Spelman students are currently studying abroad this semester, for a total of 22 Gilman winners this academic year.
The College Welcomes Family Weekend Feb 19-21
Family Weekend 2010 promises to be a fun-filled, informative three-day celebration. Held Feb. 19-21 on the Spelman College campus, Family Weekend brings together mothers, fathers and other loved ones who have entrusted Spelman with educating their daughters. The event will feature the popular Cafe 350; financial-aid information sessions; a Spelman Jaguars vs. Bennett Belles basketball game; and a theatrical performance of “Crowns,” a soul-stirring tribute to the unique cultural phenomenon of African-American women and their church hats. Register today!
The Winner of the December Test Your Spelman Knowledge is…
The winner of the December Test Your Spelman Knowledge contest is Helene K. Moon, C’2007. Moon correctly identified the class that initiated Spelman’s Bench Ceremony as the Class of 1941. The bench, only to be used by seniors, was made from two beams from an old barn that was used to house the Founders. As an administrative assistant in the registrar’s office, Moon helps students with questions about registration, transcripts and academic affairs. Moon will receive a copy of “Bearing Witness: Contemporary Works by African American Women Artists,” which features Pearl Cleage, C’71, Faith Ringgold, Maya Angelou, and former Spelman President Johnnetta B. Cole.
Test Your Spelman Knowledge and Win!
What was the name of the first Spelman student newspaper and when was it conceived and printed? Please send your answers to publications@spelman.edu to qualify to win such gifts as tickets to Spelman events, books by Spelman authors and Spelman paraphernalia.
