The 2014 Global Awareness Festival at MCC on Feb. 10-14 is focusing this year on Africa with music, film, art exhibits, lectures, food, and children’s folktales. Free and open to the public, the Festival events are designed to enlighten participants about a specific region of our ever-shrinking world.
On Monday, Feb. 10, events will take place in Collegiate Hall beginning with the film, “Wonders of the African World – Black Kingdoms of the Nile and the Swahili Coast” from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 3:15-5:15 p.m. In between those showings, the MCC Collegiates Choir, directed by Tom Clark, will sing African Folk Songs at 12:30 p.m. MCC’s ED 230 Children’s Literature Class will share “Folktales and Fun –Stories of Africa” with invited children from 1-3 p.m.
Being held in conjunction with Global Awareness Festival, the Overbook Art Gallery is featuring a photo exhibit, “Sudan: The Cost of Silence,” by Ryan Spencer Reed. A photojournalist embedded with US troops in Afghanistan, Reed will be on the MCC campus to present “Afghanistan: Stands Alone,” from noon to 1 p.m. in the Blue and Gold Room. Reed will attend a special opening reception in the Overbook Gallery at 6:30 p.m. before lecturing on his exhibit at 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the presentation “Women of Africa “offers Insights by African students in the Blue and Gold Room from 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. The film, “ Wonders of the African World – The Slave Kingdoms and The Holy Land” will be shown in Collegiate Hall from 10 a.m. – noon and again from 3-5 p.m.
On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Global Topic Investigations, moderated by Thomas Tosa, will take place in the Blue and Gold Room. From 9:30-10 a.m., John Metzler, MSU African Studies Center Outreach Coordinator, will present “Making Sense of Africa in the 21st Century.” At noon, the Bichini Bia Congo Dance Theater Company will perform as part of Wild Wacky Wednesday in the Student Union. Returning to the Blue and Gold Room between 11:15 –11:45 a.m. Paula McClurg-Ziemelis, MCC Librarian, will discuss “Ancient Libraries of Africa. “ From 12:45–1:15, Brian McConnell, MCC historian and anthropologist will present “Digging Egypt.” From 1:45–2:15 p.m., Science Educator Ann Hesselsweet will present, “Eco travel in Africa – How to Leave a Small Footprint.” The topics close with “Life in Tanzania” by Abby Giroux, Educator, from 2:30-3 p.m.
Also on Wednesday, an Information Fair from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. will feature booths highlighting international opportunities for students to study and work abroad as well as NGOs and their contributions. The film “Wonders of the African World – The Road to Timbuktu and Lost Cities of the South,” will be shown in Collegiate Hall at 3 p.m. GVSU’s Ghana Service Learning Project – Education, Child Slavery Rehabilitation, Health and Water will be presented by Dr. Rick Rediske and his students in the Stevenson Center Room 1100 at 6 p.m. and will be followed by a reception.
On Thursday, Feb. 13, the hour-long documentary film "The 16th Man" will be shown in the Blue and Gold Room at 12:30 p.m. and again at 2 p.m. In between the showings from 1:30-2 p.m., a panel discussion on Nelson Mandela will take place led by MCC Instructors Kurt Troutman, Papa N’Jai amd Nicholas Budimir. The film “Wonders of the African World – The Road to Timbuktu and Lost Cities of the South” will be shown in Collegiate Hall at 3 p.m. The award-winning movie “Invictus” will be shown in the Blue and Gold room at 6 p.m.
On Friday, Feb. 14, the film “Wonders of the African World – Black Kingdoms of the Nile and the Swahili Coast” will be shown at 10 a.m. in Collegiate Hall.
All week long, the campus food service will be selling international-inspired cuisine. Also, international artifacts collected from the community will be displayed in the Gerber Lounge near the main college entrance, while the MCC hallways will be adorned with flags representing approximately 200 nations.
The 2014 Global Awareness Festival poster was designed by MCC graphic design student Jaylen Adkins.
For more information on the Global Awareness Festival, contact Katherine Tosa, Social Science, at (231) 777- 0376.