Penn State New Kensington and Hightower Scholars Inc., in conjunction with the local church community, will join together on Tuesday, Jan. 17, to honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
"Unity Day" will feature an information fair, panel discussion, dinner and a community presentation. The highlight of the evening will be the lighting of unity candle by members of the campus, community, local businesses and neighborhood churches. All events will be held at the New Kensington campus on state Route 780 in Upper Burrell Township.
Diane Hightower, executive director of Hightower Scholars, a nonprofit organization, and Theresa Bonk, director of student affairs at the campus, developed a multimedia program for the 82nd anniversary of King's birth. Kevin Snider, chancellor at the New Kensington campus, will deliver the opening remarks. Community service and community partnerships are the cornerstone of Snider’s vision to make the Alle-Kiski Valley an even better place to live, work and learn.
The celebration will begin at 2 p.m. with the Volunteers and Nonprofit Organization Information Fair in the Theatre and Front lobbies at the campus. Nonprofits will talk about volunteer opportunities for the local community. Organizations at the fair include United Way of Westmoreland County, Alle-Kiski Hope Center, American Red Cross, Westmoreland County Food Bank and Faith in Action.
Following the fair at 4 p.m. will be the panel discussion, “Political Engagement of Minority Populations,” in the campus Art Gallery. The panel will feature Dana Brown, executive director of PA Center for Women, Politics and Public Safety at Chatham University; Mitch Nichols, pastor of Bibleway Christian Fellowship Church, faculty member of Geneva College, and TV host of “A Nichols Worth;” Craig Hammond, assistant professor of history at Penn State New Kensington; Thom King, member of New Kensington-Arnold School District; and Liz Hayes, reporter for the Valley News Dispatch.
The “Celebration of Unity” begins at 5 p.m. in the Conference Center and features the lighting of the unity candle and a potluck fellowship dinner. Guests are asked to bring a covered dish that can feed 10-15 people.
All events are free to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP for the dinner at 724-334-6062.
In honor of the slain civil rights leader, there will be no classes at Penn State New Kensington on Jan. 16, the federal holiday commemorating King’s birthday. However, the campus will be open and staffed.
Headquartered in Lower Burrell, Pa., Hightower Scholars assist students with their preparation for a postsecondary education at a college or university. The campus scholarship, Mittie B. Hightower Memorial Scholarship, was established to support a minority student majoring in allied health fields or science programs. The current recipients are Raymone Thomas, a nursing major, and Lydia Johnson, a radiological sciences major.
For more on Hightower Scholars, visit http://www.hscholars.org/ online.