Kentucky State University News April 8, 2014 The Essence of Culture: One Community, Many Voices Kentucky State University will host its second annual Cultural Fair, titled "The Essence of Culture: One Community, Many Voices," on April 17 at the Student Center courtyard. A parade featuring KSU's Marching Thorobreds and a display of international flags will kick off the festivities at noon, starting at the Exum Center and ending at Bradford Hall. After the parade, the flags will be displayed along the Student Center courtyard where vendors and group participants will have booths set up. The cultural fair will include an exhibition of cultures with culinary demonstrations by group participants as well as KSU's dining services, which will share foods that represent various ethnicities, said John Burrell, director of Student Support Services, who is organizing the event. The event this year will have a festival atmosphere, with President Mary Evans Sias delivering the welcome and the purpose of the event at 12:30 p.m. The display of the international flags will be the focal point again this year, Burrell said. The festival will showcase talent from KSU's diverse populations of students, faculty, administrators and others from the surrounding communities. Another focus this year will be on art, music, food and fashion. The fair will begin at noon and extend through the evening, ending at 7 p.m. There will be cultural demonstrations, including taekwondo, a presentation by the University of Kentucky's Capoeira (Cordao de Ouro) Club and musical (opera) performances by KSU's Vanessa Henderson and Men of Soul. Another highlight this year is an essay contest on the topic "The Impact of Being Educated In A Multicultural Environment." In addition, there will be a silent auction, raffle, dancing, fashion display, merchant and food vendors, and much, much more. Event organizers are currently accepting applications from students, faculty, staff and the community to fill openings for presentations lasting no longer than 15 minutes. For more information about presenting at the fair, contact Ray Jordan, the entertainment committee chairman, at (502)597-5190 or by e-mail at ray.jordan@kysu.edu<mailto:ray.jordan@kysu.edu>. "KSU is one of the most culturally diverse campuses in the Southeast," Burrell said. "This is an avenue to unite cultures, the university and the community at large." He said the fair could become a teaching/learning tool for instructors and gives everyone an opportunity to learn more about diverse cultures as well as their own. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2014meeting-form.html for the October 26-28, 2014 HBCU Library Alliance 6th Membership Meeting in Atlanta GA!