Under the baobab: Happy Valley continues to be center for international cultural expression
Congratulations to Pamela Robb, one of 22 women veterans honored by Gov. Josh Shapiro. Robb is the vice chair of the Patton Township Board of Supervisors. After an extensive history of service in the U.S. Army, she continued her volunteerism in Happy Valley with the Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Community Diversity Group, Special Olympics Summer Games and Alzheimer’s Walk. Brigadier General Maureen Weigl also made remarks at the ceremony, which was held at the Pennsylvania State Museum. While there we visited with our state Rep. Paul Takac, who took time out of his busy schedule to give us a tour of the Capitol Building.
Eight Penn Staters who have gone “above and beyond” their work responsibilities at the university were recognized by the We Are Campaign: David Bradley, custodial programs coordinator, Scott “Scooby” Shoemaker, group leader of labor operations, Elizabeth Hamen, education strategy and planning manager in the College of Medicine, Chris Knepp, administrative support assistant, and Brandon Pash, IT support specialist, Rosemary Petrunyak, military/veteran pre-enrollment specialist at Penn State World Campus, Emma Progar, psychologist and group therapy coordinator at Counseling & Psychological Services and Hayley Wilson, an undergraduate studying criminal justice at Penn State Harrisburg.
The State College Borough Council and Chiluvya Zulu, director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, appointed Gary Abdullah, Carol Eicher, myself, Wanda Knight, Leslie Kistner, Carmin Wong, Donald Hahn and Lisette Garcia to the Racial Equity Advisory Commission. The new commission is a follow-up to the Martin Luther King Plaza Planning Committee.
The Black History in Centre County Project is trying to reconstruct the historical narrative of African Americans in the region, particularly in Bellefonte. The team includes visionary Penn State librarian Racine Amos, Julia Kasdorf, Phillip Ruth, Nathan Piekielek, Carmin Wong and Bethann Rea. Wong is working with professor emeritus Tony Leach on an original play, “Finding Home: Adeline Graham, Colored Citizen of Bellefonte.” The workshop will have its world premiere at St. Paul AME Church in Bellefonte on April 22.
Penn State is a major center for academic research and education. It is also a major college sports venue frequently adding national championship medals to its trophy cases. Happy Valley also continues to be a center for international cultural expression.
State College Borough Council member Gopal Balachandran, a candidate for judge, gave a Bollywood party for a hundred or so supporters. It was complete with authentic Indian food, wardrobe, music and lots of dancing.
Sita Frederick, the director of the Center for the Performing Arts, welcomed a thousand or so audience members to Eisenhower Auditorium to see the French-Canadian group Flip Fabrique. They presented “Muse,” an original, eclectic and exceptionally well executed dance/acrobatic/tumbling show that asked the question — what motivates you to try things you never thought possible?
At the annual meeting of the United Nations Association of Centre County, Prof. Esther Obonyo, director of the Global Building Network, gave a lecture on “Sustainable Communities: A Tower of Babel Problem?”
And the student focused troupe Roots of Life, under the direction of its founder, Prof. Aquila Kikora Franklin, Debra Daggs and Jeff Martin, presented their winter community performance at Mount Nittany Middle School. The theme was “Awaken to the Power of Life.” Performers included third to 12th graders. Program highlights included: Liam Brungo performing his own poem “Look Up,” Loi Martin and Elana Laing performing an original flute duet, Keke Nesbitt presented a choreopoem “Human,” Lamban: Traditional West African dance and the entire Roots of Life performed “Get Up” as their finale. Several hundred people offered a standing ovation.
“Spring has sprung, The grass is riz. I wonder where the birdies is.”- Ogden Nash
Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
