Last week, ALC hosted perception artist Sean Emory for its first of four convocations in the month of March.
Born with a severe speech impediment, Sean could barely talk. He walked to the front of his high school cafeteria and performed an impromptu magic show. Prior to that fateful day in the cafeteria, he practiced a card trick for 8 months, all the while, also teaching himself to speak. For a period of time, he was sucked in, doubting and questioning God. But, the same faith that taught him to speak and perform, led him to realize he was fully focused on knowledge and not on belief.
Sean performed in the Campbell Arts Center at 1 pm on Tuesday, March 14 for ALC and JBS students and then a different show at 7 pm that was open to the community. Sean’s performances proved to the audience that the truth is often right in front of us, we just have to approach it from a different angle, just like his acts that look more like ‘magic tricks’ at first glance.
This Tuesday, March 21st, ALC will host a convocation event featuring a performance about the life of Charles Young. Charles Young was the third African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Young was born near Mays Lick, Kentucky, in Mason County, on March 12, 1864, a year before the end of the Civil War. His parents, Gabriel and Arminta, moved to Ripley, Ohio, to raise their son after the war ended. Young had a distinguished career of more than 30 years in the United States Army, rising from lieutenant to colonel, all while battling racism in a nearly all-white officer corps. Young’s success in an army that was not quite ready to embrace him required steadfast devotion and perseverance. He was at the height of his career when America entered World War I. Young accomplished much during his career, including being the first African American superintendent of a national park, the first African American military attaché, and the highest-ranking African American Regular Army officer at the time of his death.
Later this week, on Thursday, March 23rd, Phi Beta Lambda is hosting the Blue Jeans for Babies convocation in support of the March of Dimes. Students may donate $1 in order to wear jeans to the program. A history of March of Dimes will be presented, along with stories of families and babies who have been helped by this organization.
Next week, ALC’s Student Government Association will host a Blood Drive on Wednesday, March 29th, from 11 am until 3 pm in Cushing Hall. SGA asks that everyone wishing to donate please make an appointment online with kybloodcenter.org or by calling 800-775-2522. You are required to have your photo ID to donate. Students needing convocation credit must fill out a community service card that will be available at Cushing Hall. Students may only count one of the blood drives this semester towards convocation credit.
The Blood Drive will round out the last of the March 2023 convocations. There will be four convocations in April: Honors Day, Student Work Awards, ALC Theatre’s Southern Fried Funeral, and the Voices of Appalachia Spring Concert.