DETROIT, March 26, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Marygrove College celebrates the inauguration of its 8th president, David J. Fike, PhD, with a series of events leading up to inauguration day, Saturday, May 5.
The inaugural theme is "Urban Leadership: Expressions of Legacy, Commitment to Progress." Activities designated as Inaugural Events support this theme and the College's strategic vision of fostering Urban Leadership.
The inauguration celebration officially kicked off Friday, March 16, when Spoken Word Poets, including the nationally known Queen Sheba and locals Jamaal "Versiz" May, Chantay "Legacy" Leonard and Karega Ani, discussed the urban experience through performance poetry.
The annual Academic Symposium, during which Marygrove faculty and students will explore the many facets of Urban Leadership, takes place Friday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Alumni Hall of the Madame Cadillac Building. It is free and open to the public.
On Thursday, April 12, at 7:30 p.m., Marygrove's Institute for Detroit Studies brings Dr. Angela Dillard, associate professor of Afroamerican and American Studies at the University of Michigan, to discuss "'True vs. False Religion': How Faith Mattered in Detroit's Radical History." Her talk is free and open to the public.
No Street Shoes, the Annual Dance Company Concert, will be performed Friday, April 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, April 14 at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday, April 15 at 4 p.m., in the Marygrove Theatre. Featuring guest choreographers Pattie Obey (jazz artist), Gregory Robinson (Dayton Ballet), Sidra Bell (Sidra Bell Dance New York) and Barbara Selinger (Detroit Dance Collective), the work showcases a diverse, living world of urban movement.
The 19th Contemporary American Authors Series will feature Marilyn Nelson, award-winning author of 13 books of poetry for adults and children, on Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. in Alumni Hall. Nelson's reading and book signing are free and open to the public.
On Sunday, April 22, Marygrove will hold its annual spring choral concert at 4 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Chapel of the Madame Cadillac Building. The concert is free and open to the public. Titled "Sacred Traditions," the concert will include Faure's Requiem and choral music from the Catholic, Jewish and Protestant religious traditions. The Marygrove College Chorale and Marygrove Handbell Ensemble will be joined by members of the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church Choir.
From May 3-15, the Bachelor of Fine Arts Student Degree Show, in which graduating art students showcase their work, will take place in the Gallery of the Liberal Arts Building. The show is free and open to the public.
Saturday, May 5, is Inauguration Day, beginning at 10 a.m. with the Celebration of Mass by Cardinal Adam Maida and Missioning from various faiths found in Detroit. It is followed by a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and the installation of Dr. Fike as the College's 8th president at 1:30 p.m. Attendance is by invitation.
The Inauguration celebrates the tradition of quality education and civic commitment begun in 1927 when Marygrove moved to Detroit. It is also envisioned as a rededication of the College to serving the city and its metropolitan area.
For more information, visit www.marygrove.edu/inauguration or contact 313-927-1446 or rahee@marygrove.edu. Events sponsors include DaimlerChrysler, Comerica, Harrison Technology Consulting, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and HAP.
Marygrove College is a private liberal arts college located at 8425 W. McNichols Rd. in Detroit with undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, business, human resource management, social justice, social work, science, music, the fine arts and many others. Call 866-313-1927 or visit www.marygrove.edu.
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