Owens Community College to Host Diversity Day
PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, Ohio – Owens Community College will celebrate the importance of diversity from a national and global perspective as the academic institution serves as host to a series of free activities and events during Diversity Day on Wednesday, March 21.
Sponsored by KeyBank and the Owens Leadership Academy Team Pride, the event is titled “Celebrating Diversity National and Global” and will occur from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the College’s Audio/Visual Classroom Center Rooms 125-128 on the Toledo-area Campus. Owens is located on Oregon Road in Perrysburg Township. All events and activities are free and open to the public.
Activities will commence at 11 a.m. with a performance by the Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicanas. The 25-member dance troupe is committed to promoting the appreciation, dedication and performance of Mexican folk dance. A community outreach initiative of the Perrysburg Heights Community Association, Ballet Folklorico Imagenes Mexicanas has entertained audiences nationwide, highlighted by an appearance at the White House. During the performance, attendees will also have the opportunity to sample an array of ethnic food from around the globe.
Owens’ Diversity Day will continue with Executive Director of Human Values for Transformative Action Dr. Lorna Gonsalves providing a lecture presentation titled “Coming to Terms with Racism” at 11:30 a.m. Her presentation topic will provide insight into what divides people as a society, as well as ways to recognize common humanity and the capacity to work across differences to build communities that value and respect one another. Owens theatre students will follow Gonsalves’ lecture with a poem enactment titled “Cold Within and Force Within”.
The second dance performance of the day will begin at 12 p.m. and feature nationally-regarded dance professionals Oluwadamilare Adeyeri and Shari Mocheit. Both performers have showcased their talents both locally and throughout the country and will share with attendees variations of the salsa dance.
In addition to the series of presentations and performances, individuals will have the opportunity to visit several international student displays and experience different cultures and nationalities, as well as meet with several local community organizations in attendance, including KeyBank, Perrysburg Heights Community Association and 10,000 Villages, among other groups. Diversity Day will also feature a hands-on art project and prize drawings.
Owens Leadership Academy Team Pride members responsible for the event’s coordination are Elisa Rodriguez, Ramadevi Kannan and Timothy Luc.
For additional information about Diversity Day, call (567) 661-7518 or 1-800-GO-OWENS, Ext. 7518.
Owens Community College is an accredited two-year, state-assisted institution of higher education that has served Northwest Ohio since 1965. With a commitment to providing small classes, personal attention and unmatched affordability, the College serves the diverse academic needs of credit and non-credit students on the Toledo-area and Findlay-area campuses, as well as at the Arrowhead Park Learning Center in Maumee and the Learning Center at The Source in downtown Toledo. Owens offers associate degrees that transfer to baccalaureate degrees in the Arts and Sciences and over 130 technical program areas in Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, Skilled Trades, and Engineering and Transportation Technologies. Owens students also can earn the first two years of a bachelor’s degree with a smooth transfer to any area four-year college or university. For more information, visit www.owens.edu.
Press Release Contact Name: Bradley Meyer
Press Release Contact Email: [email protected]
Organization Name: Owens Community College
Organization Address: Toledo, OH