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| Union President Ed de Rosset presents KCEOC’s Paul Dole with a citation honoring the agency’s 45 years of service. |
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Guest speaker Bertice Berry at Union College’s spring convocation, which honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. |
A Rousing Speaker Helps Union Honor MLK and KCEOC
Union College formally opened its 2010 spring academic term on Thurs., Jan. 21, with the traditional convocation honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
The event featured a rousing address by Bertice Berry, Ph.D., a professor-turned-entertainer who speaks at more than 200 events each year. She has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “20/20,” National Public Radio and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
Berry’s presentation to students and guests reflected several of King’s key messages, and was delivered with her distinct comedic edge. She encouraged service, critical thinking and “living in purpose.”
Paraphrasing King, Berry cautioned the audience against intellectual laziness. “Rarely do we find that individual willing to engage in hard, solid thinking,” she said. “There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.”
Berry urged the audience to read, think, and “learn new things on a daily basis,” and poked gentle fun at the tendency to be sidetracked by the superficial.
“You spend more time on your hair than on what’s in your head,” she said.
Though she drew laughter and applause for humorous anecdotes and impressions throughout her address, Berry returned repeatedly to the importance of thought.
“King challenged us to think,” she said. “The shackles on your mind keep you from being free.”
Before Berry spoke, Union President Edward D. de Rosset delivered the semester’s opening welcome and presented KCEOC with a special citation.
The Knox County-based organization recently celebrated its 45th anniversary. In his presentation, de Rosset said Union “chose to recognize who best represents the charge King left us” on the occasion of the MLK-themed convocation. He also noted several connections between Union and the community action agency founded during the War on Poverty era.
Former Union president Mahlon Miller was deeply involved in War on Poverty-related work and served as KCEOC’s first board chairperson. Early in its existence, KCEOC had offices on the Union campus. And Paul Dole, KCEOC’s CEO, is a Union graduate and was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2003. Today, Union students often volunteer with and for KCEOC as part of the college’s Common Partners service-learning organization.
Dole was on-hand to accept the honor. .
Union College is a private liberal arts college related to The United Methodist Church and located in Barbourville, Ky.
