The College of Arts & Sciences, along with the MLK Cultural Center and UK’s African Student Association, recently hosted Jomo Xulu and the Umdabu South African Dance Company. As part of A&S’s year-long international programming on South Africa, the dance troupe brought the unique rhythms and powerful cultural history of the Zulu people to Lexington. Filled to near capacity, Memorial Hall buzzed with the exciting sights and sounds of the dance company as they educated the audience on the origins of the dances and how they reflect today’s society in South Africa.

The performance incorporated Zulu dances that originated from nature as well as in the mines of South Africa. Often without their drums, miners created instruments fashioned from everyday materials, including transforming their boots into percussion instruments. The performance not only got the audience out of their seats – literally – but also included personal stories from the director of the group, Jomo Xulu. Growing up in South Africa as a Zulu during apartheid, Xulu became involved in the African National Congress as a youth in protest to the brutal apartheid regime.

Anthropology professor Scott Hutson was the recent recipient of a challenge grant associated with the Maya region of Mexico. The Maya Area Cultural Heritage Initiative (MACHI) grant promotes projects which facilitate connections and collaborations between archaeological projects and local communities in the Maya region of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize. In an effort to advance collaborative and participatory research, Hutson will work with local communities on projects which will provide tools for residents to educate others on their rich cultural heritage in an effort to preserve Mayan languages and traditions.

A few of the projects include providing cash incentives for workmen to develop their own presentations about the archeology or their cultural heritage to the community; sponsoring trips to Chichen Itza and Ake for residents of Uci and Kankabal; purchase an LCD projector for multimedia presentations to schools and community members; and sponsoring a premisia (a ritual to ask for a successful growing season) at a large cave at Uci.

A recent trip to Florida for Winter College allowed the College of Arts & Sciences to engage alumni in conversations about our dynamic programs. The A&S presentation to alumni centered on the importance of cyber-enabled technologies and research and how these new advancements tie into Envision 2020. Alumni learned about a host of programs within Envision 2020 that will allow A&S to connect with the world, engage in cutting-edge research, and be active participants in the community. The digital age has supercharged research, allowing A&S to develop programs which will build upon existing strengths in research and teaching. Technology also allows the College to interact not only on a local level, but internationally – allowing members of the UK community to know connectivity on all levels, from virtual to face-to-face and local to global.

Recently, I had the honor of attending the 2nd Annual ROTC Mentorship Breakfast. The event connected UK students with faculty, community, and military leaders and provided opportunities for the development of exciting new dialogues and connections. Mr. Bob McDonald, CEO of Proctor & Gamble, gave a keynote address on leadership which set the tone for the event, allowing students to engage in conversations about career and professional development as well as gain valuable insights on becoming leaders themselves. 

 

More information on the event and the UK ROTC can be found here.

Inline Images: 

We are pleased to have as scholar in residence this semester, Dr. Andre Odendaal. Dr. Odendaal is an Honorary Professor in History and Heritage Studies at the University of the Western Cape as well as Chief Executive of one of the six professional cricket teams in South Africa. He taught for thirteen years at UWC where he was instrumental in the establishment of the Mayibuye Centre for History and Culture in South Africa, a pioneering multi-media archive on apartheid and the struggle for freedom in South Africa. Dr. Odendaal has also lent his expertise to the African National Congress’ Commission for Museums and aided in the establishment of the Robben Island Museum, serving as its first director from 1997-2002.

 

The College of Arts & Sciences will host a one day symposium on January 28, 2011 here on campus. The Public Health in Appalachia and South Africa Symposium not only examines the similarities and differences of these two regions but also explores the challenges each faces with various health care issues.

We are pleased to have several outstanding members of the UK community as well as distinguished professors and health care experts from both the United States and South Africa participate in the event.

The day-long event is broken into three sections and will cover topics which include:

The History of Public Health in Appalachia

Health Care Issues Common to Appalachia and South Africa

Health and Human Rights Issues

This event will be held in the Lexmark Public Room in 209 Main Building and will run from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Inline Images: 

Recently I was interviewed along with Susan Carvalho, UK Assistant Provost of International Affairs, and Steve Wrinn, Director of The University Press of Kentucky, by Renee Shaw on KET Connections.

The topic was our current international programming initiative, South Africa and Kentucky: Different Lands, Common Ground. In an effort to engage our community in global conversations, the initiative allows students, faculty, and alumni to gain valuable cultural perspectives through a host of outlets – from classes to film and book series and cultural events.

KET Connections gave us the opportunity to discuss the program in detail as well as invite the community to join A&S in a number of exciting events scheduled for the spring 2011 semester.

The program will air on Friday, January 28th at 5:00 pm on KET 2 and on Sunday, January 30th at 1:30 pm on KET.

For a full list of activities, including film and book series, guest speakers, and other community-related events, visit http://southafrica.as.uky.edu

Welcome back everyone!