Multicultural Center

2008 Spring Quarter Events

Nia: Discover, Pursue, Fulfill

Dancing. Singing. Spoken Word. The sounds and rhythms of the African Drum. All are part of the 30th Annual African American Heritage Festival celebrated at the Ohio State University April 26th - May 3rd, 2008. This year's theme is "Nia: Discover, Pursue, Fulfill".

Nia is swahili for "purpose", allowing the festival participants to understand their purpose with The African American Heritage Festival, The Ohio State University and the Greater Columbus Community

Please continue to visit this site for the most up to date information about OSU's Heritage Festival.

For information regarding accessibility, to request an interpreter, or other accommodations, contact Gabrielle St. Leger or Kerra Carson with African American Student Services at (614) 688-8449. To ensure Assistance please contact the office by April 17th.

Please direct questions and comments to our contact page.

If you are interested in volunteering during the week of the African-American Heritage Festival, contact: Ashlee Young at young.1064@osu.edu or and Habiba Kamagate at kamagate.1@osu.edu.

Community Service: Purpose of Education and Community Commitment

The Ohio State University and Greater Columbus community
Expected Attendance: 150
Meet at the Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center
Saturday, April 26th, 2008 - 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Community Service is all about helping others find their purpose in life by volunteering to help someone else's purpose become possible. We will volunteering at two local nursing homes serving our seniors in a health clinic and making arts and crafts. We will also be aiding a Columbus homeless organization in building a playground for children at a local shelter. Come help us give back!

Kick-Off Celebration: Family Reunion... at the Browning Amphitheater

South Oval and Browning Amphitheater
Expected Attendance: 250
Saturday, April 26th, 2008 - 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Kick-Off Celebration marks the beginning of the Heritage Festival with events such as a Carnival, Health Fair, and performances that everyone can benefit from and enjoy. The Health Fair, which targets Ohio State Students including people from the ages 18-25, will help one understand and discover their health status financially, personally, and emotionally. Also included in this health fair are various amounts of testing including HIV/AIDS testing, Cholesterol Testing, Diabetes Testing etc., that are not only prevalent in the African American community but in other ethnicities as well. To keep the spirits and continue with the incorporation of this year's theme of Nia: Purpose, the Carnival is more for the Columbus community. This will be a fun filled with karaoke contests, inflatables, raffles, arts and crafts, and face painting for the children as well as for those who would like to participate.

Vendors Fair

South Oval and Browning Amphitheater
Saturday, April 26, 2008 - Saturday, May 3, 2008

As vendors continue to continue to aggregate and share their skills, they also value the importance and purpose of a skill. During this eight day festival, vendors will be sited at each event to sell their love of purpose with art work, books, novels, and compact disc. Discovering, Pursuing, and Fulfilling is what these artists aim for you to gain when you visit one of their tables.

Gospel Fest

Hitchcock Hall
Expected Attendance: 200
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 - 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The Gospel Fest's aim is to showcase different student organizations of The Ohio State University as well as outside community organizations, which all have one goal in mind: Create a diverse atmosphere that shows the purpose of hope and inspiration. Gospel fest overall has the goal to touch some youths and their families lives by showing them the purpose in a higher power.

Town Hall Forum

Frank W. Hale Center
Expected Attendance: 150
Monday, April 28th 2008 - 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Town Hall Forum is an opportunity for The Ohio State University and Greater Columbus communities to be informed on the issue of purpose in the African American community. Attendees will engage in dialogue with experts in respective areas of prosperity to gain insight on how to improve on and ensure future success. Not only will Town Hall Forum educate our youth as well as their families, but it will show the purpose of being aware of their heritage. At the closing of Town Hall forum, the awarding of a scholarship will be given to a high school student, whom is the winner of an essay competition.

30th Annual African American Heritage Festival Scholarship

Frank W. Hale Center
Monday, April 28th 2008

Awarding a scholarship to a high school student, shows not only that someone believes in their future, but that they have a purpose in life. The 30th Annual African American Heritage Festival Scholarship is one that will be awarded to a high school student in the Greater Columbus Community to show awareness in the importance of increasing the number of African Americans in the community of higher education. This award will be awarded to one deserving student who will write an essay to show how this scholarship will help them fulfill their purpose in life. With the theme of Nia: Purpose, those who have participated in the essay competition, will not only have the opportunity to display their writing skills, but will also have the opportunity to show how scholarships can benefit one who wants to continue in the high education spectrum.

OSU/Columbus Reads

Expected Attendance: 150
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 - Linden McKinley Elementary - 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 - Hubert Elementary - 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Friday, May 2nd, 2008 - Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center - 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

OSU/Columbus Reads seeks to provide an avenue for the students at this university to give back to the surrounding community by interacting with young people and giving them the opportunity to be role models and positive examples. The students who choose to participate in this event will impact the Columbus community by enlightening the youth about the power of discovering, pursuing, and fulfilling their purpose and promoting reading as an exciting way to learn. Two days out of the week, our volunteers will be going into the Columbus Public Schools and providing services to the children in their own environment. On the last day of our program, we are inviting two - three Elementary Schools from the neighborhood to come and celebrate with us on campus at the Frank W. Hale Black Cultural Center where we will have activities and entertainment for them. We hope that members of the Columbus community would come out to volunteer as well, and celebrate our heritage with us.

Poetry Slam

Campbell Hall Room 200
Expected Attendance: 500
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 - 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Poetry Slam is an opportunity for The Ohio State University and Greater Columbus community to come together to share in the expression of thoughts, feelings, as well as a way to display talent and creativity in the forms of poetry, creative writing, and performance. The purpose of The Poetry Slam is not to glorify the poet, but rather to commemorate the community to which the poet belongs. The show and the show's effect upon the audience are more important than any one individual's contribution to it. Therefore, the performance of poetry is just as important as the art of writing, singing, and dancing. The components of this event consists of rounds that will either move a participant forward to the following rounds, or encourage a participant to continue their purpose in the art in which they displayed.

Wednesday Themed Event: The Boondocks and Aaron McGruder

Sponsored by Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB) and CBL
Newport Music Hall
Expected Attendance: 700
Wednesday April 30, 2008 - 7:30 PM

Wednesday Themed Event is an opportunity for The Ohio State University and Greater Columbus communities to come together and celebrate the theme of purpose with a one day event centered on different purposes and walks of life. The Wednesday Themed Event is an Event that is different from all of the other events during this eight day celebration because it is creative in thought and design and collaborates with the university as well as the community leaders to create a day of UNITY. Aaron McGruder is a world-renowned cartoonist and political commentator who will be on campus to lecture and share his insights regarding his famous cartoon strip and television show titled "The Boondocks". This is a wonderful opportunity to engage a young, successful African-American man who has consistently demonstrated his commitment to political and social awareness via his talent.

Soul Time at OSU: Something like the Real Thing

Hitchcock Hall
Expected Attendance: 600
Thursday, May 1st, 2008 - 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Soul Time at OSU is a show designed to showcase campus talents in the areas of song, dance, and musical instruments in a competitive format. All participants are from The Ohio State University and those who are chosen to participate, must demonstrate knowledge in different spectrums such as memorization and creativity. The Soul Time at OSU consist of three rounds: The first round consists of the participant's performance of choice. Should they continue on, the second round consists of the preparation of a piece relative to this year's theme- Nia: Purpose. The third and final round will consist of songs and/or topics that will be determined by the Soul Time Committee. There will be a cash prize for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.

Mahogany Moments

The Event Place
Expected Attendance: 150
Friday, May 2nd, 2008 - 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Mahogany Moments is a semi-formal dinner/dance that concludes the Heritage Festival week's events. During this semi formal dinner and dance, attendants will have a formal dining experience along with a presentation on the evolution of the African American Heritage Festival. With the theme of purpose, Mahogany Moments is a venue that breaks visible barriers between races, while allowing attendees to explore and enjoy the African American Heritage.

Stomping on The Yard and Coca Cola presents the 21st Annual National Pan-Hellenic Step Show

Saturday, May 3, 2008 Doors open at 5pm, show starts at 6pm

Tickets are $15 and available at all Ticketmaster locations and Mershon Auditorium Ticket Office
Limited discounted tickets will be available for $12 from Explore Columbus with a Valid Buck ID
For more information contact the Shunion at 614-292-7924.