Hundreds of members of the Castleton community joined President Dave Wolk and Director of the Fine Arts Center Rich Cowden as they led the university into a new semester with an inspiring tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Tuesday, January 17.
President Wolk’s opening address welcomed the community back to campus after the winter break and announced Political Science major and youngest elected member of the Rutland City Board of Aldermen Vanessa Robertson as the Commuter Student of the Semester.
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther Kind, Jr.’s legacy of heroic service to humanity, the university embraced guest speaker Dr. Timothy Patrick McCarthy, an award winning scholar, educator and activist. McCarthy’s presentation, titled “The Living Martin Luther King,” captivated all in attendance as he shed light on the many accomplishments, endeavors and encouraging words of King.
The event concluded with an intimate rendition of “Will I/We Shall Overcome” performed by Castleton University singers and the stylings of the Castleton Jazz Ensemble, led by Robert Roth.
“Since I came to Castleton, we have used Spring Semester Convocation to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King and to celebrate what unites us in pursuing a more dignified life together,” said President Wolk. “We have dispensed with the formality of academic regalia and long, rambling speeches that few will remember, particularly by me, and instead we have celebrated that unity and dignity with something very special.”