Library Display: CELTS 15th Anniversary and Bonner Scholars 25th Anniversary

Hutchins Library is hosting a display by CELTS and the Bonner Scholars Program celebrating the 15th Anniversary of CELTS and the 25th Anniversary of the Bonner Scholars Program. The display is open to the public, and it can be viewed during regular library hours.

From the display’s statement:

“This photo reflection was inspired by two anniversaries – the 25^th anniversary of the founding of the first Bonner Scholars Program in the nation at Berea College in 1990, and the founding of the Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS) in 2000. We hope that this photo display, curated by current CELTS labor students, inspires you to think about the ways that service is part of your Berea story.”

In addition, there is a guestbook available where you can tell us “How Service is Part of Your Berea Story?” Please feel free to share your service reflections in the guestbook.

NOTE: There will be a reception during Homecoming Weekend for this display. It will take place on Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 10am at Hutchins Library Main Floor.

Remembering Julian Bond

Julian Bond passed away this past Saturday, August 15th. Bond’s life was one of change-making and service to others, as exemplified by his leadership on the Georgia State House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate, as well as in his role as President of the NAACP. Additionally, he was an author, an educator, an anti-war activist, and was the narrator of the PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize, about the civil rights movement.

Julian Bond. Image courtesy of Berea College Archives.

Bond’s family had connections to Berea. His grandfather, James Bond, was an 1892 graduate of Berea and served as a Trustee from 1896 to 1914. Julian Bond gave the address for Berea’s 149th Commencement, in addition to giving an address to Berea College students and faculty as part of the College’s observance of Black History Month, September 14, 1975. A sound recording of that address can be found below:

International Berea

The next time you are in Hutchins Library, check out our newest display ‘International Berea’, located above the printers near the Educational Technology Help Desk.

Reference student Megi Papiashvili curated the display and wrote the following piece on the history of International Students at Berea College:

International Education has been a very crucial part of Berea College’s history. “From its historical beginning as the first coeducational school in the South, Berea has been a pioneer in establishing an environment that fosters learning for, and about, all people of the earth.” Each year, the college accepts approximately 33 international students to help them develop the skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed for responsible participation in the global society. International students add diversity to this college, which also enriches the experience of other students on campus. By having such a strong global presence, Berea College students gain knowledge of world cultures; they examine the nature of cultural differences and national or regional conflicts and problems. All these help them understand the historical, cultural, and political relationships among different peoples which often reinforces their sense tolerance and empathy.

As other institutions of the college, Hutchins Library continues to be very welcoming towards international students. The current display on the main floor of the library is dedicated to celebrate the diversity at Berea College. The display provides information about the very first international student of Berea College, Noble Hill. He came from Canada in 1879, but because of interruptions due to his own and his father’s illness, his graduation was delayed until 1893. After his graduation from Berea he began teaching in Woodstock as a head-master of Todd School for Boys, a work he carried on for forty years. “I owe her [Berea’s early history] a debt I can never hope to repay.” Noble Hill, ’93

Berea College has played and continues to play an extremely important role in many international students’ lives, and William Gyude Moore is one of its successful (international) alumni. “Mr. Moore, a native of Maryland County, in the southeastern-most cape of Liberia, came to Berea College in 2002 to obtain his Bachelor’s degree. For the past two years, Moore has served as Deputy Chief of Staff/Head of the Program Delivery Unit in the Executive Office of the President of Liberia. From 2009 until 2012, he was Senior Aide in the Office of the President of Liberia. The president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has appointed him as one of her cabinet-level ministers. Moore will head his country’s Public Works Ministry which operates infrastructure programs with the largest allotment in the Liberian national budget.”

Berea College will continue to welcome students from different parts of the world, to help them succeed in their lives, and also to enrich the educational environment on campus.