The MVCC
Cultural Series Fall Schedule recently hit mailboxes throughout the
County. As I reviewed it, I quickly got my pen and started checking off
the dates of the events that caught my interest – headliner Bill Nye The Science Guy; Sawyer Fredericks (winner of NBC’s “The Voice”);
Filharmonic (from NBC’s “The Sing Off” and the film “Pitch Perfect 2”);
Channing the mentalist; TEDxUtica, the Unspoken International Human Rights Film Festival; the
Listening Room Concert Series and the Family Fun and Film Series at the Rome Campus; an actual naturalization ceremony
of our newest citizens; and numerous other movies and performances that provide
high-quality entertainment and thought-provoking experiences to help our
students and community grow and learn together.
Over the past several years, my family and I have had the
pleasure of experiencing some amazing speakers, performers, and musicians
including:
Speakers – Maya Angelou; Neil deGrasse Tyson; Geoffrey
Canada; George Saunders (2011 Time Magazine Top 100 most influential people);
Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Russo; Elizabeth Smart; Captain Phillips (not Tom
Hanks, but the real Captain); Arun Ghandi (grandson of Mohandas
Gandhi); media expert Jean Kilbourne; and Tony Mendez (the
real-life federal agent played by Ben Affleck in the movie “Argo”).
Musicians and Entertainers – “American Idol” winner Phillip
Phillips; Grammy winners Kacey Musgraves, Hot Chelle Rae and the Band Perry;
chart-toppers Gavin DeGraw, Edwin
McCain; Sean Kingston,
and Shontelle; “America’s Got Talent” winner Kenichi Ebina and “AGT” finalist and MVCC alum, Leon Etienne and Romy
Low; and comedians Brian Regan, “AGT”
runner-up Taylor Williamson, and actor Rob Schneider.
These are just a sampling of what I’ve seen and experienced
over the years through the incredible offerings of the MVCC Cultural Series. I
continue to be amazed at the programming our Cultural Events Council develops
and the first-class experiences our Events staff create. The entire Cultural
Series is included in the student activity fee, so students pay nothing extra,
and most events are only $5 for general community members. The MVCC
Cultural Series is certainly a point of distinction for the College with
significant advantages to our students and our community.
For more information, go to www.mvcc.edu/culture. If
you have any comments or questions, you can contact me directly at presblog@mvcc.edu.
