Members of the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland-area communities will have the opportunity to share their dreams for University Circle and Northeast Ohio during Case's 2004 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at noon January 22 in Strosacker Auditorium.

During the celebration, "Living the Dream: Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Responses," audience members will note their personal hopes for the community-and the ways in which they are willing to help make those dreams reality-on anonymous forms in the event's program.

Case theater students will present some of these thoughts—and additional ideas from faculty, staff, students and community members submitted online at http://ess.case.edu/vision—during the celebration.

All of these dreams later will be shared with university deans, faculty and administrators and published online.

In addition to the students' presentations of community hopes and dreams, Case's Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will feature The Rev. Valentino Lassiter, author of the book "Martin Luther King in the African-American Preaching Tradition." Lassiter, who will connect the legacy of King with how individuals can make a difference today in their communities, will be available to sign copies of his book following the event.

An assistant professor of religious studies at John Carroll University, Lassiter teaches courses in African-American theology, the life and theology of Martin Luther King Jr. and the theology of African-American sacred music. He also is minister of the East View United Church of Christ in Shaker Heights.

Also at the event, the campus organization Case for Peace will be registering voters in the lobby of Strosacker.

Case's celebration in the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. is the first in a series of campus and community discussions and events focusing on the extraordinary responses of ordinary people. Details are forthcoming.

To share hopes and dreams with the university's deans, faculty and administrators through the Web, go to http://ess.case.edu/vision.

In addition to submitting ideas online or at the celebration, anonymous notes can be dropped off through January 29 in "baskets of hope" at the Office of Multicultural Affairs in room 450 of the Sears Building, the upper level of the bookstore in Thwing Center and at the Center for Community Partnerships in room 324 of the Baker Building.

Return to the online edition of the 1-15-04 Campus News.