holidays

holidays

Black History Matters

Black History Matters

Black History Month is a time for both celebration and contemplation. The African American experience is one of real people and real lives, involved in every facet of the social tapestry. This month, it is good to bring that history home – to study and understand, on a personal level, some part of that intricate tapestry. Perhaps you’re a nursing student, and the story of nurse Mary Eliza Mahoney will deepen your experience. Perhaps criminal justice is your calling, and police sergeant Samuel J. Battle’s life can enrich your own. Or perhaps you’re a business student, and the experiences of entrepreneur Madame C. J. Walker will lend you inspiration. You can connect to African American history in a way that … Continued
Constitution Day: Celebration and Investigation

Constitution Day: Celebration and Investigation

The United States Constitution, the oldest and shortest written constitution in the world, was signed on September 17, 1787. To commemorate this event, we at IU East are celebrating Constitution Day with activities, a contest and, of course, learning. Constitution Day events will be held at the Graf on Monday, September 19th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can enjoy cider and donuts as you pick up your own copy of the Constitution, register to vote and enter a contest to win one of three cash prizes. What’s the contest? All you have to do is recite the Preamble to the Constitution anytime between now and the morning of September 19th and send the video to our Constitution Day … Continued
Join the Revolution

Join the Revolution

As we approach Independence Day, it seems like the American Revolution is on people’s minds more than any time in recent history. It is in the news and our entertainment through television shows like Turn: Washington’s Spies and archeological finds like the artifacts recently unearthed at Sandy Hook. But nothing has brought the people who fought the Revolutionary War into popular focus like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s revolutionary – in all senses of the word – Broadway musical Hamilton, which recently won 11 Tony awards. Based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury under George Washington, Hamilton is sung in rap music, with all of the principle cast (save King George) played by people of color. Miranda’s … Continued
Asian Pacific American Heritage

Asian Pacific American Heritage

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, jointly sponsored by the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to honor and showcase the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history. Lots of these institutions, and others, offer resources and activities online. The Library of Congress offers lesson plans and classroom activities, as well as an extensive video and multimedia collection. Websites like Asian Nation offer tools, statistics, infographics, and more. The IU East Campus Library offers a multitude of high-quality scholarly resources. Databases like the Asian Studies eBook Collection offer … Continued
Foster Care Month

Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month, celebrated since 1988 in honor of people who care for orphaned and displaced children – from foster parents and their family members to child social workers to volunteers to mentors. In 2016, the theme of NFCM is family reunification – “Honoring, Uniting, and Celebrating Families.” Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, it highlights the needs of many children who, for whatever reason, do not have the security of a normal, loving family. A child might be in the foster system for many reasons – orphaned, abandoned, or their parents incapacitated in some way. Frequently, though, children entering the foster care system are victims of abuse or neglect, necessitating their separation … Continued