Talents on display at Dubois

Academics blended flawlessly with song, dance and poetry on Saturday afternoon in the DuBois College House's multi-purpose room, where the 15th annual Souls of DuBois Conference showcased the varied talents of the house's residents and extended community. The small gathering of about 40 students and faculty members viewed performances by various performing arts groups like the Inspiration, Total Praise Dancers, New Spirit of Penn and Onda Latina. In addition, the four-hour performance featured oral presentations by students in African American Studies 310, "Without a Struggle," as well as an awards ceremony to honor graduating house residents and other residents for contributions to the arts, athletics, academics and community service. "Our goal in the house has always been to try to connect cultural talent? with intellectual pursuit," DuBois Faculty Master Howard Stevenson said. The theme of this year's conference was "Sounds of DuBois," which organizers said was representative of the different talents displayed in the conference. "Sound isn't just what you hear, it's what you see," added House Council member Yolande Tomlinson, a College sophomore. "It also takes the form of academia." This year's conference was the first to be entirely organized by the College House Council. "It worked well and I think it will become tradition," DuBois House Dean Sonia Elliott said. An award was also presented to Brian Stevenson, a graduate student in the Graduate School of Education who has lived in DuBois for the better part of 10 years but will be leaving at the end of the year. "Brian has been, in many ways, the shoulders of the house," Elliott said. "He has kept us mindful of our mission. Wherever he goes, his spirit will be with us." One of Peterson's contributions to DuBois was the creation of African American Studies 310. According to Peterson, the course urges students to examine issues relevant to the African-American collective identity. Stevenson now co-teaches the course with Peterson and Elliot. Stevenson explained that a major theme of the course was that people "need to gather information for a purpose." "The course teaches you to get tools for research and to ask culturally relevant questions yourself," he said. The students who delivered presentations offered proposals of upcoming research projects. Among the issues being studied are body image, television stereotypes, enrichment programs and the digital divide. Students will use surveys, the Internet and previously conducted studies to draw a general conclusion, which will be presented on the last day of class. The course was the brainchild of five students who, along with Peterson, took advantage of the opportunity to create their own college house seminar. It was approved this year to become an official African American Studies course. Students have made various contributions to DuBois through the course, including a Saturday school that brings 45 sixth- and seventh-graders from around the area to DuBois. "Our class is about giving students the outlet to try whatever ideas they have? and to do some good work in community," Peterson said.