SOURCE: The Ark City Traveler DIVERSITY CELEBRATED THROUGH PLAYING MUSIC By Kathy Kendrick, Traveler Correspondent Photo by James Jordan Cowley College students get caught up in the music as part of audience participation during the Martin Luther King Unity celebration at the college Sunday. "This exercise represents all of you coming together to make a healthy community," said music therapist Barry Bernstein as he led music and singing Sunday afternoon at the Brown Center on the Cowley College Campus. Bernstein played guitar, kazoo and led others to play various kinds of percussion instruments as he led the unity celebration in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. "Besides just having fun, what this is about to me is to bring everyone, with their own voice, together to show what happens when we all come together and create a community group," Bernstein said. Around 100 people gathered Sunday to honor King's memory and his civil rights activism. The commemoration featured music, a message of the importance of community and an awards ceremony for students of USD 470 who took part in special poster and slogan contests promoting the theme of unity. Bernstein got the crowd going with his music after the Cowley Gospel Choir sang with Delphia Jennings. "Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the first leaders to teach that we should not fear diversity, but embrace it," Ark City mayor Janet English said. English went on to talk about the importance of community at every level, from the family to the national and even world community. "Each and every individual is important and all have parts to play as we live together," English said. Bernstein's presentation included upbeat, rhythmic music intertwined with humor and a message of the importance of community and family. The audience played a major role in the event by singing and clapping along. At one point, Bernstein handed out a variety of percussion instruments, including frame drums, jingles, castanets and scrapers, to each member of the audience and taught them two rhythmic melodies. The audience played along as he sang and played a drum and then were allowed to work together to play on their own. Bernstein was accompanied by his two daughters, Sydney and Leah, and closed with a song written by him and Leah. Folloing his performance, artwork by students was shown. The work was by winners of a slogan context among students. Winners of the contests received a certificate, a medallion, provided by the Cowley College Athletic Department, and a $50 savings bond provided by the Home National and Commerce Banks. The winners included Shaun Brown, Sharon Kisner, Queen Barnes, Sydney Borror, Joshua Hunt, Jessenia Flores, Natasha Mora, Shelby Scott, Michael Lundberg and Edgar Escalante. Students receiving honorable mention were given a certificate and a commemorative cup. They included Evan Miller, Jordan Hobson, Santana Gaytan, Alexis Posey, Cheryl Walstrom, Desteni Wall, Katie Lampson, Peyton Cravens, Bobby Babcock, Bryson Carver, Hayden Raby, Heidi Klassen, Heana Trevino, Jessica Askins, Katie Gooch, Maddy Buckbee, Rebekah Brakebill, Abby Turner, Billy Hadley, Casey Hestand, Cheyenne Jackson, Courtney Saia, Hailey Faber, Lindsay Wilson, Zachary Klick, Alisha Creech, Eric Gibson, Holli Rowe, Sarah Ripperda, Skylar Vallejos, Stacey Hongsvilay, Tayler Gill, Ashlynn Raub, Baleigh Barnthouse, Bethany Tupper, Caitlin Smith, Chelsea Galligher, Chyna Huynh, Heather Hammel, Maggie Diaz, Mayra Resendiz, Stephanie Palmer, Brynlee Wilson, Emily Walker, Jarrod Bryant, Jordan Williams, Kelsey Smith, Kyle Russell, Nate Thomas and Ryan Skiles. All Contents ©Copyright The Ark City Traveler www.arkcity.net
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