The 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration will be held on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023.
Happy New Year from Inspiration for the Nation! This week’s guest is Malique Lewis: the student co-chair of the Syracuse University Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and co-founder of the Black Student Union on campus. Watch now to hear him speak on why he believes the King dinner and legacy can build community.
Reverend Phil Turner of Bethany Baptist Church in Syracuse will serve as featured speaker at the 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, in the JMA Wireless Dome at Syracuse University.
This year’s theme is: “Civil Rights and the City of Syracuse.” Tickets for the dinner and program are now available.
Reverend Phil Turner (Photo by Amelia Beamish)
This annual event is the largest of its kind on any college campus. The program seeks to honor the message and mission of Dr. King and is a direct expression of Syracuse University’s commitment to advancing academic excellence at a university welcoming to all.
“As we prepare for our first in-person MLK Celebration since 2020, our planning team is committed to highlighting the people and possibilities of our local community,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel. “I am honored to welcome Pastor Phil Turner as our featured speaker, as he embodies the spirit and soul of Syracuse. Through his proven leadership and hopeful vision, Pastor Turner is the right person to bring us all together.”
Turner was elected as the 12th pastor of Bethany Baptist Church on Feb. 19, 2007. Following his formal installation in April of 2007, he helped expand congregational impact through membership growth, facility renovations, increased access to transportation services, and improved engagement with civic organizations and community organizers. Turner led the development of a radio ministry, tutoring program and an annual festival that highlights African American heritage. Bethany Baptist Church also partners with the Syracuse City School District, sponsors clothing giveaways, and hosts numerous local and regional events.
In addition to earning music recording contracts with Warner Bros. and 4th and Broadway, Turner holds a bachelor of science in history and political science from Columbia College, a master of theological studies from Northeastern Seminary and a certificate in church management from Villanova University.
“When Dr. King spoke, his words were so piercing because they came from truth, his inner light and compassion,” says Rev. Turner. “We must accept the challenge to make everyone’s lives better. Leaders need to have a healthy appetite for change. They can’t be afraid.”
Our 2023 program marks the 38th year for the MLK Celebration, which will include an address from Turner, student and community group performances, a presentation of this year’sUnsung Hero Awards, and recognition of the 2022 and 2021 Unsung Hero Awardees previously honored through online celebrations.
New this year is an art gallery featuring works from local Black artists, opening at 4:15 p.m. The traditional dinner—pulled BBQ pork, collard greens, sweet potato pie and more—will open at 5 p.m. Halal/Kosher, gluten-free and vegetarian options will be available. Dinner will be held near the JMA Dome’s west end zone, entry at Gate A. The main program with Rev. Turner and performers will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the east side. For program-only attendees, doors open at 6 p.m.
Ticket purchase options are as follows:
Syracuse University staff, faculty, and the general public (dinner and program): $30
Students (dinner and program): $15
Main program only: FREE
Registration is required for all ticket purchase options.
All dinner tickets will be assigned a table number at the time of purchase, which will be included in the mobile tickets. Guests interested in sitting with friends are recommended to purchase tickets together to ensure the same table assignment.
Guests may order up to 10 dinner and program tickets online. To purchase one full table (10 seats), select 10 total tickets and proceed to checkout. To purchase more than one table or more than 10 individual tickets, or if experiencing difficulties, please call the JMA Dome Box Office at 1.888.DOME.TIX (315.443.2121), option four.
All dinner guests will be seated in the 100 level of the stands for the program following dinner. All guests attending the program only will be seated in the 200 level. Seating is general admission in those areas for the program.
Buy tickets online at mlk.syr.edu, in person at the Dome Box Office inside Gate B at 900 Irving Ave. (Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by phone (888.DOME.TIX or 315.443.2121, option four). Tickets will be mobile this year and uploaded directly to your MyCuse account to manage upon purchase. View thestep-by-step guide on mobile ticketingfor more information.
Free parking is available in the Irving Avenue Garage and in lots west of the JMA Dome. Visit the University’sParking and Transit Services website for maps and directions. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) will be available for the event. Accessible seating is provided on the concourse level of the JMA Dome.
For more information about the MLK Celebration or to request accommodations, contact Hendricks Chapel at chapel@syr.edu or 315.443.2901. Learn more about this and other Hendricks Chapel events by visitingchapel.syracuse.edu.
Syracuse University is ringing in the holidays with its third “Horns and Harmonies” concert on Sunday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in historicHendricks Chapel.
Free and open to the public, the all-ages show features songs, carols and instrumental classics performed by theSyracuse University Brass Ensemble(SUBE) and theSpirit of Syracuse(SOS) Chorus, led by artistic director James T. Spencer and master director Kay Crawford, respectively.
Both groups are joined by emcee Bruce Paulsen, an on-air host for WCNY-FM; Harmonic Collective, an award-winning men’s a cappella chorus; and pianist Jon Bergman.
Attendees are invited to bring food or personal care items as a donation for theHendricks Chapel Food Pantry. For more information, contact Hendricks Chapel atchapel@syr.eduor 315.443.2901.
Check out episode 125 of the “’Cuse Conversations” podcast featuring José “Peppie” Calvar, director of the Hendricks Chapel Choir and artistic director of Holidays at Hendricks.Atranscript [PDF] is also available.
Musical performances, much like spiritual moments, can spark deep emotions and colorful contemplations. When paired together, these experiences can feel larger than life itself. On Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., soprano Kathleen Roland-Silverstein and pianist Dan Sato present the “Music of Olivier Messiaen” as part of the Hendricks Chapel’s Malmgren concert series.
Roland-Silverstein and Sato, both Setnor School of Music faculty members, pored over a year’s worth of preparation into this program of what they like to call “Messiaen’s greatest hits.”
“This concert might be a first for many to experience his music. It’s a kind of music that’s very intoxicating, like a really strong psychedelic,” says Sato.
French composer and organist Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) is best known for his harmonically rich and complex work that pushed boundaries in 20th-century music. A devout Catholic, his spirituality and fascination with nature were at the center of nearly everything he did.
To introduce Messiaen’s soundscape, the Hendricks Chapel Choir, directed by José “Peppie” Calvar, will gently open the concert with the sacred motet “O sacrum convivium.” This choral piece, composed in 1937, is one of his earlier works that offers a meditation on spiritual communion with the divine.
For Messiaen, music was not just an acoustic experience but a visual one. His synesthesia, a condition that links one’s senses, made him associate sound with color and vice-versa. Music notes were like ribbons, and chords became rainbows. With this imagery, he found ways to intertwine it with musical and spiritual concepts from other cultures.
In the piece, “Harawi: Chant d’amour et de mort,” Sato and Roland-Silverstein explore an ancient Peruvian story of a love ending in death. Messiaen composed in French and Quechua, an indigenous language spoken in the Peruvian Andes. “He also just used onomatopoeic sounds. One of the songs is called ‘Dondou tchil,’ which is supposed to represent the ankle bracelets that were worn by the Peruvians,” Roland-Silverstein remarked.
Messiaen’s cosmic scenes are almost supernatural, Sato added. “The scope of time and resonance offers a glimpse or a snapshot of what eternity feels like. [His music] demands so much more than we can provide, even just from the piano or from the human voice.”
Still, the challenge is worth taking. Sato plans to perform selections from Messiaen’s “Vingt Regards sur l’Enfant Jésus,” one of the most demanding and impressive works in the entire piano repertoire. Messiaen drew inspiration from birdsongs, Indian classical music and most importantly, his faith as he contemplated the infant Jesus.
“It goes from a lullaby into this really grand galactic explosion of dissonance. It feels almost uncomfortable and nightmarish, but that is that extremism of expression,” Sato says. “You’re just kind of left in a daze.”
After giving themselves the luxury of time to absorb Messiaen’s music, Sato and Roland-Silverstein say this concert will be a great opportunity to share the experience with the community. Anticipating a most memorable musical encounter, Roland-Silverstein says, “I hope people feel transported.”
The Malmgren concert is free and open to the public. Complimentary parking is available in the Quad Lot and Irving Garage. For more information, visit chapel.syracuse.edu.
Story by Piper Starnes, graduate student in the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications program in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Syracuse University unveiled Onondaga Artist Brandon Lazore’s installation.
Through the leadership of Indigenous Students at Syracuse, the Native Student Program, Onkwehonwe Alumni Association,and Haudenosaunee/Indigenous Alumni Representatives,and with support from the Onondaga Nation and Syracuse University,Onondaga artist Brandon “Ganyada•kda” Lazore wascommissioned to create a public artwork.
All were invited to the Kenneth B. Shaw Quadrangle of SyracuseUniversity for the unveiling of Gayaneñhsä•ʔgo•nah (“TheGreatLaw of Peace”) by Onondaga Artist Brandon “Ganyada•kda”Lazore.
Onondaga is the central fire of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (“People of the Longhouse”), which is comprised of six nations—Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. The Confederacy was founded under the Great Law of Peace over 1,000 years ago at Onondaga Lake.
By honoring the Onondaga Nation and its past, present, and future on these lands, this new public artwork is intended to invite reflection and action that fosters meaningful and accountable relationships and opportunities that extend to all.
We at Hendricks Chapel were grateful to Iris St. Meran and camera operator, Mark, from News Channel 9, who visited the Hendricks Chapel Food Pantry today. Food insecurity, both on and off campus, is deeply concerning. Syracuse University’s Office of Community Engagement is helping to shed light on this serious topic. Click the photo below to see the video and read the story. For more information on our food pantry or to donate, click HERE.
Moving to a new town or city can be challenging and often the most daunting piece is finding a sense of community. For university students this can be even more challenging, especially when you’re trying to find your spiritual home.
Fortunately, Syracuse University has a thriving and diverse multi-faith community, thanks to the late Senator Francis Hendricks and many others. In the 1920s Senator Hendricks donated funds to build a chapel in honor of his wife, Eliza Jane Hendricks. He planned for Hendricks Chapel to be welcoming to all, and in 1930 it opened its doors as “a home for all faiths and place for all people.”
It’s curious to think about the definition of the wordchapeland its counterpart,chaplain. Chapels are often found in places where a dedicated place of quietude or reflection is needed.
The Rev. Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, and Buddhist Chaplain Jikyo Bonnie Shoultz share a moment together during a recent chapel retreat.
Unlike most churches, mosques, synagogues or temples, Hendricks Chapel is not tied to one particular religion. Chaplains often represent a religion, but any chaplain at Syracuse University is called upon as a trusted and confidential advisor available to all students. Our chaplains, including an imam, a rabbi, a priest and several pastors, work together under the umbrella of Hendricks Chapel. They share resources and talents to better serve our students.
The chapel hosts nine chaplaincies, 25 student-led religious and spiritual groups, and sponsors over 1,000 programs for more than 500,000 annual attendees. Hendricks Chapel employs student workers, supports musical ensembles, offers direct assistance through the Student Opportunity Fund and Food Pantry, and partners throughout the campus community to advance academic excellence at a university welcoming to all. To help students learn about resources, welcome letters from various chaplains have been sent via email, in addition toa letterfrom Dean of Hendricks Chapel Brian Konkol.
While many students enter Syracuse University with a defined religious or spiritual identity, there are many others who perceive themselves as “spiritual but not religious” or perhaps identify with multiple traditions or none at all. Whatever the case, at Hendricks Chapel there is a place for all students regardless of identity or practice, and we invite all to find a sense of community, perhaps with one of the following tips and tricks.
1.First of all,Hendricks Chapel is a great place to hang out. Whether sitting in the main chapel for quiet reflection, grabbing a coffee atPeople’s Place Caféor studying in the Noble Room, you can easily get a sense of Hendricks Chapel’s vibe by spending time in the building.
Hendricks Chapel’s Noble Room is a great spot to find community or catch up with friends.
2.There is no obligation to join a group.You can attend one session to learn if you like it, and you are free to return (or not) without pressure. All gatherings are listed onSyracuse’s Community Calendar.
3. Play the piano and charge your phone!The Noble Room on the chapel’s lower level has a piano that you can play (while being sensitive to others who may be studying!) and you may also charge your phone at one of the courtesy charging stations.
4. It’s better with friends. If you’re nervous, recruit a fellow student to attend a gathering with you. If your friends are going to Taco Tuesday, tag along.
Students enjoyed a sweet treat at the New Student Ice Cream Social hosted by Hendricks during Syracuse Welcome.
5. Attend an event!Hendricks hosts many events sponsored by chaplaincies or one of our religious and spiritual life groups, and many others that partner with academic departments, campus divisions or other registered student organizations.
6.Music and Messageis a weekly gathering filled with inspirational messages and wonderful music from the Hendricks Chapel choir, Setnor School of Music musicians and visiting groups.
7. Try new things!During Interfaith Exploration Week, held each spring, you can participate in over 40 programs such as Jumuah Prayer (Muslim), Mass (Catholic), Shabat Services (Jewish), Campus Church (Baptist), Meditation (Buddhist/Multifaith) and more!
9. Keep trying.Just like brussels sprouts, you may have your doubts after just one taste. So, allow yourself a little time to adjust.
10. Visit with the chaplains, Dean Konkol or any members of our team.Call the chapel at 315.443.2901 or emailchapel@syr.eduand we are happy to help!
11. Work or volunteer at Hendricks!The chapel is always accepting volunteers to staff the food pantry or events. Hendricks also hires students as hospitality associates and People’s Place baristas throughout the school year.
12. Peruse theHendricks Chapel websiteto learn more about our community, events and chaplaincies.
In this time of great discovery, now you know that there is always a welcoming community at Hendricks Chapel!
Syracuse University will host a formal Celebration of Life service on Thursday, Sept. 8, to honor the life and legacy of Cerri A. Banks, vice president for student success and deputy to the senior vice president of student experience, who passed away unexpectedly on July 31.
The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel and feature remarks by Chancellor Kent Syverud; Allen Groves, senior vice president for the student experience and chief student experience officer; Mary Grace Almandrez, vice president for diversity and inclusion; Kelly Chandler-Olcott, interim dean of the School of Education; and Carla Guariglia ’23. Monica Davis will speak as a representative of the Banks family. The service will be immediately followed by a reception in the Noble Room of Hendricks Chapel.
“Cerri Banks embodied the spirit and soul of Syracuse University,” says Brian Konkol, dean of Hendricks Chapel, who will preside over the ceremony. “In addition to her brilliant intellect, courageous leadership and authentic advocacy, she was wonderfully kind, fully trustworthy and bursting with joy. We grieve because of our loss, and we give thanks because of her impact.”
Banks was a three-time graduate of Syracuse University, having earned a bachelor’s degree in inclusive elementary and special education, a master’s degree in cultural foundations of education, and a Ph.D. in cultural foundations of education. After serving at Hobart and Williams Smith Colleges, Mount Holyoke College and Skidmore College, she returned to Syracuse University in July 2021.
In addition to her role as vice president for student success and deputy to the senior vice president of student experience, Banks served as a member of the three-person interim leadership team charged with advancing the University’s diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility priorities and strategic planning efforts. She was a member of the School of Education’s Board of Visitors since 2009 and served as its chair for the past seven years.
On behalf of the student leaders, chaplains, faculty, staff, and advisors of Hendricks Chapel, welcome and welcome back to Syracuse University!
During this important time of discovery, I am writing to invite you to Hendricks Chapel, where we help students meet classmates, make friends, and explore some of life’s most pressing questions while leading in service to our common good.
Established in 1930 as a home for all faiths and a place for all people, Hendricks Chapel now sponsors over 1,000 programs for more than 500,000 annual attendees. We host 9 chaplaincies and 25 student-led groups, we employ student-workers, support musical ensembles, offer care through the Student Opportunity Fund and Food Pantry, support People’s Place Café (the only student-led coffee shop on campus!), and partner throughout the campus community to ensure all students find their purpose and reach their dreams. Please feel free to learn more at chapel.syracuse.edu.
In preparation for the upcoming semester, please know that Syracuse University recognizes and appreciates the diverse faith traditions represented among its campus community, so all students can make up examinations, study, or work missed due to religious observances in accordance with the religious observance policy. Students must notify their instructors of their respective observances through MySlice by Monday, September 19, 2022.
For additional information on upcoming events and services sponsored and hosted at Hendricks Chapel please visit here, email us at chapel@syr.edu or call 315.443.2901.
I look forward to meeting you, welcome to Syracuse University, and Go Orange!
