S T E P P I N ' ..O U T

On May 5th, Ebony II sponsored it's first annual Steppin' Out event. Sixty fourth, fifth and sixth grade students from Maxfield Elementary School in Saint Paul, MN took tours, ate lunch and participated in dance workshops on Carleton campus. Maxfield students were selected to participate by either reaching a social, behavioral or academic goal or by their involvement with Maxfield's leadership group.

Students arrived on campus around 11:00 a.m. and were greeted in the LDC by Ebony dancers and Todd Olson of the Admissions Office. From there, they took tours around campus, doing everything from playing tag in twigonometry, racing across the bald spot and taking the backstage spiral staircase into Arena Theater.

During lunch students got a break from their activities to get to know their tour guides as well as visit with each other. Recently appointed Dean of Students, Hudlin Wagner, gave an impromptu speech at the request of Maxfield's leadership coordinator, Mr. Cobb. Dean Wagner leading the students in chanting, "I am somebody," became one of the unexpected highlights of the day.

After lunch students took the long trek from Evans Dining Hall to West Gym to participate in dance workshops. Workshops included hip-hop, step, Jamaican dance hall, capoeira, jazz and ballet. Even Mr. Cobb participated in some of the capoeira action.

The day concluded with a ceremony in the concert hall in which both Ebony II and Maxfield's leadership group performed dance pieces. Several non-Ebony Carleton students attended the ceremony cheering more for Maxfield than for Carleton. One student observed that Ebony could not compete with Maxfield's moves.

Three students from Maxfield were awarded for their outstanding essay answers to the question: How would you like to see dance incorporated in your school day, and how would it enrich your education?

As the Maxfield bus pulled away and young hands waved from the windows, Ebony dancers regretably went back to their days. We feel rewarded to have been granted the opportunity to interact with the students of Maxfield and hope that our relationship is not over. As the Carleton school year comes to a close, we are currently working on improvements for next year so that we can greet Maxfield to the second annual Steppin' Out.

We would like to give a special thanks to Todd Olson and the Admissions Office, Multicultural Affairs, and Hudlin Wagner and the Dean of Students without whom none of this would have been possible.

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