Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2022

10 11 SPRING 2022 EDITION SPRING 2022 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD CENTER FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION REDEDICATION Lindenwood’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, in partnership with the Center for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award Ceremony and Rededication on February 22 in the Spellmann Center. This year’s ceremony was extra special, as the university celebrated the rededication of the center with a ribbon cutting at its new location. Five awards were given out to various faculty, staff, students, and community members, while alumnus and keynote speaker, Wesley Bell joined the celebration, sharing some words about his experience at Lindenwood. TRAVELING ALUMNI RECEPTIONS President Porter and the Alumni Relations team have nearly completed their 2022 Alumni Receptions. The team visited with alumni in cities across Missouri, Illinois, Florida, and Texas. Alumni nights are organized events where alumni are invited to join and reconnect with other Lindenwood alums. Guests receive a free drink and appetizers to enjoy, along with Lindenwood giveaways. In addition to the traveling receptions, a monthly Alumni Night is hosted locally in St. Peters, Mo. on the third Thursday of every month. MISSOURI BOYS AND GIRLS STATE MOVING TO LINDENWOOD Lindenwood University will partner with The American Legion Boys State of Missouri and The American Legion Auxiliary Missouri Girls State, to host both programs on campus in June 2022. During their week on campus, program students and staff will utilize Lindenwood’s beautiful campus, state-of-the-art facilities, classrooms, and dormitories, allowing them to establish advanced and valuable opportunities for attendees. Partnering to host programs like these aligns with initiatives from Lindenwood’s five-year strategic plan. ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND Lindenwood hosted an on-campus Alumni Reunion Weekend, April 29 through May 1. Fifty, twenty-five, and ten-year milestone classes were invited to celebrate together. The event featured campus tours, open houses, give-away booths, food trucks, and live music. Alumni were invited to speak with different departments, colleges, and organizations around campus. The Alumni Merit Award, Young Alumni Award, and Alumni Service Award were also presented to recipients from 2020, ‘21, and ‘22. ST. CHARLES MARDI GRAS PARADE Through a growing partnership with the City of St. Charles, Lindenwood University was invited to participate in the first St. Charles Mardi Gras Parade. The parade took place February 26, on Main Street St. Charles. The route began at Eco Park and went down Second Street to the Foundry Art Centre. Lindenwood’s marching band, cheerleaders, staff, alumni, and Leo marched in the parade with Irish dancers, stilt walkers, and other St. Charles businesses. #HATNOTHATE #HatNotHate is a national anti-bullying volunteer initiative where individuals meet up to knit and crochet blue hats to send to schools for students to wear and show their support against bullying. For the first time, the Lindenwood community has joined in the efforts. The University hosted multiple hat-making sessions throughout March and April and was also an official drop-off location for the region. The University was able to collect a significant number of hats for students and supports anti-bullying initiatives. STRESS LESS EVENT The Lindenwood Public Health Student Association, in collaboration with the St. Charles County Department of Public Health, and the St. Charles County Center for Advanced Professional Studies, hosted a community-wide mental health and COVID-19 vaccine awareness event on campus, April 10. Lindenwood students, staff, faculty, and the St. Charles community were invited to mingle on the Evans Lawn and participate in several free activities that encouraged positive mental and physical health and promoted support to the community. SPRING COMMUNITY SERVICE On April 2, LindenGiving partnered with St. Charles City and other local volunteers to aid with Mission: Clean Stream. Volunteers from across campus came together to preserve nature by picking up litter and other trash from riverbanks and wetlands in St. Charles city. Spring Into Service, hosted by Lindenwood Student Government, was held April 9. Participants assisted the growth of the St. Charles and Lindenwood community through acts of service on campus and at local nonprofits. BASKING IN THE LINDENWOOD IN THE NEWS Linden BRANCHES LINDENWOOD IN THE COMMUNITY