Dear Ohio State University Student:
Thank you for your interest in applying to serve as a Program Committee Chair for the 38th Annual
African American Heritage Festival. Planning the African American Heritage Festival is an exciting
opportunity to assist the Office of Student Life, Multicultural Center, African American Student
Initiatives and the University in planning one of OSU’s signature, campus and community events. The
festival also serves as a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions that
people of African descent continue to make to our world today.
Once known as the “Block Party” in the late 1970’s, the festival has grown from a one-day gathering at
the end of the academic year, to an eight-day festival celebrating a chosen Swahili word that is connected
to every program and event. This past year, we celebrated our 37th anniversary utilizing the theme,
“Upendo (Love): One Beat. One University”. Simply put, our mission was to engage the campus and local
communities in activities that generated an appreciation for the African American experience.
As we work diligently to lay the groundwork for the 38th festival, we are looking for dedicated, involved
and hard-working students who want to make this year’s programs and events unforgettable. We
encourage you to apply.
Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Katherine Betts at 614-688-8449 or betts.128@osu.edu, if you have
any additional questions or concerns. Thank you again for your interest and we look forward to receiving
your application.
Sincerely,
Katherine Betts, Overall Advisor
African American Student Initiatives
Multicultural Center-Office of Student Life
Ivory Douglas, Graduate Administrative Associate
African American Student Initiatives
Multicultural Center-Office of Student Life
Khalid Bowens, Overall Co-Chair
37th Annual African American Heritage Festival
Devonte’ Johnson, Overall Co-Chair
37th Annual African American Heritage Festival
**Application Process: Applications for Program Committee Chairs will be accepted from March 31st to April 17th
2015. A complete application must include the following items: a Program Committee Chair Application, Advising
Report, and Resume with two References. Please submit all items electronically to
aaheritagefestival@gmail.com, by 5:00 p.m. on April 17th. For additional information or questions about the
application process, please contact Katherine Betts in the Multicultural Center located on the 1 st floor of the Ohio Union
or by email at betts.128@osu.edu. Your application is not complete until all requested items have been received.
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PROGRAM COMMITTEE CHAIR APPLICATION
Today’s Date: ____________________________
Name: ___________________________________ Preferred Name: ____________________
Mailing Address: _____________________________________
Zip Code:
________________
Apt. #: _______________
E-Mail Address: _________________________
Current Academic Year (FR/SO/JR/SR): _______________________________________
Major: ________________________________
Minor: ____________________________
Expected Graduation Date: ____________
Cumulative GPA: _________
Main Phone Number: _________________
Secondary Contact Number: ___________
Availability for the week of Monday, April 20th through Friday, April 24th:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
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APPLICATION QUESTIONS
(Please TYPE your responses to the following questions)
1. What strengths do you bring to the African American Heritage Festival Planning Committee?
How do you see yourself growing through this leadership experience?
2. Please discuss previous leadership experiences that may be useful in planning this year’s Heritage
Festival?
3. What skills do you have to facilitate the success of the specific committee(s) you are interested in
co-chairing?
4. Please choose ONE of the following scenarios (either A or B) and answer the question to the
chosen situation that follows:
A) You are currently the vice president of Black Student Leaders of OSU (BSLO). You are also the
chair of The Form (THF) for the 38th Heritage Festival. It is spring semester and you have been
picking up the slack for the president of BSLO’s lack of leadership for two semesters and the
general body of BSLO is ready to impeach your president. They have asked you to head up the
proceedings for the impeachment and also want you to take over the presidency immediately
following the impeachment. Your Forum committee was at a solid five members, but only two have
been showing up for the last three meetings. You heard indirectly through the “grapevine”, that the
other three members do not plan on returning to the committee to help with The Forum for the rest
of the semester.
How would you handle resolving these issues?
B) It is the week before the 38th Heritage Festival and you have proudly served as the co-chair for
communications all year. You walk into one of your classes and notice the official poster you
worked on all year for the week of events is hanging up in the class. There is about 10 minutes
before class begins and you sit behind Jim, a white male sophomore from Chillicothe and Ali, an
African American junior from Cleveland. They are discussing the Festival and you overhear Ali say
“you know it’s like FUBU right, ‘For us by us!’” and Jim immediately replies, “Yeah, that’s why I
didn’t go last year.”
How would you handle this situation?
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COMMITTEE PREFERENCE RANKING
Please number 1 to 10, in priority order, the committee(s) you are interested in
chairing or co-chairing (with 1 being the highest desired chair position and 10 being
the least desired chair position). The number in parenthesis indicates the number of
chair position(s) available for the committee. Numbers are subject to change at the
discretion of the overall chairs and advisor.
_____ Mahogany Moments (1)
_____ Gospel Festival (1)
_____ Service and Scholarship/OSU Reads (2)
_____ Kick Off Celebration (1)
_____ Poetry Showcase (1)
_____ Soul Time (1)
_____ The Forum (1)
_____ Volunteer Coordinator (1)
_____ Theme Thursday (2)
_____ Communications (1) *If this is your number one preference position, you will need to complete a
separate application*
Complete all application materials, attach an advising report, and a resume with
references submitted electronically to aahf.osu.edu by 5PM, Friday April 17th, 2015.
Interviews will begin the following week. More information will be provided after
applications are due. Your application is not complete until all requested items have
been submitted.
Please note, all selected committee chairs are REQUIRED to attend the following
heritage festival events: a Committee Chair Retreat on Friday and Saturday at the
beginning of fall semester, Overall Planning Meetings, Overall Chair-Adviser
1-1 meetings, committee chair meetings, events sponsored by Heritage
Festival, and Heritage Festival events. Absence from any of these meetings is
subject to final approval by Overall Adviser. All final dates for heritage festival events
will be posted on the heritage festival website, and provided to each committee chair.
All overall planning meetings will take place on Mondays at 7PM in the Hale
Center.
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PROGRAM COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
ALL Chairs are expected to form a working committee and meet with this group on a regular basis
outside regularly scheduled HF Planning Committee Meetings and keep abreast of the work and
products of other committees. Regular communication with other committee chairs, overall chairs
and advisors is essential. Committee chairs are expected to attend all committee meetings to hear
and share progress.
Communications: These committee chairs will work in conjunction with University Public
Relations and the graphic designer to help with the overall communications and marketing of the
African American Heritage Festival. Committee chairs will work hand-in-hand to design, schedule
and implement publicity, advertising, press releases, and community relations’ projects on & off
campus.
Scholarship and Service: Chairs of Scholarship and Service will be responsible for implementing
community service initiatives for the Festival, executing the scholarship application process, and
planning the OSU Reads event that takes place the Friday before the Kick Off Event. Below are
overviews of each responsibility.
 Community Service: Community service allows OSU students, faculty, and staff
community to give back to agencies in the surrounding Columbus area. Past
events/initiatives include partnering with the 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the Lupus
Foundation at Fred Beekman Park, Adopt-A-Family, working with Ronald McDonald
House Charities of Central Ohio, and a Service Site Day.
 Scholarship: As the African American Heritage Festival marks its 37th Anniversary; it also
commemorates six years of awarding scholarships to deserving high school, undergraduate
and graduate students. The chair is responsible for developing a creative essay question
based on that year’s theme and requirements for the scholarship. The responsibilities of this
committee chair also include soliciting applicants and reviewing scholarship applicants. The
scholarship will be awarded at the discrepancy of the committee.
 OSU/Columbus Reads: One of the most important events that occur during the week is
OSU Reads. It is an event occurring throughout the entire week of the festival. During the
event, local area youth in grades Kindergarten – 2nd grade visit our campus. Volunteers read
books, poems and other literary forms of expression prominent in the Black culture. The
event serves to emphasize the great significance of reading, a fundamental tool, and how it
contributes to their overall educational success.
Mahogany Moments: A well-known and respected tradition, Mahogany Moments, is a semi-formal
affair that ends our week in style and elegance. Mahogany Moments is held at an eloquent venue –
often with a full course dinner and dance to follow. The chairs will be responsible for planning every
aspect of Mahogany Moments, including choosing entertainment, venue and the dinner menu.
Gospel Fest: Since slavery, Gospel has been an integral aspect of the Black identity assisting in our
survival of oppression through spiritual uplifting. The Gospel Festival was introduced, providing a
critical element of the Black community and celebrating heritage. Local artists and church choirs are
invited to show reverence to God. Those of all religious backgrounds are welcome.
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Kick-Off Celebration: The Kick-Off celebration is a highly energized showcase of fun and
activities for every age group. The purpose of this event is to introduce the festival to the campus
and city of Columbus. We share this event with various Columbus groups, such as African dance
and youth drum line teams. The event is the beginning of a weeklong celebration, and should set the
tone for the festival.
Poetry Showcase: The Poetry Showcase is a competition focused on one of the most common
forms of written/oral Black expression – spoken word, and performance poetry. During the
competition, students are challenged to express their work around the overall theme of the festival.
Soul Time: Soul Time is a talent showcase of local and student artists. It consists of rounds where
contestants are selected to move to the higher round to compete for a grand prize, or are eliminated
by faculty and prominent members of the community serving as judges. Students prepare the hottest
dance moves and sing with precision to be the crowned winner. It is great fun for the entire
community.
The Forum: The Forum is a dialogue held during the week of the African American Heritage
Festival. It brings the OSU and Columbus communities together for an informative session on
issues affecting members of the Black community locally, nationally and internationally. The Forum
is intended to provide the community with an open atmosphere to engage in dialogue. Past guests
include, Misty Jordan of 107.5, BET’s Jeff Johnson, Judge Joe Brown, and Alex Elle.
Volunteer Committee: This committee is responsible for soliciting volunteers needed to
implement programs occurring during the entire HF week. The chair should facilitate an orientation
program for all volunteers, and establish and maintain a volunteer command post during the week
of the African American Heritage Festival. This committee will work in conjunction with the other
HF Chairs to determine the number of volunteers needed along with detailed descriptions of
volunteer roles.
Theme Thursday: Theme Thursday takes place Thursday of the African American Heritage
Festival week. This committee is responsible for creating an innovative and entertaining event that
will engage both the Ohio State community and the Columbus community. The chair(s) should be
prepared to plan this event from the ground up with the help of the Overall Team.
Contact Persons:
Katherine H. Betts
Overall Advisor
Betts.128@osu.edu
Ivory Douglas
Overall Graduate Advisor
Douglas.364@osu.edu
Khalid Bowens
Overall Student Co-Chair for the AAHF
Bowens.33@osu.edu
Devonte’ Johnson
Overall Student Co-Chair for the AAHF
Johnson.4867@osu.edu
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