COVINGTON, Ga.— With hundreds of daffodils already in bloom on its 100-acre campus, Georgia State University’s Newton Campus is ready to welcome the public to a new slate of activities and talks for its annual Daffodil Festival and Symposium, February 22-23.
The theme for the event is “PantherVision … We are Resilient and Revolutionary.”
“This year’s event celebrates the resilience of our students, faculty and staff, who have dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years but have managed to keep on learning,” said Tami Thomas, assistant professor of criminal justice and co-chair of this year’s event.
“And we chose PantherVision because Panthers have excellent vision and so do the Georgia State Panthers. We can see (ahead) what others cannot …,” she said.
Attendees can expect of variety of programming during the festival and symposium. On Tuesday, the festival begins appropriately with a daffodil walk, led by Sallie Paschal, retired mathematics professor.
Paschal, who was provost of the college in 2007 when the campus first opened, will take visitors on a walking history of the campus grounds, which is planted with hundreds of daffodils.
Local lore relates that the bulbs had originally been planted by slaves outside their cabins, which once stood on the property. Over the years, the daffodils have multiplied, spreading over a huge field adjacent to the college buildings.
As part of the annual festival, a $500 scholarship is awarded to a Newton Campus student.
This year’s recipient is biology student Addison Malcom. Malcom, an Alcovy High School graduate. wants to study animal science and hopes to attend Texas A&M University after graduating next year with her associate degree from Perimeter.
After the scholarship presentation, attendees can enjoy a performance by Newton High School’s Sapphire Dance Troupe, followed by keynote speaker Pamela Leggett-Robinson, who will speak on “Growth by Choice: The Butterfly and Lessons Learned,” at 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday’s programs include Georgia State Libraries Special Collections archivists Morna Gerrard and Lisa Vallen. Their 10 a.m. talk will feature the university’s deep collection of articles and photographs chronicling the area’s diverse history.
At 11:30 a.m. Aubrey Underwood of Clark Atlanta University will talk about “A World Free of Radiation: The Invisible History of Southern Black Women and the Anti-Nuclear Movement.”
Also, on Wednesday at 1 p.m. “Poetry in the Pines” is planned. A tradition during the festival, this year’s poetry event features poet Adan Bean, along with readings of student works.
Students and attendees will also learn about career and service opportunities presented by Mollie Melvin of Newton County Family Connection and representatives from a Covington bank.
Although there will be plenty of real daffodils to pick, participants can try their hand in making an actual 3-D daffodil on the 3-D printers in the new STEM Resource Center on campus.
The printers were a gift from Facebook, and student workers will be on hand to teach anyone who wants to learn how to use them.
Other activities during the two-day event include opportunities to make a terrarium to take home.
Georgia’s State’s Newton Campus is at 239 Cedar Lane in Covington. For information contact Thomas at tthomas@gsu.edu, or co-chair Sarah Harrell, at sharrell13@gsu.edu.
