East Tennessee State University-Storytellers announced for 'United We Stand' interfaith concert[이스트테네시주립대학교]

East Tennessee State University-Storytellers announced for 'United We Stand' interfaith concert[이스트테네시주립대학교]

The lineup of storytellers has been announced for the “United We Stand” interfaith storytelling concert to be held Saturday, Jan. 7, from 2-5 p.m. at the McKinney Center, 103 Franklin Ave., Jonesborough.

These tellers from a variety of faiths will celebrate their varied traditions in story, song and dance in this concert, which is a fundraiser to benefit the Katheleen M. Stern and Milagros M. Argueta Endowment for Storytelling at East Tennessee State University.  This endowment will provide scholarships and an endowed chair in storytelling with a focus on therapeutic, homiletic and community-building story.

The Stern-Argueta Endowment was established by Dr. Patrick Stern, a developmental behavioral pediatrician who retired from the Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU, and his wife of 47 years, Patricia Stern, in memory of his mother and their granddaughter. 

Storytellers representing Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Native American faiths will participate in the program.  Those slated to appear include Rev. Vincent Dial (Christian) and Dr. Joseph Sobol (Jewish), Jonesborough; Terry Shinn (Cherokee, following the Lakota spiritual tradition), Marshall, North Carolina; and Taneem Aziz (Islam) and Wendolin Elrod (Christian), Johnson City. 

Elrod will tell the story of Milagros Argueta, the Sterns’ granddaughter, who died at birth and is buried at her grandparents’ historic home in Washington County.

Master of ceremonies will be Dr. Delanna Reed, interim coordinator of the ETSU Storytelling Program in the Department of Communication and Performance.  ETSU’s program is one of a select few fully accredited graduate programs in professional and applied storytelling.  Students pursue a master of arts in professional communication with a concentration in storytelling and theater, focusing on either performance skills to prepare for a career as a professional storyteller or on applications of storytelling in other careers and roles.

An anonymous donor has pledged a matching gift of up to $10,000 for every dollar raised before and during the “United We Stand” fundraising concert.