The Hilton Miami Airport was the site for the final event of Barry University’s annual Founders’ Week celebration on Saturday. A weeklong festivity, Founders' Week commemorates Barry's history, mission, Catholic Identity, and Dominican heritage.
For one week each November, the university community remembers its founders: Mother Mary Gerald Barry, Bishop Patrick Barry, Monsignor William Barry, John Thompson, and the Adrian Dominican Sisters for whom Barry is a sponsored institution. Through the Founders’ Week celebration, members of the Barry community seek to deepen their personal and collective understanding of how they live the university’s mission and core commitments.
The celebration began on Saturday, Nov. 9 with the kick-off event, the Gobble Wobble 5K Run/Walk. The Gobble Wobble is a student-driven event designed and carried out by students in the Sport & Exercise Sciences Department at Barry. Held annually since 2007, all proceeds from the race are donated to FLIPANY (Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth), a local non-profit organization which promotes the consumption of nutritious foods and physical activity to youth. More than 130 people participated in the race which raised over $2,500. This year’s top finishers were Bryan Sharkey (17:08) in the men’s category and student Akemi Maehama (22:39) in the women’s division.
On Monday, the community honored the vision and legacy of the university’s founders with the Founders’ Week Mass. As the event fell on Veterans Day, the university took a special opportunity to honor America’s military veterans as well.
Tuesday brought a pair of events in the Distinguished Lecture and the season home opener for the men’s basketball team. This year’s Distinguished Lecturer was Corrine Sanders, OP, EdD. Her lecture, entitled “We Go, We Travel Constantly: Our Life in Mission,” explored the call for mission-driven leadership while upholding the legacy of the Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Bucky’s Crew was in full force for the men’s basketball team as the Bucs defeated crosstown rival Florida Memorial 82-51 in front of a packed house.
On Wednesday the Barry community gathered in an effort to beautify the campus during Plant the Campus Red. During the event, faculty, staff, and students planted sustainable foliage and orchids throughout campus, in the spirit of service.
The Chapel Mall was standing room only on Thursday as the university celebrated Community Fest. A festive afternoon of performances, games, and team competitions, this year’s theme was superheroes. The team competition included musical chairs, the bed races, an obstacle course, mural design, and a costume competition. The student division was won by the team from Lambda Theta Phi fraternity while the staff competition was won by the IA-Avengers from the Division of Institutional Advancement.
On Friday, Barry held the Interfaith Prayer Service and Core Commitments Luncheon. This year’s luncheon highlighted presentations from the School of Human Performance and Leisure Sciences. The presenters included Ms. Sharon Kegeles, Dr. Tal Amasay, Andy Havens, Lorean Mapp, Alison Fitzgerald, and student David Bone
The celebration wrapped up on Saturday, Nov. 16 with the Distinguished Alumni Awards. This year, Barry honored three alumni with its Distinguished Alumni Award; Erbi Blanco-True, Senior Vice President and Director of Community Development at Greater Florida Bank; Lourdes Cowgill, President Emerita of Pine Crest School; and Dr. Michael Vaardahl, owner of the Foot & Ankle Center of Northern Colorado. LaCriscia Fowlkes, Program Director at PACE Center for Girls in Miami, and The Honorable Adam McGinnis, Orange County Judge for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, received the 2013 Rising Star Award.