MLK will be the subject of oratory competition

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006 | 8 a.m.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate today's federal holiday, the International House of Blues Foundation may have the answer.

The foundation's seventh annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratory Competition will be held at the Boyd School of Law at UNLV.

Students from throughout the Clark County School District will compete, with judging by attorneys from the Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Nevada.

Listeners of KNPR 89.5 FM know -- having heard past winners read their winning essays on the air -- this event provides a unique opportunity for students to explore how Dr. King's work and ideals inspire their own lives.

The event begins at 1 p.m. at 4505 S. Maryland Parkway and is free and open to the public.

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The School District hosted its first public events last week at 5100 W. Sahara Ave., the $14.5 million administrative facility purchased amid some controversy last year. The naysayers have largely been silenced by the subsequent offers from outsiders to buy the building for upward of $18 million, suggesting district officials made a shrewd buy.

But claims that district employees who relocated to the new site from the Greer Education Center at 2832 E. Flamingo Road were being spoiled by a cushy working environment appear to be true -- at least when it comes to snacks.

At last week's public receptions for the six semifinalists for superintendent, community members were greeted at the new office building by a student string quartet. Refreshments included water, coffee, three kinds of cookies as well as three choices of muffins.

Across town at the old "Ed Shed," a student quartet also performed. The eats amounted to water, coffee, just two kinds of cookies -- and no muffins. Zip.

"I suppose at the Taj Majal they served the muffins in the Jacuzzi," joked one district observer, referring to erroneous reports by some media that the new building's executive suite included lavish bathrooms with spa tubs.

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The Clark County School Board has decided to hold off on the pricy advice, at least for now. At Thursday's meeting, the School Board tabled an item calling for a $100,000 contract with Aspen Group International to provide support services during the transition to a new superintendent.

Several School Board members -- including Larry Mason, who visited Vail this fall and heard Aspen Group's pitch -- expressed concern over the cost. But Erik Herzik, a UNR political science professor, said the School Board should be praised for recognizing that outside help can be essential in these types of situations.

The School Board is expected to reconsider the consultants' proposal later this month.

Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at emily@lasvegassun.com.