ECC students to visit King memorial in D.C.

A group of students and staff from Elgin Community College will travel to Washington D.C. this weekend for the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.

About a dozen members of the Black Students Association of ECC left Elgin on Thursday for an 11-hour bus ride to the nation’s capital.

“The purpose of the trip is to explore the cultural background of Washington, D.C. and attend the memorial,” said Byran Lantz, president of the Black Students Association.

“Martin Luther King, Jr. is a big part of history in the African American culture that we definitely wanted to make it a priority to visit the memorial. Being able to go at the same time as the dedication will be a great experience.”

The dedication ceremony was postponed from late August because of Hurricane Irene. The original ceremony was scheduled to take place on Aug. 28, the 48th anniversary of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

The memorial, which is located on the National Mall near the Jefferson Memorial, features a 30-foot tall stone-carved likeness of King.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are expected to attend, as is entertainer Aretha Franklin, members of the King family and journalist Dan Rather.

While in D.C. the students will also tour Howard University and Georgetown University.

Special ed in U-46: The Elgin Area District U-46 Citizen’s Advisory Council and the district’s special education department are inviting parents to attend the first in a series of informational events planned for the 2011-2012 school year.Special education administrators will be available from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, in the Elgin High School library to discuss the district#146;s special education programs.Staff will be available to discuss general policies and information, assist parents in understanding the written format of the Individual Education Plan and provide information about a child#146;s case manager.Call (847) 888-5000, ext. 5605 for more information.