Southfield junior Brandon Davis went through a whole new experience
this weekend.

Davis, along with several other students, attended various
performances, lectures and workshops from professionals in the career
field of storytelling, as the fourth-annual Michigan Story Festival
came to Mount Pleasant, beginning Thursday and concluding Saturday.

“I really enjoyed it,” Davis said. “It was a great opportunity to
expand my horizons and I’m glad that I did.”

Darcy Orlik, coordinator of special events for the College of
Communications and Fine Arts, said the festival was assembled as a
civil engagement project among CMU, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
and the City of Mount Pleasant.

Many of the events were scattered throughout the community as well
as on campus.

Bill White, a former Mount Pleasant pastor and writer, told stories
of courage, truth skills and character development Saturday in Moore
Hall’s Townsend Kiva.

“It was very entertaining,” said Battle Creek senior Lisa Rex. “I
like how there was a moral for each of the stories.”

A slew of other events took place throughout the campus and
community Saturday. Some included performances by Carolyn Dunn, Tim
Tingle, Rob Reider and Bobby Norfolk.

Those who didn’t attend the festival this weekend still can see some
of the exhibits.

Tom Woodruff’s art will be displayed until Tuesday in Charles V.
Park Library’s third-floor exhibit area. Also, “Woodland Contemporary
Traditions: Selections from the Olga Denison Collection of Native
American Art” will be available until Nov. 27 and “Whiskey Tango
Foxtrot: Word from Iraq” until Nov. 30.

On Friday, Judy Sima hosted a workshop titled “Six Quick Steps to
Storytelling,” which was followed by a lecture and book signing by John
Grogan, CMU alumnus whose book, “Marley and Me,” has appeared at No. 1
on the New York Times best-seller list for 22 weeks.

Award-winning American-Indian artist Carolyn Dunn and mural artist
Tom Woodruff also gave lectures Friday.

The festival officially opened at 6 p.m. Friday when the
Mountaintown Moonshiners opened up for the Chapin Family, who performed
at

7 p.m. in the Music Building’s Staples Family Concert Hall.

The Chapin Family’s style appealed to Lansing junior Bianca Jones,
who wasn’t familiar with the band’s style.

“It was really nice to hear a different genre of music that I’m not
used to,” Jones said.

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