Beginning today, the soul uplifting sounds and spirit of gospel music will grace Seattle Pacific University as part of GospelFest10: A Celebration of the Gospel Music Legacy. Three days of an educational symposium, rehearsals and a dinner culminate Saturday night in a mass gospel choir concert - proving that there is so much more to Seattle than alt-indie-pop.

For $10 a person, the symposium at the First Free Methodist Church adjacent to the SPU campus features workshops and sessions in the history, literature, and ministry of the Gospel music tradition, as presented by some of the genre’s pre-eminent practitioners and scholars, including Robert Darden, an associate professor of journalism at Baylor University and author of “People Get Ready! A New History of Black Gospel Music,” (which is the subject of one of the symposium’s clinics).

Saturday’s concert will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in SPU’s Royal Brougham Pavilion, 3414 Third Ave West. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Free parking is available in the Nickerson, Ross, and West Dravus street parking lots. The event is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 206-281-2966 or visit the GospelFest10 website.

The audience will be in for a real treat as they bear witness to some of the region’s finest gospel choirs, including JudahSong, SureHouse, The Sound of the Northwest, SPU’s gospel choir, and gospel choirs from Antioch Bible Church and University Presbyterian Church. If the memory of these stirring voices isn’t enough, a souvenir booklet will also be available for purchase.

As part of World AIDS Day today, Princess Zulu is in Seattle to share her story of growing up an AIDS orphan.  The Zambian woman is an activist who speaks across the nation to bring world awareness to the AIDS epidemic, hunger, malaria and poverty.  Her message has led to meetings with a number of world leaders and work with the ONE campaign and World Vision.  Tonight’s event takes place in Beegle Hall 201 on the Seattle Pacific University campus at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public.   

Following Princess Zulu’s speech, there will be a candlelight vigil in SPU’s Tiffany Loop.  That event will include a display of 1,000 crosses, which represent the number of people who die of HIV/AIDS every three hours.  The event is sponsored by SPU’s ACT:S club, a student group concerned with poverty and injustice.

Freshmen at Seattle Pacific University began their first day of college by serving several communities around Seattle.  Nearly 800 students and teachers participated in SPU’s annual CityQuest on Saturday.  The event, which is “strongly recommended” for incoming freshmen, began nearly 20 years ago as a way to help students discover the city, as well as introduce community involvement as part of their college experience. 

After making it through their first year at college, sophmores Anika Severin and Kelsey Lund returned as pod leaders for this year’s CityQuest.  Says Kelsey, “Nothing helps you through awkward times more than doing community service together.”

One group of more than twenty students and a faculty member helped at Fremont Abbey Arts Center, where they painted, cleaned graffiti around the neighborhood, picked up trash and fixed things as needed.  Another group helped refurbish elementary science units at the Seattle School District P-12 Inquiry-Based Science Program on N. 35th St.

SPU has ongoing community projects throughout the year.  If you have a group or non-profit that would like to connect with student groups, register on the school’s Volunteer Database or get on a list for next year’s CityQuest by emailing Owen Sallee at owen@spu.edu.

Nearly 800 SPU students and staff are expected to start the first day of school by serving various communities around Seattle.  On Saturday, from 10:30-2:30, they will take part in an annual community service orientation called “CityQuest“.  Below is a picture from last year’s project at Sacred Heart Shelter in Lower Queen Anne.  (Thanks, Owen!)

CityQuest is a 20-year-tradition aimed at introducing community service to the whole college experience.  Projects include removing graffiti, fixing houses and cleaning parks at 32 sites in different neighborhoods.

In Fremont, students and staff will be at Fremont Abbey Arts Center, where they will be doing outdoor neighborhood cleaning, interior painting and cleaning, and carpentry work.  Another group will help at the Seattle School District P-12 Inquiry-Based Science Program, where they will refurbish elementary science units.

For a complete list of all the CityQuest projects around town, click here.