UMO to Host “Front Porch Stories” Event

MOUNT OLIVE- The University of Mount Olive (UMO) Campus Ministry will host a “Front Porch Stories” event on Saturday, April 6 at 3 PM in Rodgers Chapel.

Storytellers Brenda Gilbert, Ted Feitshans, Robin Kitson, and Chris Wise will share tales that will make attendees smile, cry, and laugh. Gale Buck will serve as emcee.

Brenda Gilbert is a retired educator and has told stories to thousands of Scotland County students over her 27-year career. She has been a storyteller for 40 years and is co-founder of the annual Storytelling Festival of Carolina and the Bold-Faced Liars’ Showdown. Gilbert leads the Story Spinners Guild in Laurinburg, NC. The guild’s purpose is to promote the art of storytelling by giving its members a nurturing environment in which to practice and grow their skills. Gilbert is also an actor and is the founder of Encore! Theatre in Laurinburg, where she most recently had the title role in Driving Miss Daisy.

Dr. Ted Feitshans is a UMO Professor of Agribusiness and Extension Professor Emeritus in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at NC State University. He participated in the first Bold-Faced Liars’ Showdown in Laurinburg and many showdowns thereafter. He is a frequent participant in “Front Porch Stories.”

Robin Kitson shares “Stories that Polish Your Heart.” A People’s Choice Award winner at the Bold-Faced Liars’ Showdown, her tales include Cajun stories from her home in New Orleans and tall tales channeled by little green aliens. Recognized for her accomplishments in public speaking and as a job advancement coach, Kitson also conducts workshops on diverse topics, from rubber duckies to sustainability.

Chris Wise shares stories and songs from childhood summers spent in Arkansas, his time as a soldier, and, in recent years, encounters right here in NC. His stories are sometimes humorous, sometimes a bit dark, and sometimes even true – mostly.

This event is free and open to the public.

The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, in Smithfield at Johnston Community College, and online. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.