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The Issues Troupe, sponsored and coordinated by the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services, uses theatre as a tool to explore the issues that deeply affect college students. Short vignettes, skits, and short plays are written and performed by Emory students to introduce an awareness of campus diversity issues, such as racial stereotypes, cultural differences, and current issues.  In fact, The Issues Troupe was honored as the opening act at The Best in Show, an arts spectacle, presented to all freshmen during orientation.

The Issues Troupe activities are not limited to live events.  The Issues Troupe was the cornerstone of the 2005 Student Issues Video Project, a video project raising awareness of important student life issues, and presented to freshmen students throughout the academic year.  The video-vignettes are written, acted, and filmed by Emory students and directed by our Issues Troupe Director.  The Student Issues Video Project was a collaborative effort involving campus departments such as Student Health, Counseling, Campus Police, Student Conduct, and Sexual Assault Prevention and Education. Theatre Studies, Orientation, Violence Studies and the Freshman Undergraduate College that sponsor the freshmen issues education. 

The Issues Troupe also performs student or faculty written plays during Emory’s February Founders Celebration each year.

For more information, please contact OMPS at 404.727.6754.

Ken Horbeck - Director Ken Hornbeck moved to the Atlanta Area from New York in January of 1997. He served as Artistic Director of Mount Sinai Medical Center's STAR Theatre (now NiteStar) from 1989-1997, and was Founder and Executive Artistic Director of the EN-ACTE Program at Emory University from 1997-2001. Both of these programs created original theater for teens around topics including HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy prevention, diversity, decision-making and abuse, among others.  He has worked professionally as an actor, director, writer and visual artist in Dallas and New York City as well as here in Atlanta.  Ken recently completed co-writing a theater-in-education manual, which is being used by the United Nations Population Fund, where he is a member of the International Peer Training Team.  He has provided training for UNFPA in Estonia, Istanbul and Macedonia, as well as Sarajevo and Belgrade.  As the director of the Issues Troupe, Ken has been pleased to direct three original short plays dealing with diversity for the Fall Orientations 2003, 2004, 2005 & 2006, along with the production of “War Daddy”, “Shrapnel”, and "Heliocentricity" presented for the Founders Celebration. Jasmine Bowles Year: 2010 Major(s): English/Minor African Studies Hometown: Atlanta, GA Years w/ Issues Troupe: 3 Activities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Crossroads Intern 2007 Emory Cheerleading Founder Gilman Scholar Inter-Sorority Council Rep. Issues Troupe MORE Mentor Advisor   Wencong Chen Year: 2010 Major(s): Theater/Minor Film Hometown: Shanghai, China Years w/ Issues Troupe: 3 Activities: Ad Hoc, BAM step team, Starving Artists Production, filmmaking, ECSA, HKSA, Issues Troupe, MORE Mentor, Photography, Theater Emory Pierce G. Hand, IV Year: 2011 Major(s): Spanish Hometown: Atlanta, GA Years w/ Issues Troupe: 1st Activities: Emory Mock-Trial, Pre-Law Society, BAM '07, Wonderful Wednesday Moderator, BSA Breanna McDaniel   Year: 2011 Major(s): African American Studies/Creative Writing Hometown: College Park, GA Years w/ Issues Troupe: 1st Activities: Theater, BSA, singing Samantha Lamont Year: 2010 Major(s): Sociology & Political Science Hometown: Military Brat Years w/ Issues Troupe: 1 Activities: Ngambika Exec, ACES Exec, The 95 Theses Movement, Gold Congressional Award Recipient Scot Seitz Year: 2009 Major(s): Biology, Women's Studies Hometown: Tampa, FL Years w/ Issues Troupe: 4 Activities: Emory Pride, Transforming Community Project, Crossroads, Wonderful Wednesday, MOE Research Team Yingxue (Rosie) Tang Year: 2011 Major(s): Sociology/International Studies Hometown: Zhengzhou, China Years w/ Issues Troupe: 2 Activities: Crossroads Intern '08 and '09, Karma Dance Team, Next Phase Dance Team, Emory Wheel Sales Representative     Year: 2009 Major(s): Political Science Hometown: Brooklyn, NY Years w/ Issues Troupe: 2 Activities: Brotherhood of Afrocentric Men, Black Student Alliance, Multicultural Outreach & Resources at Emory, Boys Speak Out     Year: 2009 Major(s): Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology Hometown: Hyderabad, India & Orlando, FL Years w/ Issues Troupe: 1 Activities: ICE, HSC,Volunteer Emory, tennis, SIRE Shalini Ramachandran Year: 2011 Major(s): English, Journalism Hometown: Lilburn, GA Years w/ Issues Troupe: 1 Activities: Emory Wheel, Hindu Students Association, Inter-Religious Council, Impact Africa, The Gathering   Year: 2009 Major(s):   Hometown:   Years w/ Issues Troupe:   Activities: