Gonzaga University UMEC Newsletter April 2011

the

UNITY Upcoming Events

april may

16-24 Japan Week (Spokane) 29 Stand Against Racism 2 UMEC Study Break 8 Undergraduate Commencement

inside this issue...

Crafting Unity MCHS Induction Ceremony Cultural Awareness Night Islamophobia Chi-Urban Excursion Black History Mobile Museum Diversity Monologues

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multicultural education center Vol.ume 1, Issue 3

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April 20, 2011

Director’s Corner

...Let us not love with words or speech

but with actions and in truth. I John 3:18

An incredible amount of action has transpired this semester in our department, and I am proud of the fact the UMEC team has been motivated to incorporate a depth of truth, opportunities for reflection, and critical thinking in the majority of the activities.

Standing-room-only attendance at multiple events was tangible acknowledgment of what Gonzaga students, faculty and staff are embracing – a faith-inspired commitment to an inclusive community. As we continue to provide a variety of platforms to heighten diversity awareness, we invite others to actively engage in co-creating an environment that extends God’s grace by valuing the richness of human differences. The Gonzaga mission challenges us to help students explore and understand the world we live in and invites them to reflect with us on the problems and possibilities. This is no easy task, but what a call to action! I am blessed to have such a wonderful staff who whole-heartedly accepts this call. I invite others to participate in the journey with us…Action + Truth = Love.

Tracy Ellis-Ward

Director, UMEC

Crafting Unity

st. patrick’s day

UMEC’s Crafting Unity for Northern Ireland event was a great opportunity for Gonzaga students to celebrate their Irish pride and profess peace within Northern Ireland by stamping colorful T-shirts before St. Patrick’s Day. As many are aware, the Northern Irish city of Belfast is still 98% segregated by religion.

The sectarian bloodbath that has plagued Northern Ireland for hundreds of years stares into a murky fate today, but the optimism borne of events like Crafting Unity helps to incite hope in Ireland and The States alike.

With the help of Gonzaga students and UMEC, awareness can work to resolve the deep devastation that the Troubles have inflicted upon Northern Ireland and its descendant Irish Americans.

S tudents use stamps to create St. Patrick’s Day t-shirts in Crosby.

502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258

(509) 313-5836

unityhouse@gonzaga.edu

Induction ceremony

multicultural honor society

On Thursday, March 17, the Multicultural Honor Society had its fourth induction ceremony, which was held at Bozarth Mansion. The induction ceremony is a time of celebration and anticipation as the honor society welcomes bright new members. The induction size of the ceremony was especially imperative this year as many seniors are graduating from MCHS in the spring. The application process for this year’s induction class was extremely difficult as there were many qualified applicants amongst the group.

MCHS officers and advisors were looking for a great balance amongst the new inductees as they were going to join a prestigious cohesive group of students at Gonzaga University. There were twenty sophomores and seven junior Gonzaga students inducted into the honor society on Thursday, with a total induction class of 27 members. This induction class was the biggest yet to date.

The attire for the induction ceremony was business casual and it was wonderful to see all the inducted members dressed up for the occasion. Besides members, officers, and honor society advisors; there was also a group of professors in attendance. These professors have shown constant support and recognition of the Multicultural Honor Society, and UMEC staff and the MCHS officers were happy that they were present at this special event. The evening started with a short address from myself as I conveyed how excited and eager the MCHS officers were about the 2011 induction class. The state of the Multicultural Honor Society is in transition and we are looking forward to more stability as we induct a younger group of members. I conveyed how officers and members alike are enthusiastic about working with the new members as we finish out the school year.

Rudy Mondragón provided fitting comments about the values of Gonzaga University and how MCHS speaks directly to the mission of the school. Mondragón looks forward to the new members of MCHS and their expected roles in the community.

Afterwards everyone shared in a great meal and had lively conversations the remainder of the evening. From my experiences throughout the night, particularly during the ice-breaker activities, I can honestly say that I’m more than thrilled about the future of the MCHS. I believe I speak for all MCHS members when I say that there is nothing but growth and achievement in the future of the Multicultural Honor Society.

Gonzaga university

lauren treacy was a bridge core leader and is currently a senior at gonzaga.

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patty duke

Cultural Awareness Night

Patty Duke made an appearance at the Wolff Auditorium and spoke about her role as Helen Keller in the movie “Miracle Worker.”

rajah bose photo

On March 25, a talented woman, small in stature but big in voice, Patty Duke, took questions like some people take names. As the dialogue progressed, it became apparent that Patty Duke had more to share than just her presence as an Academy Award winning actor. She relayed personal accounts of interactions with Helen Keller, the history of The Miracle Worker both as a play and a film, and her personal experience of acting as both Helen Keller and her “miracle worker,” Anne Sullivan. Patty Duke may not be a Helen Keller biographer, but she understands Helen Keller in a way that made the audience feel connected to an understanding of the human experience. After all, Helen Keller, a deaf-blind feminist and communist, is undoubtedly an unorthodox American hero. “It was a joy to share moments of my life and talk about the amazing Helen Keller, said Ms. Duke. My husband and I have made friends at Gonzaga for long time to come.”

Shawn washington is the program coordinator at the unity multicultural education center.

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Islamophobia

amer ahmed

Guest Amer Ahmed, intercultural diversity consultant and Associate Director of MultiEthnic Student Affairs at the University of Michigan, spoken work poet, and hip hop activist recently visited Gonzaga University. Ahmed addressed a standing room only Jepson Wolff Auditorium where students, staff, faculty, and Spokane community were able to engage in his lecture titled, Islamophobia. This information presented was dynamic in the sense that he not only spoke to and with his audience, but also incorporated movie clips, music, and hip hop.

Ahmed used multiple tools and an diverse set of examples to help enhance his socio-political and historical perspective on the post 9/11 era in which the U.S. has exposed a large amount of hate and bigotry towards the Muslim community. Ahmed’s authenticity made the material very accessible for his audience as he provided talking points for clarifying up basic misconceptions about Islam and the implications of xenophobia. The audience walked away with new understandings about the Islamic faith and how relatable it is to Christianity. In passing, a student commented on how “Christianity and Islam parallel each other very much” and that he did not realize “the extent of racial profiling post 9/11 and just how unaware we are of Islamic culture.”

Ahmed stated, “I truly enjoyed my experience at Gonzaga University. I also really enjoyed my experiences with students, staff and faculty. I hope that the students felt that they learned new content and it encouraged them to learn more about the material covered on their own. I also hope it motivated them to engage issues of social justice in the world around them.”

Both the Gonzaga and Spokane community were able to better understand embrace collective differences. Audience members learned how to combat stereotypes that are often times (mis)informed by the media and how to move beyond judgments. Ahmed invited us to help construct bridges by sharing knowledge and engaging in critical dialogue.

RUDY MONDRAGON IS THE INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST AT UMEC.

Gonzaga university

rajah bose photo The Jepson Wolff Aufitorium was filled with students who were curious to find out what Amer Amed had to say about social issues within the United States on the topic of Islamophobia.

rajah bose photo

unity multicultural education center

Chi-Ubran Excursion

“chicago, keepin’ it real...”

Gonzaga University’s Unity Multicultural Center (UMEC) hosted Chi-Urban Excursion for Spring Break 2011 with seven students and two Gonzaga staff to Chicago, Illinois for an alternative and rewarding spring break experience. The students learned about community issues pertaining to the LGBT community, environmental justice, African-American history, neighborhood gentrification, politics, art, and class conflicts. The group led by Tracy Ellis-Ward, Director of UMEC, and Multicultural Literature Professor Jessica Maucione, shared a spiritually enriching experience in the heart of a complex urban city. Reflections on social justice as it applied to Chicago and how to perspectives within the Gonzaga experience were paramount discussions. The Chicago deep-dish pizza and a Chicago Bulls game were included in the excursion and added priceless moments for those involved.

Gonzaga teamed up with the Chicago Center LearnChicago! Program. The center’s philosophy is that the city of Chicago is a student’s classroom. The savvy Chicago Center staff led the group through an exciting itinerary that included visits to LGBT Center on Halstead, trips to Chicago’s South side Mexican, Asia, and Indian communities, Altgeld Gardens (Where President Barack Obama assisted in community organizing), the Dusable Musuem of African American History, the church Faith Community of St. Sabina, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. The tour guides drove through Hyde Park, an interracial community, where the van drove past President Barack Obama’s home, Muhammad Ali’s previous home near Reverend Jesse Jackson and Elijah Muhammad’s home.

The group’s tour guide, Steve, who grew up on the city’s South side,

(Above) Excited, students gathered to travel to the United Center for a surprise treat to watch an NBA game. The students enjoyed the crowed at the United Center as they watched the Chicago Bulls take on the New Orleans Hornets. The group used several methods of public transportation before they arrived at the “Madhouse on Madison.”

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Chicago is the third-largest city in the country. Buildings showcased the history behind the windy city.

Local artists were showcased the the South Side Community Art Center.

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chicago

mentioned that people see themselves integrating into larger communities and not as ethnic enclaves. The students heard multiple stories about neighborhoods that historically housed concentrated ethnic pools, but now have assimilated and are seeking to break out of the heavily marginalized from the overall economy.

Despite the hardships involved in neighborhoods like Bronzeville, one of the poorest in Chicago and juxtaposed with the elite Chicago White Chicago’s stadium a block away, the overall sense and strength of community was astounding. Every student on the trip commented on the profound sense of community expressed through murals, through discussions with community members and through Spoken Word–in an open-mic setting.

Chicago is “rough,” a “tough-guy town,” and powerful. Chicago is also open, striving to release social tensions, and real. The marginalized share stories of abandonment, economic struggle, and relational loss, but their stories rung out with an underlying sense of love, forgiveness, and courage. The Chi-Urban Excursion is a program that honestly opens your eyes through first hand observation and sincere discussion with the people and the environment. The program aligns with excellent Jesuit ideals and challenges the mind, body, and spirit to awaken to reality and learn from the competing ideologies how the people within are shaping change. Our choice to step out of Spokane and learn about Chicago was an eye-opening experience to the realities of our world. Gonzaga’s group entered with a willingness to learn about the truth behind our neighbors’ experiences without simply offering them a means to an end.

Welcomed by Chicago and reflective on the overall spring break experience, the Chi-Urban Excursion participants returned to Spokane with new found understandings of community and urban social, economic, and social justice issues. Chicago offers its own definition of change: slow, but honest, political, but noteworthy, and restless, like the wind, in the windy city.

Annie Szotkowski is a sophomore at Gonzaga and participated in the chi-urban excursion.

(Left) Students gathered for a discussion at the Center on Halsted in Chicago. The Center on Halsted serves as a catalyst for the LGBT community that links and provides community resources and enriches life experiences.

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Diversity Monologues

diversity monologues photos by rajaH bose

the beauty of voice Gonzaga university

On Thursday, March 31, the campus was introduced to the first ever Diversity Monologue competition held at Gonzaga. The idea to host the competition at Gonzaga was inspired by Intercultural Relations Specialist, Rudy Mondragón. Monologue hopefuls first submitted their personal art, were asked to audition their piece, and were invited to the finalist round—the night of the Diversity Monologues. Overall, there were 33 submissions with eight chosen as finalists: Izze Carter Vincent, Diana Mallon, René Alvarez Jr., Ruben Yamada, Jordan Love, Tim Yates, Christina Bernal, and Edwin Torres.

Prizes were awarded to the top three contestants, determined by a panel of five judges based on a criteria ranging from originality to presentation. Participants presented their response to the question, “Based on your cultural background, friends, media, education, social class, community, and overall life experience, how do you come to know beauty?” The monologues presented by the finalists addressed issues such as sexual orientation, poverty, and ancestry.

Though the event was new to the campus, the room was filled with students, faculty, and community members eager to listen.

The mistress of the ceremony and guest poet of the night was Laura YesYes from Chicago, who entertained the audience with her humorous yet real poetry for the second half hour. The Diversity Monologues provoked a great emotional response from the contestants as well as audience members, many of whom approached the contestants after the event to thank them for sharing their stories. The event allowed for students to address their own personal struggles with self identity in the world, and allowed the university to become aware of real-life issues that affect students on campus. With the amazing reception and success of the Diversity Monologues, the competition has earned a place as a fixture at Gonzaga. Be on the lookout for Diversity Monologues, 2.0, coming next spring!

RENE ALVAREZ, JR. IS AN ACT SIX SCHOLAR AND FRESHMAN AT GONZAGA UNIVERSITY.

unity multicultural education center

Let’s show them how it feels to be the body beautiful and show ourselves how it feels to step outside the frame.

-laura yes-yes

Black History 101 Mobile Museum khalid el-hakim

Gonzaga university

(Left) Students were invited to scope out artifacts on the main floor of the Crosby Student Center.

Students passing stopped by the area out of curiosity while other eager students, who awaited the arrival of the Museum, took their time moving around each section of history.

(Left)The Black History 101 Mobile Museum is a collection of over 3,000 artifacts from slavery to the Hip Hop era.

This one of a kind mobile museum travels to colleges, universities, K-12 schools, festivals and cultural events throughout the country.

(Left) Khalid El-Hakim speaks with UMEC Program Assistant Deborah Ellis about how he began collecting the artifacts.

Khalid stated that the Museum first started out in the comfort of his own living room.

(Left) Students Mercedes Hayes and Tamasha Emedi are astounded by the language they found in a phamphlet they picked up.

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