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UNITY
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION etter CENTER newsl Volume 2, Issue 3
February 21, 2012
Upcoming Events Director’s Corner 22 24
FEBRUARY
26 29
Crafting Unity: African Art Showcase Cultural Awareness Night: Nicholas Sironka Art Workshop UMEC Movie Social Town Hall
1 29
Cultural Awareness Night: Film Round Table Diversity Monologues
11 18 27
Crafting Unity: Lei Making Yom Hashoah Remembrance Program Stand Against Racism
7
UMEC Study Break
MARCH APRIL MAY
inside this issue... BRIDGE/LEADS Reunion Dinner GU Iron Chef White Like Me: Tim Wise BRIDGE Counselor Info Ericka Huggins Reflection Ally Connection Mocktail Movie Night Review Crafting Unity Highlights Diversity Monologues Promo
...Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. --Romans 12:2 UMEC has provided multiple opportunities for the campus and Spokane community to engage with Black History month activities. Kudos to my staff for all their hard work to bring forth innovative and thought-provoking programs. Reflecting upon our efforts as a department, I often wonder how Gonzaga would be transformed if others would habitually integrate diversity into the Jesuit educational experience which lauds teaching the whole person? Our current mission declares the belief that the knowledge of traditions and cultures different from our own draws us closer to the human family. I would contend that such knowledge must be readily available for all students to acquire. As educators we must be willing to unselfishly interrogate our motives through lenses of privilege and love. Critically thinking about the historical narratives that have been consistently omitted from academia is indeed a justice issue. Conversing and reflecting about such topics is important, however engaging strategies to remedy injustice is the only way to live out the mission. We must be courageous enough to exercise our inspirations with the expectation that our willingness to act will help students develop an understanding of diversity in all of its forms. This includes the richness that such diversity adds to the University community as articulated Vision 2012. Creating a more equitable and inclusive campus community requires staff and faculty advocates prepared to act. Can we renew our thinking in such a way that truly transforms our campus into a place where human difference is valued for the sake of educating the whole person? My heart says it is indeed possible if…
Tracy Ellis-Ward Director, UMEC
Pictured to the Right: GU Students socializing during the BRIDGE/LEADS 2012 Reunion Dinner. BRIDGE Stands for Building Relationships In Diverse Gonzaga Environments. LEADS Stands for Leadership, Education, Academic Development, and Success Skills. 502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
3rd Annunal GU Iron Chef:
Cultural Cooking Competition Pictured below: 2012 GU Iron Chef Judge’s Choice Winner Dane Pavlik (Left) and People’s Choice Winner Nate Gaberich. The winning dishes were Dane’s Sweet Turkey Chili and Nate’s Spicy Grilled Cheese and Avocado. Both dishes will be featured during the COG dinner time on Sunday, February 26. Pictured Left: GU Iron Chef Participants and GU Iron Chef crowd participants enjoy the atomsphere on Sunday, January 29 in Crosby. In 2013, GU Iron Chef will be hosted in the COG Dining Area!
“I love competing in the GU Iron Chef Challenge because it gives students the opportunities to showcase recipes from their culture and family. The day of the competition is always fun with people coming in to try all the great food that we the contestants prepare. This is my third year competing and freshman year was just for fun, last year took it a little more serious and won the People’s Choice award. This year was very special for me since I won the Judges’ Choice award for the first time. As a junior, I’ll definitely be back next year to defend my title. Overall this is a great event to bring the GU community together and opens us up to more culturally diverse cuisines.” REFLECTION BY 2-TIME GU IRON CHEF CHAMP DANE PAVLIK Gonzaga university
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White Like Me: GU Student Review On Wednesday, February 1, Gonzaga welcomed renowned author and civil rights activist Tim Wise for a lecture on white privilege and institutional racism. Throughout the lecture, Wise articulated the social benefits of being White in contemporary America and addressed current social inequity based on race, with strong statistical support, in order to prove the existence of racism post-Civil Rights. Using a fiery voice, often described as mirroring that of a southern preacher, and gut-wrenching humor, Wise was able to intrigue and captivate the audience for the duration of the lecture. After Wise completed his formal lecture, he opened the floor for an audience Q&A, where students as well as faculty sought more insight on how racism and social inequity plays out in the modern world, and what students can do to combat it. In a memorable and challenging moment of the night, a local Tribeswoman utilized the open forum to inform the audience of an opportunity for the community to engage in service by assisting in the cleaning of uranium mines that have intoxicated tribal land on the Spokane Indian Reservation for over half a century. Prompted by this plea for community involvement, Wise challenged the audience to commit to engaging in “authentic” service, where service is not performed for the community or people, rather “with” them. Wise’s visit to campus succeeded in challenging the Gonzaga community in attendance to work through passivity toward racism and classism and challenge the systems that support inequity by utilizing our own privilege to work with those who are affected by social inequity daily. RENE ALVAREZ JR., ACT SIX, SOPHOMORE SCHOLAR,
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
Pictured above: Social Justice and Anti-Racism Activist Tim Wise asking the audience to have “real conversations” about not only Gonzaga issues, but issues in Spokane.
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
The Melding of Spiritual Activism and Social Justice
GU Student Reflection On the night of Monday, February 13, Gonzaga had the pleasure to learn from a person whose great experiences were created through a life of adversity and perseverance. That person was none other than Ericka Huggins. This powerful woman spoke to the Gonzaga community about her struggles as a single parent in jail and also her involvement in the Black Panther Party. From an early childhood, Ericka always knew that her calling was to help others; those that are marginalized. In her lecture, she talked about how she decided to the join the Black Panther Party. She was 18 and drove to Los Angeles from the East Coast with her friend John Huggins, later to be her husband. A year into her involvement with the Black Panther Party, a tragic event occurred that changed Ericka’s life. Her husband was shot and killed on the UCLA campus along with another fellow Black Panther Party member. The campus never once shared the story of these two tragic men. When Ericka returned to the East Coast, she decided to continue with the Black Panther Party and was asked to start a chapter at a nearby college. It was at that time she was charged for conspiracy and sentenced to jail for two year. It was in jail where she learned the importance in meditation. As she talked, there was calmness in her voice. As the lecture went on Ericka made it a point to change people’s minds about the Black Panther Party. As many Gonzaga students including myself are guilty of believing misinformation found in textbooks, the Black Panther Party was viewed as a radical party that used force and violence to make change. Ericka spoke of how the party had programs to help and care for marginalized and underrepresented groups. They were about equality among all people, not just blacks. One program she spoke of was an alternative school for children. In the school, they were taught everything as a public school, but with more care and attention. As the lecture came to a close, Ericka asked challenging questions and provided advice regarding awareness and social change for students and faculty. We left with a better appreciation for what happens when people demand change.
MERCEDES HAYES, BLACK STUDENT UNION PRESIDENT AND COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR
By ERICKA HUGGINS Gonzaga university
Pictured above: Former Black Panther Chapter Leader and Social Justice Activist Ericka Huggins blessing Gonzaga University with her lived experience insight.
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Before moving to Spokane, Washington, I was finishing my doctorate in creative writing and postcolonial literature at the University of Houston in Texas, which, according to U.S. News and World Report, ranks as the second most ethnically and racially diverse college in the nation. My classrooms there were filled with international students from places as diverse as Bosnia, Pakistan, and Germany, which allowed for stimulating and illuminating dialogues within the classroom. On the surface, Gonzaga’s student population is less ethnically diverse, but, as I begin my third semester at Gonzaga, I can say that diversity manifests itself in subtle but critical ways on this campus. On February 7, I taught a workshop on the Diversity Monologues, and at the event last year I was struck by the depth and range of experiences embedded in the student monologues. Students at Gonzaga may appear more homogenous, but they contain a wealth of life experiences, class backgrounds, regional distinctions, perspectives, and outlooks that contribute to a rich dialogue in the classroom. And the students on campus have a powerful and enduring curiosity and investment in learning about and contributing to the world.
Ally Connection
Dr. Keya Mitra English, Department
As part of the English department, I work with brilliant colleagues who stress the importance of diverse perspectives and thought in the classroom, who concentrate on issues related to gender, sexuality, race, and power dynamics. I am personally grateful to be teaching a class on Postcolonial Studies this semester. I began the class by showing a clip from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of the Single Story,” in which the Nigerian author stresses the importance of generating and sharing diverse narratives. “Stories matter,” she says in her talk. “Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and malign, but stories can also be used to empower and humanize.” The study of literature and creative writing teaches Gonzaga students to become more cognizant of the importance of narratives in the world as well as the value of identifying, articulating, and communicating their own individual, distinct narratives. I’ve been inspired by the mission of the university and my department, which encourages students to delve deeper into and engage in a meaningful dialogue about diverse narratives. Through this dialogue and through the study of narratives, our students gain a greater understanding of themselves and the world.
BECOME A SUMMER BRIDGE COUNSELOR IN 2012! Applications will be available in umec and on-line @ www.gonzaga.edu/UMEC on February 21 The Gonzaga University Summer “BRIDGE” Pre-Orientation program is designed to encourage incoming students to become better acquainted with the environment where they will pursue their academic career through first hand interactions with upperclassmen and campus resources. BRIDGE Counselor applications are due by March 9 with interviews shortly after. Once counselors are chosen, the report start date is August 17.
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
MOCKTAIL MOVIE NIGHT: GU Student Film Review of Mooz-lum
Mooz-lum is an excellent movie which describes the life of a Muslim family both before and after the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. The main character, Tahriq Mahdi, has been raised by his father and has struggled with his religious beliefs as well as his social life. The movie follows Tahriq in his journey to college and his attempt to find himself. Being a first year college student myself, I can relate to Tahriq in that sense. It is hard to go in to college knowing very few people and successfully find your identity. Tahriq struggled with his religious beliefs throughout the movie. To me, he struggled with the fact that if he followed his religion, he would not fit in amongst his peers. I am sure that not only myself, but other college students could Pictured above: Sociology and Criminal Justice professor relate to abandoning certain aspects of your life in order to fit in Vikas Gumbhir leading post-film discussion after with the crowd. In the movie Tahriq risks his own safety in order participants viewed Mooz-Lum. UMEC offered a chance to protect his sister and her friend. This is something I definitely to learn and challenge students’ perceptions outside related to having two younger sisters and a younger brother. Lastly, the classroom on Friday, February 10 in the Foley throughout the movie Tahriq’s father pushed him to be just like Teleconference Room. “I think there is a beauty in film,” him. My father did not take it to the same level as Tahriq’s dad did, Gumbhir said. “There is also a culture of learning.” but I could recall times in my life when my father would push me to become more and more like him. Overall, the movie provided an Mocktail Movie Night was a collaboration with UMEC, excellent example of how to stay true to yourself, even in times of Student Wellness Resource Center/G+, and Professor Vik hardship. Gumbhir. LOGAN TORRES, ACT SIX, FRESHMEN SCHOLAR, AND BIOLOGY MAJOR
CRAFTING UNITY: Chinese New Year Lanterns
Gonzaga university
unity multicultural education center
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu