Gonzaga University UMEC Newsletter September 2011

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UNITY inside this issue...

Pilgrimage Roundtable Joaquin Zihuatanejo BRIDGE Student and Counselor Perspectives Ally Connection Professional Development Opportunity UMEC 2011-12 Events

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION etter CENTER newsl Vol.ume 2, Issue 1

September 27, 2011

Director’s Corner

... The humble He guides in justice, and the humble He

teaches His way. --Psalm 25:9

I have found that working with students is the best way to keep me grounded on what really matters at Gonzaga.

Sometimes this can be challenging given the litany of meetings in any given week! Nevertheless, the opportunity to play an instrumental role in the lives of others can beget a form of humility that fuels action. Over the summer, our staff devoted countless hours to discussion and reflection on vision for the department. Our new vision statement –

(Build a community of equity and inclusion that guides and challenges all to respect and value human difference) –ar-

ticulates our commitment to work with and for students, staff and faculty. When we all become more sensitized to our own beliefs, values and opinions, we can inspire learning, spiritual development and cultural engagement for the entire Gonzaga community. I encourage you to find ways this year to demonstrate inclusivity that is aligned with our humanistic tradition and commitment to social justice.

Students visiting the UMEC Table at Club Fair

Pilgrimage Tracy Ellis-Ward Director, UMEC

R o u n d t a b l e

On September 15, the first ever Pilgrimage Roundtable took place with a panel of respected individuals in the Gonzaga community: Fr. Craig Hightower from University Ministry, Dr. Raymond Reyes from the Center for Global Engagement, and Fr. Mark Hoelsken, Gonzaga Alum and a pastor among the Inland Northwest Tribal communities.

Forty-one years ago, the first Pilgrimage to Cataldo Mission took place and from there it became a staple at Gonzaga University and within the Spokane community. This eleven mile hike of prayer, meditation, and reflection is a great way to meet others, but unfortunately, many don’t know the history behind this tradition.

Story continued on page 4 502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258

Upcoming Events SEPTEMBER 28 28 30

Jewish New Year Joaquin Zihuatanejo Cultural Awareness Night: Black in Latin America

OCTOBER 12 18 18 21 25 25

Craftying Unity - Salish Language LGBT Nurturing Environments Workshop - Staff/Faculty only “That’s So Gay” One-person Play Mocktail Movie Night Disability Rights/Ableism Workshop - Staff/ Faculty only Noemi Sohn - Disability Rights Keynote (509) 313-5836

unityhouse@gonzaga.edu

Joaquin Zihuatanejo I Slam, Therefore, I AM:

A Night of Latina/o Poetry by Joaquín Zihuatanejo Wednesday, September 28, 2011 8:00 PM Cataldo-Globe Room Ladies and gentlemen, clear your schedules for the night of September 28 and plan to check out slam poet, Joaquín Zihuatanejo as he performs his poetry at GU for Latina/o Heritage Month! Joaquín is a spoken-word artist and award winning teacher from East Dallas, Texas. Joaquín’s work strives to capture the duality of Latina/o culture, youth barrio life, family, and his experiences as a high school teacher. Joaquín is a national Poetry Slam Finalist, Grand Slam Spoken Word Champion, and an HBO Def Poet (season 6). Most recently, Joaquín represented the United States at the 2009 World Cup of Poetry Slam in Paris, France, a competition that he won besting 13 poets from 13 different nations ranking him number one ranked in the world on both sides of the Atlantic! In addition to Joaquín, come support your fellow Zags as they perform their own poetry and open up the show for Joaquín!

This event is FREE and open to the Gonzaga and Spokane community!

PROGRAM BROUGHT TO YOU BY LA RAZA LATINA AND COFFEE HOUSE. IN COLLABORATION WITH UNITY MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION CENTER, PROGRAMMING BOARD, AND GSBA CAMO AND DIVERSITY CHAIR. Gonzaga university

unity multicultural education center

Reflections from BRIDGE Counselor Reflection I have been humbled by the opportunity to serve as this year’s Public Relations Coordinator for the BRIDGE (Building Relationships in Diverse Gonzaga Environments) program. BRIDGE is a pre-orientation program sponsored by the Unity Multicultural Education Center. Although we had to limit the program to 35 participants, the quality of the five-day program nonetheless exceeded our expectations.

With the help of 14 volunteer BRIDGE Counselors, this year’s program garnered great success. With their generosity and dedication, the counselors served as great leaders and mentors for the BRIDGE students. I am excited for the BRIDGE students as they begin their journey here at Gonzaga University and am grateful to have met each and every one of them. As a pre-orientation program, BRIDGE is made up of first-year students primarily from underrepresented backgrounds and who are first generation. The purpose is to help them make a smooth transition from high school to Gonzaga University.

During the course of the program, students are introduced to a variety of resources and activities that foster teamwork and community. Coming to a predominantly white institution can present many struggles and challenges for some students. The BRIDGE program recognizes this and helps students build a strong network in order to help them feel confident and supported at Gonzaga University.

This year, our students became very close to one another and it created a family like environment. In doing this, the goal is to provide BRIDGE students with a strong foundation as they embark in their four years at Gonzaga. In sum, the BRIDGE program strives to retain students and provide them with the necessary support in order to help them succeed.

THUY-ANH VO 2011 BRIDGE COUNSELOR AND ACT SIX JUNIOR SCHOLAR.

Gonzaga university

unity multicultural education center

Reflections from BRIDGE Student Reflection BRIDGE was a great experience in creating a strong foundation of friends and mentors who understand one another. I thought BRIDGE was only about creating friendships, but it turned out to be about creating a family. During BRIDGE, we established close relationships by sharing and listening to each other’s stories. I was given the opportunity to tell my story, as did other new students. Having a Mexican American background, I grew up with uncertainty in regards to who I was because my values did not completely resonate with my parents or my friends.

Prior to BRIDGE, I lived my life trying to understand my Mexican and American values. Since I had no one in my life to tell me I could embrace and come to know both, I choose to assimilate to the dominant culture. After opening up to my BRIDGE family, I noticed that my peers had similar experiences with identity development. During BRIDGE, I realized that the more we shared our stories with each other, the more comfortable people felt to connect with each other, which ultimately impacted each of our lives. I know now that I’m not alone when I say that people in BRIDGE have become my foundation and support. All in all, I believe that the BRIDGE program is necessary for incoming first-year students not only for the quality of the relationships built with the GU community and the resources introduced to us, but also because it helps students start their journey of self exploration.

JESUS ESQUEDA BRIDGE PARTICIPANT AND ACT SIX FRESHMEN SCHOLAR

The roundtable was an opportunity for Gonzaga students to get a chance to learn when the mission was built and how the relationship between the Jesuits and the Inland Northwest Tribal community interacts with the tradition of Pilgrimage. This intimate gathering was a great way for students to understand the background of Pilgrimage and all of the surrounding history of how the Cataldo Mission even came to exist.

Many students believe that they had a good idea of what Pilgrimage is, but not many know of the involvement by the Inland Northwest Tribes in the actual construction of Cataldo Mission.

One student who attended put it best in saying, “There’s more to the journey than what it seems.”

The Pilgrimage Roundtable was a collaboration effort between UMEC, University Ministry, and the Center for American Indian Studies.

CHARE’ GILLIAM IS AN ACT SIX FRESHMEN SCHOLAR

Gonzaga university

Ally Connection

Pilgrimage Roundtable continued...

Dr. Lazarina Tupozova

New to the LGBT Resource Center this fall is Dr. Lazarina Topuzova. Dr. Topuzova joined the Gonzaga community two years ago as an Assistant Professor of Organizational Leadership at the School of Professional Studies. She was drawn by Gonzaga’s mission to educate women and men for others and the institution’s commitment to service and social justice. “I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as the Coordinator of the LGBT Resource Center and work towards furthering it’s mission of supporting students, staff, and faculty of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, said Dr. Topuzova.

Dr. Topuzova holds a PhD in Social Work and a Masters in Peace and Conflict Resolution. She has spent time in Kosovo working on educational program development, capacity building and conflict resolution skills training for youth from diverse ethnic backgrounds, as well as co-existence and art workshops. Her research interests and expertise are in working with communities, youth, families, refugees, internally displaced persons, as well as developing leadership capacity in community and grassroots organizations.. unity multicultural education center

Calling All Staff and Faculty Don’t miss out on a Professional Development Opportunities

by UMEC this fall: How to Build LGBT Nurturing Environments with Kristo Gobin October 18 at 12-1p, College Hall Room 128 Disability: Accessibility and Beyond with Noemi Sohn October 25 at 12-1p, College Hall Room 128

UMEC 2011-2012 Events 9/15 9/21 9/28 9/28 9/30

10/12 10/18 10/21 10/25

11/3

September

Pilgrimage Roundtable Discussion 7p, COG Crafting Unity--God’s Eyes 12-2p, Crosby Jewish New Year Celebration 11a-2p,Crosby Joaquin Zihuatanejo 8p, Cataldo Cultural Awareness Night: Black in Latin America 7p, Foley

October

Crafting Unity-Salish Language 12-2p, Crosby Kristo Gobin-”That’s So Gay” Play 7p, Foley Mocktail Movie Night 7p, Foley Noemi Sohn-Disability Rights 7p Jepson Wolff Auditorium

November

Ariel Luckey-”Free Lands” Keynote Lecture 7p Jepson Wolff Auditorium 11/9 Crafting Unity 12-2p, Crosby 11/19 Deconstructing Thanksgiving, Dr. Almeida 7p, Foley 11/11 Cultural Awareness Night -Ric Gendron Art Exhibit 7p, Foley 11/16 Third Annual International Day of Tolerance, Crosby

December

12/5-6 Holidays Around the World, Crosby 12/12 UMEC Study Break 6p, UMEC Main Floor Gonzaga university

1/25 1/27 1/29

2/23 2/10 2/22 2/24

January

Crafting Unity-Chinese Lantern 12-2p Crosby CAN-”Mooz-Lum” 7p Foley 3rd Annual GU Iron Chef: Cultural Cooking Battle

February

Keynote Lecture by Ericka Huggins 7p, Jepson Wolff Auditorium Mocktail Movie Night-Tuskegee Airmen 7p Foley Crafting Unity-African Artwork 12-2p Crosby CAN-Nicholas Sironka, African Art Workshop 7p Jundt Art Center

March

3/ 7 3/29

Crafting Unity 12-2p Crosby Main Floor 2nd Annual Diversity Monologues 7p Jepson Wolff Auditorium

4/11 4/19 4/26 4/27

Crafting Unity 12-2p Crosby Main Floor Yom Hashoah-Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom-HaAtzmaut-Israel Independence Day Stand Against Racism 12-1p Location

5/7

April

May

UMEC Study Break 6p UMEC Main Floor unity multicultural education center