Mount Mary University ReMARK December 2017

Mount Mary University Winter 2017

Too Black or Not Black Enough? p. 22 Dating a Transracial Adoptee p. 16 Beyond Bipolar p. 16

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he Arches staff is proud to present our winter 2017 reMARK issue. For this issue, we wanted to highlight diversity as a theme, as this year’s Arches staff is the most diverse we’ve ever seen.

On page 24, read about Jamie Hollins’ heartwarming experience dating a transracial adoptee. Or perhaps you’d like to explore the Latina Recruitment Task Force, in “Bridging the gap: One HSI at a time” by Gianna DeLoney, found on page 1. If you’re looking to learn about a small group on campus, men, read “A few good men educate emerging female leaders” by Suzie Skalmoski, on page 4. This highlights the work of distinguished Mount Mary male professors.

As we transition from a summer of freedom and sunshine into a semester brimming with homework, exams, and studying, we tend to settle into fixed routines to maintain a sense of stability. In the midst of establishing a balance between academics, career and personal life, the idea of creating a space for yourself is, at times, minimized. If you want to read a student’s quest for finding balance in the thick of the semester or want advice on how to make time for yourself, head over to reporters Jamie Hollins and Gianna Deloney’s stories highlighting the importance of self-care for college students.

Join us, as we celebrate the beautiful array of people, professions and experiences of the Mount Mary community.

CREATIVE WORKS

CAMPUS

19Student Writing and Art

24Head Over Heart 26Breakdown to Brilliant 28 A Native Voice

Aneela Nasir Termeria Taper

ART DIRECTOR Denisse Hernandez

WEB EDITORS Teresa Wooster Nina Kesic

BUSINESS MANAGER Precious Xiong

PHOTO EDITOR Nina Kesic

EDITORS MacKenzie Troehler Bryanna Sanders Jamie Hollins Kayla Urban Aneela Nasir Teresa Wooster WRITERS Suzie Skalmoski Gianna De Loney Termeria Taper Jamie Hollins Nina Kesic Mackenzie Troehler Aneela Nasir Kayla Urban Julia Wachuta Bryanna Sanders Teresa Wooster Sandrea Smith DESIGNERS Tyhecia Stanton Denisse Hernandez Payton Hintz Mackenzie Troehler Teresa Wooster Jamie Hollins Aneela Nasir Barbara Xiong Suzie Skalmoski PHOTOGRAPHERS Denisse Hernandez Suzie Skalmoski Nina Kesic Teresa Wooster Aneela Nasir FACULTY ADVISERS Linda Barrington Laura Otto Arches is written and edited by the students of Mount Mary University, who are solely responsible for its editorial content.

Arches is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press.

Contact Arches at Arches, Mount Mary University 2900 N. Menomonee River Pkwy.

Milwaukee, WI 53222 414-930-3027 Email: mmu-arches@mtmary.edu Stay updated at www.archesnews.com

Editors letter/women of mag fall2017.indd 4

07Three Courses,

FOOD

07Serbian Culture 10Selma of the North 13Breaking the Ice 14Material Memory 16Too Black.

FEATURES

WINTER 2017 CONTENTS

01Bridging the Gap 04A Few Good Men

PERSPECTIVES

Editor-in-Chief tapert@mtmary.edu

Editor-in-Chief nasira@mtmary.edu

STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Three Countries,

FOLLOW US! @MountMaryArches

LIKE US! Arches

Three Cities

Not Black Enough.

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BRIDGING THE GAP: ONE HSI AT A TIME

Words Gianna DeLoney | Design Barbara Xiong Diversity. A virtue continuing to make Mount Mary more than just a campus, but rather a community. The university’s student body has increased from 12 percent minority attendance in 1980 to an inclusive 49.4 percent in the fall of 2016.

Mount Mary hopes to continue that trend through its pursuit of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities currently recognizes 273 Hispanic-Serving Institutions across the nation. Within the state of Wisconsin, the only recognized institution is Alverno.

HSIs are colleges or universities in the United States recognized for their attempt to assist first generation, majority low-income Hispanic students. Rebecca Surges, director of undergraduate admissions, plans for Mount Mary to be the next HSI in Wisconsin.

To qualify as an HSI, an “institution needs to reach a total Latino population of 25 percent over the course of several years,” Surges said. Mount Mary’s Latina population made up 17 percent of total enrollment in 2016.

These numbers have inspired the Latina Recruitment Task Force, a faculty-led committee, to take action and pass the HSI threshold. “It looks like in the past year we’ve increased by 2 percent so we’re [at] 19 percent,” Surges said.

From Inception to Implementation

The Latina Recruitment Task Force was created last year “to spread awareness of Mount Mary to the Latina population in Milwaukee and the surrounding areas,” Surges said. The committee has been working to increase enrollment and offer additional support to students.

“We have representatives from the admissions office that sit on the task force from financial aid, to faculty (specifically our world languages department), to marketing and grad admissions,” Surges said.

“It’s nice because it’s this awesome mix of people that are passionate about Latina students.”

There are three goals of the task force: increase Latina enrollment, create a student referral program, and begin a marketing campaign.

The Latino population in the U.S. will continue to significantly grow over the next five to seven years, so the primary goal of the task force is to increase enrollment.

“The number of high school graduates is up, so we want to target that demographic of student,” Surges said.

One of the ways they hope to target this population is by developing an internal referral campaign to encourage faculty and staff who know a potential student to “refer them to Mount Mary,” Surges said.

The task force hopes to achieve increased enrollment and referral by way of their third goal to develop a marketing campaign to support these efforts. Achieving these endeavors will be supplemented by special recruitment events held in English and Spanish, as well as the development of bilingual materials to support these students.

The Instrument to Execution

Admissions counselor Jocelyn Rondín has headed the task force’s main marketing efforts and is one of several people responsible for producing Mount Mary handouts in Spanish.

“The materials that have been translated

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are really geared towards informing our Latino communities about what’s admissions and what’s it like to pursue a higher institution,” Rondín said.

Some of the material produced include a frequently asked questions handout about the process of admissions and a brochure about Mount Mary for the Spanish-speaking parent.

“Most of our community members either didn’t obtain a higher education degree or maybe didn’t finish high school,” Rondín said. “We offer this to parents when we are out doing fairs and particularly within communities where we think there is a high Latino population.”

The task force has gone as far as Northern Illinois to make its presence known.

The Essence of Realization

Admissions counselor Brittany Hartl, who coordinates much of the task force’s student outreach, witnessed the positive response by students in the Illinois area with its bilingual material.

“It definitely drew some of them over and they really started a conversation about what does Mount Mary’s campus look like, how diverse is it, [and] what’s there for students,” Hartl said.

These questions segued into conversations that allowed Hartl to explain exactly what Mount Mary has to offer, such as tours and presentations in Spanish.

“And those are things that these students want, but don’t know that colleges, or which colleges, can offer them,” Hartl said.

Hartl recognizes the impact

of those materials because they reinforce that Mount Mary not only has the resources, but the faculty willing to work with the students and their families. One of the task force’s first projects included a focus group consisting of Latina students from Mount Mary. Many of the students expressed feeling burdened when attending fairs with their parents due to having to translate everything into Spanish for them.

Denisse Hernandez, vice president of SALSA club, was one of many students who struggled during her college search. “I know that as a first-generation student, my mom had trouble knowing what college was about and I think having handouts translated to Spanish is very helpful,” Hernandez said.

STUDEN T EN ROL L MEN T FALL 2016

White

Latino

African-American

Asian

51% 17% 17% 8% Source: Mount Mary handbook

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It was an issue that the task force hoped to address to prevent students from feeling discouraged and wanting to attend college fairs.

“Now that we have things that the parents can read themselves, I feel like it’s more inviting,” Hartl said. “[It] lets them know we want you here, we want to do what we can to bring you here, to help you out and make it just as easy for you as it is for other students.”

The Road Ahead

Mount Mary hopes to join Alverno as a recognized HSI. “That’s something that probably in the next year we’re going to explore a little bit further on campus,” Surges said. “I see the Latino task force very much pushing that percentage up and up and up.”

This is a goal that students are just as eager to achieve. “I feel like it will help the school grow culturally and I feel like it’s important since this is a diverse

campus that we know each other’s cultures and get to learn from each other,” Hernandez said.

Beyond serving as a symbol of status, becoming an HSI would mean a great financial victory for campus.

The increase in funding would help gain more resources that could better help a wider range of students within the target population, such as undocumented students.

It could lead to new development on campus, such as a multicultural center for all students to benefit from.

“If we reach that amount (25 percent) as an HSI, we get a significant amount of federal funding to support our students and increase retention and support services for Latina students – for all students,” Surges said.

In the meantime, the task force hopes to promote student awareness and collaboration through presence of related student organizations such as SALSA and the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee.

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Dr Rappe

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Dr Levsen

DR Reece

Dr Gagliardi

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DR Reece

A FEW GOOD MEN educate emerging female leaders Words & Photos Suzie Skalmoski | Design Payton Hintz

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imilar to Plato, Dr. Austin Reece believes that “knowledge is the food of the soul.” Reece and the other male professors at Mount Mary University recognize that while they are the minority in the classroom, they have a great responsibility to educate the female students and prepare them to take on the world as leaders and scholars.

Dr. Austin Reece, Dr. Steve Levsen, Dr. Donald Rappé and Dr. Paul Gagliardi shared the benefits and challenges of teaching at an allfemale collegiate institution.

Dr Levsen Science Professor Dr Rappe Theology Professor Dr. Donald Rappé has taught at at all-male, allfemale, and co-education institutions. Rappé has gained knowledge and insight from being exposed to all three types of university settings.

Rappé thinks that women benefit from a classroom that does not focus on meeting potential life partners. “(For) students in a singlegender environment, there is a sense of focus on the material, on the project of educating oneself, and finding strengths in growing without throwing in the dynamics of dating,” Rappé said.

Rappé also mentioned that he wants to teach his students as students, not as women who want to learn.

“I think that it’s not just being a male in a predominantly female environment, but it is learning how to be a better teacher and realizing that ultimately, you want to challenge students and feel like they have success,” Rappé said.

“On the other hand, it is about the students and their ability to be transformed.”

Rappé identifies himself as a feminist, which he defines as “the radical notion that women are people, too.”

“We have always been humans together, but sometimes we forget that,” Rappé said. “I do believe that women have institutional best interest and society’s best interest in front of them.”

Dr. Steve Levsen has taught in both co-education as well as all-women colleges. His co-education teaching experience was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University, where he continues to teach in addition to teaching at Mount Mary. Even though Marquette is a co-education school, Levsen said that most of his classes this year are made up of about 80 percent women.

“The culture of the institution is the most notable difference. Each institution has its own way of doing things,” Levsen said.

Levsen mentioned that he has not noticed much about how men and women learn during their college education, except their conception about what they should know.

“As far as gender differentiation, the only thing I’ve really made anything of is that a lot of female students have a math anxiety, which is very unwarranted,” Levsen said. “Somebody told them they can’t do it, even though I

think they are just as capable or maybe more than men.”

After teaching at Mount Mary for 21 years, Levsen has learned that there are some teaching concepts that work better for women.

“I have discovered some things through the course of time … the selection of textbooks, I think some are more effective for one gender or another,” Levsen said. “At the end of the semester, I would say, ‘Here is the book that you had, and here are three others. Looking back at it, did you have the best book?’ They would move toward authors who were women.”

Levsen also has seen a change in his attitude as he continues to teach at Mount Mary. “[I learned to have] sensitivity and thoughtfulness,” Levsen said. “My wife will tell me ‘your Mount Mary is showing.’

‘My Mount Mary showing’ is the idea of social justice and gender equality issues, and I’ll start to present that to people,” Levsen said.

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DR Reece Philosophy Professor

Dr Gagliardi English Professor Dr. Paul Gagliardi taught at Carroll University, as well as co-ed colleges in Pennsylvania, before working at Mount Mary. Even though the ratio of men to women is typically 1:15, Gagliardi does not think teaching a classroom of women is that different.

“It depends on the group.

There are always issues with group dynamics, even if it is men and women versus just women,” Gagliardi said. “It doesn’t seem too unusual to me. I think that on the lines of how men and women operate, there are a lot of similarities and some differences too.”

Gagliardi said that men and women have different reactions during class.

“I try to get to know the person no matter the gender,” Gagliardi said. “I try to get to know their background, how they are approaching the class, and any issues they might be bringing.”

Gagliardi believes that there are some differences between men and women that affect performance in the classroom.

“Women are more honest about what they are bringing

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to the individual dynamic or the group dynamic than men tend to be,” Gagliardi said.

While he knows there are differences, he believes that women are needed in education to bring a diverse aspect to the group. “I feel like when people say (that women should stay home), they’re not really taking into account how unstable those definitions are,” Gagliardi said.

Gagliardi is always nervous to teach his students, no matter their gender.

“I can feel it when I drop a Simpsons reference and they give me a blank look,” Gagliardi said. “My experiences as a liberal man are going to be different than other people’s. I feel that with my male students and female students. I try to be conscious of those differences, and I try to find ways to connect with people.”

Gagliardi tries to combat gender differences in his classroom.

“I am aware that I have privileges, and I bear that in mind when I’m interacting with people,” Gagliardi said.

“In my 14 years of teaching, I’ve seen it all at this point.”

Before teaching at Mount Mary, Dr. Austin Reece has taught at co-ed institutions, including his first college-level class at Marquette University. Mount Mary is the only all-female college where he has taught.

“I try to think conceptually about gender and then practically,” Reece said. “Conceptually, I have come to understand gender as a performance art. On one hand, I think it is arbitrary, and I also think it’s contingent.

It is not set in stone.”

In addition to thinking conceptually about gender, Reece understands his role as a male professor in a female institution.

“I think it’s an honor because of the trust that’s placed in me to be a good educator who can create safe learning environments,” Reece said.

Reece said that he sees his students as diverse learners who have different preferences to teaching styles.

“I see students who have great potential but also have different preferences, so I try to find different teaching methods to accommodate different learning styles,” Reece said. “A really good classroom has that diversity.”

As one of the professors who teaches Search for Meaning, a collaborative introduction to philosophy and theology course, Reece has had to interact with male and female theology professors on campus.

While Reece has had many

positive experiences with his students, he mentioned that there are challenges being a minority in the classroom.

“I have had some instances where there was an issue with a student,” Reece said. “A student may be in a state of trauma or pain, and they may not feel entirely comfortable opening up to me. The first thing I’ll always do is rely on the collaborative nature of the school, and I reach out to my colleagues who are willing to help and be good listeners.”

While Reece has worked at Mount Mary for about nine years, he admitted that he still can be a better professor.

“I am growing and learning every semester,” Reece said. “Students here are doing incredible work. They are serious, they are skillful, and every class has been another experience that reinforces my sense that there is so much potential.”

Reece understands that he has a responsibility to see his students as human beings, as well as capable women.

“If we pay more attention to what people are really like, the real-world violence against women always begins in conceptual violence,” Reece said. “If I can do my small part to help people reconceive and get more clarity what it means to be a human being, then I think philosophy will always have a role to play in combating fallacies.”

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FEATURE

Serbian Culture A Midwest Perspective

Words Kayla Urban & Nina Kesić | Design Payton Hintz | Photo Kayla Urban

Milwaukee is a great melting pot of cultures, and has

a rich history of immigrants coming to the area to seek a better economic life. Before World War II, people from all over Europe migrated and settled in Milwaukee, bringing with them their homeland’s traditions of food, music and dance.

The Serbian people, from former Yugoslavia, were no different. They are a prevailing subcommunity right in our own backyard that is worth exploring.

For Serbian immigrants coming to the United States, Milwaukee and Chicago were prime destinations to settle because of the promise of employment.

Very Rev. Father Dragan K. Veleušić, of Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in Milwaukee, believes that is why more thsn 300,000 Serbian people have settled in Milwaukee and Chicago.

“Milwaukee was an industrial center and starting in 1900, the majority of those who came first were hard-working people,”

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Veleušić said.

When looking for employment opportunities, Veleušić believes that most Serbian people at the time preferred hard labor jobs compared to ones in an office setting due to the overwhelming need for laborers at the time.

Many Serbs came to Milwaukee or Chicago to seek employment with labor-intense jobs compared to ones that may have required degrees or fluency in English. Even though many Serbs had higher degrees, at times it was easier and quicker to find hands-on jobs.

The most recent year that the U.S. Census recorded the number of Serbian Americans was 2011. Veleušić believes that there are about 8,000 Serbs in Milwaukee and about 300,000 in Chicago today. There are many more Serbian immigrants Americans here in the U.S. that are fourth or fifth generation citizens, yet many are still coming to Milwaukee or Chicago to settle because of the established Serbian communities and

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churches in the area.

Deborah Padgett, the author of “Settlers and Sojourners – A Study of Serbian Adaptation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,” believes that the established Serbian churches are part of the attraction to the area. Padgett said “the Serbian Orthodox church was a social, religious and culturally unifying institution.”

Church and Religion Tying Together Serbs

Religion and the presence of the church in Serbian culture serves as an important focal point for Serbians over the centuries. For St. Sava in Milwaukee, that is no different. The Orthodox church has served as a refuge after the Civil War and continues to be a place for Serbian people to seek comfort and knowledge.

“In the last, unfortunate civil war in former Yugoslavia, many people were forced to leave [their] homes,” Veleušić said. “We accepted in Milwaukee about 350 families of refugees.

They were looking for some place that where they have organized Serbian congregation where they can somehow feel at home … As church we really open our hearts and doors and we accepted and helped them.”

Private and Public Serbs

The Serbian community has been seen as private, and one that many non-Serbs are unable to penetrate.

However, Veleušić hopes that open conversation can change that.

“We have to introduce ourselves more than we do,” Veleušić said.

“There is a big part in our hands; I have to do my part.”

With Father Veleušić’s willingness to talk about the Serbian people, it was only natural to bring to light the annual festival Serb Hall and St. Sava hold for the community. Serbian Days is held every year in August at Serb Hall in Milwaukee. “(It) was established not for us to enjoy ourselves but to offer something to [the] wider community,” Veleušić said. “Come share [our] church,

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kitchen and many beautiful things. It’s to offer to others, to share.”

Serbian Food

Food is the connecting factor when Serbs come together as a community for different social and traditional events. Traditional meals include sarma, pasulj, ćevapi, and then tons of sweets like palačinke, tamni kolač and much more. Whether it be at a zabava, a traditional Serbian dance festival, a family member’s house, a wedding, or saint day celebration (slava), food – and lots of it – is always there.

The following foods are staples at Serbian celebrations, dinners and get-togethers: Sarma, a stuffed cabbage roll; pasulj, a bean stew; and ćevapi, sausages originated from the Balkans, which are usually served with kajmak, a dairy spread, onions, lepinje (a type of bread) and some cole slaw or potatoes on the side. Favorite and most popular desserts include palačinke, Serbian crepes, and tamni kolač, a dense chocolate pastry.

This is all just a small portion of all of the different types of foods Serbs usually eat and enjoy.

Sara Mitrović, a Serb from Chicago, said that her “top favorite Serbian food is a Karadjordjeva Šnicla because of its crispy outside, but cheesy and savory taste on the inside.”

the Chicago, Milwaukee and Indiana Serb populations. Children start dancing as young as the age of 5 and continue to do so throughout high school, and some continue on throughout their young adult years.

The traditional clothing that the dancers wear is called nošnje. Dancers practice at their respective churches once or twice a week, and then on Saturday nights, the different dance groups from throughout the Chicago, Milwaukee and Indiana areas perform at the zabava. Different churches will host a zabava throughout the fall and spring seasons. This allows for children and adults from different churches to connect with Serbs from different areas.

Another part of Serbian tradition that is important to acknowledge is the celebration of slava. Slava is a celebration and feast day of a family’s patron saint. In Serbian culture and religion, iconography and the relevance of saints and their stories are incredibly sacred.

Serbian people are the only people in the Orthodox religion that celebrate slava. Before Serbs were faithful Orthodox people, they were pagans.

On the day that the father and his family were baptized into Orthodoxy, that day would be the day of a saint,

Traditions

Many Serbian people are followers of the Serbian Orthodox faith.

The word “orthodox” itself means “traditional,” which is the basis of Serbian culture and beliefs.

Serbs are very traditional when it comes to religion, household structure, holidays and cultural practices.

In the Chicago area especially, Serbian folk dancing is a huge part of maintaining Serbian culture and keeping tradition alive. There are several dance groups throughout

Woman in traditional Serbian dress

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and then would become that family’s slava, which would continue to be passed down through the father and husband.

“One of the traditions I cherish the most is slava,” said Suzana Bičanin, a Serb from Chicago. “It is not only an example of how interwoven religion is into our cultural identity, but is also proof of our perseverance throughout history to keep our culture intact. It is a piece of my family and culture that is gifted from generation to generation and something that I can gift to my children.”

There are so many different slavas throughout the year because there have been so many baptisms throughout history on different days of the saints. In today’s Serbian culture, not much has changed about how slava is celebrated. Close family and friends are invited to the house of the person celebrating slava, and it is a day to feast and venerate the saint that protects the family, but also to connect with family and friends, and to share thankfulness of being able to celebrate a Serbian tradition that has been around for centuries.

Photo of Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, the largest Serbian church in Milwaukee. Notice that the sign is written in the Cyrillic alphabet.

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FEATURE

Selma of the north

the history of housing discrimination in Milwaukee

Words Bryanna Sanders | Photos Wisconsin Historical Society | Design Payton Hintz

July 31, 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 riot in Milwaukee, which was one of 159 race riots across the country during what has been coined the “long hot summer of 1967.” The Milwaukee riot was fueled by escalating tensions due to housing discrimination and police brutality.

Vel Phillips, an attorney on the Common Council, (a lawmaking body of the City of Milwaukee), Father James Groppi, a Catholic priest, and the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People Youth Council teamed up to propose laws that would forbid racial discrimination in housing. Their efforts ignited movements across the country to support a national fair housing law, and in 1968 – one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. – the Fair Housing Act was passed by Congress.

“Part of it goes back to Vel Phillips,” said Reggie Jackson, the head griot (historian) at America’s Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee. “One of the issues that she wanted to address on the Common Council was that issue of fair housing and the inability of black people in particular not being able to move to certain parts of the city.”

Jackson said that Phillips proposed an ordinance that would open up housing opportunities for African-Americans.

“Each time that she did so, she was the only person who voted for it,” Jackson said.

“She became increasingly frustrated with

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the lack of support from the rest of the Common Council. What she did is she partnered with the NAACP Youth Council to work on this issue.”

Jackson said that even after partnering with Father Groppi, Phillips and the NAACP Youth Council decided that talking about the issue was not enough progress. He explained that African-Americans were not only limited to where they could live, but also where they could go, and that there were specific borders black residents couldn’t cross.

There is a common misunderstanding that African-Americans wanted to reside on the South Side; however, Jackson said that “one of the things that is left out and isn’t talked about in great detail is that they talked very openly, not just the South Side of Milwaukee, but also the North Side of Milwaukee should be open and available for blacks to move to as well.”

Emotions began to grow because the African-American community was landlocked.

“Before the 1960s, urban planning was taking place while Mayor Frank Zeidler was in office,” Jackson said. “With such planning, the landlocked neighborhood was named the Inner Core.”

The name “Inner Core” comes from a report that was done on behalf of Mayor Frank Zeidler. The final report was completed in April of 1960. Under Mayor Zeidler, the city was working on a plan to

do urban renewal.

“They wanted to tear down businesses and homes, anything that was really old in those areas to build new structures,” Jackson said. “The Inner Core was the oldest part of the city. The western boundary was 20th Street, the southern boundary was Juneau Street, the northern boundary was Keefe Avenue and the eastern boundary was Holton Avenue. That was the area where just about every black person in Milwaukee lived. Even blacks that had money were not allowed to move outside of the Inner Core.”

Russell Brooker, professor of social science at Alverno College, said that Milwaukee earned itself a new nickname as a result of Father Groppi and the NAACP’s 200 consecutive marches: Selma of the North.

Brooker recalls the march across the 16th Street viaduct that was initiated in August of 1967. “In a way it was Poland meeting Africa because of the number of whites standing in opposition on the south side of the viaduct,” Booker said.

Although Father Groppi, the NAACP Youth Council and Phillips initiated the fight and continued until there were ordinances passed, there was another discriminatory problem for African-Americans: redlining.

“The three (areas) that were redlined specifically because of the population was an area of the North Side that is now called Riverwest,” Jackson said. “The reason

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that it was redlined was because of an infiltration of Polish citizens. There was another area down on the South Side that was redlined and was described as an area where Mexicans were infiltrating that area.

The last area was that inner core area where blacks lived during that particular time.”

According to Jackson, the borders were basically that North Avenue was the northern boundary, the southern boundary was Juneau, the eastern boundary was 3rd Street and the western boundary was 12th Street.

“This was called the Negro Slum Area,” Jackson said.

During the 1960s, the National Real Estate Board continued this pattern of redlining . “(This) required (realtors) in their code of ethics to steer people to certain neighborhoods,” Jackson said. “They wanted to maintain racial homogeneity of each neighborhood.”

Although the National Real Estate Board, federal government and Common

With his fist in the air, Father Groppi is surrounded by protestors in 1969. Photos provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society. ID# 4934

Father Groppi marches alongside NAACP members in 1968. ID# 1912

Racial Distribution in Milwaukee 2010 Census

White Black Asian Hispanic Other

https://demographics.virginia.edu/DotMap/index.html

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August 29, 1968. Father Groppi leads a fair housing march. ID# 25167.

NAACP Youth Council members attend a fair housing protest. ID# 97930.

Father Groppi and Vel Phillips stand around a crowd filled with people wearing NAACP Youth Council shirts. ID# 48149.

Council all opposed the open housing ordinance, “Father Groppi, Phillips, and the NAACP Youth Council marched until the ordinances were passed,” Jackson said.

“Almost exactly one year after the initial march with Father Groppi, the Common Council finally passed the ordinance that was proposed by Vel Phillips,” Jackson said.

Even after 50 years since the marches for fair housing took place, there is still work to be done. Jackson mentioned Cleveland, Detroit and Baltimore as segregated cities; however, he made a unique point about Milwaukee.

“The biggest change is that large numbers of white people have left the city,” Jackson said.

According to Jackson, from 1960 to 2000, there was a 56 percent drop of the white population in Milwaukee.

They comprise only 37 percent of the population today.

“There has been progress made, but there is a lack of enforcement of open housing,” Jackson said.

Proud supporter of our neighbor, the Mount Mary Community We know everyone is busy, so please stop in and take advantage of our large selection of meat and served meals, including Lasagna, Roast Beef & Gravy, Turkey & Gravy, Meat Loaf, to name a few.

Can’t wait to eat? We have at least three hot soups and six entrees, hot and ready-to-eat every day, plus made-to-order gourmet subs and salads.

Take note of our USDA Certified Prime and Choice Angus Beef, All Natural Pork and Poultry or up to 50 homemade fresh hamburgers, fresh sausages and smoked sausages.

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LET’S BREAK THE ICE! Words MacKenzie Troehler | Design Suzie Skalmoski

Starting conversation with strangers is hard, but a fun game can change that! Here are some games to play to get conversation started or to just learn more about the people around you.

Jelly Bean Personality Test

Have you ever wondered what kind of jelly bean you are? In this personality test, the participants start a discussion about how accurate the test is.

Each person picks out a jelly bean from a bag and after everyone chooses one, they consult a personality chart that can be found at http://www. educationworld.com/a_admin/tools/tool026. shtml. Then, go around the meeting space and talk about each person’s choice of jelly bean.

This game can be played at a meeting or in a gathering where you would like to start a discussion about the accuracy of labels like those on the chart.

Ice Breaker Questions

This game involves questions that are traditionally asked during ice breakers, such as picking something out of your purse/pocket and sharing why it is important to you. In a group, write down the questions on a piece of paper, put all the suggestions in a bowl or hat. Then go around and pick a piece of paper and direct that question to someone.

This game validates that people have similarities and differences, even small ones, that could start a conversation.

Stereotype Party

You are going to need some name tags with general descriptors such as “car salesman” or “juvenile delinquent.” Then, everyone gets a name tag on their back so that they can not see their own. They have to ask “yes” or “no” questions to try to figure out who they are. After one question, each participant needs to move on to another person.

This game would be great to play with friends to fill time at a party, and it reveals the attributes people give to labels and the people who fulfill those labels.

My Other Half

Write down the names of famous couples or iconic friends individually on pieces of paper and fold them up. Then, have everyone draw a paper and keep the name to themselves. Go around the room to try and find the name’s partner by asking “yes” or “no” questions. The first to find their other half or friend, wins!

This game might encourage people to come together, and it shows the kind of attributes people apply to celebrities or people with a lot of influence in our society or culture.

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FEATURE

Material M

Long after people and memories fade, often the objects associated with them remain with their loved ones as a means to reminisce about the past and gain inspiration for the future.

Various members of the Mount Mary University community share their cherished objects and the heartening stories behind them.

Words, Design & Photos | Aneela Nasir

Krystin Kantenwein’s parents own an extensive framed family tree dating back to the 1700s. It chronicles her family’s Scottish heritage, originating from the Leslie clan. The family tree is kept at Kantenwein’s parents’ home. “It was the one thing my dad wanted when my grandparents died,” she said. The family tree has been passed down through four generations of Kantenwein’s family.

This ambrotype, an early type of photograph on glass, dates back to 1861. It now belongs to A.J. Perkins and is a picture of his paternal great-great-grandfather, who fought in the U.S. Civil War. Perkins said that back then, people who went off to war would have photographs taken of them to leave with a loved one in case they did not return home. Eventually, the image has made its way to Perkins. He has uploaded it and other family photographs to ancestry.com, sharing them with distant relatives he had not previously known. Perkins is interested in familial connections and is glad to have some historical pictures in his collection. Perkins said that his great-great-grandfather was in the Union Army.

ow charm bra to her grandm lady for over 50 Van Zeeland said. and knew no one. T people.” All of the ch renditions of figurines th Zeeland’s grandmother Van Zeeland’s job to du despised at the tim the bracelet t just one litt for me,” sold Av old.”

He chuckled and said of the ambrotype, “I was glad to find out he was on the right side of the war.”

Student Jalal Sulaiman said that in oldtime Palestine, women used to make long keychains out of wool and wore them as necklaces, so as not to lose their house keys. “This became particularly symbolic for Palestinians, especially for the generations that were kicked out of the country because of Israel. Some of them are still carrying these keychains as a symbol of return,” Sulaiman said.

His keychain used to belong to his grandmother, who he was especially close to as a child. When she passed away, he wanted to keep the one she used to carry.

Since leaving Palestine as a student and moving to Russia, and later, to the United States, the keychain has become increasingly dear to him.

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l Memory

Kathy Van Zeeland owns an early 1970s charm bracelet that once belonged to her grandmother, who was an Avon lady for over 50 years. “She was really brave,” Van Zeeland said. “She had moved to a new town and knew no one. This was her way of getting to know eople.” All of the charms on the bracelet were miniature ditions of figurines that Avon sold. Over the years, Van eland’s grandmother had collected all of them. As a child, it was n Zeeland’s job to dust her grandmother’s figurines, a task she despised at the time. Now, she remembers it fondly through the bracelet that has remained with her. “The bracelet is just one little symbol that brings back so many memories for me,” Van Zeeland said. “My grandmother literally sold Avon until the she died at 88 years old.”

The women in English Professor Debra Brenegan’s family have been passing this approximately 120-year-old bronze necklace down for six generations.

“It’s almost like an amulet,” said Brenegan. “We consider it our power necklace and we give it to the next woman when she needs it.” She received it from her mother when she had just started writing and passed it onto her daughter when when she graduated from law school. Brenegan saw it as a symbol of strength and wore it every time she had something challenging to do.

Having once admired it on her mother’s hand and later receiving it from her, Chanis Hall has been wearing this ring on her thumb since the 90s. “It’s just an inexpensive thin gold band,” said Hall, but she loves it just the same. In 2012, Hall’s best friend wore the ring as her “something borrowed” item during her wedding. Hall feels a special connection to the ring through her mother’s gifting it to her and Hall’s sharing it with her friend.

Chelsea Moskow, an English graduate student, owns a marble rolling pin that once belonged to her maternal grandmother. Her mother used to make sugar cookies during the Christmas season with her mother using the rolling pin.

Moskow’s mother continued the tradition with her children and has now passed it down to Chelsea. Reflecting on fond memories of baking with her family, Moskow said, “It was a flour mess!”

The rolling pin is from the 1950s and she believes it may have been a wedding gift given to her grandmother.

Deborah Estrada-Carson’s father was a twin whose brother died when he was 7 years old. His mother passed away when he was 15. He had dreamed of becoming a doctor, but life did not allow him that chance. He worked as a medic for the military and later became a police officer.

In 1976, he went on to earn an associate’s degree in police science from Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Sadly, her father passed away in 2006. Estrada-Carson now displays her father’s diploma alongside hers as a reminder of his achievements and desires despite the obligations of life.

She reflects on her own academic journey bearing resemblance to her father’s. “I’ve been able to come back to school after 30 years in the midst of a lot of family situations,” said Estrada-Carson.

“Sometimes we don’t understand where we get certain loves and desires from. Some of them are inherited, and I see both of us have that perseverance.”

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FEATURE

Too Black.

Not Black Enough.

Words Termeria Taper | Design Payton Hintz

E

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laina Smith, a sophomore majoring in biology – health science, remembers a time when she went to a convenience store and the cashier at the register told her that she didn’t expect Smith to be so nice.

“The only thing she could have assumed that from is based off my race because my face wasn’t mean or anything and I came into the store saying ‘Hi’ to her,” Smith said.

Smith explained that at times, she feels hyper-aware of her blackness, especially in social contexts in which she is one of the only AfricanAmericans present.

“There will be a time when a song will come on and people will say, ‘Oh, you should know all the lyrics to this song because it’s hip hop,’ and I actually don’t know.”

Smith said that she often struggles with stereotypical perceptions of being African-American, particularly ones that revolve around black womanhood.

“It’s either you’re sweet, or you’re an angry black woman,” Smith said. “I don’t want to seem like I’m angry at everybody, but I also don’t want to seem like everyone can just walk all over me.”

Smith recalls being referred

to as behaving “too white” in grade school, often by fellow African-Americans and other people of color.

“So, it’s like, how are you going to say I’m ‘too white’ when if I walk into a store or start talking about things we went through when we were growing up, I would have the same experiences as you?” Smith said.

Institutionalized Stereotypes

Tanya Keenan, Caroline Scholars director and adjunct professor at Mount Mary University, has a candid memory of being in kindergarten and her mother having to go to her school to speak with her teacher because of his disbelief at her ability to read.

Keenan said that this questioning was something that she dealt with throughout her K-12 grade experience.

“It’s just that stereotype, unfortunately, that a lot of African-Americans have to deal with,” she said. “The stereotype that we’re not as intellectual or intelligent.”

Dr. Shawnee DanielsSykes, an associate professor in theology, recalls when she first began teaching at Mount Mary back in 2006. DanielsSykes specializes in biomedical ethics, and she was teaching a course in theological ethics and healthcare through Mount Mary’s former partnership with Columbia College of Nursing.

“The students came to the class, but they were lined up outside of the threshold and they weren’t coming in,” she said.

With the syllabi on the table and computer workstation set for class, Daniels-Sykes was confused as to why the students continued to congregate at the door when class was about to begin. This prompted her to question the students.

“I said, ‘Are you all here for class? ‘And they’re like, ‘Yeah,’ and I said, ‘Well you guys better get into class because it’s almost 4:30. Why are you all standing out here in the hallway?’” Daniels-Sykes said.

“So, everybody came in and sauntered slowly looking at me like, ‘Is this really the teacher?’”

At the end of the semester, Daniels-Sykes had students come up to her expressing how much they enjoyed the class and how happy they were to take it.

“One of the students said to me, ‘You know, I need to tell you something. Do you remember at the beginning of the semester when we were all outside in the hallway?’ and I said ‘Yeah, I will never forget that; it was the strangest thing to me because it had never happened before,’” she said.

The student revealed to Daniels-Sykes that the reason the class didn’t enter the room was because they thought that she was a “stranger” and they were confused about who the real

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teacher was. This led to the group almost calling security on her.

“They weren’t expecting a black woman to be teaching a healthcare ethics class,” Daniels-Sykes said. “They aren’t used to that.”

This is one of the too-many occurrences for Daniels-Sykes, whose experiences range from an individual questioning the validity of her degree at a bioethics conference to a security guard at Mount Mary interrogating her reasons for wanting to go up to her office on the weekend, with the assumption that Daniels-Sykes wasn’t a professor.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, this person doesn’t know (that I’m a professor)’ and people will say ‘Well, he does that with everybody.’ Well, I don’t know about that,” she said. “Being a woman of color in an environment like this, it is really important to hold on to your hunches, because racism exists.”

Perpetuation of Stereotypes

Sister Joanne Poehlman, an associate professor in anthropology, said that stereotypes and generalizations are similar and as a species, we use them so that we don’t have to think about the nuances of every situation.

“We label – and maybe this works for stereotypes – so that we know how to act towards people,” she said. “For the most part, it can help us. But when our actions become discriminatory … then those acts are only helpful in maintaining the status quo or the power of the person using them.”

Keenan said that as a group that has historically been under siege and discriminated against, the reasons that stereotypes are at times perpetrated by fellow African-Americans is because of the need to feel a sense of commonality.

“I get it because I feel like as a woman of color and as a black woman, I do feel solidarity with those I share my

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ethnic and racial background with,” she said.

Though Keenan said that it comes from a place of good intentions, expecting one to align with stereotypes can become discriminatory.

“It becomes confining because then we start labelling and taking away the uniqueness from each other that oftentimes a greater society does to us anyway,” she said.

Daniels-Sykes, who is the only black Catholic female theological and bioethicist in the country, is aware that people won’t necessarily see her in terms of her accomplishments, but will view her based on her existence as a black woman, as well as the stereotypes associated with this.

“Once you get to know me, those stereotypes will fade,” she said. “But I think as black women, for the most part – and depending on your social context – that’s going to be a part of us.”

While Daniels-Sykes understands that stereotypes are a part of the human mind when judging a situation, she said that it’s what we do with these perceptions in our actions towards others.

“But at times, it feels almost as if you’re guilty before you’re proven innocent,” DanielsSykes said.

Not Conforming to Stigmas

Daniels-Sykes said she adopted the practice of “code switching” in different social contexts. According to “Code Switching (Language)”

by Richard Nordquist, code switching is defined as “the practice of moving back and forth between two languages, two dialects or registers of the same language.”

“I can flip into black dialect very easily because I was raised by that,” Daniels-Sykes said.

Even though she holds the ability to code switch, Daniels-Sykes recalls moments in

her early professional career as a public health nurse when a child referred to her as a “white woman” when calling to set up a house visit on the phone.

“In my academic circles, I’ve also been called the ‘A’ word – as in the word ‘articulate,’” she said. “That’s supposed to be a compliment, but it’s not a compliment.”

Thinking about what someone could mean when they refer to an African-American or another person of color as being “too white,” Poehlman said it depends on the person you’re talking with.

“I’ve been worried about it in the sense of grade-school or high school kids, when (being labeled as too white) means that you’re are getting ‘too educated’ … sometimes it means that,” she said. “It means that you’re going after education in a way that moves you out of a realm of comfort for many people.”

This idea is supported by an article published in the “Harvard Economist” titled “An Empirical Analysis of ‘Acting White’” by Roland G. Fryer Jr. and graduate student Paul Torelli. They found that white students with good grades overlapped with more popularity, while black students who excelled in school were considerably less popular than black peers with lower grades.

Fryer and Torelli also found that this occurrence is even greater in Latino students.

“It seems so much of what a dominant class would say to people who they wouldn’t want to be educated and would be a way of stifling the power that could come from it,” Poehlman said.

Keenan, who lived in Green Bay, Wis., recalls that the city was – and still is – predominantly white. In high school, she said that out of the 900 students in attendance, there were only two other black students.

“I think because we lived in

Green Bay since I was four, I didn’t really know any difference,” Keenan said. “But I was still very aware. For the most part, I feel like people were very good to me; I had friends and it was my community … But I always knew it was different.”

Transitioning into college where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Keenan said that though the school was predominately white, it still contained a lot more diversity than what she was accustomed to in Green Bay. “Coming from a place where there’s really no black people, I was in heaven!” she said.

Keenan recalled when she first began college and was introducing herself to a fellow freshman, the student looked at her right away and could tell that Keenan wasn’t from Milwaukee.

“I was talking a way that she felt wasn’t normal for a black person,” she said.

Keenan said she struggled during her first couple of years of college in terms of fitting in and the idea of not being “black enough.”

“Why are we burdening ourselves by feeling like we can’t be who we are and feeling like we have to limit our experiences or the definitions of who we are?” she asked.

Moving Forward

Keenan spoke about her niece, who is a freshman at UW-Milwaukee who had a fellow black student criticize her because she felt like she didn’t understand what being African-American was truly about, which upset her.

“I kept telling her that I understand what you’re going through, but you have to be true to yourself and realize that there are multiple ways of being black, like we are humans and we’re unique,” she said.

Keenan said that to foster an identity independent of racial stereotypes, it is important to be true to yourself.

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FEATURE “If you know in your heart that you are doing things that you love and are being who you are authentically made to be, you have to let it go,” she said.

Keenan recalled the often derogatory and judgmental comments she would receive when she began dating her husband, who is white.

“I would question myself like, ‘Oh my gosh, do I hate myself ? Is this why I’m dating a white person?’” she said.

But Keenan knew in her heart that she felt good about who she was and her heritage, so letting go of the negative perceptions from others was key.

“I feel like when we don’t do that, it’s like a mental enslavement,” she said.

Daniels-Sykes said that what has helped her grow into her own identity is being around other African-American theo-

logians and professors. This includes maintaining a friendship with her mentor.

“He directed my master’s degree in ethics and then he was on my dissertation committee at Marquette for my Ph.D.,” she said. “He and I are really good friends and we keep each other accountable … So, it’s important to have a circle of colleagues you know who are going to keep on you about what to do and critique your work.”

Daniels-Sykes spoke about her recent trip to St. Lucia, where she and 18 other colleagues represented the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. Here, they shared their work and ideas.

“We ask questions and we push in a certain area by asking, ‘Have you thought of this?’ or ‘Have you thought of

that?’… Part of this is having colleagues that understand your plight who can be a support system for you,” DanielsSykes said.

Daniels-Sykes said prayer, journalingw and keeping up with things that have caused barriers for her are what keeps her grounded.

“You know, we’re always in progress,” she said. “We’re always growing and developing … so really being in touch with who I am is important. I have Crohn’s disease. And so that offers another barometer for me, especially if I’m burning the candle at both ends and really stressing myself out.”

If you are in a position of power where you could support someone who is being unfairly treated based on racial biases, Smith said that you shouldn’t be dismissive or tell them “not

to worry about it.”

“There are all these people being treated this way and losing out on job opportunities or another step that can be taken in their life because of their race,” Smith said. “Not because of their work ethic or something that is in their control, but something that has been with them all their life and hasn’t changed who they are.”

While Smith still struggles with growing into her own identity, she has come to realize that racial stereotypes do not limit her.

“If that’s the way people think, then I can’t be worrying about what they could be thinking about me, my race, my culture or whatever is associated with my skin tone,” Smith said.

The Persistence of Racial/Ethnic Stereotypes 62% rated African-Americans as lazier than white Americans.

57%

30%

57% rated African-Americans as less intelligent than white Americans.

argumentative

lazy corrupt

46%

In a survey sent to 500 women of all races to describe AfricanAmerican women’s portrayal in the media, the most cited adjectives that were used were “argumentative,” “lazy” and “corrupt.”

60%

Individuals with “white-sounding” names receive 50% more callbacks for interviews than individuals with African-American associated names.

45%

30% of AfricanAmericans themselves rated African-Americans as less intelligent than whites.

HELLO my name is

Bill

3/4 said that African-Americans were more inclined than white people to prefer welfare over work.

http://www.diversityweb.org/digest/w98/research2.html https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-sounding-names-study_us_561697a5e4b0dbb8000d687f http://adage.com/article/media/angry-black-woman-makes-real-women-angry/310633/

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Creative Works Design | MacKenzie Troehler

Creative Works provides a place for students to showcase their work. We accept all types of artwork, photography, poetry and flash fiction. For full submission guidelines, visit archesnews.com.

Meghan Pollex “Dissecting My Heart” Meghan Pollex is a graduate student at Mount Mary studying in the art therapy program. The artwork she creates reflects the connections she made to being a human sponge to the situations she would face. Her artwork is a reflection of how she made sense of the stimuli she absorbed in relationship to the feelings she holds inside. Art to her is considered to be a language and it works to bridge together her sense of reality with symbolic gestures of how she views herself from the experiences she has faced.

Kirsten Kaat From a young age, Kirsten Kaat has been interested in how people express their grief. She first learned about art therapy from visiting her brother in the hospital when he was receiving treatment for leukemia. When he passed away, she felt such a numbness and didn’t know how to express her pain.

Art has helped her process her emotions and has given her a way to show others what she feels. “Don’t hide your emotions from others, let them experience it with you”, Kaat said. “Even grief can produce something beautiful in the end.”

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CREATIVE WORKS

Bethany Van Hammond Bethany is a super senior in her final year at Mount Mary. She has a major in graphic design and two minors in studio arts and theology.

She particularly enjoys illustration and photography and looks forward to being able to explore these areas more as she finishes up school and moves on to the career world.

Natasha Kalafatis Natasha Kalafatis is a first year graduate student studying art therapy. This painting forever changed the way she uses paint, which is now very, very thickly.

She loves alpacas and secretly gets upset when people think she loves llamas.

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So meo n e E l s e Someone Else

We were lying in bed, blankets half way up our bodies, when he suggested it. He told me that I’d like it, that I wouldn’t even have to pose. Somewhere there are pictures of me in the bathroom of a blue bedroom, staring at the tile floor, blonde hair resting on my collarbone, pretending to be someone else. I’d have brown hair and green eyes and I’d stare into the mirrors of the men I love. I’ve thought about being Anna. The first time a man asked me if I was Anna, I was tearing tickets at the booth for screens six through ten. He walked up to me and handed me his ticket, said that next time we shouldn’t wait so long to see each other, that he barely recognized me anymore. I was nineteen and wearing a black bow tie and black pants and black shoes, the kind that slip on and off with ease. We’d been dating for six months when he told me that I looked best in black — that my secret self was a minimalist. He said that I liked simple jewelry and button-up shirts in the shape of boxes, and plants if I’d learn how to take care of them. One night while I was in the bathroom of his apartment, blankets folded on the couch, I asked if I should dye my hair. Running my fingers from top to bottom, I examined the strands, pulling out the ones that were dead ­— like weeds from the yard in summer. I brushed my hair back into a tight pony tail, exposing my darker roots, and I imagined

that I had brown hair and green eyes, I stared into the mirrors of the men I used to love — I wore shirts that looked like boxes. I knew how to care for plants. He stood in the doorway and told me that I should let my natural shade grow in, and the blonde grow out. Walking out of the bathroom, I sat on the cushion next to his. I took a sip of wine from the glass, making sure to place it on the coaster — I cared about things like water marks on wood. It was raining when we scaled a ladder onto the roof a building that over looked a parking lot of used cars. He told me that he loved my blonde hair, that it reminded him of this character in a book, one he forgets the name of. Water was dripping from my hair onto my cheek, down my neck, and into my shirt. He said that I’m someone he could pack his bags and run away with, that we could ride a motorcycle to Alaska, that we both can’t be tied down. I nodded, slowly, in agreement. I can see the cars and I begin to count. I wonder how long it takes to get from here to home. I brush my fingers through my hair, and while I squeeze the water out onto my hands, I imagine that my name is Anna. I have brown hair and green eyes. I stare into the mirrors of the men I love. I wear shirts that look like boxes. I know how to care for plants. I ride motorcycles to Alaska — I remind them of someone else.

Krystin Kantenwein Krystin Kantenwein is a recent graduate from Marquette University with a bachelor’s degree in Writing-Intensive English. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in English at Mount Mary University, where she has discovered a love for creative nonfiction. Her previous work has appeared in the Marquette Literary Review.

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FOOD

Three Courses, Three Countries, Three Miles Words | Photo | Design | Teresa Wooster

You’re Invited to a Progressive Dinner Appetizers Sample a different course at each restaurant.

Vietnamese Pho One24 Brookfield

Main Course Jamaican Irie Zulu Wauwatosa Try something unique and fun.

Exerience food from around the world.

Appetizers - Pho One24

Pho One24, located at 3705 N. 124th Street in Brookfield, prides itself as a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant. If you’ve never had pho (pronounced “fuh,” rhymes with “duh”) think of a hot steaming bowl of meat or vegetable broth with your choice of protein, vegetables and rice noodles. All orders of pho come with a side plate of sprouts, a sliced lime, fresh herbs and hot peppers for you to dress your pho as you like.

Pho can run the spectrum from basic (imagine chicken rice-noodle soup) to exotic (rare steak, flank tendon, tripe and meatballs). On my visit my friend stayed tame with her delicious pho ga, chicken and rice noodles in chicken broth, but we did branch out with two different orders of spring rolls. We devoured the cha gio, which were four fried pork spring rolls served with a house chili sauce. They were fantastic and highly recommended. We also tried the goi cuon tom, fresh spring rolls with shrimp, cold vermicelli noodles and fresh mint. The mint surprised both myself and my friend. Our palates weren’t

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Dessert Indian India Garden Wauwatosa

I

f you’re looking for a new way to have a fun night out with friends, consider a progressive dinner.

During a progressive dinner successive courses of a meal are served at different locations. Commonly used as a format for neighborhood social events or fundraisers, progressive dinners engage guests to sample a different course at each different location. The concept is simple and fun; have a bite to eat at stop one and a taste of something else at stop two and keep moving until your meal is complete.

Mount Mary is well positioned with multiple ethnically diverse restaurants within a three mile radius of campus, so designing a progressive meal that mixes the best of many cultures is extremely accessible. Traveling from Mount Mary to Vietnam would log you 8,352 miles.

To India 7,957 and to Jamaica a mere 1,833. However you can experience a taste from each, all in the same day, without going more than three miles from campus.

A progressive meal of this scale requires your guests to arrive very hungry and may necessitate scheduling a looonnggg walk on the Menomonee River Parkway in between courses to keep everyone from falling into a food coma. But consider it inspiration the next time you want to experience authentic tastes of far off lands all within easy reach of campus.

Our table at Pho One24: Pork bun heo nuong, cha gio, goi cuon tom and chicken pho ga.

used to the flavor and texture combination of the sweet mint mixed with the cold noodles and bland fresh roll wrap.

That aside, Pho One24 did not disappoint. Try it out the next time you are in

the mood for delicious spring rolls, a hot bowl of soup with a Vietnamese twist, or really anything from their menu such as authentic sandwiches and noodle bowls that may please your palate.

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ho ga.

hot t, or h as wls

Main Course - Irie Zulu

The ultimate jerk chicken with a side of red beans and rice.

Irie Zulu, located at 7237 W. North Avenue in Wauwatosa, takes a unique approach to serving two different ethnic cuisines. Flavors of Africa are served Tuesday and Wednesday. Flavors of Jamaica are served Thursday and Friday. On Saturday and for Sunday brunch they serve the best of both.

I was fortunate to visit on a Friday for the Jamaican menu. Bring on the spice! Caribbean jerk gets its kick from a blend of chilies, thyme, cinnamon, garlic and nutmeg. Jerk brings heat and flavor to meat and vegetables. My table of friends split two entrees, the ultimate jerk chicken and the Jamaican jerk fish.

One of my friends said the spicy chicken made his lips burn, in a good way. I thought the heat was balanced right with the seasoning and flavor. We also enjoyed sides of red beans and rice, fried plantains, and sauteed cabbage and carrots. All were rich and aromatic, flavorful and filling. Irie Zulu has a cozy dining room with small but sufficient bar lining the west side. As I ate, the spice evoked images of dining under the hot sun, with the Caribbean ocean in sight and sand between my toes. Stop in to see if your taste buds take you on the same kind of trip.

Jamaican jerk fish with fried plantains on the side.

Dessert - India Garden

India Garden, located at 2930 N. 117th Street in Wauwatosa, has a large menu full of great curries, fantastic naan, masala chicken and vegetables ... the list goes on. In addition they have a whole page dedicated to dessert.

Half of the dessert menu features ice cream, but I was going for a diverse food adventure, so standard ice cream wouldn’t cut it. I ordered four different authentic Indian desserts: • Gulab jamun was described on the menu as “fried balls of nonfat dry milk and cottage cheese, soaked in sugar syrup.”

They were very similar to doughnuts.

• Kheer was described as rice cooked in sweetened milk, raisins and nuts. This was served cold. Contrary to the menu description, I did not have any raisins or nuts in the version I was served.

• Next up was gajar halwa, grated carrots cooked gently in a milk reduction. This was more savory than sweet and did not even taste like dessert. It reminded me of sweet potato casserole.

• Lastly was ras malai, fresh homemade cheese patties cooked in a special condensed milk with pistachios. This was also served cold.

These desserts were definitely a change from the American and European desserts I am used to. There was no chocolate, no glazed fruit, no cookies, no cakes. Flavorings and spices were exotic and hard to identify. However, if you’re in the mood to try a sweet ending that’s a bit more unusual, India Garden is a great option.

India Garden’s gulab jamun, doughnuts soaked in sweet syrup.

Kheer is India’s version of rice pudding.

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PERSPECTIVES

Head over Heart: Dating a transracial adoptee Words | Design Jamie Nicole Hollins

“I have begun to question, what could be worse for him than to have a black girlfriend as an added hindrance?”

-Jamie Nicole Hollins 24

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When I met my current boyfriend on the social app Tinder, I was amazed at how quickly text conversations became long phone calls, then phone calls became wide-eyed gazes over drip coffee, and as the butterflies filled our bellies, our hearts grew fonder.

I could have never guessed that our whirlwind romance would result in an engagement three months into the dating relationship, only for those plans to be postponed because of us not seeing eye-to-eye with his white adoptive parents – WAPs. Our relationship’s foundation of common culture and identity was shook.

My love life up until Matthew was bleak, to say the very least. I never had a boyfriend, barely had what could reasonably be considered a real date.

Which is why a lot of the fantasies I had for my first romance were cinematic. Being a transracial adoptee (TRA) has become more than a piece of Matthew’s identity, it has somehow become a fixture in our relationship that requires conscious effort to overcome. Before me, he had never dated a black woman and had even declared to friends and family that he never would because of the tendency for black women to be portrayed as “ghetto” in popular culture. Hearing this burned me.

In her blog “Only Black Girl,” Rebekah Hutson, a transracial adoptee, wrote in her post “Why do so many transracial adoptees end up with white spouses”: “If, as a TRA you are being fed that message from your parents (that black people have no culture), you’re being raised in a white family AND you’re being told by society that you don’t matter and your race is only associated with negative stereotypes, eventually, you’re going to start to believe that.”

I have had many months to sit with the reality of my boyfriend’s self-hate encouraged by being a black man in a white family. I have been present for

conversations with his parents that result in Matthew being told that he needs to mask his blackness by any means necessary. For example, by driving around in a shiny new Prius, so as to not draw additional attention from legal authorities.

So, I have begun to question, what could be worse for him than to have a black girlfriend as an added hindrance?

Living life and being in love in our black skin had suddenly become suffocating. How am I to proceed in my relationship with Matthew: As an aid in his whitewashing? Or as an ally to him as he becomes more aware of his strength as a black man?

Ann Angel, a WAP and professor of graduate studies in English, said one important aspect of raising a multiracial family is having equal parts grace and candor when approaching these conversations. “It’s tough for my kids to bring it up (things I have done as a white parent that bothered them growing up) because they don’t want to hurt us and they don’t want to make us insecure as parents,” Angel said. “They might not be consciously aware of that, but they don’t want to hurt us.”

I wondered about the premise of our relationship; was I promised a version of Matthew that doesn’t exist? Was his identity as a strong black man stifled in the constraints of white privilege?

Having white adoptive parents allowed Matthew to cross lines of privilege that I and other young black folk who do not have white adoptive parents cannot – and never will. For example, Matthew has had access to sound financial coaching all his life. He has also been granted the option to earn money that can be invested in stocks and bonds.

I’m not sure of anyone else, but within my peer group I have never heard of such a privilege as to earn money in our youth, and even into adulthood that could be exclusively put toward financial wealth. Growing up in my household, to suggest to my single

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black mother raising five children that I wanted to earn money whilst living under her roof to keep for myself and put toward savings as opposed to, say, groceries for the household, would be next to blaspheme.

I sought the wisdom of Dr. Lynne Woehrle, who is also a WAP, professor of sociology and coordinator of peacebuilding certificate at Mount Mary University.

“As a sociologist, I am really aware of the racialized structure in our country,” Woehrle said. “That, to me, speaks to the necessity that we must make ourselves vulnerable and ask for help as parents who are crossing cultures in adopting. The colorblind approach is typical of white privileged people. I’m sure it’s not coming out of some horrible intention, it may be due to being unschooled in the dynamics of race issues. As soon as you adopt, you have to seek supports and be more creative about it.”

Woehrle goes on to say, “An adopted child will always grow up with the question: Why did my parents let me go? And transracial children will question: Why did they choose me?”

I knew I had to get beyond the misunderstanding between myself and Matthew’s WAPs. The posture of my heart had shifted from shame to the need for me to figure out what it takes to help Matthew feel seen. There is so much power in what author Jonathan Friesen would speak about as having someone voice that they see you, and what’s more, that they like what they see. Had Matthew ever had someone come along in his life and say, I see you beyond who you were born to, beyond who chose you, and beyond the stereotypes attached to being an AfricanAmerican male? I needn’t be a savior to him, but simply a friend.

Postponing our engagement and halting all wedding plans was not something anyone had asked of Matthew or me. It was a decision made because we both knew that we needed to be on better terms with his parents before my induction into the family. Also, I began to evaluate my decision to put space between myself and

his parents. I knew that there needed to be some sort of reconciliation. But where to begin in that process? I have chosen to begin with trying to better understand the life and experience of transracial adoptees.

First, I had to understand what his challenges were in being raised in a multiracial home. Hutson said this: “I think just like any relationship, you have to be able to communicate and respect your partner.

You can’t do that if you are ignorant to the TRA experience. I would hold a TRA partner to the same standards I would

“I would hold a TRA partner to the same standards I would hold a white adoptive parent in terms of learning our experiences.”

-Rebekah Hutson

hold a white adoptive parent in terms of learning our experiences. There are many challenges that come with being adopted, and another set with being transracially adopted and a TRA’s partner needs to be aware of these challenges as they will no doubt show up within the relationship. It can be anything from mental health issues to just understanding why a TRA may not be close with their families. You cannot fully support your partner if you do not understand the experiences they are dealing with.”

One thing was for certain, this journey would not be easy and would likely result in some confrontational conversations that I would rather avoid. Angel helped put into perspective the WAP’s stance on the matter: “Every parent is going to have times when they feel their role as a parent isn’t on steady ground either because they are making difficult choices or they are telling their kids difficult things and are worried that the way they are doing it may not be the right way.”

Both of Matthew’s parents are highachieving, wildly successful, and fiercely protective of their cubs. I see them lead by example while instructing Matthew and his siblings to have passion and dedication in whatever they take on. I see the sincerity in which they instill love and life into their children. I see the earnest desire to continue a legacy of acclaim of the family name. I truly respect the effort to build a foundation for Matthew that will guide him toward the brightest future possible.

He will realize his dreams, and not by my or his parents’ efforts alone. The black women and men of America who conquer the odds, rewrite the sorrow song, scour the bloodied and beaten path to freedom, and who savor the fruits of their labor are ones who seek to profit from the inherent beauty of being in our black skin.

Hutson said, “Before this TRA you got to live your life, not caring about race or racism. Now you have a person of color in your family, and whether you acknowledge it or not, we are experiencing racism on a daily basis. You no longer get to live in your safe, white, carefree bubble. You’re forced to be an ally, take action and speak up. They don’t want to do that. They want to ‘see past color,’ put their heads down and just continue living in this white bubble. They don’t want to do the work.”

I am uncertain of my relationship with Matthew moving forward because I know the importance of a parent’s role in their child’s life. More than anything, I hope to help Matthew in his search for identity as a transracial adoptee. “The work,” as Hutson puts it, for me will be no longer sheltering Matthew from cringe-y situations involving his parents’ white privilege.

I hope to bear witness to all of the Godgiven gifts this fearfully and wonderfully made black man has to offer the world.

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PERPECTIVE

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BREAKDOWN TO BRILLIANT

Beyond Bipolar

Piecing together an understanding of mental illness Words Julia Wachuta | Photo Nina Kesic | Design Tyheca Stanton I sit in my bed, pulling the covers up just under my chin. I don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t want to move. Maybe if I stay here, I will feel better. Maybe if I stay here, I won’t have to do anything, or see anyone ...

What am I thinking? I’m totally capable of getting stuff done today. I’m happy about life. I have awesome friends, a great boyfriend, pretty cats, and this warm blanket ...

If I lie here, I will feel better. I can forget about stress and just sleep. Maybe read something. Ah, there’s the sadness again.

My emotions have never been stable. I feel sad often, even though I feel confident, and I feel things too strongly. I talk too fast and too loud, or I sit silently in the corner. I am different.

I have a mental illness called bipolar disorder. You can’t tell by looking at me or even talking to me, but it’s something I have to deal with every day. Most people don’t understand how my mind works. There’s a lot of pieces to it, but some are easier to comprehend.

5 Things I Wish People Understood

1

I get sad sometimes, and don’t know why.

It comes as more of an uncomfortable feeling than a definite sadness. It feels like something is wrong. Or maybe something is missing? I’m not sure. Something just doesn’t quite feel right. In some instances, it was built up over a period of time in which I was feeling neutral, not especially happy or sad. Other times, it comes after something made me happy. When the feeling comes, it sticks around for awhile. I tell my friends that I’m sad, or that I’m uncomfortable. When they want to know why, I don’t know. Please don’t think that I’m weird.

2

I want to be alone but I need people around.

When I’m definitely feeling sad or stressed, I usually prefer to be alone. If I’m alone, there will be nobody around to see that I’m acting strange. No one will be there to judge me. If I’m alone, then maybe I will feel better. But if I stay alone for too long, I will feel worse. I need someone to talk to, someone to understand and be there for me. Please be there for me.

3

I get angry very easily but it doesn’t always mean I don’t like you.

When I get angry, I get angry. My brain goes into survival mode. Not physical survival, but emotional. I need to feel safe. If someone upsets me, my brain tells me that the threat is huge. Maybe someone said something bad without the intention to hurt me, or maybe someone did something hurtful. Big or small, it’s a threat, and I will hold a grudge. It doesn’t always mean I don’t like a person; my friends upset me sometimes too. I’m just trying to feel okay. Please don’t think I’m mean.

4

It’s harder for me to deal with stress.

If I feel too overwhelmed, I shut down. It’s hard to get anything done. My brain tells me I’m not good enough. I feel like a failure, and sometimes all I can do is lie there. I do eventually get things done, but sometimes I need a long enough break to process my emotions and to be reassured that the tasks ahead of me are not too much for me to handle.

Being around friends helps me feel better. It makes me feel more normal, like the things I’m stressing about are things other people might deal with too. These tasks don’t really feel like something I could deal with daily; they feel like a heavy weight getting in the way of my peace of mind. Please don’t think I’m incapable.

5

I can’t control my emotions like you can.

Part of bipolar disorder is a lack of control over my emotions. My medication helps for the most part, but sometimes it’s still too hard. I get too angry or too sad and I can’t stop it. One time in my high school art class, I got the slightest feeling of self-doubt about my art pieces. They weren’t as realistic as other students’ work. I began to cry and I couldn’t stop. I kept telling myself to stop and that it wasn’t a big deal, but it didn’t help. It felt like an enormous deal. Please don’t think I’m crazy.

Living with a mental illness is no walk in the park. Some days are better than others, but it’s not something that ever really goes away.

I once read a book that portrayed a lady with bipolar disorder as insane, and later said that there would never be any hope for bipolar people. It made me angry. It made me angry because I felt that the author was right.

After a little more thought, I realized that she was half right.

There’s no hope of curing my mental illness. It’s one of those things where the medication will only treat the symptoms. The kind of hope that I do have is the hope of going far in life; not because I cured my mental illness, but because I learned how to live with it and push through it.

I’ve accomplished many things in my life, despite the drawbacks. In middle school I got a student of the month award six times. I won a bronze medal in the National Spanish Exam. I've had a poem published in a book. I graduated high school with a 4.0 GPA. I’m doing almost as well in college with a 3.8 GPA. I’ve achieved my dream of writing for a publication, even winning a Milwaukee Press Club award for my blog, “Student Sphere.”

I’ve gone far, and I hope to keep moving forward. My bipolar disorder does not define me; it is but an obstacle in my life journey. While the journey is not a simple one, it would make life’s difficulties a lot more inviting if more people tried to understand my mind.

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PERSPECTIVE A NATIVE VOICE

Honoring the Cir Words Sandrea Smith

It is my strong belief that there are people that come into our lives by chance, by default or on purpose.

The year 2017 was especially rough for me. Graduation was postponed, I worked two jobs, a colleague and dear friend of mine lost her battle with brain cancer and my position within a non-profit organization was eliminated a semester before graduation. Along with the day-to-day that comes with being a mother, woman, student – and all the other titles I juggle – this year was filled with numerous setbacks, delays and more losses than I thought my spirit could take.

One of the biggest losses I endured this year is the passing of the first boss I ever had. In her death, the inspiration given was of resilience and a message to “step it up.” In her life, her example was not only one of diplomacy, but impact. Mattie Payne of Milwaukee was truly a woman who knew that being kind was free and that being a servant of the Lord is being a servant to his people.

In each of these difficult moments, I found myself held together by faith and uplifted with support through prayer.

Now, the closer I get to the end of the year, I am able to look at some of those things as closing of chapters, fulfillment of purpose, inspiration and blessings in the forms of lessons.

We all have situations where at one point in time, we are stressed, uncomfortable, sad or angry. In these moments, just as Viktor Frankl would say, “The one choice we have when we have no other, is the

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attitude we take towards our suffering.”

The Red Road I remember as a child learning about the “Red Road” from my elders who explained what the Red Road is and what it means to “walk” it.

“The one choice we have when we have no other is the attitude we take towards our suffering.”

-Viktor Frankl The Red Road is life in a way that reflects your faith or belief systems. The Red Road is not a religion; it is a way of living in accordance to Native American belief systems, values and traditions. “Walking the Red Road” is similar to “being a good Christian.”

Native Americans believe that all things living have a spirit and need to be respected.

It is common practice for Native people to give before taking, honoring the benefits soon to be awarded. Whether you are hunting, harvesting, borrowing or bartering, it is a custom to give offering before you receive.

Circle of Life Though there have been numerous setbacks and moments where my faith wavered, I believe that the experiences this year are mental and emo-

tional preparations for the next stage of my life. In these moments, some of my biggest accomplishments or blessings were afforded.

Throughout my life, the teachings that were passed on to me from my elders provided context to the world around me. They helped me understand my place in this world and the choices I had, along with the consequences that could ensue. The most constant and important of reference for me was the circle and its representation in the cycle of life.

The circle reference is not just specific to human life, but any life form or cycle. When completed, the circle repeats, just as the seasons do. I was told that we as people came from this Earth and when our time on this Earth is over, our bodies will return to where we came.

An Oneida Elder who also goes by the name of Jim Kelly used a story to explain the cycle of life and the dues that are paid for and passed on by those before us. While he was growing sunflowers with his granddaughter, it became time to transfer the blooming sprouts from the flower pot inside to the soil outside. When she made a remark about how weathered and tattered the older larger flowers were, he explained to her why and how this cycle mirrored life.

He said that the flowers that were weathered, breaking down and didn’t look so good, were the same flowers that not too long ago, were strong, bright, full of life and color with leaves

and petals intact. He explained that through their cycle of life, they started just like the sprouts they were about to put in the ground, and that over time they grew. Eventually, they began to lose their color, strength, seeds and deteriorated back to the Earth in which they grew from, just like us.

He explained that those tall flowers shade the smaller ones.

That those same seeds within the center of those big flowers, fall to the ground and create

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the Circle of Life

a Smith

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new flowers. In the height and shelter of the larger flowers, the smaller ones are protected and nurtured from environmental conditions. Just like we do in life, we grow older and eventually have kids, planting our seeds and nurturing their growth, protecting them from the conditions surrounding them, for optimal growth.

In this story, he tried to provide context not only about life, but the things we as parents, grandparents and community

members experience. He did this while reiterating to her the cycle of life, the stages in it, what is to be expected and our part in it.

I was fortunate enough to have Mattie Payne as one of those sunflowers to nurture my development while I was sprouting. She was able to radiate positivity and support to the most humble, unknowing of souls. In her spirit’s departure from this earth, she left a legacy of love freely given and time spent with genuine intent and effort to help others.

My Native American culture may have an array of traditions but in the things that root from my ancestry, I can see that there are a number of beliefs and practices that will intersect in value and meaning.

Praying can transcend religion, race, age and generational difference, and in my belief, it is most powerful and universal. In Mrs. Payne’s transition, I recalled how she was truly a godly woman and the God she served worked through her and for her, even in her last days.

She was one who gave the best of herself in service to others and was impactful enough to have you remember the way she made you feel even if you couldn’t remember her name.

In my best memory of her, it was her faith in the Lord as she rejoiced, jamming to the gospel hymn, “Break Every Chain” by Tasha Cobbs. That reminded me of the power of faith, even in a hazy moment when things that were out of

my control. In that moment, I realized that burning sage, listening to pow-wow tunes or adhering to life on the Red Road were parallel to her service to others and her faith, all in the name of the Lord. She was gracious – even in the face of being terminally ill – and was guided by her faith and belief in the Lord’s will.

Faith: Belief of the Unseen In my younger days, I can remember my father’s mother.

She was a Bible study teacher at one point of her life, and she would explain the importance of faith while my father echoed the importance of a mustard seed and that faith is the “belief of things unseen.”

When change comes, there are things that human beings turn to for understanding, comfort, answers or whatever it is we are in search of at that time.

People can experience the same thing and use different methods or practices to cope, heal, grieve or process.

In Native American culture, it is common for the immediate family to have some sort of “give away” as a part of their grief process after the loss of a loved one.

Some tribal people give away the items of the deceased to specific people within the family or close friends. It is also common for children and/ or parents to cut their hair or wear a particular color during a certain period, pre- and postburial of a loved one.

This is another thing that transcends cultural identity, age, sex, race and religion. I

have friends who got commemorative tattoos or pieces of jewelry in memory of their lost loved ones. Whether it is how the body is buried, what process is chosen for the handling of the body or the style of ceremony or celebration, it’s their process and way of honoring the person or grieving the loss of life.

With all that I have endured this year, I am learning more now than ever that not only are people put in your life on purpose, but you can learn and be inspired by them. They can also protect, nurture and guide you.

One thing Mrs. Payne did in her death was pass me a message through her granddaughter who I had never met in person. As she came running out of the church at the end of service, she was instructed by her grandmother to tell me to “continue writing, stay focused and determined, and continue to be who I am.” She also said that she loved me dearly.

Her advice is part what I am doing now: continuing to write, not giving up and staying focused. Even in her passing, she continues to nurture my development, just like that old sunflower.

“T

he experiences this year are mental and emotional preparations for the next stage of my life.

-Sandrea Smith

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