6 | JANUARY 21 - 27, 2022 | WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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Want to get involved in city government? Boards, committees have open seats Victor D. Infante Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
Looking at a press release from the Worcester Arts Council Tuesday about grant recipients, something near the bottom of the email caught my eye: There was a list of the current members of the WAC, followed by the sentence, “There is one open seat on the Council.” That struck me as a great way for people to get involved in local arts. Sure, it’s not a glamorous job, but it’s a necessary one, especially if you’re from a district or neighbor-
hood where people feel they either haven’t benefi tted from the city’s public art mania, or hasn’t had a voice in how and where it occurs. Then, it occurred to me that there were probably seats open on a few other boards and committees, so after being pointed to the right part of the website by Jeannie Michelson, principle staff assistant to the city manager — http:// www.worcesterma.gov/ boards-commissions, then scroll down and click on “Current Vacancies” — I learned that there are actually 35 seats See INFANTE, Page 8
“Culture is the foundation of education, of sustainable governance. It provides perspective. It has a positive effect on the community, as it nurtures a sense of belonging.” TRUTHSEEKER08
‘Worcester’s greatest asset is its diversity, its people’ Vanessa Joga Special to Worcester Magazine USA TODAY NETWORK
My name is Vanessa, and I am the co-founder and executive director of a cultural nonprofi t organization called Guardians of Traditions. Culture is the foundation of education, of sustainable governance. It provides perspective. It has a positive eff ect on the community, as it nurtures a sense of belonging, while also
reinforcing our identity, which in turns strengthens community participation. Worcester’s greatest asset is its diversity, its people. You see, I’m an immigrant from Dominican Republic; my fi rst time driving around town, specifi cally the Main Street area, I was amazed by the sounds that reminded me of my home country, yet I still craved a deeper connection to what was familiar to me, and that’s why I co-founded Guardians of Traditions.
During an event about Bachata music and its connection to African-Americans that we presented to the students of South High, many students voluntarily came to the stage to dance with us. At one point, one of them gave me a hug and told me, “I had no idea my people was so important in your culture!” That moment had such a lasting impression on me. It reminded me that where See JOGA, Page 8
