Gonzaga University UMEC Newsletter September 2012

...I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. --Philippians 3:14

The start of 2012-13 academic year brought an expedient closure to many of my summer plans. Some of my objectives were accomplished, while others are still on the “to-do” list. Still others had to be reprioritized for the sake of my own cura personalis.

There will always be work to do and carrying out the UMEC vision in alignment with the institutional mission is an infinite responsibility. This on-going journey year after year must remain grounded in realistic expectations given the context of the Gonzaga environment. Keeping a faith-centered perspective regarding diversity must be paramount. Improving campus climate means intentionally embodying respect, inclusion, student development, equity and justice – all core values at the heart of UMEC.

Although some of us may ever have the privilege of draping a gold medal around our neck, like some of the stellar Olympians this past summer, there is a prize that we can strive towards. Michael Phelps, the most decorated U.S. Olympian, won numerous individual accolades; however it took a team of individuals to provide challenges, set expectations, and

Director’s Corner continued on page 5

UNITY

502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258 (509) 313-5836 [email protected]

28 Mocktail Movie Night: Sin País (Without Country)

11 Cultural Awareness Night: Interracial Dating18 Dr. Claudia Bucciferro - Identity/Global Citizenship

2 Cultural Awareness Night: A Language of Hawaii- Pidgin16 Annual International Day of Tolerance28 Crafting Unity: Native American Beading

Upcoming Events

the

September

Director’s Corner

inside this issue...Crafting Unity: ”Cathedral” Window Making

Reflections from BRIDGEAlly Connection

New Staff Additions at UMECOctober UMEC Programming Promos

Jewish New Year CelebrationUMEC Events Webpage

OctOber

Cathedral

Window Making

MULTICULTURALEDUCATIONCENTERVolume 3, Issue 1 September 25, 2012newsletter

Picture below: GU students having a great time making their own Cathedral Window to celebrate GU’s 125th year anniversary inside the Crosby Student Center on Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

Photos courtesy of UMEC Staff

NOvember

Crafting Unity

Gonzaga university unity multicultural education center

Reflections from

BRIDGE Counselor ReflectionThe beginning of new student orientation marked the end of another successful BRIDGE pre-orientation program. BRIDGE (Building Relationships In Diverse Gonzaga Environments) is a pre-orientation program designed to assist students from multicultural and/or first generation backgrounds with a smooth transition to Gonzaga University and the Spokane area. BRIDGE students are introduced to campus life through workshops and informational sessions held by faculty and staff, while building friendships throughout the program that offer students a supportive community on campus. Serving as a delegate and parent counselor in years past and as a student counselor this year, I have witnessed tremendous growth in the program.

The program has continued to make strides by providing students with college preparation strategies and a sense of community. This year’s BRIDGE theme, “Take Part”, was embodied throughout the week with students participating in activities such as a campus wide scavenger hunt, various workshops, and line dancing on Mulligan Field. The workshops and activities offered throughout the week-long program helped familiarize students with Gonzaga life; however, the most impactful portion of the week is the relationships that are built between students (counselors and participants) that provide a support system for students that will last throughout their Gonzaga experience.

The reason that other counselors and I give back to BRIDGE year after year is primarily to continue building connections with students and welcome them into the BRIDGE family that has nurtured a familial climate for students such as me, who at one time were anxious about surviving college. The success of this year’s BRIDGE program is measured not by the student’s knowledge of bike locks or Sodexo services, but rather in the rich relationships cultivated throughout the week and beyond.BY RENE “JUNIOR” ALVAREZ,

2012 BRIDGE COUNSELOR AND ACT SIX SCHOLAR

Picture top from left to right: Arlene Chandra, BRIDGE Counselor and Anne Mackenzie, BRIDGE Student, taking time to showcase unity to kickoff the end of summer.


Picture above: A great shot of the entire 2012 BRIDGE participants from counselors to first-year GU students.

Reflections fromBRIDGE Student Reflection

As an incoming freshman, it is easy to feel afraid. Whether the fear comes from not wanting to leave your family and friends in your hometown, knowing that the workload for classes will be challenging, or simply feeling anxious. The thought of becoming the “new kid” on a large campus…is scary. I was one of those terrified students before I went to BRIDGE.

Going to the BRIDGE pre-orientation program was the best decision I have made as a student at Gonzaga so far. Other than being a great opportunity for students to move in early, navigate class schedules, and learn about different campus clubs and activities, the program gave others and me the chance to socialize and make connections that have now turned into lasting relationships. During BRIDGE, we played numerous ice breakers, discussed different issues and challenges we may face on campus. We built relationships where we truly learned a lot about one another and what we each hope to contribute to Gonzaga. The program allowed us to break out of our shell and venture away from our comfort zone by engaging and interacting with different types of personalities. We basically all came together as “new kids” and left, a family.

Personally, the benefits I gained from BRIDGE started with the relationships I built. As a military dependant, someone who has almost always been branded as the “new girl”, it was not too difficult for me to branch out and actually speak to those who were unfamiliar. But, never have I ever truly advanced on those relationships, taking them to the next level, and build unbreakable bonds. However, every aspect of BRIDGE from the activities and workshops, to the small group sessions with counselors, helped me to change that. Because of the BRIDGE program, I now possess numerous ties that can never be destroyed. BRIDGE ultimately introduced me to my new home, and my new family.


BY ALEXIS NICHOLSON, BRIDGE CLASS OF 2016 AND ACT SIX SCHOLAR

Pictured below: Class of 2016 students having fun the during 2012 Summer BRIDGE program outside of the Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC) and the whole BRIDGE group outside on the steps of the Crosby Student Center (below).



This past summer I decided to do something I have never done before. I found out about Growth International Volunteer Excursions (GIVE) through an email I received from the Psychology Department. I looked into it and I thought, this would be a great opportunity. I was intrigued by the projects the organization was doing and also by the fact that I would get to travel abroad. I would be immersed in a completely different culture!

This volunteer excursion took place in Nicaragua. Embarking on this trip was one of the best decisions I have made. This experience was a perspective changing experience for me. We were helping build a vocational school out of 3-liter plastic bottles packed with sand. In the community we were in, kids drop out of school after the 6th grade because they do not have the means to get to the school anymore. By building a vocational school they would be able to learn a trade and help out their community as well. The people from the community would come out and help us. Many of them were kids between

the ages of 11-17. The school we were building would benefit them, and it was nice to see them so willing to help.

One of the highlights of my trip was going out into the community collecting plastic bottles and setting up recycling posts. I was able to connect with the people on a more personal level. It also made me feel really good about what I was doing because they were the reason I was there. This experience made me appreciate what I have here at home, especially my education. It’s not their fault that they cannot get the education they deserve. It has been the most satisfying and amazing experience of my life thus far. I learned a lot about myself and what I am capable of doing. I will never forget the friends I made in Nicaragua.

BY GRACIELA TOBAR, BRIDGE CLASS OF 2013

Reflections fromBRIDGE Alumna Transformed Abroad!

Below: Gonzaga senior, Graciela Tobar helped build a school and global relationships over the summer.

Ally

Jaime Hollis joined the LGBT Resource Center last January as the Center’s first permanent Program Coordinator. She said what attracted her to Gonzaga was the University’s commitment to social justice, equality, and the University’s leadership in the area of LGBT student support among Jesuit Universities. Jaime attended Eastern Washington University and holds a Master’s degree in Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies. Besides her job as the LGBT Program Coordinator, Jaime also teaches at Gonzaga and Whitworth University in the Communication department. One of the most impressive things Jaime has experienced at Gonzaga is the emphasis on service to others. She has been very impressed at the level of engagement Gonzaga students show, not only to the Spokane community, but to communities all over the world.

The primary focus of the LGBT Resource Center is to increase awareness, education, and presence of LGBT issues on Gonzaga’s campus, which includes expanding the definition of diversity from strictly race and ethnicity, to a wider definition that includes sexual orientation. The LGBT Resource Center does this through programming such as Safe Space Training, The Mass of Compassion, and Transgender Day of Remembrance. This year the Center’s programming will focus on expanding the awareness of issues unique to transgendered individuals. The reality for many people is that their identity is a complex makeup of many factors such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, etc. The Center looks for opportunities to work with other departments, such as UMEC, to create programming that explores the complex intersectionality of identities.

Jaime Hollis,Program Coordinator,LGBT Resource Center

Director’s Corner continued...

support him throughout his training regime. Likewise, it will take a collective effort on the diversity front if we are committed to meeting challenges, expectations and supporting a tradition of valuing human difference for decades beyond our 125 years of existence.

I encourage everyone to invest and exercise your God-given talents and commit to actively building and supporting an inclusive environment for staff, faculty and students whom we desire to become men and women, with and for others. As a Jesuit institution our ultimate reward comes from developing the whole person– head, heart, and intellect, regardless of one’s gender, race, ethnicity, religion, physical ability or other cultural identity. Press ahead!

Tracy Ellis-Ward Director, UMEC

Connection



Elizabeth “Libby” Thompson is originally from Billings, Montana and graduated from Gonzaga in 2012 with degrees in Sociology and Religious Studies. Libby first became involved with UMEC during her junior year when she went on the Chi-Urban Excursion and enjoyed it so much she went again in her senior year!

She enjoys meeting new people, learning about different cultures, running, and spending time with her family and friends. Libby is a animal lover and adores Bella, her pitbull, and her labradoodle named Gracie. Someday, She would like in the future to have pet chickens. Libby has Czech heritage and has family that still lives in the Czech Republic. Libby is mildly obsessed with Johnny Depp (I have seen all of his movies) and the Denver Broncos. She hopes to one day go to grad school and continue her study of religious traditions and their role in politics.

With Libby’s role as the LEADS Coordinator this year at UMEC, her focus will be coaching the mentoring relationships that generate from the LEADS program. The Leadership, Education, Academic Development, and Success Skills (LEADS) Mentoring Program is designed to help multicultural and/or first-generation students develop a solid foundation at GU so that they are able to thrive in our community. By matching mentees with peer mentors and a faculty/staff mentor, we hope to develop well-rounded individuals and outstanding student leaders.

The New Faces at UMEC!

Randy Corradine,Assistant Director,Unity MulticulturalEducation Center (UMEC)

Elizabeth “Libby” Thompson,AmeriCorps/LEADS Coordinator,Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC)

Randy Corradine has spent the past seven years on staff at Evergreen State College where he held multiple responsibilities including managing conditionally admitted students, strategic diversity recruitment, and designing and administering training specific to inclusion and equity. Randy was also very engaged with service in Olympia and devoted countless hours to the South Sound YMCA, coaching, managing the late night teen program, and training volunteers.

He enjoys reading and writing for FUN and indicated that he “loves language and the power of words.” He is currently working on a novel with a working title – Memoir: Being Between Blue-Line Boundaries. He also enjoys hip-hop music, spoken word, and rap concerts, all of which inspire him and are in part a cultural recognition of race in America. Randy is also a self-proclaimed fitness and nutrition guru who loves to work out…so snag him up for your intramural team!

One quirky talent he developed in his youth as a result of being a clown in the children’s circus was tumbling and juggling. These skills will come in handy working at Gonzaga, as there is always a balancing act of sorts happening in UMEC! Photos courtesy of UMEC Staff

New

Staff Additions!


For More

Info On

UMEC 2012-

2013 Events,

Please Visit:

www.gonzaga.edu/

Student-Life/UMEC/

Events


Pictured left: Rabbi Goldstein, GU Professor, Religious Studies Department and GU students on Friday, September 19, 2012 outside of the Crosby Student Center.

Rabbi Goldstein exposed students to Jewish culture and partaking in the Jewish celebratory elements (apples and honey) of Rosh Hashanah.

“My goal for the program was to educate students about the importance of this Jewish Holiday and understand the cultural traditions within it”. --Rabbi Goldstein

Rosh Hashanah:

Jewish New Year


Documents

Gonzaga University UMEC Newsletter September 2012