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Alumni Newsletter | Winter 2009

In the summer of 2005, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) joined with the University of Chicago Alumni Association to create a quarterly Alumni Newsletter to update alumni of color on diversity initiatives from OMSA and the University, as well as offer information that will assist alumni in engaging and connecting with the University community.

A Note from OMSA's Director

The fall was a very exciting time for OMSA. Not only did we welcome new staff to our team, but also welcomed the Class of 2012 to campus! The class of 2012 is a great representation of the positive direction in which the University of Chicago is moving with an incoming population of 8.1% African American students and 12% Hispanic/Latino students. This quarter launched many new initiatives for OMSA, including the Bias Response Team, and was especially momentous with the energetic campus climate surrounding the 2008 Presidential Election. We are greatly looking forward to the winter and spring quarters as we focus on developing our communication plan, support for graduate/professional students as well as staying in tune with the statistical and demographic information related to students of color at the University of Chicago.

As a means to stay connected with our alumni and aware of the great work alumni continue to do after graduation, we are introducing an Alumni Features section to our newsletter. Each quarter, we will feature an alumnus, who has been nominated by a peer, fellow alumnus, or faculty/staff within the university, highlighting contributions to their profession, community, the University of Chicago, family life, and all of the other incredible work so many of you do. To nominate someone for our first Alumni Features section, please contact Ronnie Rios at rrios@uchicago.edu for additional information. The deadline to submit a nomination is March 9, 2009.

The academic year has many historical moments in store including our celebration of Martin Luther King Junior, Black History Month and our one-year anniversary at 5710! We greatly look forward to sharing more with you in the next issue of our Alumni Newsletter.

Sincerely,

Ana

Ana Vázquez, Deputy Dean of Students in the University and Director, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs

WHAT'S NEW

Diversity in Leadership Awards

http://www.uchicago.edu/diversity/awards.shtml

A wonderful opportunity was recently introduced to the University of Chicago community by the Diversity Leadership Council that is also open to Alumni of the University.  As part of its role, the Diversity Leadership Council seeks to recognize a nonacademic University employee for leadership in fostering a more diverse academic community or in improving the University's relationships with our surrounding neighborhoods and business partners.  A University alumna/us who has provided leadership in advancing social justice and equality, furthering the University's goal of achieving greater diversity across our community and society will also be recognized.

The Inaugural Award recipients were announced during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Program on Thursday, January 15, 2009, at Rockefeller Chapel. The awards were conferred during the President's Reception hosted on the same evening. Please join us in recognizing and congratulating our 2009 award Recipients:

Diversity Leadership Staff Award: Larry Hawkins, Director of Special Programs and College Preparation. With great sadness we announce that Larry Hawkins passed away on January 30, 2009 at the age of 78 before this issue was released.

http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/090205/obit-hawkins.shtml

Diversity Leadership Alumni Award: James Hormel (J.D., '58) and Hedy Ratner (A.M., '74)

ONE YEAR @5710!

Since 5710 S. Woodlawn opened its doors in February, 2008, the building has become a vibrant student space. Students gather to study, hang out, have panel discussions, movie nights and so much more. During the fall quarter, there have been over 300 events including the Human Rights Report Back Panel, watching the Presidential Debates, a screening of the film "Vincent Who" and Graduate Student Mixers. Programs have been hosted by 28 different registered student organizations (RSO) including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, MEChA, Singaporean and Malaysian Students Union and Cultures in Action. In addition to providing space for RSOs, 5710 has also provided a space for university departments to host events such as information sessions for the University Community Service Center (UCSC) Summer Links Program and the Collegiate Mentoring Program amongst others. All these events and activities brought over 3400 visitors to 5710 this fall, including local high school students, community members, staff, faculty and students, bringing the number of visitors to over 7,000 since we opened our doors.

We anticipate that more and more people will come to 5710 as awareness of the space and as resources continues to grow. Students are already taking advantage of the cable television that is available in three different spaces including the projection screen in the community lounge where students gathered to watch this year's presidential debates and election night. The computer stations are also becoming popular as more and more students gather at 5710 to study and work on papers. The community lounge, the largest space in the building, is of course the most popular space, particularly for evening events. The space has hosted numerous film screenings, panel discussions, receptions, and open mics to name a few. Other events include the "Chicago's South Side in the 1940s Symposium and Reception," featuring the work of photographer, Wayne Miller. The event brought over 70 students, faculty, staff and community members who witnessed 5710 transform into an art gallery of beautiful and historical black and white photography. Most recently, we hosted was an Open Mic Academy sponsored by Cultures in Action, F.I.E.R.C.E. and the Newberger Hillel Center. The event featured Def Jam poetry artist along with student performers bringing together over 100 students, faculty, staff and community members to 5710.

If you have not visited 5710, please mark your calendar for February 26, 2009 to join us for our One-Year Anniversary with an evening of performances, games and much more. Please contact Linda Luk at lluk@uchicago.edu if you are interested in participating or attending the event.

NEW LGBTQ Programming Office Director

The LGBTQ Programming Office is happy to share that Jeffrey Howard began as the Director for the office October 13 in fall of 2008. Jeffrey holds a bachelors degree in Communication and History from Hope College and is currently finishing his master's degree in Higher Education from Loyola University. His involvement with the LGBTQ community began during his undergraduate career, when he founded the Gay/Straight Student Forum at Hope College. He has also served as treasurer for the Lesbian and Gay Community Network of Western Michigan. Most recently, he served as project specialist for Chicago Transit Authority and operations manager for the Department of Marketing and Communications at Loyola University. His expertise includes program development, marketing strategies and budget management. Jeffrey's vision, leadership and insight will serve as assets to the LGBTQ Programming Office. Jeff began working diligently on addressing the needs of the LGBTQ community through a variety of means including numerous ally programs including a film screening of Quinceañera, a program on Black Transmen as part of MLK week programming and a discussion on Racism in the LGBTQ community in development for the spring quarter. Please join us in welcoming Jeff to the University of Chicago community.

O-Week

O-Week was an amazing time to connect with incoming students and their families at events throughout the week including the Resource Fair.  During the OMSA's sponsored O-Week festivities, we met with over 300 students and families and were able to connect with the numerous resources offered at OMSA and at 5710.  Students and their families, as well as returning students, were able to provide support and a heartfelt welcome to them as they begin their journey at University of Chicago.

Graduate Orientation

OMSA hosted three events for our Incoming Graduate and Professional Student of Color Orientation: a lunch panel, a dinner, and a mixer co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture (CSRPC). Total attendance was over 140. Graduate and professional students of color new to the University networked and socialized. They learned about post-graduate study from a panel of current graduate and professional students of color and met the staff of both OMSA and CSRPC.

Graduate Brown Bag

In October, Gerardo Ramirez, graduate student in Cognitive Psychology presented "Choking Under Pressure in Math Performance" and received excellent feedback while informing attendees about research relevant to scholastic underperformance. Graduate Brown Bags are a wonderful opportunity for graduate students of color to present their research interests and papers for feedback. Both graduate and undergraduate students are welcome to attend, and we strongly encourage the attendance of faculty, especially faculty advisors. We thank Gerardo and all the participants of our session for their contributions to a great event.

Internship Fair

Looking for great interns? Look no further than OMSA!

OMSA kicked off its 3rd Annual Internship Fair on October 23, 2008. The internship fair featured organizations in the fields of business, public service, education and more.  Each organization was specifically seeking to increase diverse student applications.  Over 60 students attended the event and we look forward to continuing to grow the event next year. OMSA is actively seeking to expand the number of sites represented at the annual fair. If you have an internship, volunteer or employment opportunity and you'd like to reach out to University of Chicago students, please consider participating in the fair next year. There is no cost for tables.

For more information or to register your organization for next year's fair, please contact Robin Graham at rgraham1@uchicago.edu or at (773) 834-6826.

Admissions Day of Diversity

Each fall, the Office of College Admissions invites prospective applicants of diverse heritages to the University. This year, OMSA organized a presentation, panel, and Open House to introduce multicultural student affairs at the University. Current students were invited to share their candid thoughts on the student of color experience at the University.

Diversity in the Workplace: Sharing Knowledge and Promoting Leadership

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, Career Advising & Planning Services (CAPS) and the University Office of Alumni Relations along with several other university and student organizations sponsored the 5th annual Diversity in the Workplace conference on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008.  This multicultural career exploration and networking event was designed to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to speak with UC alumni in an array of fields about the opportunities and challenges they have faced as professionals of color.

Diversity in the Workplace was a great success this year with over 50 alumni and students of color attending.  Several alumni reported that they not only enjoyed the interaction with current students, but also welcomed the opportunity to network and reconnect with other alumni of color. The evening's events featured a panel discussion, dinner and a dessert reception and included alumni in the fields of academia, law, business, medicine, government and public service.

If you would more information about this event or to find out how to participate next year, please contact Robin Graham at rgraham1@uchicago.edu or at (773) 834-6826.

Las Caras de América

The annual Caras de América was a great success as our students collaborated to celebrate Latina/o Heritage Month.  There were several events that took place during October of 2008 which include the traditional Latino Night hosted by OLAS [Organization of Latin American Students] as well as the Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead celebrations which were sponsored by MEChA [Moviemiento Estuadiantil de Aztlán] and MIPPS [Minorities in Public Policy], the latter hosting a breakfast at the Harris School.  In addition, Teatro Luna, back by popular demand, showcased the University of Chicago premiere of "Machos."  With over 150 people present, Teatro Luna presented this nationally acclaimed performance drawn from interviews with 50 men nationwide and performed by an all-Latina cast in drag.   Caras de América, once again, presented an eventful month-long festivity to celebrate the diversity of Latinidad.

Race Studies Grant Recipients

The Race Studies Grant supports scholarly research on the multifaceted nature and/or impact of race, ethnicity, and culture within The University of Chicago, higher education in general, or the City of Chicago. This year's RSG recipients include undergraduate and graduate students doing progressive research in a number of areas. Please join us in congratulating our 2008-2009 Race Studies Grantees:

 

Name of RSG Recipient

Title of Research

Anjanette Chan Tack

Food Deserts in Communities of Color

Toussaint Losier

Prisons, Mass Incarceration, and African Americans

Abimbola Oladokun

The Rise of Anti-Drug Policy and Criminalization of People of Color and Particularly Women of Color

Adama Wiltshire

Black Identity Within the Anglo/Hispanic Divide

Jamila Celestine-Michener

Political understanding and actions of marginalized people

Michelle Hartzog

Academic achievement of African American students in post-secondary education

Brittany Little

History of black women in theater and performance

 

Human Rights Program

Michael Geyer, Samuel N. Harper Professor in History and the College was appointed as the first Faculty Director of the Human Rights Program. Geyer's main field of study is twentieth-century German and European history. He has written on a wide range of topics such as war and genocide, resistance against the Third Reich, politics of memory, intellectuals in contemporary Germany, religion and nation, and most recently on the history of human rights. Susan Gzesh, appointed Director of the Human Rights Program in 2001, will continue as the Program's Executive Director. Known for her advocacy and consulting work on migration and human rights, Gzesh will direct the Program's local operations as well as its national and international internship, engagement, and collaborative activities. Additionally, Gzesh maintains an appointment as Senior Lecturer in the College. The Human Rights Program hosted an Open House on Friday, February 6, 2009 to welcome community members, students, and supporters of the program to its new home at 5720 S. Woodlawn, down the street from OMSA offices.

MLK Celebration

MLK Week 2009 was a great success! We were delighted to welcome our MLK keynote speaker, Rev. Joseph Lowery, who co-founded, with Martin Luther King, Jr., of the Southern Leadership Christian Conference in 1957. In addition, we, along with the rest of the nation, celebrated President Obama's inauguration with a crowd of over 1,000 students, staff, and faculty on January 20th. Our annual Day of Service was wonderfully attended as was our Panel on Public School Education where the issue of funding and education was discussed at length. For more information on MLK Week 2009, please visit mlk.uchicago.edu. Also available on the website, are recordings of Dr. Lowery's speech as well as other events during the week.

Black History Month

There are many exciting events taking place in honor of African American Heritage Month. On February 12th, OMSA and the CMC program will host an outing to Victory Garden Theatres to watch "Living Green," a play that discusses an African American family's decision of what neighborhood to live and invest in. The Organization of Black Students [OBS], with the support of OMSA, is proud to welcome Dr. William Julius Wilson as the keynote for the annual Kent Lecture which will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2009. In addition, OMSA and CCHIP will host a faculty luncheon highlighting the work of Dr. Thomas Fisher in the Department of Medicine at U of C. The Regenstein Library will also continue to host their acclaimed exhibit "Integrating the Life of the Mind: African Americans at the University of Chicago," throughout February. For more information, please visit OMSA's website at http://omsa.uchicago.edu.

WHAT'S AHEAD

Programming

The Winter Quarter is set to be full of a variety of programs that will engage our students, community members, faculty and staff. Below are some highlights from our Winter Quarter Calendar. [All events, unless otherwise noted, will be held at 5710 S. Woodlawn.]

Tuesday, February 18, 2009

Wednesday, February 19, 2009

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Wednesday, March 10, 2009

Wednesday, March 10, 2009

 

 

The OMSA Alumni Newsletter is a joint project of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and the University of Chicago Alumni Association. Please send your comments and suggestions to omsa@uchicago.edu.