APRIL 2015 -
MAY 2015
ISSUE #9
C
M
A
THE WORDS THEY CALL ME
MON AFRIQUE
EARTH DAY
ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDERS
NATIONAL POETRY MONTH
SENIOR STUDENTS
P . 1
P . 2
P . 3
P . 4
P . 5
P . 6
Iris Ruiz-Grech
Director
Mary Canto Rice
Assistant Director
Karen Tomkins-Tinch
Coordinator,
International Student Programs
Angel L. Arriaga
Counselor/Tutor
Coordinator
Siraj Bah
Counselor
Michael Strong
Office Assistant
Roza Makhmudova
Educational Assistant
Lizzie Grisafi
Student Editor
Cailin Byrne
Student Media Assistant
Center for Multicultural Affairs
(CMA)
Cannavino Library
Suite 337
845.575.3204
multicultural@marist.edu
Visit us on Facebook at
Marist Center for Multicultural Affairs www.facebook.com/maristcollegecma
On Thursday, April 30th, the Student Government Association (SGA) put on their second annual student forum event, “The Words They Call Me” in collaboration with the LGBTQ subcommittee of the Marist Diversity Council, with assistance from the Center for Multicultural Affairs and other campus organizations. This year’s topic was LGBTQ-Homophobia and the ways in which we can address the issue on our campus and in our lives. The introduction in the program described this year’s theme by explaining that “everyone has his or her own personal beliefs on the
LGBTQ community. However, as we prepare to be active citizens in a globalized community, it is important to be sensitive and understanding towards those in the
LGBTQ community. Ultimately, you decide how you are going to effectively and successfully handle homophobic situations that might influence you.”
There were over 140 people at the event, which was moderated by students
Brandon Lee Heard and Darriel McBride. There was food, student spoken word and musical performances, a workshop activity and lively student-faculty/staff discussion. The panelists spoke about different perspectives on the questions posed by the moderators. Afterwards, students were able to pose questions and comments. Most shared some of their personal experiences, which really added to the dynamic of the event. Genesis Abreu, a senior at Marist College, remarked on how important and eye-opening these types of events and discussions are for the Marist community. There were many contributors to the event, including the
Multicultural Relations Committee, different clubs and organizations on campus, as well as student performers and faculty panelists, who all contributed to the success of the event.
By Lizzie Grisafi

On April 29th, Marist students, faculty, and members of the Poughkeepsie community took part in the annual event
Mon Afrique, an event organized by Marist Students in collaboration with several on campus departments. Guests, dressed in elegant attire, were invited to take photos in front of backgrounds, taste authentic African cuisine and listen to public speakers discuss their love for Africa. Special performances included African dancing and drumming, a fashion show, selections by the Marist College Gospel Choir, and spoken word. The theme for this year’s event was The Golden Age, during which Africa’s rich history was celebrated. Senior psychology major, Dominique
Alexandre, who was one of the committee members, says, “Mon Afrique is important because it promotes exposure and diversity. It also creates an inclusive community.” With help and support from the Center for Multicultural
Affairs, the Education Department, the Schools of Management, Communications and Behavioral Sciences, Student
Activities and Student Affairs/Housing, Mon Afrique: The Golden Age was a complete success. Guests are looking forward to learning and experiencing different aspects of African culture next year!
By Rachel Tyson
Some Photos by Kibria Biswas

The first Earth Day was celebrated in the
United States on April 22, 1970. It was a major turning point for the environmental movement in the country that helped pass groundbreaking legislation such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean
Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Twenty years later, in 1990, the first global
Earth Day was celebrated in 141 countries around the world. This first event was integral to the promotion of major international recycling efforts. It also served as a catalyst in organizing the historic 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De
Janiero. Since then, Earth Day has retained its international scope and has helped to raise awareness of environmental issues such as climate change and the need for clean, renewable energy around the world as well as creating major changes in international environmental legislation.
On the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in
2010, Morocco celebrated the first governmentrecognized Earth Day celebration in all of
Africa. Today there are over 190 countries participating in Earth Day. Countries host events related to specific issues within their region as well as global environmental issues.
Many events are focused on educating people of all demographics about the issues and how they can participate in the solutions. This year,
Earth Day celebrates its 45th anniversary with the global theme: “It’s our turn to lead.”
By Lizzie Grisafi
Look for our events on posters around campus, in your e-mail, in the Marist
Portal, or by visiting our Facebook at:
• April 1
• April 2
• April 3
• April 3
• April 5
• April 11
• April 12
• April 15
• April 22
• April 23
• April 25
• April 27
• May 1
• May 3
• May 4
• May 5
• May 10
• May 25
-April Fool’s Day
-Mahavir Jayanti
-Passover Begins
-Good Friday
-Easter Sunday
-Passover Ends
-Orthodox Easter
-Yom Hashoah
-Earth Day
-Independence Day (Israel)
-Liberation Day (Italy)
-Freedom Day (South Africa)
-Labor Day (International)
-Constitution Day (Japan)
-Buddha Purnima (India)
-Cinco de Mayo
-Mother’s Day
-Memorial Day
• June 1
• June1
• June 2
• June 4
• June 6
• June 6
• June 12
• June 16
• June 20
• June 20
• June 20-22
-Western Australia Day
-Buddha Purnima (Buddha’s Birthday)
-National Day (Italy)
-Corpus Christi (Brazil)
-Memorial Day (South Korea)
-National Day (Sweden)
-Russia Day
-Youth Day (South Africa)
-Belgrano Day (Argentina)
-Midsummer’s Day (Sweden)
-Dragon Boat Festival (China)
3

• Born in the Philippines in 1962
• Studied food technology at the University of the Philippines
• Immigrated to the United States when she was 23 before completing
her degree
• Started working at the White House as an assistant chef during the
Clinton Administration
• Was appointed as the Executive Chef in August 2005 by Laura Bush
and continues to hold that position under the Obama Administration
• First White House Executive Chef who is a woman and of ethnic
minority descent
• Born in 1955 in Paris to Chinese parents
• Began playing the cello at the age of 4
• Began performing when he was very young, performing for President
Kennedy at the age of 7
• Became famous at a young age and graduated from Juilliard when he
was 17
• Went on to attend Harvard, studying a wide variety of subjects and
earning a degree in liberal arts
• He has gone on to produce dozens of albums, collaborate with some of
the most accomplished musicians, and has won more than 15
Grammys
• Born in American Samoa in 1981 and moved to Hawaii at the age of 2
• As a teenager co-founded the Healthy Hawai’i Coalition, a non-profit
organization
• In 2002 she became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawai’i
State Legislature
• Joined the Hawaiian National Guard in 2003
• Voluntarily was deployed to Iraq in 2004 and served two tours, receiving
many awards
• She served as the Chair of Safety for the Honolulu City Council
• In 2013 became the Representative in Congress for Hawaii’s 2nd
District
• One of the first two female combat veterans and the first Hindu to ever
serve as a member of Congress

For years, they told us that we couldn’t read.
Our hearts yearned to rip the ink away from the pages so we could eat them
Hungry bellies, yearning to consume more than the sunlight on our backside
Hoping that we’d hear content sharp enough to cut the shackles that bound us to oppression
Just a lesson that may warm our hearts more than the weather warmed our skin
But they told us that the words...and the stories did not belong to us
What does it mean to be excellent?
Our ancestors were wise enough to use the stars in order to chart safety
but I never found a passage about them in my astronomy book
The Drinking Gourd pointed due North but when I look up today, it’s hard for me to connect the d o t s that connected the trot to security
What does it mean to be excellent?
For years, we’ve told each other not to read.
We’ve sat in the back of classrooms shunning the one in front of us who to raises their hand for something other than a pass to leave the room
Hungry bellies...
go unfed but try to look like they aren’t starving
Hoping that we’ll hear something that can penetrate years of generational curses and inspire us
But we’ve told ourselves...that the words...and the stories...don’t belong to us.
What does it mean to be excellent?
Black, beautiful, and bright
--the alliteration sounds great but we have been always taught to hate who we are and where we come from
So teach me...how to love who I am and who we were
Because I’ve straightened the kinks out of my hair and can no longer use it to trace back my history
Show me how to chart stars again so I can rewrite books and include our names this time.
Tilt my head upward so I can see that those very stars... are brightness in us
Push me to succeed instead of saying that my melanin makes failure acceptable
And tell me that it is okay to read books again.
Because we--
We are excellence.
Bryanna Adams is a sophmore Criminal Justice major with a minor in
Communication Studies. She has been writinng since she was a kid and was published in an anthology when she was 10. She has been doing spoken word for about five years, since she was 15, and has competed in poetry slams for three years.

Jaquan Arzu: Political Science/Public Affairs, Public Relations Minor
Francisco Cruz : Psychology, Spanish Minor
Joseph Thompson: Information Technology & Systems, Communications Studies Minor
Priscilla Aldarondo: Fashion Merchandising, Business Minor
Dominique Alexandre: Psychology
Jonathan Avila: Communications/Public Relations, Psychology Minor, Spanish Minor
Majay Donzo: Criminal Justice and Psychology, Political Science Minor
Orlanie Peña: Fashion Design and Fashion Merchandising
Christos Pietris: Business Administration/Marketing, Psychology Minor, Art & Advertising
Design Certificate
Bianca Reed: Criminal Justice, Psychology Minor
Bernice Rodriguez: Communications/Public Relations and Spanish, Psychology Minor
Jamie Torney: Psychology, Praxis Minor, Social Work Minor

Imani Abdus-Salaam: Biomedical Sciences
Brenda Cabrera: Psychology and Spanish, Latin American &
Caribbean Studies Minor
Shileen Cruz (Hearst Foundation Scholar): Communications/
Public Relations & Spanish, Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Minor
Donyae Fields: Psychology
Gabriela Hinojosa: Psychology and Spanish, Criminal Justice
Minor
Miguel Sandoval: Biology, Psychology minor
Basel Alnashashibi (Jordan): Digital Media
Zhen Bi (China): Fashion Merchandising
Daniele Brusaferro (Italy): Political Science/Public Affairs & Economics
Florencia Canessa Sicardi (Switzerland): Communications/Public Relations
Cleo Charalabopoulos (Greece): Communications/Public Relations
Peng Chen (China): Digital Media
Matteo Giudici (Italy): Business Administration/Finance and Accounting
Rong Guo (China): Accounting
Noor Kanoo (Bahrain): Fashion Merchandising
Chunyiming Li (China): Fashion Merchandising
Xiaofeng Lin (Aruba): Business Administration/Finance
Leili Liu (China): Communications/Public Relations
Giovanni Marin (Italy): Business Administration/International Business
Lily Masco (France): Communications/Advertising, Psychology Minor, Art & Advertising
Design Certificate
Trym Nagelstad (Norway): Business Administration/Finance
Yiran Ran (China): Accounting
Qianqian Song (China): Communications/Public Relations
Mengyao Tang (China): Fashion Merchandising
Duc Tran (Vietnam): Business Adminstration/Human Resources
Cong Wang (China): Business Administration/International Business
Sean Whiting (Bermuda): Economics
Wenwen Yan (China): Fashion Merchandising

Contact the Marist College
Center for Multicultural Affairs
E-mail: multicultural@marist.edu
Facebook: www.facebook.com/maristcollegecma
Phone: (845) 575 3204
Fax: (845) 575 3195 www.marist.edu/academics/multicultural
Center for Multicultural Affairs (CMA)
A Division of Student Academic Affairs
Cannavino Library Suite 337
Poughkeepsie, NY
12601-1387