MARIST
February 2015 March 2015
ISSUE #8
CENTER FOR
MULTICULTURAL
AFFAIRS
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
IN THIS ISSUE:
STAFF:
Iris Ruiz-Grech
Director
CHINESE NEW YEAR
FAMOUS WOMEN
ADVOCACY DAY
PEACE CORPS
THE ART OF GETTING LOST
BLACK HISTORY
P. 2
P. 4
P. 5
P. 6
P. 8
P . 10
Mary Canto Rice
Assistant Director
Karen Tomkins-Tinch
Coordinator,
International Student Programs
Angel L. Arriaga
Counselor/Tutor
Coordinator
ADVOCACY DAY
Siraj Bah
Counselor
Michael Strong
Office Assistant
Roza Makhmudova
Educational Assistant
Lizzie Grisafi
Student Editor
Cailin Byrne
Student Media Assistant
CONTACT:
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
Students and Administrators from CMA and Student Financial
Services attended NYS Advocacy Day in Albany, NY
February 10, 2015
read story on page 5
1
CHINESE NEW YEAR
On Friday February 20th, the Asian Alliance and the Center for Multicultural Affairs hosted
Chinese New Year in the student center with overwhelming attendance from students at Marist. The
event occurred because international students, such as freshman Lucy Lu, came to the CMA office
with the idea of putting on a New Year event. The event was organized through a collaboration
between staff and students, from getting game supplies and decorations to meeting with Sodexo to
plan the food for the event.
To start off the event, there was a presentation about the holiday and the different rituals and
traditions that surround Chinese New Year celebrations throughout China. After the presentation,
there were areas set up around the room for people to participate in different New Year’s activities,
including games and other competitions. There was the traditional Chinese table game called Mahjong,
Chinese poker, a chopstick-using competition, a cup stacking event and plenty of dumplings for
everyone to enjoy. Those who came to the event had a lot of fun learning how to play the different
traditional games, while learning about Chinese culture at the same time. For Lucy, it was fun to
watch everyone enjoy themselves and learn a lot about the holiday. Her favorite part, however, was
when Asian students who had been adopted came up to her wanting to learn more about these Chinese
traditions that they did not know about and had not been exposed to while growing up. The event was
also a special way for our international students to celebrate this important holiday and help them
with any homesickness they may have had. Lucy and other students were grateful for the opportunity
to celebrate Chinese New Year together, while sharing their holiday traditions with fellow peers.
By Lizzie Grisafi with contributions from Lucy Lu
2
EVENTS:
Look for our events on posters around
campus, in your e-mail, in the Marist
Portal, or by visiting our Facebook at:
facebook.com/maristcollegecma
COMMEMORATIVE DAYS:
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February 2
February 4
February 14
February 16
February 17
February 17
February 18
February 19
March 8
March 8
March 17
March 20
March 28
-Groundhog Day
-Tu Bishvat
-Valentine’s Day
-Presidents’ Day
-Mardi Gras
-Maha Sankranti (India)
-Ash Wednesday
-Chinese New Year
-Daylight Savings Time Begins
-International Women’s Day
-St. Patrick’s Day
-Spring Equinox
-Palm Sunday
COMING UP NEXT:
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April 1
April 2
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
-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
-Mothers’ Day
-Memorial Day
3
FAMOUS WOMEN
MALALA YOUSAFZAI
(1997-) PAKISTANI
FEMALE EDUCATION ACTIVIST
•Blogger for the BBC about her struggle for her right to education
•Targeted and shot by the Taliban but survived
•Pakistan’s National Peace Prize winner in 2011
•Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought from the European
Parliament in 2013
•In 2014, she became the youngest person to ever win a Nobel
Peace Prize at 17 years old
TEGLA LOROUPE
(1973-) KENYAN
LONG-DISTANCE TRACK AND ROAD
RUNNER
• First African woman to win the New York City Marathon
• Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation: humanitarian and peace activities
• Peace Races: bring warriors from warring tribes together
• Held the world record for the marathon for over 3 years
• 2006 United Nations Ambassador of Sport
• Wants to empower Kenyan women by getting them opportunities to
run marathons
EMMA WATSON
(1990-) ENGLISH
ACTRESS, MODEL, WOMEN’S
RIGHTS’ ACTIVIST
• Began acting professionally at the age of 9 when cast in the original
Harry Potter movie
• Went on to star in all eight Harry Potter films, as well as other films
• Despite growing up on a film set, she maintained her studies and
went on to attend Brown University
• In July 2014 she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill
Ambassador
• In September 2014 she gave a speech at the UN launching her
HeForShe campaign, calling men to advocate for gender equality
4
ADVOCACY DAY
“I said it. I meant it, and I’m going to
represent it” was the chant that hundreds
of us dedicated students from New York
passionately chanted at a rally during New
York State Advocacy Day on Tuesday,
February 10th, 2015. Determined college
students from various institutions across
New York State gathered to advocate for
funding increases for academic programs
such as the Higher Educational Opportunity
Program (HEOP), SEEK/CD and EOP,
as well as the Tuition Assistance Program
(TAP).
During this insightful leadership event,
we were allowed to step onto the podium
and share how and why these academic
support programs have changed our lives. Many of us stepped onto the stage to share our stories about
being first generation college students. As HEOP students at Marist College, Dominque Alexandre
and I bravely spoke out. Being the first student to step onto the stage, I cleared my throat and spoke,
“I am the first in my family to go to college. Without HEOP and TAP, I don’t know where I would
be. ” At the end of my speech, other students stood up to advocate for funding increases for their
programs as well. Moments later, Dominique Alexandre took the stage. He stated, “HEOP has kept
me off the streets, away from crime, and has molded me into a professional young man. It even
inspired my mother to pursue college.” Students in the audience nodded their heads in support and
encouragement as they all gathered to share their own stories and advocate for higher education
opportunities.
After the rally, we went off to meet with the New York State Legislators from our respective
districts to speak directly about the importance of these academic support programs. New York
State Advocacy Day is an annual lobbying event that has been growing since the 90’s. Being a part
of this particular Tuesday February 10th, 2015 lobbying day showed that there is still hope for the
improvement of higher education for low income students. The success of the event was phenomenal
and will continue to grow in the coming years.
By Darriel McBride
5
PEACE CORPS
March 1st is National Peace Corps Day. To celebrate, we interviewed
Marist Alumnus Jason Thalacker about his experience with the Peace
Corps in China from 2010-2013.
The Peace Corps is a 27 month program through the United States
government that sends selected applicants to serve in countries around
the world to provide services to areas in need, while participating in
important cultural exchanges between the host country and the United
States. It includes 3 months of Pre-Service Training (PST) in the host
country, focused on language proficiency and cultural differences, as
well as specific job training for the following 2 year service assignment.
The Peace Corps is only active in countries and locations where it has
been invited to fill a specific need or perform a specific service.
6
Tell us about yourself as a student at Marist?
I graduated in 2007 with a Communications/Advertising degree. I
was very involved on campus doing everything from Singers, theater
and the HuMarists, to Ultimate Frisbee. I also worked as an Orientation Leader and worked in Admissions.
I actually never studied abroad while I was at Marist; I had the desire to, but never got around to going
through with it.
What did you do after graduating?
I worked at a dinner theater in Alaska right outside of the Denali National Park for a season after graduating.
Then I got a job in New York City doing sales and customer service work for a startup tech company that
helped index closed captioning from TV, making it searchable for companies and other interested parties. I
moved to Portland, Oregon during the application process for Peace Corps. In Portland I worked as a success
coach for a company that helped coach students at for-profit higher learning institutions.
What made you want to apply to the Peace Corps?
I really wanted to travel, but in more meaningful way. I wanted to be somewhere and really get to know
the place while living there, rather than spending a weekend in Paris, for example. I wanted it to be more
meaningful and interesting than working in an office, even though I did like my job. I thought it would be
even better if I could learn a new language.
One day at work I randomly saw a friend of a friend’s photos from his Peace Corps trip. I had heard of
the Peace Corps before but never considered it. I started looking into it more and realized it had everything
I wanted in an experience. I could live somewhere for 27 months where the purpose was to fully integrate
in terms of language, culture and meaningful work. As an added bonus, the US government would have
my back if there was ever any question of safety. It would also look great on a resume to show potential
employers that I am of Peace Corps caliber, not to mention the fact that it would be a great conversation
starter.
What was your service assignment in China?
I taught English in a rural area of central China. I learned about the different teaching styles between
China and the United States. For example, we are more participatory and the Chinese are more focused
on learning by rote. I incorporated western teaching styles in my English courses so that students could
participate more and get a better understanding of the culture that surrounds the language. I taught English
to students at a type of vocational and trade school, as well as teaching English and new teaching methods
to the other English professors in my department, who were all Chinese.
Peace Corps encourages volunteers to do things outside of your main tasks as a way to integrate further
into the community. I started an English conversation club and got libraries in the United States to donate
books to help create a library at my school. I also started an ultimate Frisbee team because it’s a sport they
didn’t have!
How did this experience change your cultural perceptions?
A lot of cool relationships were formed while I was on my assignment. I was able to notice things
about my own culture while learning about their culture. When we talked about the news and made cultural
comparisons, I learned how our preconceived notions about China are not all true. It was like I was an
exchange student.
For example, one night I had members of the department over and we made apple pie and watched
Friends. It lead to a lot of discussion about social idioms and phrases as well as cultural differences. I
remember one of the women fixating on the fact that the characters wore shoes in the house, and some of
them would even sit on the sofa with shoes on, while in Chinese culture shoes almost always come off at the
front door.
After 2 years I was pretty close to fluent, which allowed me to travel to places throughout Western China,
where there were no tourists. I would be sitting in a tea house and someone would ask me what I was doing
there. Because I could communicate with them, they would invite me into their homes and to do things with
them. Being comfortable speaking Chinese opened me up to some random, cool and unique experiences.
Even at home, now I can provide insight about China to dispel American stereotypes of what and who
they are, and what is going on within their country. A bridge was built between the two cultures for me, and
now I can understand each one a little better. It is something more than just the news and the movies. It’s
been humanized: China is a real place with real people, and I now look at it very differently.
What do you do now?
Now I work for a nonprofit in New York City called The China Institute, which works to build awareness
of China in America. I coordinate the study abroad branch of the Institute by talking to middle schools and
high schools with Chinese programs and convincing them to take trips abroad to China. This year I am taking
middle school students to China during their spring breaks to further their Chinese immersion programs. In
the summers we do a trip to China for high school students as well.
What would you say to someone who is
considering joining the Peace Corps?
Every way you slice it, it’s a good idea. You
need to do it. The Peace Corps does a good
job of bringing the world closer together. As a
volunteer, you make a lasting impression. The
people in your community have a better idea of
what America is because of what you were able to
teach them. Ten years from now, my community
will remember when I lived there and helped them
learn more about our culture and language. They
will remember that I couldn’t use chopsticks, but
Thalacker’s students in China
was a pretty cool guy who taught them a lot about America.
7
THE ART OF GETTING LOST
The first time I get lost in Dublin, I do not panic. I
simply take a breath, sit down on a stone bench nestled
against some Georgian building I read about once, but
can’t remember the name of, and scan my cartoony tourist
map for anything that looks familiar.
Nothing.
Give me a little credit though. Having grown up in
a town with a population of just under 2,000 people—a
town with acres of farmland and no street lights—I’m a
country bumpkin who’s been dropped off in a major city.
I’m lucky I haven’t wandered off the Cliffs of Moher by
now, only two days into my semester abroad. But culture
shock is one of the main reasons I came to Dublin. So even
though it is terrifying and unfamiliar, I know that living
in another country for five months will help me grow.
As Marcel Proust says, “The real voyage of discovery
consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new
eyes.”
Minutes pass.
Campanile Bell Tower at Trinity College
The weather in Ireland changes quicker than a middle
school crush. By now the sky has turned a menacing shade of grey and raindrops are beginning to
spatter onto the map in my hands. I had been warned of the rain, repeatedly, before coming. It always
falls softly at first; quiet as a page being turned, delicate as lace. But that’s all just foreplay. When the
wind comes—and it always does—the rain lashes at you and the gusts send you staggering across the
cobbled streets. It’s no matter though, studying in this city was one of my greatest desires and I knew
the weather was part of the package. Dublin was meant to be experienced in the rain.
The streets are teeming with people; I wonder if they can smell the tourist on me.
I’ve been in Dublin for roughly forty-eight hours and it has yet to feel like home. Maybe it’s
because I haven’t had time to unpack, eat a full meal, or even think. At one point I was awake for
thirty-five straight hours and learned that there is little difference between delirium and insanity. To
fight the chaos, I cling to the scarce moments of serenity and hoard them like poker chips I can cash
when things become too hectic. My most peaceful moment came on the plane ride here. The flight
went by quickly—the wind was at our backs and the stars were ahead. As we approached the Dublin
skyline—lit up like an artificial constellation—my heart was filled with promise knowing that it
would soon beat along with the city’s pulse. And even though I have yet to feel at peace, my heart
continues to say: you will, you will, you will.
The rain stops; umbrellas are tucked away like swords into sheaths, ready to be drawn when the
moment calls again.
8
I think a small part of me likes being lost. I know
that if I really wanted to, I could ask any of the passersby
where I am or where I need to go; everyone I’ve met thus
far has been so nice they’d likely offer me a ride there and
a pint along the way, let alone directions. It seems strange
by European standards, but the Irish love Americans. And
I mean LOVE; they love Americans the way Americans
love themselves. They want to know where I’m from in
the States, what it’s like there, and what brought me to
their neck of the woods. All of it. And they really listen—
absorbing every word and filtering them as willingly as
if it was oxygen. There are bound to be some bad people
here in Ireland because there are bad people everywhere,
but with an open mind and a positive outlook they’re hard
to find.
Ireland as a whole is a country I’ve long idealized. Its
postcards should be hung in the Louvre; its culture is richer
than a pint of Guinness. It is also home to my favorite
Ha’Penny Bridge over the River Liffey
writers, as well as my ancestors. I seldom contemplated
my heritage before going abroad. Since I am not predominately one ethnicity, I never had one
predominant country to identify with. My family tree is like a European Union cocktail: equal parts
Irish, English, German, with just a splash of Dutch, shaken, not stirred. Living in Ireland—albeit
briefly—has changed that. History and heritage permeate throughout this country, and I feel a part of
it. I feel it in the words of the Irish people, I feel it in the quiet that hangs over the treeless, foreverreaching fields, and I feel it in the River Liffey as it churns, endlessly dark and endlessly deep. So,
as I sit on the same stone bench, gazing at the same animated map, I realize I’d rather be lost here in
Dublin, than be found anywhere else in the world.
By Derek Rose
Cliffs of Moher
Aran Islands
9
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Center for Multicultural Affairs partnered with other groups on campus throughout February to
celebrate Black History Month.
Working with the Music Department and Student Activities, the CMA office sponsored a performance by
the Marist College Gospel Choir. The Cabaret was filled with students, faculty and staff as well as beautiful
music from the choir accompanied by Gospel Choir Director David Burns. The performance opened with
the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing”, and a warm introduction to the history of gospel
music from Director Burns. Between songs there were readings from choir members that gave the audience
more insight into the history of gospel music and some of the most important icons within the genre. On
display around the Cabaret were records, photographs and books telling the story of gospel music. The
event ended with choir singing “Lean on Me” as the entire audience was invited to form a circle around
the Cabaret, holding hands and singing along with the choir. The music was so moving and lively that the
choir performed an encore. The choir and audience members shared a time of food and fellowship after the
performance.
Later in the month, the CMA office worked with the Black Student Union (BSU) to bring the Sankofa
African Drum and Dance Ensemble to campus. The ensemble brought a special energy to the student center,
as students passing by stopped in to see what was going on, leaving standing room only. Most of the songs
were call and response, and the ensemble encouraged all types of audience participation from clapping along
to getting up and dancing.
“Sankofa” means “going back to the roots” which is exactly what this ensemble did as they informed
those in attendance about the drums, culture and the roots of the music. The ensemble leader spoke to the
audience about how the rhythms were created and produced through the different drums and instruments.
He also spoke of how deeply connected their culture is to their environment and communal surroundings,
especially their deep connection to water. The performance was educational and fun, as they gave cultural
insight and information about the different instruments they used. The performance was especially moving
for our international students from Africa as they were able to participate and feel a little piece of their
homelands. Even Executive Vice President Geoffrey Bracket, and the CMA’s very own Karen TomkinsTinch and Siraj Bah got up to dance along!
It was a month of great energy and participation from record numbers of staff and students, as the Marist
community was introduced to important cultural and musical ties to Black History Month.
By Lizzie Grisafi
10
11
For further information:
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
Marist College
Center for Multicultural Affairs (CMA)
A Division of Student Academic Affairs
Cannavino Library Suite 337
Poughkeepsie, NY
12601-1387