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UNITY inside this issue... Director’s Corner Real Talk: First Generation Reflections from BRIDGE Ally Connection Where Are They Now? Mocktail Movie Night: Cesar Chavez
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During “Real Talk”, I felt like the speakers really pressed on issues that I have been facing throughout my first few months here at Gonzaga. Most of the presenters themselves participated in pre-orientation programs like BRIDGE, which they claimed, helped with their experience. Presenters said that BRIDGE helped form relationships with peers and upperclassmen that created their support group. I was really struck by how involved in the school the presenters were. How much they emphasized that education is a privilege and to not take it for granted. The overall experience I had was a great one and the speakers did a fantastic job on being “Real” about the first-generation experience. 502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
October 8, 2014
October Crafting Unity: Hamsa UMEC Open House Why Society Can’t Ignore Indian Mascots November
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Being a first-generation college student myself, I found “Real Talk” First-Generation to be very down to earth and intuitive. I was surprised to find not only BRIDGERS, as we UMEC staff would call them, attended the Real Talk, but different people of all ages participated as well. Every single person attending Real Talk was a firstgeneration college student. But what does that mean? A first-generation college student is a college attendee whose parents never graduated from a 4-year university. My father went to a two-year trade school. But he doesn’t have the experience of going to a prestigious university and cannot help with all the questions of how to schedule classes and budget money.
Volume 5, Issue 1
Upcoming Events
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BY MARISSA OWENS-WELLINGTON, GU FIRST-YEAR STUDENT
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION etter CENTER newsl
Cultural Awareness Night: Color of Fear Film Screening Annual International Day of Tolerance (IDOT)
December
Deconstructing Series: Hanukkah
Director’s Corner ¡Hola! I’m excited to serve as the new Director for the Unity Multicultural Education Center (UMEC). A little about me, I identify as Mexican-American, immigrant, first in my family to graduate from college, and now a proud Zag! I am looking forward to my first year at GU and getting to know you, building relationships, collaborating, and together creating an inclusive community where we respectfully welcome and celebrate our unique cultures and gifts. UMEC is a resource for everyone on campus, please feel free to stop by to visit and introduce yourself. Also, you’re invited to the UMEC OPEN HOUSE WHICH WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2014 FROM 11:30 A.M. – 1:30 P.M. Dessert and refreshments will be served. I look forward to meeting many of you on the 16th.
Juanita Jasso, Director, UMEC
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
Reflections from
Above: A great shot of the 2014 BRIDGE counselors. Photos courtesy of UMEC Staff
From left to right: BRIDGE Counselors taking time to showcase unity and to celebrate the end of summer.
BRIDGE Counselor Reflection My fourth and final year in the BRIDGE program marked the beginning of the end, but also the end of the beginning. My GU experience began in the backyard of UMEC and by the end of my BRIDGE week, the people I met had become my family. As a counselor I had the honor of fostering the same spirit of BRIDGE and guide another group of incoming students and parents through a journey of self-awareness and reflection. Being a BRIDGE counselor gave me the privilege to see a group of students take pride in their identity and find solidarity with each other amidst vulnerability. This year’s BRIDGE class brought such a beautiful energy and warmth; they’re concerned with the world around them and want to be an important part of its development. As a counselor, some of the best moments during BRIDGE were the conversations I had with students late at night and in passing. I loved hearing the inflection in their voice change when we found a shared identity and seeing their genuine interest and respect towards my thoughts and opinions. The experience of being a BRIDGE 2014 counselor has been so full of respect, story, and love; it was the only right way to end my beginning. BY NINA MONTOYA, 2014 BRIDGE COUNSELOR AND GU SENIOR
Gonzaga university
unity multicultural education center
Reflections from I distinctly remember packing my bags a week earlier than I was supposed to, thinking to myself, “Why am I leaving for school so early?” and “What am I even going to do?” I do not want to say that I thought BRIDGE was going to be a waste of my time, but I had other things I felt would be more fitting for my last week before Orientation weekend. Boy was I wrong. BRIDGE is so far the highlight of my college experience. Although the mix of constant ice breakers, skits, discussions, and other program related events appeared to be random and somewhat frustrating, it did something that only such a mix and such a program could do. It developed us, a mix of students from different races and backgrounds into a family.
STUDENT REFLECTION BY CHRISTOPHER THOMAS, BRIDGE CLASS OF 2018 Photo courtesy of UMEC Staff
Class of 2018 students having fun during the 2014 Summer BRIDGE program at Spokane’s Riverfront Park.
As cliché as it may sound, I honestly cannot say that I would have enjoyed these past four weeks at school if not for this program and the family I had developed, because when I did not know how to get to class, had a question on a homework assignment, or wanted to avoid the awkwardness of sitting alone in the BARC, I could turn to my BRIDGE family. They have already come around me and been there for me during the hard and stressful times, and I have gone on plenty of spontaneous adventures both on and off campus. All I have to say to anyone who is thinking about coming to Gonzaga, or any other college, is this: If you can, please sign up for BRIDGE or any other Pre-Orientation program offered. Having that group of people to navigate the first year of college together with is an indispensable resource.
Ally Connection
Hola, amig@s! I am Kelly Alvarado, Manager of the First-Year Experience Programs. I am originally from New York and was raised in a wonderful Puerto Rican family. I came to Washington state as an undergraduate where I earned my Bachelor’s in Community and Organizational Development from The Evergreen State College. I stayed in Washington to pursue my Master’s Degree in Student Development Administration at Seattle University. Gonzaga’s mission of “educating students for lives of leadership and service for the common good” is the reason I joined this community; this mission aligns with my own person values of holistic education. My passion for working with students is fueled by the understanding that each student is at a different point in their learning journey and personal development. With the theory of self-authorship grounding my work, I feel blessed to walk alongside students as they ask themselves, “Who am I? How do I know? How do I want to engage with the world?” These questions can be asked during multiple parts of a student’s journey regarding their various visible and invisible identities. I am grateful that I can share my own experiences regarding diversity and difference with students as they reflect on their own identities.
Kelly Alvarado, Manager, First Year Experience Programs Gonzaga university
First Year Experience Programs is responsible for New-Student Orientation and transitional programming for our newest community members who may be first-time freshmen, transfers, veterans, returning adults or international students. Please visit me in Crosby 110 or email me (alvaradok@gonzaga. edu) to say hi. unity multicultural education center
Where Are They Now? Catching up with Gonzaga Alums
What are you currently doing since graduating? I am currently working as a World and US History teacher to sophomores and juniors respectively at Washington High School in Tacoma, WA. What do you miss most about Gonzaga? I miss Gonzaga for the strong friendships that I forged during my stay. Now, my friends are no longer just a walk down Bulldog alley or Sharp Ave, but are separated by state lines and oceans. What was your favorite moment at Gonzaga? Walking across the stage at graduation, knowing that I had achieved a dream for myself and my community. What was one challenge you faced while at Gonzaga? Being comfortable in an environment different than the one I was raised in. Spokane is a different place than Tacoma, and Gonzaga even more so. It was a constant adjustment for me to be at an institution where I was constantly surrounded by privilege, and then going home to a different reality. Were you able to overcome them? How so? Along the way, friends that I made at GU helped me adjust, and UMEC was just as important in making GU feel like another home. What was your biggest takeaway from your Gonzaga experience that is most applicable to you after graduating? My biggest takeaway from Gonzaga was being able to think. The education I received, especially in my English classes, consistently reinforced the need to justify my own opinions and being open to them changing. This is something I hold foundational to my own pedagogy, and hope to reinforce with my students. What advice do you have for current Gonzaga students? Continue to challenge yourselves to embody the Jesuit mission of service.
Name: Rene Alvarez Jr. Year Graduated: 2014
What’s next for you? I am going to take these first few years to adjust to teaching, then pursue a masters degree. In what, I have no idea.
Major: English with a secondary teaching certification and an additional endorsement in Social Studies From: Tacoma, Washington Activities while at GU: I was a member of La Raza Latina, I worked for five semesters as a work study at UMEC, I was an Act Six scholar, served as a BRIDGE counselor, was a LEADS mentor, and served as a Gonzaga student host during my sophomore year. Also, I was an assistant wrestling coach for three years at Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane.
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
Picture above: Professor Ray Rast discussing the “Cesar Chavez” film with film attendees.
Mocktail Movie Night “Cesar Chavez”
Student Reflection BY EMMANUEL “MANNY” LOPEZ, GU SENIOR
After watching the “Cesar Chavez” film for the second time, I was able to gain so much more perspective and analyze the film under a different light. The first time I watched it I was really just trying to learn more about Chavez and his United Farm Workers (UFW) movement for the California farm workers. But during my second viewing, I was able to look more for the situations Cesar and the UFW faced and how they responded to them. It gave me motivation for my own battle on immigration reform. The biggest thing I learned from Chavez’s motivation was that despite it all, he just wanted to give people the rights they deserve as human beings. I could not agree more. Chavez’s ability to look in the face of authority and not fold is something I have seen in the people whose life hangs in the balance when it comes to feeling secure in this country. For Chavez it’s a matter of taking responsibility to see change be made; and I feel like we as the young adolescents getting ready to face the world are next. I am excited to see what our generation has in store but we cannot do it alone. Much like the group of the UFW we must unite under a common voice and seek the best for those who have no voice. Gonzaga university
Above: Beautiful art photo of activist Cesar Chavez.
unity multicultural education center
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu
Unity Multicultural Education Center & Native American Studies Department Presents
Lecture by Professor Cornel Pewewardy from Portland State University
An engaging and meaningful discussion about history and cultural identity.
For more info contact: unityhouse@gonzaga.edu | (509) 313-5836
Gonzaga university
unity multicultural education center
502 e boone ave msc#2466, spokane, wa 99258
(509) 313-5836
unityhouse@gonzaga.edu