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The
TANGERINE
VOL. LXXV, ISSUE 7
◊ MATTHEW BREAULT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021
UCTANGERINE.COM
LACRELA at Utica College
Utica College is one of approximately 50 colleges and universities around the United States who are members of a prestigious program known as Liberal Arts College Racial Equity Leadership Alliance (LACRELA), which looks toward finding creative solutions for addressing racial equity and diversity on campuses. LACRELA was created by Dr. Shaun Harper, who is the founder and executive director of the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center. Harper visited Utica College in 2019 and helped facilitate a town hall
and community conversation focusing on race, ethnicity and equality. According to Utica College’s website, LACRELA seeks to help professionals at colleges develop and achieve equity goals, better understand and correct problems, avoid and recover from racial incidents and foster sustainable cultures of inclusion.
Nina Nguyen, project manager and senior administrative assistant of Utica College’s DEI Collaborative, said eight members from each school are allowed to join the e-sessions that happen once a month. “Since there are only eight slots per college, we try to
Dr. Anthony Baird, who is the vice president for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Utica College, said this is the first go around year for the LACRELA program and the e-courses being provided once a month are important.
Photo: Utica College DEI take at least two of those eight spots for our own division because we are the leaders of this initiative,” Nguyen said. “Dr. Baird is usually our consistent participant each month and usually someone within our division attends with him. I personally have only attended one session because I want to be able to give others the opportunity to join.”
According to Nguyen, the courses last around three hours and are filled with rich content. The content that is taught during these sessions comes from professionals, and it is seemingly unlimited, according to Baird. “These are content experts from all over the country, particularly California, that are putting these courses together and now we’re imagining another 12 courses SEE LACRELA PG. 4
Tangerine Grove food pantry reopens in new location ◊ MICKALE THOMPSON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS REPORTER Utica College’s in-house food pantry, The Tangerine Grove, provides food and hygiene products to any Utica College student or employee who is in need. The food pantry recently reopened in room B23 of Hubbard Hall. Now that the new location includes a refrigerator, a wider variety of food items will be offered once the food pantry receives fresh food donations. The Tangerine Grove opened in January 2020 and
served a steady stream of clients, until March 2020 when the campus shut down. The Grove was still able to provide food to several students who were unable to get home, however, the pantry remained closed for the rest of the spring semester.
and was spearheaded by Biology Professor Terri Provost.
Due to lack of space and safety precautions, an online ordering system was implemented in the spring of 2021, but very few clients used the pantry at that point.
During that time, the college wasn’t prepared to move forward with a pantry, but in the fall of 2019, several offices formed an advisory committee to set up the food pantry, Kelly said.
Before the pantry opened, the advisory committee completed a campus-wide survey to assess the incidence of food insecurity as well as individuals’ opinions about the prospect of a campus food pantry, Kelly said.
“We knew, from anecdotal evidence and speaking with faculty about their students’ experiences, that extra food resources were needed on campus and it seemed like the right time, as Governor Andrew Cuomo had mandated in the fall of 2018 that all state campuses offer a food pantry to their campus
“The response was mostly positive and indicated that there is a need for supplemental food sources for UC community members,” she said. “We feel that no matter the percentage of those who need food, if we can help even a handful of people have peace of mind SEE GROVE PG. 4
According to Internship Program Director for Nutrition Erin Kelly, the original push to open a campus food pantry occurred several years ago
communities,” Kelly said.