Celebration exposes La Verne's diversity, peace
Campus Times
March 12, 1999
Replacing the annual International Celebration sponsored by the International
Student Organization (ISO), the Society of Leaders (SOL), in conjunction
with the ISO and the Associated Student Federation (ASF) Forum, is putting
on the University of La Verne's first Peace and Multicultural Week, March
15 through 19.
Monday, March 15, and Tuesday, March 16, are being sponsored by ISO
and SOL. Events on Monday include an open-air fair in the Quad from 10 a.m.
to 4 p.m. where students can purchase food offered from booths manned by
members of several different campus clubs. Each booth will feature a different
culture's food.
Also featured on Monday will be arts, crafts, dancers and music from
different cultures. Performers range from African drummers to Asian dancers.
From 2 p.m. until 3 p.m., there will be a program entitled "Breaking
Down Stereotypes" in La Fetra Lecture Hall
Tuesday provides another day for the open-air fair, as well as another
seminar -- entitled "Blue Eyed/Brown Eyed" -- in La Fetra. Also
anticipated is an open-air stage where performers will have the opportunity
to exhibit their cultural talents.
The Multicultural Resource Center is in charge of Wednesday's program.
At 10 a.m. in La Fetra, it will host the "Interracial/Intercultural
Relationships" discussion.
Protestant Campus Minister and Director of Peace Studies Minor Debbie
Roberts is in charge of Thursday's Peace Fair. This day will last from 10
a.m until 7 p.m., where students can enjoy different speakers, participate
in roundtable discussions and look into community service opportunities.
The final day of the Multicultural Fair will be hosted by the First
Generation Student Success Program (FGSSP). This day will feature a faculty
poster session in Miller Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Following extensive research on other schools' similar events, sophomore
Courtney Dade, president of SOL, decided that a Multicultural Fair would
be an excellent first event for SOL.
After contacting UC Irvine about their previous experience holding such
fairs, Dade submitted a written proposal to ULV's Coalition of Diversity,
and following the approval of a grant for $2,000, contacted ISO's adviser,
Marcy Garcia.
"The fair, I hope, is really going to represent our campus. We
have such a diverse campus, with different people from different countries,
from different neighborhoods," said Dade.
"This is really something that you [all students] should go look
at. It's something different," she said. "It may not be on the
top of your priority list, but it's definitely something that you should
take a look at. If you don't like it, you can always walk away."
Dade hopes this week will teach people to "embrace their differences."
She feels that it may help people to respect others for who they are.
Likening ULV to a salad bowl, Dade points out that what makes the campus
a whole are "the different flavors. This is what makes it good. All
the differences, like the tomatoes. You don't want your tomatoes to taste
like the lettuce. You want everything to taste different. But that's what
makes it, and us, good -- the differences."
Dade hopes the week of several events will simply serve to point out
these differences, and give students and faculty an opportunity to celebrate
these differences.
