Category Archives: Event Reflection

Posts in this category will reflect upon events, lectures, trips, etc held in conjunction with MSPS.

New Beginnings

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  August 21, 2017 Eclipse 

Welcome Home Classes 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.  The campus has been undergoing significant modifications throughout the summer.  The changes range from facilities to the University’s infrastructure and training. This includes new Student Development Team hires.

Spring semester, Student Affairs partnered with First Year of Studies and the Athletic Department to sponsor the inaugural Student – Athlete Transition initiative. Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) assisted with the curriculum development. MSPS conducted workshops for the spring and summer cohorts. These students are excited to explore their co-curricular interests in conjunction with their academic pursuits.

Multicultural Student Programs and Services established a new position, Assistant Director for Diversity Education, Outreach and Assessment.  I am pleased to introduce Paige Jackson from the University of Mount Olive, who will serve in that role. Prior to her arrival, she served as the director of Student Conduct and Freshman Seminar adjunct instructor. She will coordinate the MSPS diversity education initiatives, which includes working closely with the Multicultural Commissioners, and our professional develop program, Breaking Through Barriers (BTB). If you are interested in becoming a Diversity Ambassador, come to the information session Wednesday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m. or email: Paige.Jackson@nd.edu.  Please stop by MSPS to welcome Paige to the ND/MSPS Family.

     Multicultural Reception Panelist

During the training for student leaders representing Housing, Welcome Weekend and Team ND, we emphasized “Radical Hospitality” and the work of St. Andre Bessette, the Saint of Hospitality.  We are called by our Holy Cross mission to welcome all into our community and the Notre Dame family.

We, the MSPS staff, look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events. Our annual Welcome Back Picnic will be Tuesday, September 12 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on North Quad.  There will be food, music and MSPS swag.   This year, our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Study of Race Series has a new twist. Watch our newsletter to see its’ unveiling as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.  For musical buffs, Diversity in the Arts will attend a play in December. We have limited deeply discounted tickets, so students watch for our advertisement.

Have a Blessed Year and Welcome Home,

Iris Outlaw, `90 MSA

Director, MSPS

Spring and Awards Culminate the 2016 – 2017 Academic Year

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With the arrival of spring, the robins returned to Notre Dame.  High school prospects visited the campus and undergraduates basked in the sunshine between the days of liquid sunshine.  During the end of the academic year, we saw bookstore basketball games, awards ceremonies, and students partaking in academic conferences on and off-campus.

Congratulations to the 2016- 2017 Student Leadership Awards winners. The announcements at the April 10th event acknowledged the following MSPS leaders: Ms. Jessica Pedroza for her work giving a voice to the voiceless – Irish Clover and Rev. A. Leonard Collin C.S.C. Leadership Awards and Xitaly Estrada recognized as one of the outstanding Student Leaders. I would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the rectors, who supervised the winning halls, Elaine DeBassie – Farley Hall and Eric Styles- Carroll Hall. Both were humbled and mentioned their students did all the work.

 

Thank you to the student leaders for the 2016 – 2017 academic year. Your efforts in leading your respective clubs has not gone unnoticed. Your signature events continued to enrich and educate the Notre Dame community.  We applaud the efforts of the formal and informal leaders, who rose to address controversial issues and topics. You represented student activism and how it is implemented at Notre Dame from forums to demonstrations.  Seeking opportunities to hear opposing views and voice yours is paramount in the collegiate experience and one of the purposes of institutions of higher education is intellectual engagement.

MSPS is an advocate for providing leadership development opportunities for students. It is important to enhance your leadership skills. Taking advantage of professional conferences from ACC Student Leadership Conference to the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity is a beginning. The Multicultural Pre-Medical Society sent a cohort to the Student National Medical Association Conference in Atlanta, Georgia over Easter Break. The MPMS representatives attended Pre-Med track sessions focused on preparedness for the medical school application process. Student Activities Office took several ND students to the 2017 ACC Student Leadership Conference.  MSPS took Carrera Brown, Adriana Cantos, Yuko Inoue to NCORE in Fort Worth, Texas. Their reports will be featured on the MSPS website throughout the summer.

Lastly, take time to enjoy your summer break. Get some R & R, if you are attending summer school stop by in July to meet our new assistant director for Diversity Education, Outreach and Assessment, Paige Jackson.

Peace,

Ms. Iris Outlaw `90 MSA

Director, MSPS

Spring Semester Comes to an End

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2016 Nidia and Luis FragaThe spring semester has been exciting and exhilarating.  It began with a two- week celebration highlighting the morphing of the civil rights movement from 1960 to 2016. Multicultural Student Programs and Services’ Interrace Forum and Africana Studies and Institute for Latino Studies luncheon covered the various components of the civil rights movements.  MSPS compared the 60’s efforts led by Dr. King to the Black Lives Movement, where Africana Studies and ILS did a comparison of the Black and Brown movements. They also discussed possible collaborations.  The Fr. Hesburgh and Dr. King mosaic project featured in LaFortune Student Center was a effort between students, faculty, administrators and staff representing the joining of two men committed to the betterment of society.  Thank you to our co-sponsors and Notre Dame Community members, who worked tirelessly to send the message that Our Lady’s University aspires to be a place that is welcoming to all and a place where civil discourse is appreciated.  This is another form of intellectual growth for all who are “Under The Dome.”

Throughout the remainder of the spring, Dr. Shannon Dee Williams, professor of History at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville revealed the history of blacks within the Catholic Church as the keynote for Black History Month. She shared the struggles and successes of nuns and priests. As part of the Asian Heritage Month, Jennifer 8 Lee, former New York Times journalist, shared the history of Fortune Cookies and Asian Cuisine. The misinformation and assumption of what is Chinese food was entertaining and educational.

The year ended with many of our students being recognized for their contributions to the Notre Dame Community. Congratulations to Hesburgh Award Winner – Preston Igwe `16 and the other Student Award recipients: Ray `Von Jones `16, Chizo Ekechukwu `16, and Leana Jonassaint `16.

2016 Student Leadership Awards      2016 Gaby Mercurio

 

The academic year ended with MSPS sponsoring recognition ceremonies acknowledging the academic achievements of two hundred and fifteen MSPS constituents during Commencement Weekend. At the Africana Ceremony, Arienne Thompson Ploude `04 addressed the graduates on their theme “We Did It All” realizing the pitfalls and successes that they will experience as their life journey continues. Latin Honors Cum Lande recipients: Arlia Delphonse – Japanese & Gender Studies Major; Obiageliaku Ekwueme – Psychology & Pre-Health; Adam Henderson – Political Science; Francesca Simon – Political Science & Africana Studies; Dina Yared – Political Science & Spanish were presented with a gift from MSPS as a result of their achievement.  During the Asian and Pacific Islander Ceremony, API Alumni Chair Andrew Mascarenhas ’03 shared his life’s journey and challenged the graduates to remain open to what life has in store for them. The API Board gave their 2016 Distinguished Student Awards to Crystal Chen – Goodspeed `16; Michael Dinh `16, Mike Lin `16, Khanh Mai `16, Gaby Mercurio `16, Sneha Modi `16, Dong Gue On `16, Luning Selina Wang `16 and Hansel Weihs `16.  These students were selected because they demonstrated outstanding leadership and remarkable commitment to the Asian American community throughout their tenure at Notre Dame.  Thank you to Dr. Laura Murillo, speaker for the Latino Recognition Ceremony, Elaine DeBassige `92 and 2016 Honorary Doctorate recipients Pauline Yu and Arturo Sandoval for gracing the graduates with words of inspiration.  Also, I want to extend a heartfelt “Thank You” to the faculty, administrators, staff and alumni, who served in various capacities to ensure this was a memorable weekend for our graduates.

Have a Blessed Summer,

Iris L. Outlaw

Iris L. Outlaw `90 MSA

Director

Multicultural Student Programs and Services