October 2011

Issue One

Issue

Hispanic Area Council

Finding An Agent That’s Right For You

On behalf of the staff of the WSU Multicultural Student Center (MSC), I would like to wish

you and those you hold dear all the good fortunes of life, health, peace, and prosperity

throughout the year! This publication would not be possible without the talented students of

the MSC STEPS program and their supervisor, Jody Perkins. Thank you for making this

newsletter a possibility.

The Center is thriving with successful outcomes as student and community visits are

continuously on the rise. In response to the 2009-11 student satisfaction surveys; 2011

Program Review; MSC Top 20 goals; and as the result of the diligent work of our dynamic

staff, we have implemented and enhanced programming and services that will meet your

needs. Connecting you with the guidance and support to be successful at the University is our

priority. We look forward to meeting you at the Center!

Michiko Nakashima-Lizarazo

Director, Multicultural Student Center

MSC Programs and Services

Peer Mentor program

Student Training Employment Program & Services (STEPS)

Scholarship Program (secured up to $200K vs. $80K in 2008)

Weekly Workshops (Thursdays @ 1p.m. in SC 167)

MSC Activity/Leadership Tuition Waivers help ease the financial

burden of school and engage students on campus & community

Oportunidad Scholarship Program ($50K for 4 years, in its final

year)

ACCESS (Athletics Community Collaborating in Education & Services for Success)

Campus & Community Partnerships

Ceremony of Excellence

o Honors scholastic and high academic achievers

o Top Ten Senior- presented with Kente cloth honor sashes

Wall of Fame

o 3.2+ GPA Honor student

Graduate/ Professional School emphasis & assistance

Academic, Cultural, Social, Spiritual, and Service Projects

Enhanced mini-computer lab, study area, and lounge

United What’s New >>>

Area Councils >>>

Hispanic Area Council

Black Scholars United

American Indian Council

Asian/ Polynesian Council

From the desk of Our Director

Making a good first impression counts!

Asian and Pacific Islander Area Council

Lam Nguyen

2011-12 Asian & Pacific Islander Student Senator

What is TOA? TOA stands for The Ohana

Association. The purpose of the TOA is to

unite students to other Polynesians students

in order to create awareness on key issues, to

teach our culture to one another. The main

focuses are:

as friends and as a support system

for the success of all Polynesian students.

and preserve our heritage and

culture.

a learning environment by sharing

our heritage and culture with WSU and

surrounding communities.

in the larger community

through service

For meeting times and upcoming visits

visit us online.

http://www.weber.edu/multicultural/councils

.html

Why do you recommend that WSU

multicultural students use the Center?

I recommend multicultural students use

the Center to share their stories, create

new friendships, get useful resources,

learn new skills, get motivated to be

successful in school and life and to share

with others and learn from others.

The Hispanic Area Council (HAC) represents the Hispanic/Latino student population at

Weber State University and raises cultural awareness, pride, and focuses on academic issues.

After a successful leadership retreat during the summer, we were able to decide our entire

calendar year of programs and events. As one of our educational and cultural events, Dia de

Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is an event in which people will have the opportunity to

remember their loved ones. This is a ritual that has been practiced by indigenous groups like

the Aztecs and has been celebrated throughout European countries, Asia, and Africa. We are

planning on having an altar in the Union Building to commemorate those who have passed

on. Individuals who wish to participate may bring a picture (copies only), a memento of a

loved one, or food and display it on the altar.

Others who are not familiar with Dia de Los Muertos will have the opportunity to talk to a

HAC member who will provide insight to this unique cultural celebration. Please join us on

Nov. 2 in the Union Building (from 9am - 1pm) where we will provide Pan de Muerto

(Bread for the Dead) and hot chocolate. This event is free and open for all to participate.

We will then volunteer at a local cemetery (4-6 pm) to clean up and decorate the graves of

loved ones.

HAC participated in the Fiesta Mexicana at the Utah State Fair in which we hosted a booth

and handed out information about WSU and talked to many individuals about college.

We meet every Friday from 1pm to 2pm (location UB Senate Chambers, 321).

For more information, please contact Senator Belia Alvarado @ (801) 626-7330.

http://www.weber.edu/multicultural/councils.html

“Embracing our past, enhancing our present to inspire our future”

From the Desk of Our Director

Culturally

Contact us at 801-626-7330 weber.edu/multicultural

Text "MSC" to 469-579-2390 to receive updates via WSU mobile.

A monthly insight into multicultural life at the WSU campus

Eveni Tafiti MSC Counselor

Next Issue:

Meet the MSC

STEPS Peer

Mentors

MSC Student

employee of the

month

Student

Achievements

MSC activities

And much much

more

. Teresa Holt

American Indian Council

Black Scholars United

The Black Scholars United organization is off

to a great start this year! On September 17th

,

we held our fall barbeque on campus and it

was an extreme success. We were able to

spread the word about BSU and our mission,

and recruited new, motivated, and bright

young men and women, all while having tons

of fun and enjoying great food. This

semester, BSU will be participating in

community events such as the Northern Utah

Jeff Simons

MSC Counselor

Jody Perkins supervises the MSC STEPS

program. A former college football coach,

Jody served as past BSU Advisor (2009-

2011) and received many accolades for his

efforts. He was a finalist for the 2011 Crystal

Crest Friend of Student Award, and four of

his students affiliated with BSU also

received 2011 Crystal Crest Awards.

According to Dr. Forrest Crawford, Assistant

to the President for Diversity, this is the most

WSU awards ever earned by African

American students in a single year in the

entire history of the University.

Why is being a part of the Center

important to you?

“Because it gives me the opportunity to

work directly with students in helping

give them direction and encouragement at

a very critical time in their life.”

Jacqueline Smith is an advisor at the

Multicultural Student Center and also serves as

the Black Scholars United Advisor. She is a

recent graduate of Weber State University,

where she majored in Social Work and

graduated Magna Cum Laude. She is a member

of the Golden Key International Honor Society,

as well as Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and

was WSU’s 2011 Crystal Crest Woman of the

Year.

Aside from being involved in committees on

campus, she is also a Co-Coordinator of the

Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative

Research in Music and Medicine International

Conferences. The conference is

interdisciplinary in nature and is devoted to the

dissemination of new, unpublished research

relating to the field of music and medicine.

WSU Native Americans have one of their largest enrollments

in decades with a total of 165 N.A.’s this fall 2011. The

American Indian Council is comprised of a senator and 5

leaders to complete the leadership of the council. We like to

plan fun social activities each semester and we have fun

council meetings with lots of fun activities.

Hope you can join us on Wednesdays @ 12:30 PM in the

Student Service Center (SC) 167.

http://www.weber.edu/multicultural/councils.html

.

Teresa Holt

MSC Student Specialist

Why is being a part of the Center

important to you? Through the center I

have been able to provide different

resources that help our student population to

be connected with their culture, values and

traditions. At the same time it is important

to help our students to achieve graduation,

find a job where they can develop their

skills, assisting them to build a professional

career & help our communities through

education to finish the gap between lack of

opportunities and poverty.

Wall of Fame

MSC webmaster, Isaac Farley, won the

WSU Convocations photo contest and got

to meet and have lunch with his idol

Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu. Winning

photo.

“Meeting Matisyahu was a dream

come true for me. I've enjoyed his music

for a very long time and meeting him in

person gave me an even better idea of his

personality that you don't get from his

music. I want to be just like him when I

grow up.”

- Isaac Farley

Utah Coalition-HIV AIDS Project’s “Night at the Speakeasy” and the “Expect the Great”

Education and Career Fair. We will also be assisting in the Eagle Scout Book Drive, in an

effort to collect 3,000 books, K-12 for those in need. BSU meeting times are Sat. 11:30 AM

in the Union Lair. For more information about the organization, please contact Jacqueline

Smith, BSU Advisor at (801) 626-7303 or by email: jacquelinestewart@weber.edu.

Teresa is a former student-athlete

of Weber State University. She

graduated in Health Promotion

and now works as a Student

Specialist. She is dedicated to

helping students succeed and

become a contributing person in

society. She also manages the

A.C.C.E.S.S. program which is

designed to help student-athletes

gain awareness of resources and

services around campus and then

implement them into their lives.

*learn from yesterday, live for

today, hope for tomorrow*

Coleen Sheehan is the

multicultural center secretary.

She has been with the

multicultural center for nine

years and loves every minute of

it. Coleen enjoys working at the

Center because it provides a

welcoming atmosphere and it

also gives students many

opportunities to succeed. One of

her favorite parts of working at

the Multicultural Center is

seeing the expression on eager

students’ faces to get an

education. Aside from working

at the Center, Coleen enjoys

gardening, pets and traveling.

Coleen Sheehan

MSC Secretary

What is STEPS?

The Student Training Employment Program and

Services (STEPS) not only allows each student

worker to gain a refined knowledge of the WSU

major and minor disciplines and related student

services resources, but it helps them to develop

knowledge that will prepare them as outstanding

employment candidates following completion of

their WSU programs of study.

These students will have numerous opportunities to

learn and apply marketable skills in

communication, goal setting, planning and strategy,

critical thinking and problem solving, training, and

teamwork.

The STEPS program is a great “step” into the right

direction when it comes to character and career

building.

.

Jody Perkins MSC STEPS Interim Supervisor

STEPS

Editorial Supervisor: Jody Perkins Chief Editor: Laura Natalia Munoz Co-Editor: Andres Morelli

For more information or advertising please contact us at (801) 626-7330

Monica Rodriguez MSC Counselor

Jacqueline Smith

MSC Advisor