OFFICE OF MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS

Where Heroes Connect to a Cause

SO YOU LIKE THE

IDEAOF BEING A

HERO.

But champions of diversity are braver,

more rebellious than you, and they must

have a lot more time on their hands, right?

YOU’VE ALWAYS

DREAMEDOF MAKING A

DIFFERENCEIN THE WORLD.

HERE’S THE TRUTH:Every hero—every Gandhi, Mandela, Bono,

and Lincoln—started out just like you.

Just a person with a dream of a better world.

If you want to become that hero,there is a moment when your goodintentions must give way to action.

That pivotal, hero-making moment is the

everyday mission of Rollins’ Office of Multicultural

Affairs (OMA), which guides students, faculty, and

staff in the celebration of diversity as well as in

overcoming diversity’s obstacles: racism,

intolerance, hatred, and apathy.

“Rollins has so many amazing people who are

dedicated to promoting inclusion and eliminating

discrimination,” said Director of Multicultural Affairs

Mahjabeen Rafiuddin. “These are people who

imagine the world as they would like it to be and

work to make it that way.”

Although festivities like Bollywood Movie

Night, the Chinese Moon Festival, and the popular

soul-food dinners sponsored by the Black Student

Union up the “fun factor” on campus, there is an

element of serious activism at Rollins that is

nothing short of heroic.

“OMA is a laboratory for social and institutional

change,” Rafiuddin said. “We are here to connect

students, faculty, and staff to opportunities to

make a difference in the world.”

MEET A FEW OF OUR HEROES. THEY’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM YOU.

Cherisse Hagood MassachusettsMajor: Psychology Black Student Union, President

“There are so many questions people have and they’re afraid to ask

because they don’t want to offend us. I encourage them to ask, to

talk, to have a conversation. We’re all so different. We can learn from

each other. I always stress that you don’t have to be black to join BSU.

We actually want diversity in our group, to encourage that kind of

open dialogue and connection.”

“Most of what we do is just hanging out andhaving fun, not constantly thinking aboutwhere we fit into racial groups. I see less andless separation between minorities and whitesat Rollins.”

ROLLINS COLLEGE’SHEROES OF DIVERSITY

• Delegate to the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, Washington, D.C.

• Organized “Shadow Day” for dozens of Upward Bound high schoolstudents who spent a day shadowing a Rollins undergrad

• Coordinates a soul-food dinner during Black History Month

• Performs with the Rollins Dancers, including a special tribute dance for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

• Member of the Caribbean Student Association

Ignorance is anotherword for opportunity.

“

Michael Barrett Florida Major: Environmental Studies & SociologyMulti-Ethnic Student Society, Co-FounderInterfaith Living Learning Community, Founding Member

"The organizations and topics I am motivated to work with arecentered around improving relationships across boundaries that areusually socially constructed. For instance, I joined the InterfaithLiving Learning Community to be part of what was, in my mind, anintriguing social experiment from which we would learn aboutourselves and each other. We need a holistic understanding of theworld and our part in it to guide us through what are going to beparticularly interesting times. OMA's focus is always on both things—the big picture and the personal."

“It may seem small, but when you become involved with student organizations, the relationships and values you develop therewill be like a wave extending outward to otherpeople through the ages.”

• Work-study student for the Office of Multicultural Affairs

• R-Journalist

• Historian for the Multi-Ethnic Student Society

• Founding member of the Interfaith Living Learning Community

• Attended the Social Justice Training Institute and the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity

• Intern for the Farmworker Association of Florida, an organizationdedicated to empowering farmworkers and rural poor communities

In order to transformthe world outside,you first need to

know and transformyour world inside.

“

ROLLINS COLLEGE’SHEROES OF DIVERSITY

Kathryn Norsworthy GeorgiaProfessor of Graduate Studies in Counseling Diversity Advisory Council, Founder Safe Zone, Co-Founder

“We must stand with people who hold minority or target identities,not in a paternalistic or patronizing way, but in true solidarity. White,middle- and upper-class, able-bodied, educated people have moresocial capital to get their points across than any other group. We mustuse that privilege to work side by side with those who don’t have thatkind of social capital.”

• Faculty recipient of the 2010 President’s Award for Diversity and Inclusion

• Ally to the Apopka migrant and farmworker communities in collaboration with Sisters of Notre Dame/Hope Community Center

• Leader in the Orlando Anti-discrimination Ordinance Committee (OADO), a Central FloridaGLBT rights group

• Social justice advocate and peace worker in Thailand with Muslim and Buddhist communities

• Well known for her solidarity work with refugee communities of Burma seeking freedom and democracy

It’s crucial for students to see faculty in an

activist role, as an agentfor social change.”

“

“Whether I am working with groups in Burmaor with students on campus, everyone is theteacher and everyone is the student. We arecollaborative learners and so much wisdomarises out of the group.”

Ray RogersTexas Career Services, Director Spectrum, Advisor

“Allies are critical to groups like Spectrum. About a third of ourparticipants are sincere allies, marching with us in the gay prideparade even though they are not gay or lesbian or bi. They areactivists joining a cause, not for a self-serving purpose, but becauseit’s the right thing to do. They see the value in standing up forpeople who are different from themselves.”

“I do not underestimate our students. They allhave rich, complicated backgrounds and thatinforms what they do on campus and what they’lldo out in the world once they leave Rollins.”

• Staff recipient of the 2010 President’s Award for Diversity and Inclusion

• Helped initiate and oversee the Johnson Family Foundation Scholarship, which funds student internships in Washington, D.C.at GLBT advocacy organizations

When you’re a gaycollege student,

you always wonderjust how out can I be, what environmentsare safe for me? Students need toknow that there is

someone here to ask,somewhere they canjust be themselves.

“

Fatema Kermalli Pennsylvania Major: International Relations Minor: Jewish StudiesMuslim Student Association, Co-President Society for a Just Peace in Palestine, President

“Growing up Muslim in America, you realize that most people are not

against you, but they’re not going out of their way to get to know

you or your culture. Apathy is usually the problem, not prejudice.”

“Right before the scheduled burning of theQur’an in Gainesville, we organized a Qur’anhand-out on campus, working with the JewishStudent Union. Most people who had an opinionabout it had never even read the Qur’an. Youmust learn to understand the other side if youare to have an effective debate.”

ROLLINS COLLEGE’SHEROES OF DIVERSITY

• Helped to sponsor Variations on a Theme, a show by Rollins ImprovPlayers about “misunderstanding,” with several Muslim story lines

• Serves on the Interfaith Panel

• Organizes topical forums, such as a debate aboutthe mosque near Ground Zero, during which bothan imam and a rabbi presented their views

• Recipient of the prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship, which allowed her to study Arabic in Jordan for a year

• Cornell Scholar

• Member of the Honors Degree Program

• Jewish Student Union

• Opinions editor of The Sandspur

• Instrumental in adding Arabic classes to the curriculum at Rollins

My view is that a college enriches a community just by being there.

And having students of different faiths and ethnicbackgrounds enriches thecollege just by being there.

“

Meghan Thomas Ohio Major: EnglishSpectrum, President

“We don’t care who you are. No matter where you land on the spectrumof sexual identity or sexual orientation, you have a place with us.Even if you’re slightly homophobic, that’s okay too. Part of our mis-sion is to educate.”

“The Office of Multicultural Affairs provides placeswhere students can celebrate who they are.”

• Named a 2011 Fulbright Scholar

• Student recipient of the 2011 President’s Award for Diversity and Inclusion

• Intern for the Southern Education Foundation in Chattanooga, anorganization that works to create equity in education in the South

• President of the English Honor Society, Sigma Tau Delta

• Vice president of the Residence Hall Association and RA

• Peer Mentor and student teacher

• Writer for The Sandspur

• Writing consultant for the Thomas Phillips Johnson Student Resource Center

Students are morewilling to be visiblenow. Students aremore willing to be allies to targetgroups. Gay and lesbian issues likebullying and same-sex marriage anddon’t-ask-don’t-tellare hot topics rightnow, so there is more involvementacross the board.

“

“Connect to a cause at Rollins! Join our multicultural family andbecome part of a network of people committed to promotingdiversity and inclusion both on and off campus.

MULTICULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

American Indian Student Organization

Anthroscape

Black Student Union (BSU)

Caribbean Student Association (CSA)

Chinese Organization

Desi (Southeast Asian Students Association)

Filipino Student Association (FSA)

International Student Organization (ISO)

Jewish Student Union (JSU)

Latin American Student Association (LASA)

Middle Eastern Culture and Cuisine Association (MECCA)

Multi-Ethnic Student Society (MESS)

Muslim Student Association (MSA)

Society for Just Peace in Palestine (SJP)

Spectrum (LGBTQQIPA)

Student Labor Action Project (SLAP)

That’s So Asian, AASA (Asian American Student Association)

Voices for Women (V4W)

MULTICULTURAL INITIATIVES

Diversity Dialogues

Interfaith Living Learning Community and Interfaith Programs

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Multicultural Retreat

Lucy Cross Center for Women and Their Allies

Spoken Words and Open Mic

Cultural Festivals

Jewish and Muslim Heritage-based Dinners

Pride Parades

National Conference on Race and Ethnicity

rollins.edu/multiculturalaffairs

Together we can help bring justice, peace, and agreater human bond to our community and the world.”

—Mahjabeen RafiuddinDirector of Multicultural Affairs

FOR MORE INFORMATION or to get

involved with a cultural organization, please

call 407-691-1240 or stop by and see us in

Chase Hall.

Rollins CollegeOffice of Multicultural Affairs1000 Holt Avenue - 2793Winter Park, FL 32789-4499407-691-1240 • Fax: 407-691-1257

rollins.edu/multiculturalaffairs

rollins.edu

Become that hero. Now is the moment for your good intentions to give way to action.

The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is

committed to building and promoting programs,

services, and resources that serve to create and

sustain a diverse community. A diverse community

is one that is inclusive, welcoming, and respectful,

in which each citizen values differences including

race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity/expression,

sexual orientation, national origin, economic back-

ground, ability, age, and religion. At the same

time, this diverse community affirms the central

importance of our common humanity.

In support of Rollins' commitment to a a plural-

istic and equitable community for learning, OMA

works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students

to create an experience rich in perspectives and

opportunities to learn from each other and encour-

ages each member to engage in positive social

change to transform and sustain the local and

global communities in which we live.