• About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
The Wellesley News -
  • News and Features
    • Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
      Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”
    • CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
      CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure
    • WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
      WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion
    • News
      • News in Brief
      • Nation & World
      • President’s Corner
      • Senate Report
    • Features
      • Alumnae Spotlight
      • Eye on Science
      • Faculty Focus
      • LGBTQIA+ Column
  • Opinions
    • Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
      Why Art Basel is partially responsible for Miami’s gentrification
    • It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
      It’s time to put traditional grading to the test
    • What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
      What can the fall of Z-library teach us about textbook accessibility?
    • Staff Editorial
    • Letters to the Editor
    • The Elephant in the Room
  • Arts
    • No image
      Pentimento’s Open Mic is Like an Old Patchwork Quilt–Worn, Yet Cozy
    • No image
      Kanye’s Antisemitism Steps on his Shoe Brand
    • Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
      Lousy Realities: Luca Guadagnino (2015)
    • Arts In The News
    • Reviews
    • Music Peek
    • Books Before Boys
  • Sports and Wellness
    • Student-Athlete of October
      Student-Athlete of October
    • Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
      Athletics Update Oct. 19, 2022
    • The Case for Body Neutrality
      The Case for Body Neutrality
    • Athlete of the Week
    • Boston Sports Update
    • The Vegan Digest
    • The SHE Corner
  • The Wellesley Snooze
    • Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
      Top 10 Girlbosses who aren’t alumnae, but I would totally believe you if you told me they were
    • Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
      Wendy Wellesley’s Thanksgiving Menu
    • The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
      The Snooze Awards for the Best Tanners of 2022
  • Miscellanea
    • President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
      President’s Column: The Butterfly Effect
    • Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
      Administrators shocked to learn that students dislike being left in dark
    • 50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
      50 Lies You Tell Yourself in Order to Survive Until Graduation
    • The Dose
    • The Olive Branch
    • Multimedia
      • Galleries
      • Infographics
      • Videos
By Sydney Stewart Multicultural Column, News, News and FeaturesSeptember 22, 2016

Multicultural Column: 9/21

Graphic by Jee Lee '19, Assistant Digital Editor

Siblings,

Welcome to Wellesley, Red Hot Class of 2020 and welcome back to Wellesley to those of you who are upperclass students! My name is Sydney Stewart and I am serving on College Government this year as your Multicultural Affairs Coordinator (MAC). In this role, I have the privilege of fostering a climate of multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion on-campus by chairing the Community Action Network (CAN) and facilitating the Multicultural Presidents’ Council (MPC). Through these forums and Senate, I support students in their distinct cultural needs and serve as a liaison between the College’s administration and the student body.

Last year, my predecessor Ananya Ghemawat ’17 created the Multicultural Column with the hope of centering and amplifying the voices of students of color. The Column provided a space for students to share their opinions on cultural issues, like the need for socially conscious student leaders and the diversity of the African continent.

This year, I would like to expand the platform of the Multicultural Column to be inclusive of the voices of all students from marginalized backgrounds. Professor Selwyn Cudjoe of the Africana Studies Department defined culture to me and my Africana Studies 105 classmates as, “the way we do the things we do.” Merriam-Webster defines culture as, “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place or time.” With these definitions in mind, I hope students would utilize this space to discuss issues pertaining to culture like race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability and topics of interest or importance to the student body.

As Ananya emphasized last spring with the inauguration of this column, cultural issues are relevant to all students. They are relevant because, first and foremost, the concerns of our siblings should be considered by all members of our community, regardless of whether or not we agree with them. Secondly, it is an opportunity for us to learn more about issues we may not be knowledgeable about and to ensure that we do not silo ourselves in our own experiences. When considering the racial demographics of our campus, particularly, and the closed nature of a lot of Wellesley cultural organizations after their open meetings at the beginning of the semester, it is important that we have forums like the Multicultural Column to ensure that members of the Wellesley community are learning about cultural issues outside of the classroom and the organizations they are affiliated with.

In closing, I urge all members of the Wellesley community to read this column and to engage with it. Further, I encourage you to write for the column and contribute to the College’s institutional memory. Issues like cultural appropriation, workplace politics, microaggressions, mental health, sexuality and others are often discussed in conversation, but rarely published in a central forum. Let us celebrate our diversity by coming together around intellectual growth and social awareness.

If you are interested in writing for the Multicultural Column, please reach out to me at the email below. Wellesley is waiting to hear your voice.

Sincerely,
Sydney Stewart
mac@wellesley.edu

Share on

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google +
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
Previous articleSenate Report: 9/19
Next articleVisionary mental health initiative arrives at Wellesley

You may also like

Professor Phillip Levine Discusses “A Problem of Fit”

CS Department shifts CS 111 course structure

WAMI and WRJ host discussion on criminalization of abortion

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

Top Articles

Sorry. No data so far.

Recent Tweets

Tweets by @Wellesley_News

The independent student newspaper of Wellesley College since 1901.

Sign up to receive our weekly digest in your inbox

* indicates required

  • About
  • Editorial Board
    • Staff Writers
  • Advertise
  • Join Us
  • Archives
COPYRIGHT © 2023 THE WELLESLEY NEWS
Back to top