News & Announcements: August 2009

Diversity News

Queer Fall Fling kicks off year for LGBTQ

The LGBTQ Resource Center and the Multicultural Center hosted the Queer Fall Fling on Thursday night. For two hours, students who identify as part of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning community or an ally were able to play video games, socialize and eat pizza in a safe, non-judgmental environment, LGBTQ Resource Center coordinator Ryan Black said.

LBC hosts Welcome Black Barbeque

Legion of Black Collegians hosted the Welcome Black Barbecue on Thursday in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, attracting hundreds of black students.

Freshman Diversity, Total Enrollment at MU Break Records

The University of Missouri started classes today for the fall 2009 semester, welcoming another large freshman class while experiencing record enrollments for minority student groups, including African Americans and Hispanics. On the first day of class, MU officials welcomed 484 African-American freshmen, up 14.7 percent from 422 last year, and 152 Hispanic freshmen, up 16 percent from 131 last year. Overall, the university's first-day enrollment totals 30,831, while the number of undergraduates is 23,659. Both total and undergraduate enrollment numbers are the highest in the history of the university.

Doctoral Student Gains National Recognition, Internship for Ovarian Cancer Research

Rebecca Burkhalter, a doctoral student in the MU School of Medicine, is one of two students nationwide to be offered a paid summer internship at one of the world.s largest pharmaceutical companies without even applying. The medical pharmacology student will intern at Eli Lilly for giving the best presentation at a national research conference.

MU School of Medicine to Host Fall Conference for Underrepresented Medical Students

The University of Missouri School of Medicine chapter of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) will host the organization.s regional conference from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, 2009. Medical and pre-medical students from 10 states will attend. The SNMA is the nation.s oldest and largest independent student organization dedicated to students underrepresented in medicine. More than 8,000 medical students, pre-medical students and physicians nationwide are members.

Second largest class in history of MU yields cultural diversity

MU experienced record high minority enrollment numbers as of the first day of classes Monday. Despite a dip of about 200 students in overall freshmen enrollment, the number of black and Hispanic freshmen rose 14.7 and 16 percent, respectively, according to an MU News Bureau release.

Peace Park to hold Pagan Pride Day

The Center Project hosted the Mid-Missouri Pagan Pride Inc. Divination Dinner July 31 to raise money for Pagan Pride Day, which will take place in Peace Park Sep. 27.

Greektown fails to meet ADA standards

Panhellenic Association President Caroline Vastyan said as far as she knows, none of the Greektown chapter houses are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, but she said there was a disabled woman participating in recruitment.

International Student's Adventure Group

A supporting group, named International Students' Adventure Group, will be provided to international students in this coming semester. The focus of the group is to provide international students with an opportunity to discuss their culture, adjustment to college at MU, and academic issues in a safe and supportive environment.

Freshman Diversity, Total Enrollment at MU Break Records

Achievement gap still shows in MAP

The gap between the academic performance of black students in Columbia and statewide grew during the past year in both communication arts and math, according to the Missouri Assessment Program test results released Aug. 12.

Columbia Muslims gather after first day of Ramadan

There was little light left scraping the crisp blue sky Saturday evening. It was Maghreb, or sunset, and more than 200 mid-Missouri Muslims congregated at the mosque to communally break the fast of the first day of Ramadan. The hustle began to slow, and dates were passed around as everybody quietly enjoyed their warm mouthfuls of potato and vegetable samosa.

PHOTO GALLERY: Spirit and body

Muslims came to the Islamic Center of Central Missouri to pray and break fast on the first day of Ramadan. Observers fast from sunrise to sunset during the Muslim holy month.

Pushing for tolerance in class

Bruce Alspaugh remembers Hickman High School during the early 1980s. A low tolerance for gays and lesbians pervaded the school and the district, he said. Clubs such as the Gay Straight Alliance didn’t exist at schools, meaning gays and lesbians often kept their sexual identity to themselves, afraid to mention the topic to anyone.

Ramadan encourages charity, connection with God and community

When the Islamic tradition of Ramadan begins at sundown Saturday, Muslims will spend the next 30 days hungry. They will also spend the month deepening their connection with God.

Veterans start over as colleges ignore experience

Twelve years of military service left Donald Spradling highly trained in satellite imagery, nuclear engineering and foreign intelligence analysis. None of that made a difference to MU.

Jehovah's Witnesses discuss convention and tenets of the faith

More than 4,000 people gathered over the weekend in Mizzou Arena for the annual Jehovah's Witness convention, Keep on the Watch! They heard speeches and testimonials regarding the faith and read passages from the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

Branches of Judaism observe Tisha B'Av in variety of ways

Although it is one of the most mournful days observed in the Hebrew calendar, Tisha B'Av is given varied recognition among the different branches of Judaism. This year the day fell on Wednesday.

More Is Needed than Quota Laws to Increase the Number of Women Legislators

Although women's representation in national legislatures around the globe has nearly doubled in the last 30 years, the average percentage of women legislators is only 18 percent worldwide. While many countries have adopted quota laws, which require a certain percentage of a political party's candidates to be female, success has varied among countries. A University of Missouri professor finds that quota laws need placement mandates and enforcement mechanisms to be effective.

New GI Bill to cover tuition entirely at participating schools

Before Aug. 1, if a veteran wanted to attend a private college, that person would have had to find a way to pay what the GI Bill did not cover. But since the new GI Bill took effect at the beginning of the month, veterans enrolling in Columbia College could see their entire tuition waived.

Hate speech turns into hateful actions

Some Americans seem to enjoy the freedom to use hate speech and not suffer any consequences for their behavior. Some consider that to be one of the great things about life in America. And often they can depend on someone else to act on their hateful speech and harm another individual. The murder of Dr. George Tiller is a case in point.

Group wants more Midwest Latinos to answer Census

A legal advocacy group launched an education and awareness campaign Wednesday encouraging Latinos in 11 Midwest states to participate in the 2010 Census.

Truman Veterans Hospital holds groundbreaking ceremony

Six gold shovels marked with the Veteran Affairs logo on their blades stood in a row near Pershing Park. Veterans, hospital staff and administrators gathered behind Truman Veterans Hospital early Monday afternoon for groundbreaking on the hospital's biggest renovation ever.

Civil rights lawyer, NAACP leader dies in St. Louis

Pioneering civil rights lawyer Margaret Bush Wilson, a former national chairwoman of the NAACP, has died in her native St. Louis. She was 90.

Human trafficking documentary to screen at MU

A documentary that follows adolescent girls as they are manipulated into prostitution through violence, isolation and drugs will screen at MU next week.