News & Announcements: September 2009

Diversity News

Post-Yom Kippur meals usher in Jewish new year

Many Jewish families will enjoy "breakfast for dinner" on Monday. This post-Yom Kippur meal provides a festive event for ushering in the Jewish new year.

Belief in brief: Yom Kippur

Synagogues across the world will likely be filled to capacity as Jewish people seek peace and pardon during Yom Kippur, the holiest holiday in Judaism.

Haters do all they can to keep others down

A couple of weeks ago in commemoration of the passage of women’s right to vote, I attended a viewing of "Iron Jawed Angels." The film detailed some of the struggles the suffragists endured in their determination to achieve full citizenship. The movie was just another reminder of what people who are different than what some people consider "the only genuine Americans" are often put through to gain equal rights.

International Bazaar celebrated

The 33rd annual International Bazaar and second annual International Day took place Tuesday, representing countries from around the world. A world-music song selection, crafted by Missouri International Student Council President Vamsi Kanuri, played during the event in Stotler Lounge.

MU "hate wall" prompts discussion of stereotypes

Students said the 183 words and stereotypes they wrote down had hurt them in the past, but the MU "hate wall" event held Wednesday night gave them a chance to defend themselves.

St. Louis housing group alleges discrimination in ads

When Sonja McClendon searched for senior housing for her 87-year-old black father in St. Louis County, she spotted advertisements for housing centers that didn't feature any black people.

Students demolish prejudice at 'hate wall'

Education through communication was the main theme of Wednesday night's "hate wall" event. The event was held in Stotler Lounge and was co-sponsored by Missouri Students Association Multicultural Issues Committee and You In Mizzou.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2009

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

IIPP International Affairs Fellowships

Do you know five college sophomores who would excel in international affairs careers? Please urge them to take advantage of this unique fellowship opportunity.

Muslim students invite peers to share in fasting experience

During the holy month of Ramadan, members of the MU Muslim Student Organization are reaching out to fellow students to help educate them about Islamic beliefs and traditions.

Veterans get leg up from new class

Nick Holman didn’t expect college life to be so difficult. After all, he had been an honor student at his St. Charles high school and had just completed five years in the Marine Corps.

Museum crawl will showcase art galleries at MU

The fifth annual MU Gallery and Museum Crawl runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m. with exhibits including Missouri artifacts to portraiture, editorial cartoons and a "nest" of glass and twigs.

MU to host Take Back the Night with a focus on sexual violence prevention

Kelley Lucero, coordinator for the sexual assault and outreach programs for The Shelter, estimates she works with 20 to 25 students a year who have been victims of sexual violence.

PHOTO GALLERY: Take Back the Night fights sexual violence

Approximately 150 students and community members took to the streets of MU for the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center's annual Take Back the Night march on Thursday. The event aimed to raise awareness about sexual violence, and was followed by a Survivor's Speakout, where people shared their experiences of sexual assault.

Belief in brief: Rosh Hashana

Rosh Hashana marks the beginning of the new year for Jews and begins at sundown Friday and ends at sundown Sunday.

Blowing of ram horn signals new year for Jewish people

The children at Congregation Beth Shalom squealed and covered their ears at the sound. The rabbi took another breath and blew a second long note on the shofar, and the children shrieked in delight once again.

Jewish High Holidays conflict with student obligations

The Jewish High Holidays, or Days of Awe, are comprised of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the two holiest days of the year in the Jewish faith.

RSVP gives voice to the silenced

This week, Rape Awareness Week, the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center has hosted a number of activities to spread awareness and publicize resources for victims of sexual violence.

Journalist Lisa Ling speaks at MU about global reporting

Already an international war correspondent at 25, journalist Lisa Ling has reported in more than two dozen countries to date. Ling, known for her reporting on wartime rape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and on child soldiers in Uganda, spoke in MU’s Jesse Auditorium Wednesday night about notable experiences throughout her career.

ANNOUNCEMENT: September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month

Sept. 15 was the official start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Originally authorized by President Lyndon B. Johnson as National Hispanic Heritage Week, President Ronald Reagan expanded the observance to a month in 1988. The celebration begins on Sept. 15 to acknowledge the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries.

Muslims in Columbia view Sept. 11 with sorrow, some frustration

Columbia’s Muslim community doesn’t intend to dwell on the horrific events of Sept. 11, but wants to find ways to move past the tragedy and move toward new images and ideas about Islam.

Man gets 3 years for vandalizing Cape Girardeau Islamic Center

A man has been sentenced to three years in prison for vandalizing the Islamic Center in Cape Girardeau.

ACT scores slip for black teens but still beat average

Columbia’s black students perform better than their state and national peers on the ACT, according to subgroup data from Columbia Public Schools, but that gap is shrinking.

FY2010 Funding Process and Proposal

Is your organization, school or civic group conducting programs pertaining to the issues of discrimination, diversity, inclusion, tolerance, multicultural education and related human rights issues? Would you like to expand the programs you offer, reach new audiences and/or enhance the mission of your organization? If so, you may be interested in submitting a proposal to the Human Rights Commission for funding through its Human Rights Enhancement Program. This program provides financial support to local organizations providing human rights educational programming. For FY2010, the City of Columbia has set aside up to $2,500 it would like to distribute in our community to support these educational efforts. Previous awards have ranged from $250-$1,000.

Springfield expected to remove law aimed at gay people

A 1976 Springfield law aimed at preventing gay people from soliciting same-sex encounters was expected to be removed from that city's ordinances on Tuesday night.

Middle East expert speaks at MU

Jesse Auditorium was peppered with students and adults Tuesday, all waiting to hear from Peter Bergen, the first man to ever hold a television interview with Osama bin Laden.

MSO celebrates breaking of fast for Ramadan

An iftar, the Muslim breaking of a day's fast during Ramadan, was held Thursday night by the Muslim Student Organization in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center

MU holds first Social Justice Involvement Fair

The first Social Justice Involvement Fair at MU was held Thursday, advertising the various Social Justice organizations MU and the Columbia community have to offer.

Ceremony honors Missouri soldiers headed to Afghanistan

For the family and friends of departing Missouri Army and Air National Guard soldiers, goodbye sounded like the somber tune of a lone violin playing the national anthem.

Dining halls add options for MU students observing Ramadan

Campus Dining Services at MU has made adjustments to its services during Ramadan, a monthlong fast observed by Muslims from sunrise to sunset, to better accommodate university students.

RSVP educates students for Rape Awareness Month

The Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center is educating students by dedicating September to rape awareness.

CDS accommodates Muslim students during Ramadan

In a continued effort to accommodate students observing Ramadan, Campus Dining Services has extended dining hall hours and included more breakfast items on takeout menus.

Rooted introduces new students to religious organizations

Freshmen explored MU's religious life options at the Campus Ministry Fair on Friday, an event hosted by the Christian student organization, Rooted.

MU welcomes minorities and international students

MU hosted its annual International Welcome Party and UnificAsian Orientation on Saturday and its annual Latino Student Welcome on Sunday to welcome the second largest class of international and minority students in the university's history.

CDS caters to Muslim students during Ramadan

Campus Dining Services is the hidden hero on campus when it comes to cooperating with students on various issues. When the Muslim Student Organization came to CDS with issues concerning Ramadan, CDS sat down with students from MSO and actually made changes based on their suggestions.

MU hosts conference on Korean relations

Attendees of MU's ninth Truman Conference on U.S.-Korean Relations were honored by the presence of Park Kye-dong, the secretary general of the Korean National Assembly.

ANNOUNCEMENT: APIA Vote Now Hiring Fall Interns

APIAVote is now accepting applications for interns in the Washington, D.C. office. The APIAVote Internship Program strives to encourage and cultivate young AAPI student leaders to explore a career in the public sector or the political arena. This internship program will also provide hands on experience and training on how to organize and implement civic engagement activities to increase the participation of AAPIs in the electoral process.