Race has always been and continues to be a complicated topic, according to Colorado Lt. Governor Joe Garcia. And despite repeated predictions that race issues would end, the scientific, historical, and legal battles surrounding it still rage.
After feasting on Subway sandwiches, many Mines students took the opportunity to sit in Bunker auditorium last Wednesday, January 19, to experience the stories of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés. As a part of the series of lectures given for DeltaDays, she focused her talk on “Walking Strong in Two or More Worlds.”
“Female, short, and of color…this is the new face of leadership, but we don’t know it yet,” explained Dr. Maria Guajardo in her talk entitled “The New Normal: Leadership for a Diverse World.” The talk was a valuable addition to week-long DeltaDays events.
What responses can be made to the constantly changing world? Last week, the CSM community examined how diversity affects student’s lives at school and how students should celebrate the differences that are experienced in our community. Dr. Roel Sneider, in his lecture on diversity in the research environment, asked the question, “Why should we care about diversity?” Sneider then proceeded to answer his own question by stating, “I don’t know if you [have] noticed, but our world is changing… 30% of the US belongs to an ethnic minority.” While this certainly will not come as a surprise to many, it should cause us to stop and critically examine how we have made our school environment more open to minorities.
How accurate are stereotypes? When someone says they are from a certain place, is the person immediately associated with the stereotypes inherent to that place? DeltaDays’ Living Library tackled this question, challenging the stereotypes that everyone so readily accepts.
Friday, January 21, marked the end of DeltaDays, “A week-long series of diversity-oriented events, centered on the life and legacy of Martin Luther King.” The closing celebration started at 6 PM in Friedhoff Hall where free pizza and birthday cake were served. Three different step teams performed at the event, including the Mines Dance Team. Attendees were encouraged to participate in their own way, either by clapping to the beat or dancing along. The night ended with a bit of Salsa dancing; an instructor gave a lesson before opening up the floor for freestyle dancing.
There was a moment in Sofia Chavez-Frederick’s childhood when she realized her mind was not connected to her body. There was no physical-emotional connection between the situations she was experiencing and her state of mind. At this point, Chavez-Frederick’s consciousness had actually split from her physical body. “I thought it was normal,” she explained, “I thought this was how everyone lived.” Little did she know, Chavez-Frederick had developed both Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Disorder after witnessing and experiencing several different abuses.