Center for Intercultural Understanding opens
With a quick snip of scissors, the Center for Intercultural Understanding officially opened December 8 and brought to fruition the work of several Loyola community members. Each speaker at the afternoon ceremony talked of the hardworking task force that worked diligently to make the center a reality and the student body's relentless vision for a place to celebrate diversity.
University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J., said the opening of the center was an obvious moment. Quoting philosopher Alfred Whitehead who said "It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious," Wildes said, "Part of what we celebrate today is obvious. It is obvious we come from different races, genders, ethnicity, backgrounds, and ideas. But when we are talking about education, it is obvious that we should not only teach but learn from one another. This center puts us in a forward position."
Others who made remarks included Provost Walter Harris, Ph.D.; Vice President for Student Affairs James Eiseman, Ph.D..; Student Government Association President Martina Mills, A'05; Instructor in the Department of Communications and Interim Director of the Center for Cultural Understanding Lisa Martin.
Martin was unable to conceal her excitement and optimism for what the center will mean to the campus. "This center will help make Loyola what Loyola is supposed to be." she declared. "We've got a lot of good things here and a lot of good things we need to do."
As spelled out in its mission statement, the Center for Intercultural Understanding "is established to create and maintain a campus environment where students, faculty, and staff will be able to recognize, respect, and celebrate our differences and commonalities.
These differences include, but are not limited to, age, social and economic status, sexual orientation, educational background, marital status, ethnicity, gender, individual traits, ability, race, culture heritage, and religious belief." This will take place through panel discussions, lectures, book clubs, screenings, social and musical events, residence hall seminars, and interfaith prayer and liturgical experiences coordinated with University Ministry, Martin said.
"We will support this center to make sure this mission is recognized," Harris said.
A university-wide committee unanimously approved Martin as the center's interim director. She will interact with all campus constituencies, funding agencies, and community agencies, and advocate for the recruitment and retention of a diverse student body, faculty, and staff. Martin has big plans for the center. She hopes to bring in several speakers, including hate crime expert Walter Bouman. She also wants to work on literacy citywide. Martin will be in charge of the center this year and then return to teaching. In the meantime, the school will conduct a nationwide search for a permanent director.
Martin has taught for almost 10 years and has served as an academic adviser, receiving the Excellence in Advising award from the College of Arts and Sciences. Her area of research is media and stereotypes.
