Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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of Diversity By Tamara Salisbury Community Cultural Harmony Week celebrated its 20th year Sept. 21-26. Candi Hironaka, co-chair and associate director of the School of Leadership Studies, said the slogan Twenty Years and Still Moving Forward meant that though great progress had been made over the years, the work continues as the process was truly a journey of learning and growing. Formerly Racial Ethnic Harmony Week, Community Cultural Harmony Week was founded after a Puerto Rican group rented the Bushwacker ' s Club in Aggieville to celebrate the feast day of San Juan in June 1987. Employees of the club hung signs referring to San Juan in obscene language. The case was eventually taken to the state attorney general ' s office, where a ruling in favor of the club was decided. Each of us holds part of the solution to making our communities more inclusive and accepting places for each member, Hironaka said. We never stop growing as learning is a life-long process — and adventure. With Roots of Rhythm, Rev Patty Brown-Burnett and Elizabeth Teague. alumnae, perform as part of the International Day of Peace Sep t 21 We have made great progress over the years, and I have much hope with the next generation, Candi Hironaka. co-chair and associate director of the School of Leadership Studies, said. Molt Bmter v n ' 26 Student .

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■1 The day after the tornado, Knsti Pottroff ' s brother-m-law, Ryan Engle, goes through the remains of her house. Pottroff. Milier Ranch resident, and her 16-year- old son were trapped in their basement for more than one hour until local firefighters were able to rescue them, Jerry Snyder, director of fire services, said the tornado affected three mam areas of Manhattan - Miller Ranch, Amherst Avenue and West Anderson Avenue — destroying 35 homes, leaving 45 with major damage, 157 with minor damage and 66 effected. We first responded to the 911 calls. Snyder said, then our first responsibility was rescue. DVD significant ' numbIrs ' ' Challenge Course destroyed .25 400 Million in damages, $5 million deductible from insurance o Buildings effected by the storm Bottles of water and cans of soda pulled from Bramlage Coliseum during New Student Orientation and Enrollment 15 Housing and Dnmig staff members put 700 sack lunches together last minute during New Student Orientation and Enrollment Years since the last tornado in Manhattan 25 Trees replanted off CLiflm Road and Mid-Campus Drive Trees lost out of 5,000 went back to campus the next day and said he was begin repairing the damages. We had quite a number surprised by the debris and damage he liad missed the of peciple ni the t ' aciHties area who Hterally became night before. great leaders and, indeed, great heroes because of their There were three things he said that will always leadership m leading K-State to a total and complete stick out in his mind about his tornado experience: the cleanup ot our campus. crane spinning south of the Union, his ears popping Wefild said although students who were m as glass shattered and the cold rush of winci that swept Manhattan experienced the damage and debris on through the engineering complex. The Aftermath Damage was assessed and cleanup began within an hour of the storm ' s activity on campus. Ground crews worked around the clock to make campus accessible for summer classes that would begin again after a day of reprieve. Although some debris still covered the majority of the north end of campus, students went campus, for others who were away for the summer, walking on campus m August was no ditterent than 111 May. Here we are 60 days later, and 7(1 major buildings on campus have been powerwashed from top to bottom. he said. Anderson Hall has not been this clean since ISSl . I knew that K-State could bounce back c]uickly. It is like Moses splitting the Red Sea. back to classes, orientation and enrollment moved back We have basically cleaned up and restored the campus to the Union and regular activities resumed. We immediately implemented an action plan on June 11, Wefald said. Our facilities staff and administrators in Anderson Hall took charge, and we had people immeciiately working with roofing subcontractors, window subcoiitractt)rs, painting subcontractors, to come in immediately and assess the damage and, more importantly, to immediately in about 60-65 da ' s. I do not know if there is another college campus m America that could ha e been cleaned up and restored in 60 days. As of August 21, all you have to do is go out and look at the K-State campus, Wetald said. It is cleaner and more beautiful than e ' er before. It is the result ot K-State teamwork and pride. Wc rolled up our sleeves and we got the |ob done. Period. Amen. CuHxlniglit. Tornadci 25

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Communities who care and invest in all members are stronger and more resilient when challenges happen to arise. Strength of community depends upon the talents and gifts of each member — we need to continue to work together in facing the challenges and rewards that our futures hold. Candi Hlronaka, co-cha r of the School of Leadership Studie Peace and Harmony Walk A Peace and Harmony Walk, from Triangle I ' ark. down Anderson Avenue to St. Isidore Catholic Student Center and back to Triangle Park, kicked oft the week. A pertorniance by Roots cif Rhythm and presentations by representatives from the City, USD 3S3 and the university, as well as Barbara Baker, founder ot Racial Ethnic Harmony Week, preceded the walk. A cliscussion continued m the park following the walk. Immigration, Misperceptions and the American Dream: All Alive and Well in 2008 As part of the Dorothy L. Thompson Civil Rights Lecture Series, Ian Bautista, alumnus and president ot the United Neighborhood Centers of America in Milwaukee, gave his second ot two lectures. We invited Ian back to campus (one ot five trips this year to K-State) because he has become a nationally recognized expert on (among other things) the misperceptions of immigrants and immigration policies in the U. S., said Doug Benson, CCHW co-chair and protessor m modern languages. This is an important ccimponent m understanding the rich diversit ' t t life in our democracy and its contributions to our nation. Muslims in the Media In the Little Theater 111 the K-State Student Union, M.ihnaz Shabbir, president ot Shabbir Advisers, spoke to an audience of more than 50. She discussed some of the mistaken beliefs represented in the media, comparing Muslim to Christianity to further clarify and dispel some ot the misconceptions held about the Muslim religion. Promoting Harmony through Education At noon, tour student represent.itiws tVom different faiths — Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Hinduism — had a dialogue on the difterences and similarities among their reliirions in the Union C AHirtvard. Diversity Workshops Ne.xt to a poduini draped w ith a green, brown and gold cloth. Barbara |. Love spoke about the historical task of completing the ' isioii ot the hiunding people. Love, a protessor ot socialjustice education at the University ot Massachusetts-Ainherst, led a series of diwrsity wiM-kshops. About 20 people gathered for the 10:13 a.m. session in the Hemi.sphere Room m Hale Library, in cluding Courtney Beach, alumna and storekeeper specialist in Hale. 1 like how she reminded us all not only that it takes work to accomplish dnersitv inclusion, but that we can do It if we set our minds to it, she said. She brought up the awareness ot our language, and how it may seem like a small thing, but (changing) it can make quite a ditference. Love had the audience members turn to the person ne.xt to them and share their vision tor the future. As each person shared dreams. Love talked about all th.it comes with working toward diversity inclusion. We get to make something happen in this world that a lot ot people have dreamed about, she said. We have the resources and the will, as evidenced by all of you today, to make it happen. Body Politics for Women: Expressions of Self and Healing for the Soul 111 the early afternoon in NiclioK I lall. Baker led a dr.inia workshop tor a grotip of women and one male based on her doctoral work. Though the movements were physical, the focus of the workshop was mental. Hironaka said. The seminar workshop was to assist primarily women in recognizing how we can let society dictate notions of beauty to us, Hironaka said. Through some interpretive exercises, we were able to exaiinne these issues, and by using drama techniques, begin tlie liber.itioii process of freeing us from these assumptions — becoming more comfortable in our bodies and seeiiii: the beautv within e.ich ot us. Cailtural Ha Week 27