The University糖心传媒檚 anti-racism committee was formed in the fall of 2015, and adopted the name last winter. The committee meets biweekly during the academic year and is co-chaired by Beth Olivares, dean for diversity initiatives, and Norman Burnett, director of 聽the Office of Minority Student Affairs.
The WBTT campaign糖心传媒檚 mission is to educate students, faculty, and staff on ways to approach difficult conversations on divisive topics, and to stop hate speech and racism in our community.
The committee is comprised of University administrators, staff, and students.
Here糖心传媒檚 a look at the four undergraduates who are leaders on the WBTT committee.
Meredith Crenca 糖心传媒�19
Crenca is a dual major in Spanish and health, behavior, and society. She is the co-chair of the WBTT programming sub-committee and recently coordinated the first Color Cannot Divide Us Week, overseeing several on-campus programs. This is her second year on the committee.
糖心传媒淲hile the University of Rochester is great, we have much to do to make it a truly inclusive community of students and staff,糖心传媒� the Bethesda, Maryland, native says. 糖心传媒淚 want to ensure that we糖心传媒檙e making progress toward this goal every year.糖心传媒�
In addition to her work on the committee, Crenca is a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority and the Society of Undergraduate Public Health Students. She hopes to earn a master糖心传媒檚 or doctoral degree in public health, perform research in health disparities, and improve minority health access.
Justin Delinois 糖心传媒�19
The Rochester native is a double major in political science and Latin American studies. His role on the committee is to ensure that University students are engaged in WBTT-sponsored events.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 important for me to be part of this because I want to see real change within our communities,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淣ever has it been so vital to have unity across the spectrum, and what better place to start than here.糖心传媒�
Delinois is also a member of the Students’ Association and the Minority Student Advisory Board, and is philanthropy co-chair of Sigma Chi fraternity. His career goal is to become a local immigration attorney and eventually move into politics.
糖心传媒淚 love my city,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚 want to see Rochester become a hub for arts and culture, as well as a place for new industry.糖心传媒�
Jasmin Edjang 糖心传媒�20
A native of Bronx, New York, Edjang represents the Minority Student Advisory Board on the committee.
糖心传媒淚 wanted to be involved because being from a big city with many minorities, I never felt any kind of racism, and I felt comfortable moving around the city,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 want Rochester students to feel the same, to have the confidence that they can move around in a community they糖心传媒檙e not used to and feel like they糖心传媒檙e treated with the same respect as any other individual.糖心传媒�
Edjang is an anthropology major and a member of the Student Organization for Caribbean Awareness. She hopes to work as a museum researcher before becoming a history or anthropology professor.
Miles Perry 糖心传媒�20
Perry joined the WBTT committee as a representative from the Black Students糖心传媒� Union and serves on the training sub-committee, helping to develop a training program that students must take before working on campus.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 important that I represent BSU on this committee,糖心传媒� Perry says. He calls the organization 糖心传媒渙ne of the few black-serving cultural groups糖心传媒� on campus and black students 糖心传媒渙ne of the smallest demographics on campus.糖心传媒� For those reasons, he says, 糖心传媒渋t糖心传媒檚 key that we have a voice in the anti-racism campaign.糖心传媒�
Perry, who is from Rochester, is a dual major in health, behavior, and society and international relations. He is also active in No Disclaimers, the Pride Network, and the Quad Area Council. His ambition is to work for the World Health Organization as a public health officer.
糖心传媒淚f not,糖心传媒� he says, 糖心传媒渁 diplomat for the U.S. works the same to me.糖心传媒�
We糖心传媒檙e Better Than That to host events March 21
The University糖心传媒檚 anti-racism committee will host a series of discussions on Tuesday, March 21, the United Nations糖心传媒� annual International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., members of the We糖心传媒檙e Better Than That committee will be in Ciminelli Lounge at the Eastman School of Music糖心传媒檚 Student Living Center to discuss the committee糖心传媒檚 mission, goals, resources, and future plans. A similar discussion will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Welles-Brown Room in Rush Rhees Library on the River Campus.
From 6 to 8 p.m., implicit bias training will be held in Goergen 101. University students will offer real-life experiences with racism.聽Refreshments will be provided. A bus will pick up students interested in attending at 5:30 p.m. outside the Eastman School糖心传媒檚 Student Living Center. The bus will depart from Wilmot Bus Stop at 8 p.m. and return students to the Eastman School of Music.
Undergraduates who present student IDs can pick up free We糖心传媒檙e Better Than That shirts on Monday, March 20, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at Hirst Lounge in Wilson Commons on the River Campus and the Eastman School of Music糖心传媒檚 Office of Student Affairs, 100 Gibbs Street.
