I Am William & Mary

Diversity has become a popular buzzword at our College.  Let's look beyond, expand, and truly understand this word and its impact on our daily experiences-- on an individual and collective basis-- because we ALL make up this diversity that we talk about and we all have our individual stories to tell about our experiences, which make up the collective story of our College.

It's time to tell our stories. Hark upon the Gale.

I AM W&M is a diversity campaign organized by the Student Assembly with collaboration from a number of individuals and campus organizations dedicated to celebrating the identities and personal stories of all members of the Tribe community while engaging in the story of our College-its history, values, traditions, and changes. Our goal is to expand the definition of diversity to include every member of the William & Mary community while continuing to address the ways in which socio-historical dynamics influence our personal lives. We believe our Tribe is great because of its students. This is your chance to demonstrate why the College is a special place and why you are an important part of it. Please email iamwm2010@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Events for the Week of April 12-19, 2010

Display Showcase || Sadler Center Lobby || April 12th though April 20th
In order to portray a comprehensive picture of the College's diversity, we are collecting "expression pieces" to be displayed in the Sadler Center lobby. These pieces can be photos, old essays, song lyrics, artwork, poetry, sculptures, blog/journal entries, collages, etc. Submissions can be made individually, as a student organization, or anonymously and will be displayed April 12th through April 18th. This is a great publicity opportunity! The  showcase will include "Beyond the Bricks" inspired by Post-Secret, this campus wide initiative encourages people to express that part of themselves that they are most shy, afraid, or insecure of. Boxes are available throughout campus for your anonymous submissions. Submit now to iamwm2010@gmail.com or drop off submissions to the Center for Student Diversity (Campus Center room 159).

50 People, One Question Documentary|| I Am W&M Website || April 14th though April 20th

The student-produced documentary titled "50 People, One Question" will be featured on the campaign's Web page. The documentary features members of the W&M community who were asked to respond to the question, "Hypothetically, W&M students 50 years from now will open a time capsule left by our W&M community today. If you could leave or say anything-- a story, struggle, experience, advice, tradition-- that you would want leave for the W&M community 50 years from now, what would it be?"

 Monologue Showcase || Andrews 101|| April 13th  ||8:00 pm

The monologue showcase, which premiered on Sunday night, will take place again on April 13. Hosted by International Performance Arts eXchange, the event will include a series of monologues and spoken-word poems performed by students and members of the administration. The "expression pieces" will be on displayed in the Sadler Center lobby all week. Students were asked to demonstrate why William & Mary is a special place to them. Pieces on display include a combination of photos, essays, song lyrics, artwork, poetry, and collages that exemplify diversity on campus.

 Mosaic Benefit Concert Co-Sponsored by the Student Assembly and South Asian Student Society || Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre || April 17th @ 6:30pm

This fundraiser will feature performances from: Orchesis, B-Boys, Bhangra, Ebony Expressions, FASA, ACS, IPAX, Tribe Idol, and many more. Admission will be $5, but free for all prospective students and their hosts. Proceeds will go towards Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA), a non-profit that advocates for universal access and standard settings in education in Pakistan.

The Resurgence Spring Step Show hosted by the Kappa Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc, the W&M Admissions office, and the Center for Student Diversity|| Sadler Center Commonwealth||  April 17th @ 8pm

A few of the teams participating in the show will be: the Zeta Omicron chapter of Zeta Phi Beta from George Mason University, the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho from Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Beta Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha from Virginia State University. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Ashe Foundation, a foundation dedicated to gathering and distributing shoes, clothing, other necessities, and services to aid the disadvantaged and underprivileged children of African nations. Escape hosts will receive a $5 discount.  Check out: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=107922842560301

 "Identity Crisis? 2010 State of Diversity Forum at William and Mary"|| Sadler Center Commonwealth || April 19th @ 6pm

This event will be a panel discussion touching on several dimensions of diversity-- followed by an open forum with the audience about the state of diversity, re: those dimensions, at W&M- our past, present, and in our future. The forum, titled "Identity Crisis? 2010 State of Diversity Forum at William and Mary,"  will focus on diversity issues concerning various aspects of difference on campus. Panelists include Jeffrey B. Trammell '73, member of the Board of Visitors; Vernon Hurte, director of the Center for Student Diversity; Fran Bradford, associate vice president for government relations; Kate Slevin, chancellor professor of sociology; Richael Faithful '07; Brittney Calloway '11; Sam Schreck '11; and Mohammad Torabinejad '10.