Vol. 38, No. 18

2-2-2006
By: Julia Harris

At OSU Newark, diversity is truly diverse

The Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs at Ohio State Newark is a one-woman show, starring Program Manager Vorley Taylor. Despite its small staff, the office sponsors many events throughout the year, including speakers, performers and academic offerings, to name a few.

"My mission is to engage students in a variety of cultural endeavors, exposing them to as many diverse cultures as I can," Taylor said. "Because Ohio State Newark is a commuter campus, students typically don't have much time to interact with one another outside the classroom. I try to plan events that bring different students together."

Going by the numbers, Taylor said that together Ohio State Newark and its neighboring campus, Central Ohio Technical College, have about 5,500 students, of which maybe 450 are minority. To reach those students, and to encourage interaction among the entire student body, Taylor's goal is to have something unique and - yes - diverse for each month of the year.

September was National Hispanic Heritage Month, and program offerings included a Mexican feast, a screening of a movie about an orphaned Spanish boy and a live performance by a Latin/jazz band. January was designated Civil Rights Month, which brought screenings of historical documentaries on issues such as the death penalty, affirmative action and Iraqi unrest.

On Jan. 31, what Taylor optimistically called the "First Annual" Muslim New Year celebrated Muslim students' cultural and religious heritage. "I like to give things numbers," she said with a sheepish grin.

For February, African American Heritage Month, activities include cultural music in Oxley's CafŽ every Monday at noon, food samples on Tuesdays and documentaries and highlights of 20th century African American poets on Thursdays. The 3rd Annual Black Heritage Dinner, to be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Feb. 23 in 64 Hopewell, will feature speaker Asad Shabazz, who at the age of 17 founded Young People In Action, a leadership training coalition that empowers and motivates youth.

Motivation is something Taylor has in spades. She and her assistant, second-year nursing student Monica Macklin, are in the throes of planning another "first annual": a service-learning spring break adventure that will retrace a portion of the Underground Railroad from Granville to Canada. The idea came from a class Taylor took on African American history, and when she pitched it to students there was instant interest - particularly from Macklin, who is doing most of the planning.

"I'm so excited about this because I love learning about history, and this is my own history," Macklin said. "It's something I'm taking to heart."

While the trip is still on the drawing board, plans are in place to visit museums and actual homes where slaves once stayed as they traveled the Underground Railroad to freedom in Canada. A group of four or five students will make the journey, sleeping in churches and schools along the way to both save on cost and add to the trip's authenticity.

"I want people to gain a sense of what it was really about, because sometimes I think it can get misconstrued," Macklin said. "Some people actually thought it was a physical railroad, not a path for running away."

Taylor shares Macklin's enthusiasm for the venture's educational value. "It's actually a service-learning trip, even though it's not tied to an academic course, so it's not just for fun," she said. "When they get back, I'm going to ask students to write about what they got out of the trip. Hopefully they'll say something positive!"

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