CEPA organizers Blythe White and Erick Plowden speak in front of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees (Ethan Bakuli/Rebirth Project)
By Ethan Bakuli
On a particularly cold Thursday morning, a group of University Of Massachusetts student organizers bared frigid temperatures as they waited to enter the Old Chapel. The group, comprised of members from the Center for Education Policy & Advocacy, were in attendance for the Dec. 13 meeting of the UMass Board of Trustees, planning to push the board members to address rising tuition and mandatory fees that have priced out university students.
The Board of Trustees meeting began with a call to order by chairman Robert Manning, who quickly highlighted UMass Amherst as an “anomaly” compared to other universities in the “industry of higher education”. Nationally, he cited a declining trend in enrollment and graduation rates that could lead several private and public colleges to “go out of business” within the next five years.
The Center of Multicultural Advancement and Student Success (CMASS) held a “Cultural Connections” event on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2018 in the Campus Center Auditorium. This was the second time Cultural Connections is happening; the first event was held at the beginning of the semester.
Vice President of the Student Government Association, Natalie Amazan, reads a poem that they wrote.
The UMass Irish Dance team performs Irish step dance.
A few students jam out to music.
Attendees gather in line to get food which included items like Peruvian rice, sushi, pizza, samosas, and more.
Students sitting at a table talk amongst each other.
A couple of students engage in conversation.
The Students of Caribbean Ancestry(SOCA) perform a dance routine.
A couple of students from Shaha: The Storytellers perform a skit that includes themes about racism.
All photos credits go to Sifa Kasongo and Cynthia Ntinunu
Cultural Connections is a time for students, faculty, and staff to come together and get to know each other better. It’s a time and space where people can truly be themselves while enjoying various performances, conversations, and of course good food.
Performances included poetry reading by Student Government Association vice president Nathalie Amazan, dancing by Students of Caribbean Ancestry (SOCA), a performance by Shaha: The Storytellers, and Irish step dancing by newly founded UMass Irish Dance.
The room was filled with friendship, laughter, and a mini dance battle between one student and faculty member. But most importantly, it was a welcoming space for all to come and leave their worries at the door.
When Deborah Kibazo, now a junior, first came to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she tried to embrace the social life. Like many students, she tried out the fraternity parties. But Kibazo, who is black, said she was often turned away from the doors.
“I was told it was full and as I was walking away just to see them let some non-people of color into the building,” Kibazo said. “My friends and I could tell that it wasn’t full.”
Kibazo added that when speaking with other black students on campus, she realized that she wasn’t alone. Many students of color had felt both unwelcomed and uncomfortable at parties on a campus that is predominantly white. The students of color that had attended said they found little in common with the other partygoers to enjoy the party.
A mixed crowd of undergraduate and graduate students gathered in front of the Student Union (Photo: Brie Bristol/Rebirth Project)
By Brie Bristol
A usual day around one in the afternoon at the University of Massachusetts Amherst consists of students in class, eating in the dining halls, studying at the library, or working out at the recreation center. On Thursday Dec. 6, it was different than the norm. About 200 people marched together to “denounce the acts of hate and cowardice plaguing our campus in recent months”, such as written threats and racial profiling.
In the past three months, UMass Amherst has experienced various racist incidents. A Whitmore employee had campus police called on him, the Melville residence hall had three racially targeted issues in a row and white supremacy flyers were found around campus. While this is not the first time these incidents have happened on the campus, their frequency over the fall semester has made it a deep concern for the UMass community.
Left to right: Sheila Coon, Donabelle Casis, Erica Wilson, and Rosemary Tracey Woods
By Lucia Solorzano
Starting a local business is quite a challenge and a large endeavor, but these four inspiring women have cultivated different paths to follow their passions and create businesses.
The Women of Color Leadership Network from the Center for Women and Community at UMass Amherst held a panel of four local businesswomen to inspire and engage in conversation with young business women of color on Thursday, November 28.
Erica Wilson is the creator of Head Games Beauty Supply in downtown Amherst, a natural hair care store. She opened the shop after realizing there was no accessible beauty supply store in the Amherst area. Despite spending most of her life as a professional dancer or dance teacher, she had always had a love for hair care. At a time of transitioning into teaching at a new university, her son going through an academic transition, and cutting off her dreadlocks to having a new halo of curls, she saw an opportunity to go after something new that was also an important aspect of embracing her curls. She had a vision for Head Games and after much planning and testing products, eventually opened up the store.
Sheila Coon is the owner of Hot Oven Cookies in Springfield, a cookie store with a plethora of flavors and homemade recipes. Sheila always had a love from cooking and baking after watching women in her family cook, and she wanted to make that passion into a career. After having trouble balancing children as a single mother and taking care of her grandmother, her dream job got interrupted many times. It had always been a struggle to be able to follow her passion, but she was determined to prove that she could do it. After a tough time business-wise, she recently opened up her cookie shop in Springfield on November 24, 2018. She looks forward to expanding and becoming a franchise in the future.
Aaija Hall, UMass sophomore, said regarding Sheila’s story that, “even in times where it seems like life has ended because it’s so hard and you feel like you’re not going to get through that, things are actually possible because you see it in real form, and this woman has really done this with seven kids, birthing a baby at 15, and now she has her own business that’s successful.”
Donabelle Casis is a local artist who turned her art into a leggings line. She calls it her “project” because it is only sold in a few small stores and online. She has always loved colors and creates vibrant art pieces, and she wanted to create her own leggings that can be used everyday or for working out. Once she created them, people inquired about where she got them; so she made her leggings available and got picked up by a few local stores.
Onasheho Toweh, UMass PhD Student stated that “ it was so real to tell us, you know what? It’s not easy, there are many stumbling blocks along the way but going for your passion and being true to what your call or vision is, is key.”
Rosemary Tracy Woods owns Art for the Soul Gallery in Springfield focuses on African American artists. She had always loved art and museums and saw a lack of representation in museums and art conventions. Growing up she had never seen black art, and when she did she felt a connection with and saw herself in it. She had friends who sold art, so Woods also got involved, eventually opening up a gallery in Springfield.
They all gave the advice to always be open to critique because there is always room to grow and improve your business. It was also stressed that planning is a key part of starting a business. They suggested tools such as Live Plan to create a business plan to always look back to. Valley Venture Mentors in Springfield, a sort of mini shark tank, was also suggested as they are a great support for women and people of color.
Jaida Hall, UMass sophomore and business owner, stated that despite the setbacks the women ran into, “they knew there was going to be more opportunities as long as they loved what they wanted to do.”
A common thread through all of their advice was, as Woods put it, “don’t follow the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, follow your heart. Whatever business you get into, you really have to enjoy what you’re into.” They all emphasized how this is all worth it to them, through every struggle, judgment, and failure they endured, because they are extremely passionate about what they do.
