Senate: not all 'senes'

The term "senate" comes from the Latin word senex, meaning "old man." According to Wikipeida, the term throughout history has carried a connotation of wisdom. Clearly, our view of a leader has changed a bit since ancient Roman times.

Bill Green, director of Multicultural Affairs and Community Outreach, gave a very informative presentation to Senate last week about inclusivity. The program was entitled "MOSAIC," or Maximizing Opportunities for Staff/students to Achieve an Inclusive Campus. As part of the training, senators learned to consider their own cultural experience, and how it has had both positive and negative impacts on their lives. In addition, they were encouraged to develop a personal action plan by listing ethnic groups they would like to learn more about, and specific ways they can increase inclusivity in their own areas.

Mr. Green's points touch on something that's very important to SGA. We view diversity as more than simply the number of students from various groups that are represented in our assembly (although such a figure can certainly help us judge how inclusive we are). Instead, we focus on developing an environment where students from all backgrounds are given the same opportunity to represent their Ole peers through multicultural events, forums, and of course, Student Senate.

I encourage you to check out the great work our Diversity Celebrations Committee is doing, under the strong leadership of Trisha Salkas. The committee organizes celebrations from cultures literally all around the world, such as Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, Hmong New Year, Latino Heritage Weeks and International Night. Right now, they're gearing up for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, which will happen in late January/early February.