In a unique effort to promote diversity on the University of Wisconsin campus, the Multicultural Student Coalition is currently sponsoring the Multicultural Orientation Networking and Empowerment Month.
M ONE Month, which has planned daily activities throughout September, has given students exposure to cultural events that other campus organizations sometimes fail to administer.
“It gives students a good perspective of what the university has to offer,” Carl Camacho, executive team member of MCSC, said.
Theresa Vidaurri, another executive team member of MCSC, pointed out another important component of M ONE Month’s purpose.
“It’s basically diversity education,” she said.
M ONE Month will come to a close Oct. 2 with a masquerade and grand closing celebration. Before this, however, a few more events are planned. Some of these include barbecues, a poetry jam, study sessions, movie nights and a talent show at the Union Theater.
“I believe the students are enjoying the various activities,” Camacho said.
Throughout the month of September, M ONE Month managed to complete numerous events such as movie nights focusing on domestic violence, DJ battles, an international student social, workshops such as “Dating, Mating and Relating,” and a discussion panel with the Queer People of Color.
In addition, students were given the chance to touch base with various administrators, and study sessions were regularly conducted every Tuesday and Thursday night to showcase different learning styles in a group environment.
“I feel it is important to have groups like the Queer People of Color and events like M ONE Month to make visible the variety of students on this campus, for all students to feel valued, to teach and learn from one another and to support one another — regarding both our differences and similarities,” said graduate student Selena Kohl, who partook in M ONE Month activities.
Camacho said that M ONE Month has been running for three years, with the attendance and popularity growing in each. However, in its first year, the concept of M ONE Month was actually reduced to a one-day event. In the proceeding year, it became a week of activities.
Now, with an expanded budget and increased popularity, MCSC is capable of sponsoring a whole month of cultural events.
The popularity of M ONE Month has indeed grown, even within this year’s program.
As Vidaurri pointed out, approximately 400 students were in attendance for the opening M ONE Month event, but after two weeks, MCSC calculated that 1800 students had been participating in the planned activities.
Vidaurri feels that word of mouth is a huge component of the organization’s growing popularity, along with publicizing through e-mails and advertisements in The Badger Herald and The Daily Cardinal.
“It’s very unique in its own sense,” Vidaurri said regarding the structural makeup of the organization.
Camacho is confident that M ONE Month will continue to serve as an annual way for students to see the cultural components of the university in the future.
