The 10 Year Anniversary

[Editor note: This is my submission to the Ethnic Student Center (ESC) Newsletter. The ESC is another part of my life.]

In August of 1998 I started as the Ethnic Student Center Coordinator/Activities Adviser. It is hard to believe that 10 years have gone by. In that time I have been truly fortunate to work with amazing people, one after the other, in the form of students. These people now reside all over the world and I am so pleased that we have a common strand and ethic that was cultivated in the Ethnic Student Center.

The following is a reprint of my first Spring Quarter essay in the Ethnic Student Center Newsletter written March 1989. After rereading this essay I am inspired by two things:

1. We have been consistent in trying to build community at Western Washington University.
2. The development of Culture & Identity of underrepresented populations is still a strong priority for the Ethnic Student Center.

Enjoy a great spring and, as I said 10 years ago, “Let us come together even more[!]”



“We have come together… not because we are perfect, but in order that we may know our shortcomings and overcome them. We should not feel unhappy if on some occasion we commit an error. We should feel unhappy only if in committing it we had willingly yielded to a weakness in us or had not been vigilant enough, if we had not struggled, or not sincerely enough, to overcome it. You should never lose heart.
-Mahatma Gandhi, 1931

Spring in many cultures represents rebirth. It marks the beginnings of new life. For the ESC it is the beginning of a new life. This quarter we look forward to a high level of programming. We have annual events like Native Cultural Heritage Month, the return of the pow wow, Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Hui O’ Hawaii Luau, and Asian- Pacific Islander Month. We see many added special events and activities by all of the ESC constituents. With the success of winter quarter events we can expect the enjoyment of more successful events during spring.

While having cultural events is special and a great addition to Western’s community, I believe there is a greater treasure. The treasure is that ethnic students and community members, from all races and nationalities, attend ESC club sponsored events. This is the true power of the ESC. We come together. We support each other’s events. We honor and pay respect to all of the cultures we represent. What greater compliment can one give than to share a piece of culture, a viewpoint from your own eyes?

My request is simple. I encourage you to participate. Commit yourself to attend more programs than you attended last quarter. Challenge yourself by attending a program that you would not normally attend. Commit yourself to participate, learn, and enjoy some of the only cultural education occurring on Western’s campus. We’re talking real life education here. I mean, you got your academic cultural education and you got your real life cultural education. Ya dig? We are in the business of real life cultural education. What we got is the cultural education you cannot read in a book. Attend, sit, listen and participate. You might miss out on an opportunity that may profoundly change your life. As I was talking with Jenny Martin of the Peace Resource Center we came to a consensus on this very topic. She said, “Sit and listen because this might be the only time, ever, you will get to hear this perspective.”

Furthermore, if you are feeling really enthusiastic, ORGANIZE. Organize a program, a meeting, a gathering, a walkout, a sit-in, a stand-up-for-your rights rally. Just make sure it is just and honors yourself, family and community. That way you can do no wrong.

Let us take more advantage of the treasure created by the ESC. Let us come together even more.