2008 Woodie Awards
Unity conference benefits UW-L students
Carrie Dietz
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: News
The 16th Annual Building Unity Conference held at the University of Wisconsin - Madison campus was attended by a delegation of eleven University of Wisconsin - La Crosse students from April 11 until April 13. The multicultural conference hosting the theme of "Defining Diversity through Re-defining Ourselves" was sponsored by the United Council of UW Students and attended by students from 21 universities around the state of Wisconsin.
The Unity Conference was open to all universities at a cost of $45 per student but free for schools, like UW-L, who are members of the United Council for the 2007-2008 school year. "I attended the conference to learn more about the differences that make up our campus and the campuses throughout the UW system," said Student Association Senator Karly Wallace.
The weekend's keynote speakers and workshops focused on issues relating, but not limited, to race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, queer reproductive rights, women of color, white privilege and dismantling affirmative action myths to faith and diversity. The interactive workshops were divided into categories of issue-based, skill-based, and roundtable discussions.
Issue-based workshops were meant to focus on the way students think and how to become more accepting of others when it comes to diversity, class, stereotypes, gender, and oppression.
Skill-based workshops ranged around topics of time management, voting campaigns, and other grassroots tactics.
Roundtables gave students the opportunity to discuss issues and hear concerns in a friendly productive environment. "It is important to know the others around you and be accepting and respectful of their differences," said Wallace. "The conference is not just beneficial for our university's leaders but for all students as a way of learning more about yourself as an individual and to be more aware of others perspectives and stereotypes that exist in today's society."
The Unity Conference was also held to give students from within the UW system a chance to make connections and discuss approaches to diversity that occurs on different campuses. "It was interesting comparing schools and seeing what concepts I could bring back to La Crosse. One idea I really liked was a class offered at UW-Madison: Intercultural Dialogue. It is a class taught by students, for students," said UW-La Crosse student attendee Ramani Kutty. The class was inspired by a UW student with the perception that classrooms do not provide enough of a genuinely interactive atmosphere, allows students to experience different activities like cooking, dancing, and movies then hosts a discussion about concepts relating to racial dynamics, class, politics and family from required readings. "The conference was a great way to gain access to ideas from other schools and helped me see different approaches we can take concerning diversity back to La Crosse," concluded Kutty.
The Unity Conference was open to all universities at a cost of $45 per student but free for schools, like UW-L, who are members of the United Council for the 2007-2008 school year. "I attended the conference to learn more about the differences that make up our campus and the campuses throughout the UW system," said Student Association Senator Karly Wallace.
The weekend's keynote speakers and workshops focused on issues relating, but not limited, to race, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, queer reproductive rights, women of color, white privilege and dismantling affirmative action myths to faith and diversity. The interactive workshops were divided into categories of issue-based, skill-based, and roundtable discussions.
Issue-based workshops were meant to focus on the way students think and how to become more accepting of others when it comes to diversity, class, stereotypes, gender, and oppression.
Skill-based workshops ranged around topics of time management, voting campaigns, and other grassroots tactics.
Roundtables gave students the opportunity to discuss issues and hear concerns in a friendly productive environment. "It is important to know the others around you and be accepting and respectful of their differences," said Wallace. "The conference is not just beneficial for our university's leaders but for all students as a way of learning more about yourself as an individual and to be more aware of others perspectives and stereotypes that exist in today's society."
The Unity Conference was also held to give students from within the UW system a chance to make connections and discuss approaches to diversity that occurs on different campuses. "It was interesting comparing schools and seeing what concepts I could bring back to La Crosse. One idea I really liked was a class offered at UW-Madison: Intercultural Dialogue. It is a class taught by students, for students," said UW-La Crosse student attendee Ramani Kutty. The class was inspired by a UW student with the perception that classrooms do not provide enough of a genuinely interactive atmosphere, allows students to experience different activities like cooking, dancing, and movies then hosts a discussion about concepts relating to racial dynamics, class, politics and family from required readings. "The conference was a great way to gain access to ideas from other schools and helped me see different approaches we can take concerning diversity back to La Crosse," concluded Kutty.
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