Members of the 2011 Black History Month (BHM) Celebration Committee invite you to join us in planning for this year’s program.  You are encouraged to submit an Event Proposal Form for a program you are interested in sponsoring during the month.

Click here to download an event proposal.

Please send your completed form by November 22, 2010 to Marion Sanford via email (msanford@umw.edu) or campus mail to the James Farmer Multicultural Center (Lee Hall, Room 211).

Also, you may choose to offer an “Open Class,” where you might have a lecture, class discussion or other event planned for one of your spring courses that you would like included as part of the Black History Month Celebration.  If you have an open class in mind that relates to the BHM theme, we urge you to submit it for inclusion on the BHM calendar by November 22, 2010.

If you have any questions or need additional information about the 2011 Black History Month Celebration, please feel free to contact me at X1044 or via email.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Marion Sanford, Director

Multicultural Student Affairs/

James Farmer Multicultural Center

Women’s History Month is March 2011!

Members of the 2011 Women’s History Month committee invite you to join us in planning for this year’s program.Following are ways you can contribute:

(1) Submit your event proposal. The planning committee welcomes all proposals from students, staff, and faculty members. We are especially seeking events explicitly related to our 2011 theme, “Role” Call: Women’s Presence and Power in Society. Proposal forms can be found at http://www.umw.edu/multicultural/celebrations/womens_history_month.php. Please send your completed form by November 29th to LaNita Weisenberger, either via e-mail (lweisenb@umw.edu) or via the James Farmer Multicultural Center (Lee Hall, Room 211).

(2) Offer your “Open Class.” For faculty especially, if you have a lecture, class discussion or other event planned for one of your spring courses that you would like included as part of Women’s History Month, please let us know.

• If you hope to offer an open class, but haven’t finalized your syllabi yet, don’t worry–there is plenty of time. A special call for OPEN CLASSES will go out later in the semester, and we will accept submissions as late as the week before classes begin in January. All WHM open classes will be announced via the JFMC website.
• If you have an open class in mind that relates explicitly to our 2011 theme, we encourage you to submit it for inclusion on the WHM printed calendar–the November 29 deadline applies.

Questions? Please contact LaNita Weisenberger,Co-chair (lweisenb@umw.edu or 654-1664) or Melody Ain, Student Co-chair main@mail.umw.edu

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Jewish Student Association and the James Farmer Multicultural Center are proud to present a two-week celebration of the many facets of Jewish identity to the University of Mary Washington community. Through a series of events, we hope to bring awareness to the various aspects of Jewish culture around the world. Participants willbe able to experience traditions through lectures, discussions, feasts, and more. We will journey together to explore the importance of the roles that tradition and history play in Judaism today. It is our hope that these events will inspire discussion, tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance.

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Monday, Nov. 8
Jewish Heritage Kickoff Celebration

5 – 8 p.m. Dome Room, Seacobeck Hall
and Ball Circle

Join us for JSA week’s kickoff celebration! We’ll be in the Dome Room at Seacobeck from 5 – 7 p.m., serving traditional and delicious Jewish food. Then at 7:15 p.m., join us for the Puzzle Piece Scavenger Hunt. There will be a competition to find glow-in-the-dark puzzle pieces and see how they all “fit together.” Prizes included.

Wednesday, Nov. 10
Colliding Identities: Understanding The Chosen

6 – 8:30 p.m. Lee Hall, Room 411

Join us as we’ll be watching The Chosen, a classic movie based on Chaim Potok’s book titled the same. This movie displays the cultural differences between various facets of Judaism in America. There will be a discussion led by Dr. Mary Beth Mathews following the film.
Food will be provided.

Friday, Nov. 12
Shabbat Dinner: A Family Meal

5 – 7 p.m., Faculty-Staff Dining Room, Seacobeck Hall
Price: $10 individual or 1 Meal Plan + $6 Flex

The Sabbath is the day of rest for the Jewish people that begins at sundown on Friday and continues until three stars appear in the sky on Saturday night. During this time Jewish people abstain from labor of any kind and spend the day with families and friends. Traditionally, Jewish families commence the Sabbath with Shabbat dinner on Friday night. Come and enjoy a traditional Shabbat dinner and learn about this weekly tradition.

Monday, Nov. 15
The Jewish Diaspora

6 – 7:30 p.m. Lee Hall, Room 411

Jewish people live across the globe. Whether they’re from the Netherlands, India, Argentina, Spain, America, or Israel, they still share a Jewish identity. We will discuss the Jewish diaspora with the help of other multicultural organizations on campus. Join us as we learn how Jewish tradition and culture have transformed while spanning the course of generations and continents. Food will be provided.

Wednesday, Nov. 17
The Black Jew Dialogues

7 – 9 p.m. Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center

What’s so funny about two American minorities that have slavery, the KKK, and chicken livers in common? Find out in this extraordinary two-actor play on the history and absurdity of prejudice and racism within the context of the American Black-Jew experience. The Black Jew Dialogues combines fast-paced sketches, improvisations, and multi-media to create a show that has gained praise across the U.S. and the U.K. The show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland in August 2006. In September 2007, it was the only American play invited to perform at the Leeds Jewish Performing Arts Festival in England. More recently, The Black Jew Dialogues has been touring universities, high schools, synagogues, and theaters throughout the U.S. with great success.

Thursday, Nov. 18
Getting the “J”ist of It

8 – 9:30 p.m. The Underground

It’s Jewish Trivia Night! Come armed with your newfound knowledge of the Jewish culture and win some cool prizes at the Underground. This event is co-sponsored by the Underground Programming Council.
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural Center at ; Lee Hall, 211

Asia is the world’s largest continent, occupied by roughly four billion people dispersed among 47 different countries. Within each country is a wealth of diverse cultures, traditions, and lifestyles influenced by uniquely different people. Yet, despite the 17 million square miles encompassing the land mass, from the vast icy expanses of Siberian Russia to the dense tropics of Indonesia, from the far western reaches of the Middle East to the rich traditions of the Far East, the unique heart of Asia unifies the distinctive worlds into one reflection.
This is the reflection of Asia, a continent beaming with historical tradition. The voices of long forgotten emperors still resound inside the ruins of the great Chinese dynasties, their precedents and ideals have long since been adopted and evolved into the fabric of thriving nations such as Korea and Japan. The rice fields of Southeast Asia lend heavy influence to eclectic cuisines from Thailand to the Philippines, and the majestic palaces in India still stand strong amidst threats of colonization and division.
Through all the triumph and tribulation, the people of Asia hold on to the values of humanity. Family and love stand as the strongest of them all. Like a spectrum of light, which encompasses every single color but is visible only as a luminous white, so is this great continent, where every single culture shines in all its glory and reflects a single, beautiful Asia.
The James Farmer Multicultural Center and Asian Student Association strive to teach and encourage tolerance and acceptance. Through this celebration, we seek to educate the UMW and Fredericksburg-area communities on the richness and many facets of Asian heritage and culture.
– James Farmer Multicultural Center and the Asian Student Association

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Nov. 1
Asian Anonymous

7 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411

Join UMW campus and community members as they discuss and explore the many triumphs and tribulations associated with being Asian on the campus of a predominantly white institution. Learn more about the various experiences our students, faculty, and staff face at UMW as well as within the greater community and how those experiences have influenced their views about acceptance and pride.

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Nov. 3
Asian Cultural Week Keynote Performance
Boba Stories

7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center

Hereandnow theatre company is proud to bring home Boba Stories, a collaborative work featuring refreshing personal tales with lots of Asian flavor. Originally conceived in 2001, Boba Stories is a collection of vignettes incorporating storytelling, poetry, dance, video, and music. It has been touring universities and festival venues throughout the United States since its inception.
Boba is a popular Asian drink made of tapioca balls mixed with anything iced, from coffee to tea to fruit juices. But beyond being a drink with a funky texture and a fun sound, it represents a special meaning to the creative team of hereandnow. “Boba actually takes a long time to make and each piece is unique,” says Artistic Director John Miyasaki, “and to have a boba drink that tastes good, you need to pay attention to it the entire time it’s being made.” The same goes for this show – each piece and person is unique and shaped by the paths of life. Please join us as we celebrate the uniqueness and life of Asian culture.

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Nov. 5
Taste of Asia

7 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Cost: $3 general admission, $1 UMW student admission or one canned good item for donation

A celebration of Asian culture, Taste of Asia is one of the more well-known events at the University of Mary Washington. Taste of Asia educates the community about the different aspects of Asian societies and the different cultures and lifestyles that they embody. Complete with a fashion show, dance performances, and a variety of ethnic foods, the event provides an inviting and festive atmosphere. The Asian Student Association works closely with other student organizations and local businesses to plan the much anticipated program. For advance ticket information, contact
dkim@mail.umw.edu

Outside the Box: Transcending Labels, Prejudices, and Stereotypes of Gender and Sexuality

People assign so many labels – man, woman, straight, gay, white, black – that we get focused on seeing differences in one another and forget how alike we all are. When we accept the identities people define themselves by, we discover being human is more than one word can capture. PRISM, People for the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities, promotes discussion and learning about sexual orientation and gender identity. Our acronym – GLBTTQQIAAP: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, queer, questioning, intersex, ally, asexual, and pansexual – is just one way for us to define our identities. The James Farmer Multicultural Center and PRISM strive to teach tolerance and acceptance of each member of the community. Through this celebration, we seek to educate the UMW and Fredericksburg-area communities on the spectrum of gender identities, how sexuality and gender are distinguishable, and how we can embrace a world where people think outside the simple notions of “male” or “female.”

– James Farmer Multicultural Center & People for
the Rights of Individuals of Sexual Minorities

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Oct. 18
GLBTTQQIAAP Kickoff Celebration

5-7 p.m., Ball Circle

Everyone’s invited to enjoy music, games, and refreshments
at PRISM’s second annual GLBTTQQIAAP Cultural Celebration!
Read “PostSecret” style coming-out stories and be inspired by
the experiences of your peers. Email umwprism@gmail.com.

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Oct. 19
GLBTTQQIAAP 101

5-7 p.m., Seacobeck Hall, Dome Room
Dinner costs one meal card swipe, $8.85 Flex, or $9.90 for
EagleOne, cash, or credit cards.

Stop by after dinner for dessert of cake and sherbet, and learn
more about the GLBTTQQIAAP community. Co-sponsored by
Dining Services. Email umwprism@gmail.com.

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Oct. 20
Queer Film Festival
Red Without Blue and XXY

6-10 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411
(Parental discretion advised)

PRISM’s sixth annual film fest, co-sponsored by Orpheum,
features two films, followed by a discussion. Email
umwprism@gmail.com.
Red Without Blue: Using candid interviews, this
documentary follows a pair of identical twins for three years
as one transitions from male to female. What appeared to be a
happy childhood is revealed to have been tragic. Memories of
it are interwoven with the twins’ present desire to reunite and
reconcile their differences with their parents, each other, and
their inner selves.
XXY: Alex, an intersex teenager, was raised as a girl, but
faces the emotional and hormonal turmoil of uncertain gender.
As puberty forces hard decisions, this Spanish film shows Alex
exploring her sexual identity, her difficult relationship with her
family, and her ultimate self-discovery.

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Oct. 21
Sex and the Founding Fathers: George Washington,
Manhood without Issue, from Weems to Wikipedia

7 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411

Dr. Thomas Foster, director of DePaul University GLBTQ
Studies, discusses the public memory of George Washington’s
personal life, which reveals 18th-century connections between
sex and masculinity and traces them through the modern
era. Foster will also explore the interconnected discourses
of sex and manliness as linked to the national project of
remembering George Washington as a model man in his public
and private life. Foster’s op-ed columns have appeared in the
San Francisco Chronicle and the Chicago Sun-Times.
He is author of the upcoming New Men: Manliness in
Early America. Co-sponsored by the Dept. of History and
American Studies and the Women’s and Gender Studies
Program.

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Oct. 25
Panel Discussion
Study Abroad: Exploring Gender and Sexuality
Around the World

6 p.m., Lee Hall, Room 411

Embark on a cultural journey without having to pack your
bags! Join UMW PRISM members, faculty, staff, and students
to discuss gender and sexuality in various cultures. Email
umwprism@gmail.com. Co-sponsored by Gender Neutral
Housing.

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Oct. 27
Open Mic Night

7:30 p.m., The Washroom, Woodard Campus Center

PRISM celebrates every kind of identity, so join us for a night
of self-expression! Through short stories, spoken word, poetry,
personal accounts, music, art, and more, individuals are
invited to express themselves using every creative and artistic
outlet. If you want to perform, please contact Lee Gilliam at
lee.gilliam@gmail.com.

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Oct. 29
PRISM’s GLBTTQQIAAP Celebration Keynote
Performance Katastrophe and Athens Boys Choir

7 p.m., Dodd Auditorium, George Washington Hall
(Parental discretion advised)

Rapper and producer Katastrophe (Rocco
Kayiatos) weaves a lyrical tapestry of
personal themes, protest, funky and soulful
beats, and rap riffs. One of hip-hop’s first
openly transgender artists, Katastrophe’s
debut album earned him Out Music Awards’
Producer of the Year. His music has been
featured on MTV’s LOGO and Showtime’s
The L Word. His latest album, The Worst Amazing, is a
coming-of-age triumph over addiction and depression.
Katz began touring as Athens Boys Choir (ABC) in 2003 and
released the debut album Rhapsody in T. As Athens Boys
Choir, Katz fuses hip-hop with sharp humor to create edgy and
engaging music. He delivers spoken-word pieces that deal with
issues such as gender, love, sex, and politics. Warning: Katz
may shock sensibilities. He doesn’t push the envelope,
he shoves it!

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Oct. 30
Charity Prom and Dance-a-thon

8 p.m., Great Hall, Woodard Campus Center
Cost: $3
(Formal attire strongly encouraged)

If you missed the prom or just want to relive it, here’s a
second chance – with a twist. PRISM offers you the prom’s
trappings – to music, dancing, photos, and refreshments – and
the opportunity to help a great cause. All Dance-Throughthe-
Decades Dance-a-thon donations and pledges go
Richmond’s Fan Free Clinic Transgender Program.
Co-sponsored by Gender Neutral Housing.
Email umwprism@gmail.com.

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
For more information, contact the James Farmer Multicultural
Center at ; Lee Hall, 211 or at www.umw.edu/multicultural