Appearing Adverse
It is interesting what we see when we look in the mirror. What is the first thing that you see? I see the clothes I wear, my body size, and blemishes, but there is a lot more in my appearance that I take for granted. I do not analyze my skin color or the fact that I am a male. I do not consider the features that I cannot control necessarily, but I am aware that other people do. This causes me to ask questions that some other people do not think about. Do you feel comfortable around other people, both males and females, every moment of every day? Do you feel comfortable in your classes working in groups with people of other social identities; may it be their sexual orientation, social class, gender identity, race, etc? Are you a member of an underrepresented group (racial, gender, etc.)? Now imagine yourself as a person with the opposite social identity of yourself: opposite gender, race, etc. Try answering the same questions as above and compare them to your previous answers. Do you take anything for granted? I know I do. In the end, remember to respect people from other social identities and truly and wholeheartedly treat them the way you want to be treated.
Kameron Beeks
Community Relations Facilitator
Eastside & Co ops
Hello Everyone,
Spring term has being the hardest term in my first year of college. I think it’s a good thing because that means that I’m working hard and trying new things and improving myself more. I can’t believe spring term is almost over, it feels like yesterday I just started school, and now I’m almost finishing my first year of college. Time is passing by so fast that I haven’t realized. I’m very excited to finish this year, and start a new one. Also, I’m happy because a friend of mine who is also a student at OSU, he is graduating this year with bachelor’s degree in Civil engineer. He plays the acoustic guitar at church and I play the keyboard. He is a good friend and I’m happy for him, that in few months he will be officially an engineer. I admire him, and I want to graduate too and be an example for my little brothers like him. Me and my friends from my youth band, we will celebrate a party for Mauricio, the guy who is graduating, and celebrate the Mauricio achievements. There will be a lot of things going on, and I’m excited. But now I need to think about my classes and my goals for this spring term. I want to use my time wisely and finish my priorities at school this term. This week is going to be hard for me because I have three midterms, one from chemistry, math and sociology and that means that I need to study a lot for those exams. But I’m sure that I’ll be fine because so far I have got behind in my classes. It is time to work hard, and not procrastinate, and give my best. Like I said I have a lot of studying going on, and I wish everyone a good week. I know everyone is very busy especially because of the midterms, but don’t worry too much, get relax because it all will be fine.
Roberto
(Below is a picture of my church band. I am on the bottom right.)
Many people believe that college changes you and to a certain point I agree with them. When I first came to Oregon State I was still very immature about the way I saw certain things and thought that school was going to be all about going out and having fun, but I can say that I was very wrong. Although college has been hard work it has helped me grow and become more independent.
During my first term I learned that college was going to be hard work and it was not going to be like in high school where if you did something wrong it would not matter, because here you learn that if you don’t do something there is nothing you can do that is going to make the professors change their mind, unless it is a valid excuse. For example if you miss a midterm or final because you slept in your professors will not give you another time where you can make it up, it will go in as a zero and affect your grade tremendously. Also, when you come to college there is thousands of people who you share campus with. We are all different people who have different traditions, language, beliefs, and personalities and you have to be respectful and learn to appreciate the diversity OSU is representing.
Now going into my third term I am much more opened to people, I am responsible for my own actions and don’t blame what I have not done or have done on other people, I am not angry when things don’t go my way, and am much more independent. I do not want to make any of you nervous to come to college because I think this is a one in a lifetime opportunity that not everyone gets to have. OSU teaches you to mature as an adult and without being here learning to think for myself and going through new experiences I would not be the person I am today. With this new confidence I have gained the skills to meet people on campus who have helped me feel more connected to campus.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week and they choose their college to be Oregon State University.
~Lizeth
Several times I’ve been involved in programs or program series in which the focus topic is identity saliency (something that is prominent or important to me). During these exercise we’re asked to think about our most and least salient identities. Every time, I have a tough time answering the latter.
I struggle with this question because I am reminded of the identity that, in a sense, I ignore most. This struggle within me continues because I’m disappointed that my job consists of educating people about becoming aware of targeted identities and their privileges as members of untargeted group, and then find myself unaware of some of these same issues.
When I go through this brief battle with myself, I ask myself, how do I balance my time between my more salient identities (typically the identities in which I belong to targeted group), and the not so salient identities (typically the identities in which I have privilege). I also hate to remind myself that I’m still a work in progress and recognize that I too need to be reminded of some unearned advantages I have, and to feel guilty or disappointed in myself. Feelings of guilt and disappointment ultimately, don’t move anybody or issues forward.
With that said, I challenge you folks to think about your identity saliency. What’s most salient? What identity do you think about the least? Why do you think that is? Try to think about the identities in which you are privileged and those in which you are targeted. Is it easier to think about the ones that put you at a disadvantage? If so, examine why.
Alba García
Community Relations Facilitator – Southside
As a community relation facilitator (CRF) for University Housing and Dining I actively engage in peer education with social justice and diversity issues through facilitation and events in the residence halls. I also act as a liaison between RA staff and the cultural centers. With my job comes a lot of professional development to further my knowledge on social justice and diversity issues. An opportunity given to me to further my development was attending the Power of One conference put on by both the University of Idaho and Washington State University. This conference was great for furthering my knowledge about the LGBT community and on how to become an even better Ally to the community.
I recently attended a meeting at the University of Idaho and Washington State University known as the Power of One, a leadership conference for LGBT and ally students. This was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about issues ranging from the identities of transgender people to the oppressions of the LGBT community and people of color within the community. What I learned the most from was not the conference itself, but from the reactions of my family members when I told them that I would be attending this conference.
First, my grandfather heard me just mention the word “gay” and he exploded with frustration and anger towards the community. Asking questions like, “They aren’t trying to turn you gay, are they?” I became confused as to how I could ever explain to this man, whom I deeply respect, and who comes from a generation that has not been the most accepting, that “they” could never turn me gay. The people around me at this conference didn’t make a choice to identify in this way. In fact many shared their struggles as how they tried to conform to what society claims to be the norm, but they knew deep down that it was not possible for them to do so.
Then I had a conversation with my mother who said she was deeply concerned. She couldn’t believe that my job wanted to send me to an LGBT conference when I identify as a heterosexual male. She thought that I was forced to go rather than volunteering. My mother said she was not concerned that my job was trying to change my sexual identity, and that she accepts the gay community, but was concerned my friends would make fun of me for attending this conference. I told my mother if my friends didn’t accept what I believe in and decide to make fun of me for being surrounded by people from the LGBT community, then they were not my friends at all!
Hearing from my grandfather and my mother showed me views that are held by many in our society today. It crushes me to know that many within my own family claim to be accepting but in reality they are far from it. Our society has progressed leaps and bounds from my grandfather’s generation to mine, but we still have a long ways to go. They say the hardest people to confront and try to inform are those who are closest to you, but I feel if I can make even the tiniest baby step with my family, then I can clear even the largest obstacles set by my peers.
-Kevin Rodemack
Community Relations Facilitator – Westside
