Every Day is Magic: Ada Limón
In her 2015 collection, Bright Dead Things, a National Book Award finalist for poetry, Ada Limón writes of moving to Kentucky: “Confession: I did not want to live here.” It’s perhaps not a surprising sentiment coming from a coastally oriented person who was raised in Northern California, attended college in Seattle, and then spent over a decade in New York City.
But Limón and her husband, Lucas, have been in Lexington for seven years now and the effects of settling into this place are noticeable in her new book, The Carrying (Milkweed, Aug.). It’s a phenomenally lively and attentive collection replete with the trappings of living a little closer to nature. While Bright Dead Things is marked by a preponderance of light, such as images of fireflies and neon signs, The Carrying features numerous appearances by various trees, birds, and beetles. Limón also demonstrates a greater willingness to be explicit in naming colors, particularly green. “It’s crazy green, the whole book,” she says. “Lexington is the greenest place I’ve ever lived.” Similarly, where in Bright Dead Things, Limón tells a lot of stories and anecdotes, in The Carrying she is very present in her thoughts and experiences.
As it turns out, these shifts in focus have another, altogether unexpected source. While putting Bright Dead Things together, Limón was diagnosed with chronic vestibular neuronitis, which can cause bouts of vertigo. “If I’m really having vertigo, it’s pretty intense and I really have to focus,”
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UC ethnic studies requirement is vital in the nationwide fight for inclusivity
“I know firsthand what it feels like to have my culture and history tacked on to the end of a social studies unit.
My Asian American heritage – along with African American, Latinx and Indigenous backgrounds – still remains undervalued and grossly underrepresented in education. These histories are misrepresented at best and actively banned at worst.
At UCLA, we’re fortunate to be a part of an institution that continues to progress toward a more diverse student body, but it’s not immediately apparent why we need to continue our shared journey of inclusivity. It’s crucial for all students to feel represented in and out of the classroom and to have the opportunity to learn more about each other in the process…”
UEI Global Education Organises a Fusion of American & Mexican Food Festival
“UEI Global Education is an educational initiative of Berggruen Charitable Trust (USA), India’s top rated Hospitality Education Institutions since 2007. UEI offers courses that can be split into Traditional Higher Education and Vocational Training.
UEI Global currently has 9 state-of-the-art campuses across 9 cities pan India. UEI Global offers a bouquet of industry-oriented programs focused on the requirements of the service sector. The vision is to impart education through meticulous & contemporary curriculum, standardized processes and qualified faculty in a world class environment to create multi-skilled professionals…”
UCLA appoints Miguel García-Garibay as senior dean of UCLA College
“UCLA appointed current dean of physical sciences Miguel García-Garibay as senior dean of UCLA College on Tuesday.
Executive vice chancellor and provost Darnell Hunt announced the two-year term appointment of García-Garibay, which began Nov. 1. García-Garibay will also continue in his role as dean of physical sciences…”
https://dailybruin.com/2022/11/04/ucla-appoints-miguel-garca-garibay-as-senior-dean-of-ucla-college
Certification, minor in Mexican-American Studies now offered at St. Mary’s University
“…In a state like Texas, where Mexican-Americans are now the majority, that’s very important,” Roman said.
She said the certification in Mexican-American Studies is useful in professional development, especially with the increased emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion in the business world…”
Director Elizabeth Gonzalez discusses UCLA’s ‘ambitious yet attainable’ Hispanic Serving Institution goal
“UCLA’s inaugural Hispanic-Serving Institution Director Elizabeth Gonzalez sat down with the Daily Bruin to discuss her qualifications, the university’s goal, her priorities as the HSI director and recommendations from the Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force.
The chancellor’s office appointed Elizabeth Gonzalez as the HSI director in June. To meet UCLA’s current goal to become a Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2025, 25% of the university’s students must identify as Latino, according to the Department of Education…”
Pursuing greater representation in health care
“According to the census report, more than 80% of the people who live in the El Paso metropolitan area identify as Hispanic.
Yet Hispanic students are underrepresented in health care education, as reported by the Mexican American Hispanic Physician Association.
Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare and the University of Texas at El Paso recently announced a new partnership that aims to improve that representation in advanced education…”
Opinion: UCLA must follow through on its mission to gain HSI designation by 2025
“…To be federally designated as an HSI by the U.S. Department of Education, at minimum 25% of the university’s undergraduate enrollment must be from Hispanic or Latinx-identifying students. But at its current rate of growth – 0.41% increase per year – UCLA won’t reach the requisite 25% until 2029, despite its projected target of becoming an HSI by 2025…”
Making It Personal
“University receives two major awards to bolster STEM programs at Hispanic Serving Institutio
Over the many years she’s been teaching, Dolores Inés Casillas has noticed that a lot of Latinx students majoring in STEM disciplines gobble up her survey course on Chicana and Chicano culture at UC Santa Barbara. That natural enthusiasm to engage with issues that are familiar to one’s lived experience got her thinking. Would more Latinx students graduate with STEM degrees if it was more personal to their lived experience?”
UCLA Latinx Film and Theatre Association builds student creativity in safe space
“The UCLA Latinx Film and Theatre Association is making space for Latinx artists.
Founded in 2004, the organization seeks to provide a space for Latinx students to explore their interests in both film and theater. It works to produce student-created short films and plays that premiere at its annual showcase called “Night of Cultura.” Fourth-year communication student and LFTA co-chair Alan Gallardo said if students have no experience or are unfamiliar with film and theater, LFTA can provide a safe space for them to learn about the arts.
“If they don’t know how to write, we will support them and teach them how to write. … If they have a good idea, it’s a good idea, and we are here to help them make that idea a reality,” Gallardo said…”
UCLA holds Latinx Welcome event in efforts to promote inclusivity
“The 2022 Latinx Welcome: “Sembrando Comunidad” was a historic, campuswide culmination of efforts to promote inclusivity at UCLA and was open to all students, said Alfred Herrera, assistant vice provost for academic partnerships. The event – which hosted a variety of academic departments, programs and student organizations – also helped further UCLA’s commitment to becoming a Hispanic-Serving Institution by 2025, he said…”
https://dailybruin.com/2022/10/04/ucla-holds-latinx-welcome-event-in-efforts-to-promote-inclusivity
UC launches Degree Completion Program to assist reenrolling students
“…The universities are reaching out to students, aiming to engage first-generation students and underrepresented minority students, Martin said, adding that both groups have historically high stopout rates.
UCR identified about 6,600 students who stopped out of their university with good academic standing between 2008 and 2020, Martin said. The program’s goal is to serve 800 students over the next two years, aiming for 50% to be underrepresented minorities and 45% first-generation students, she added…”
Mexico’s 1st labor center Centro Laboral UAQ opens with UCLA support
“The Autonomous University of Querétaro has opened Mexico’s first labor center with support from the UCLA Labor Center.
The Centro Laboral UAQ, which opened in August, seeks to provide more resources to workers in Mexico by supporting working class mobilization, assisting in contract negotiation and helping workers understand how to unionize, according to UCLA Newsroom…”
Latinx Heritage Month: What Is It and How Can You Get Involved?
“…From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, NC State joins in the national celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. Over the next four weeks, all of campus is invited to take part in a series of events honoring the experiences and impact of the Latin American community on our Wolfpack and this country.
Many of these events are coordinated by Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), one of four campus community centers that serve to inform, support and expand the cultural horizons of the entire NC State student body…”
https://news.ncsu.edu/2022/09/latinx-heritage-month-explained/
Strength in Numbers
“…UC Santa Barbara is among the 20 top-tier research institutions comprising the recently launched Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU). The member universities, which span nine states, all are designated HSIs. Its collective goals are to double the number of Hispanic doctoral students and increase by 20% the Hispanic professoriate in our universities by 2030…”
Women and minority lawyers gain ground in Calif., but white men still predominate
“…Two-thirds of California’s 195,000 lawyers are white, compared to 39% of adult residents, according to the state bar’s latest diversity report card, released Monday. Hispanics comprise 36% of California’s adult residents, but only 6% of its lawyers as of 2021. And Black lawyers comprise 3% of attorneys in the state, though 6% of Californians are Black…”
University of California offers admission to record-high number of California first-years as out-of-state admits decline
“..California students offered freshman admission are more diverse this year as well. Students from underrepresented groups increased to 43.8 percent of admitted California freshmen (37,377), up 2.5 percent from last year (36,462). This year, Latino and Latina students again make up the largest ethnic group among California admitted freshmen at 37.3 percent (31,763), about the same as last year’s 37 percent (31,220). African American students increased from 5.5 percent of admitted students in 2021 (4,608) to 5.7 percent (4,855) this year. While American Indians make up a small but growing proportion of admitted students, offers to these students increased by 36 percent, a gain of 136 students…”
Highly selective colleges boosted underrepresented minority students in fall 2021
“New data shows 16 highly selective private colleges slightly boosted the number of Black and Hispanic students enrolled at their schools last fall…”
A Lot of Promise New fellowship covers graduate school costs for high-achieving, low-income and underserved students seeking master’s degrees from UCSB
“…The Promise Fellowship program responds to the University of California’s call to ‘Grow Our Own,’ meaning take advantage of the diversity of our undergraduate population to recruit them to graduate school and then to meaningful employment in California,” Rupp said. “Students like Michael and Elena have the potential to give so much back to the community. We hope to attract more committed donors so that we can expand the program over the next years.”
Elena Barragan, a sociology major who also will graduate this week, is the second fellow in the inaugural cohort. A first-generation college student, she grew up “living in poverty with a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher,” hoping to give younger generations a quality of education she felt she never had at that age…”
The journey continues Being treated with special respect when I reentered college as an older adult shaped the way I worked with students in my career as an educator and nonprofit leader.
“…However, my educational journey was far from over. As a husband and father, I knew my choice of higher education needed to be a local university so I wouldn’t be far from home. Cal Lutheran was my choice.
I clearly remember my first visit, and the respect I felt for the university when I walked on to campus and saw my name posted on a small sign, welcoming me. For someone who didn’t believe that higher education was in my future, this was of immense importance, and I will never forget the remainder of my time at Cal Lutheran. I went on to earn my BA, teaching credential, and master’s degree in counseling and guidance at Cal Lutheran…”
Study associates affirmative action bans with decreases in medical school diversity
“…The authors analyzed the diversity of 21 public schools in eight states with affirmative action bans and compared them to 32 public universities in 24 states that have no bans, Ly said. UCLA, UC San Francisco and the University of Michigan were some of the institutions examined in the study, he added.
Although he had hypothesized that state bans would reduce the diversity of medical schools, Ly said he was surprised to find that enrollment of underrepresented students had decreased by more than one-third of its pre-ban amount within five years…”
