The Beacon - March 2019 Edition

In this issue:

• Reshaping Campus Climate by AJ Morey, Associate Vice Provost
• Spotlighting Opportunities on the Horizon: upcoming events, lectures, performances and more
• Student Focused Events
• At the Forefront: Meet Tashia Schmelling, Class of 2019
• Recognizing Outstanding Contributions
• Highlights from our Community in Action
• Broadening the scope of your diversity IQ

Reshaping Campus Climate

When I read The Beacon, I’m always impressed by the variety of events that highlight our interest in reshaping campus climate so JMU is inclusive. The challenge of inclusion is that we must be willing to change rather than expecting underrepresented groups to conform to JMU’s established climate. Climate is created by both individual and institutional behavior, and the climate we create is a complex mixture of good intentions and implicit biases. Everyone has biases, and recognizing implicit bias isn’t about finger pointing at others. It’s about self-reflection and willingness to grow beyond defensiveness.

That’s the first step. The second step involves speaking up about harmful institutional silences, practices and policies. This will be uncomfortable but that’s nothing compared to what underrepresented groups experience every day.  When we are silent, we leave others to carry all the burden of our biases; silence is not inclusive, it’s isolating. Let’s support the many events presented in The Beacon as one form of healing public speech as we all take up the challenge of implicit bias, campus climate and creating a truly inclusive community. ~ AJ Morey, Associate Vice Provost

Spotlighting Opportunities on the Horizon

Rocket Age – The American Spirit in Art, 1950-1980:

In keeping with the Madison Art Collection’s mission to foster an informed appreciation of the rich diversity of the human experience, visitors to the exhibit encounter drawings, prints, photographs, sculptures, and ceramics. Continuing through April 19, Lisanby Gallery, Festival Center

Donald Trump and the Modern Presidency:

Democracy in Peril Series

Robert Dallek, Professor Emeritus, UCLA and Matthew Dallek, Associate Professor, George Washington University

Monday, March 18 ^th, 5:00p.m., Madison Hall Room 1001

Women’s History Month Film Series

Anita (2013) 

A profile of Anita Hill, the African-American lawyer who challenged Clarence Thomas' nomination to the US Supreme Court and thus exposed the problem of sexual harassment to the world.

Monday, March 18 ^th, 6:30 p.m., Miller Hall Room 1101

No Choice (2018)   

A documentary about the importance of reproductive freedom. Discussion with director Pamela Mason Wagner

Wednesday, March 20, 6:30-9p.m., Miller Hall Room 1101 

RBG (2018) 

The exceptional life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon.

Thursday, March 21 ^st, 6:30p.m., Harrison Hall Room 1261

The Connemara Marble

The trans-Atlantic significance of this proposed global heritage ornamental stone

Visiting Scholar Martin Feely, Professor Emeritus, School of Natural Sciences, National University of Ireland

Tuesday, March 19, 4:15p.m., Student Success Center Room 4044

Colonial Wounds/Postcolonial Repair

This exhibit traces the story of French colonialism and colonial violence through the contemporary artwork of Algerian artist Amina Menia as contextualized by historical materials from World War I.

Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art, Exhibit continuing through April 13 ^th

Events in conjunction with the exhibit:

March 18 ^th: Nefin Dinc film in progress discussion, Harrison Hall Room 1261, 5:30p.m.

March 20 ^th: Beth Hinderliter discussion on exhibit artwork, HBS Building, Room G0101, 5:30p.m.

March 26: Maureen Shanahan discussion on WWI short films, HBS Building, Room G0101, 6:30p.m.

April 2: Anne Hertzog: Remembering for an anti-colonial future: The Indian and Chinese Diasporas and WWI Memorials in Europe, Duke Hall, Room 1032, 5:00p.m.

John Grisham Writers Hour with Alice McDermott

Join best-selling authors for a casual conversation about books, publishing and the writing process.

Wednesday, March 20 ^th, 6:00p.m., Memorial Hall Auditorium

Beyond Opening the Doors: Accessibility in Action

Disability Awareness Week – March 25-29   

Monday: ODS Open House; Institutional Web Accessibility Seminar

Tuesday: Employment Accessibility in Action: Dialogue and Brown Bag Lunch; Sensory Yoga @ UREC (Registration through UREC)

Wednesday: Self-Care Workshop; Adaptive Rock Climbing @ UREC; Music-Themed Lunch with Trivia Wheel and Prizes

Thursday: Adaptive Instruments Lecture by Dr. Lubet; Wheelchair Basketball Pick-up Game @ UREC; Movie Screening: Capturing Grace

Friday: Voices of Faculty with Disabilities - Faculty Breakfast and Panel Discussion; CAMMO Training (Register through MyMadison); CFI: Disability and Bioethics Roundtable (Register through CFI)

Alex Lubet 

Join professor, composer, researcher, and multi-instrumentalist Dr. Alex Lubet as he shares his personal journey of two decades of research into disability issues within and beyond music

Musical Performance by Dr. Lubet followed by JMUke Strum and Sing: Monday, March 25 ^th, 7:00p.m. Court Square Theatre 

Disability Week Keynote Address: Tuesday, March 26 ^th, 6:00p.m., Festival Ballroom

How We Make Sense of Music:

Evidence from Neurotypical and Neurodiverse Populations

Visiting Scholars Adam Ockelford and Graham Welch

Professor of Music and Director of Applied Music Research, University of Roehampton, London; University of London Institute of Education Established Chair if Music Education respectively

Wednesday, March 27, 6:30p.m., Anthony Seeger Auditorium

Madison Caucus for Gender Equality

Upcoming events include: Coffee with the Caucus, Spring Social, Happy Hours

DC Highlife Stars   

During a campus workshop the DC Highlife Stars the will discuss the cultural roots of the musical styles they play and showcase distinctive rhythmic/melodic patterns and indigenous instruments from the African continent, focusing particularly on the exchange of ideas and influences between Africa and the Americas. At the evening concert, the 6-piece group will perform music featuring a variety of African and Afro-diaspora styles, including highlife, rumba, afrobeat and reggae. 

Thursday, March 28 ^th Campus Workshop: African Highlife Music and Intersections, 3:00 p.m. Madison Union Taylor Down Under

Benefit Concert for R2R Haiti: 7:00 p.m. Golden Pony, Tickets $10 students, $12 general admission, see link above

Serving Society Through Science:  Facts, Communication, and Policy

Madison Vision Series presents Barbara Schall

Barbara Schall is the Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She is an evolutionary biologist and the first woman elected vice president of the National Academy of Sciences. Since April 2009, Schall has served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Monday, April 1 ^st, 3:30p.m., Festival Ballroom A

Interfaith Encounters 

Third in a series of interfaith sessions focused on big questions about faith and religion.  All beliefs and identities are welcome.

Tuesday, April 2 ^nd, 5:00p.m., Student Success Center, Room 4044

Dear Friend, From My Life I Speak to You in Your Life

Visiting Scholar, MacArthur ‘Genius’ Yiyun Li discusses the reading life and writing life, and all things in between and beyond

Yiyun Li, Author and Professor of Creative Writing, Princeton University

Tuesday, April 2, 5:00p.m., Memorial Hall Auditorium

Sexual Assault Awareness Month Film Series

Faces of Harassment (2016) 

A film by Paula Sacchetta

Tuesday, April 2 ^nd, 6:00p.m., Grafton-Stovall Theatre

City of Joy (2016)

An inspirational film about a transformational leadership community for women survivors of gender-based violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monday, April, 7:00 p.m., Wells Planetarium

Roll Red Roll (2018)

Roll Red Roll is a true-crime thriller that goes behind the headlines to uncover the deep-seated and social media-fueled “boys will be boys” culture at the root of high school sexual assault in America.

Monday, April 15 ^th, 7:00p.m., Miller Hall Room 1101

The Race Issue and JFK’s Domestic and Foreign Policies 

John Newman, Political Science Dept., will present material from his new book, Into the Storm.

Wednesday, April 3 ^rd, 7:00p.m., Festival Allegheny Room

Workplace Inclusion at JMU - Roundtable Discussions

The JMU President’s Task Force on Inclusion invites JMU employees to participate in a discussion around workplace inclusion and campus climate at JMU. What does workplace inclusion mean to you? How can JMU “move the needle” in terms of inclusion? What does JMU need to know to do so?

Friday, April 12, 10-11:30am, Wine-Price Pathways and Thursday, May 9, 10:30-11:30am Festival

Furious Flower Poetry Center’s Poetry Prize for Emerging Poets

Furious Flower is pleased to present the last poetry reading of the semester featuring distinguished poet and poetry prize judge A. Van Jordan. The emerging poets who won first place and honorable mention, Rachelle Parker and Cynthia Manick, respectively, will also be visiting campus to accept their awards and to read their poems. 

Wednesday, April 17 ^th, 4:00p.m., Festival Highlands Room

  A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

Building on Students’ Funds of Knowledge to Support Literacy Development

Cultura y Comunidad Keynote: Lindy L. Johnson

Co-Director, W&M Center for Innovation in Learning Design 

Thursday, April 25 ^th, 7:00p.m., Madison Union, Room 404

Literacy in the 21 ^stCentury: Improving Literacy Outcomes for all Students 

As global economies, immigration, new technologies, and exponential growth in information are transforming our society, new literacies are already becoming part of the educational landscape in K-12 classrooms. Join us as we address this topic and discuss how it relates to working with diverse student communities.

Friday, April 26, 8:00am-1:30pm, Madison Union, Room 404

Lavender Graduation

Thursday, April 18 ^th, 6:00p.m., Madison Union Ballroom

Donning of the Kente

Tuesday, April 30 ^th 6:00 p.m., Festival Grand Ballroom

Student Focused Events

Center for Multicultural Student Services

DEEP Impact Diversity Dialogues

7:00 p.m. Madison Union Ballroom:

3/27    Beyond Opening the Doors: Dukes in Action in conjunction with Disability Awareness Week

4/4      DEEP Impact Cultural Series featuring award winning author and activist Feminista Jones

4/17    Healthcare Disparities

Swap Meet: Promoting Sisterhood among all women: Saturday, March 23^rd, 1:00p.m., Madison Union Room 256

Mental Health in the Black Community: Black student Alliance, Thursday, March 28^th, 6:00p.m., Madison Union Room 256

The Life and Legacy of Paul Jennings: DEEP and ORL, Friday, March 29^th, 7:00 p.m. Shenandoah Hall

Culture Show: Filipino Americans at Madison, Saturday, March 30^th, 6:00p.m., Memorial Hall Room 4410

50^th Celebration Black Student Alliance: Saturday, April 27^th, 7:00p.m., Madison Union Ballroom

HOLI: Asian Student Union, Sunday, April 14^th, 12:00p.m., Hillside field

Sexual Orientation Gender Identity and Expression

Trans 101 Workshop: Monday, March 18^th, 5:00p.m., Student Success Center, Room 1075

Out on Campus Dialogue: Wednesday, April 3^rd, 7:00p.m., Student Success Center, Room 1075

and in the Lavender Lounge…

Queers & Coffee: 3/18, 4/2, 4/10

Puppy Pride: 3/21 and 4/1

Healthy Sexuality and Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Real Talk: Rape Culture Wednesday, March 20^th 5:00p.m., Festival Allegheny Room

Your Sexual Health Matters: Wednesday, March 27^th, 9:00a.m.-3:00p.m., UHC Urgent Care entrance

Sex Smarts: Relationships 101: Monday, April 1^st, 6:00p.m., SSC - Room 1075

Take Back the Night: Thursday, April 4^th

Men & Violence Panel: Wednesday, April 10^th, 6:30p.m.

At The Forefront

When we make things accessible, everybody wins!

Hello! My name is Tashia Schmelling and my current hometown is Verona, Virginia. I was born in Salem, Oregon. I'm a senior majoring in psychology (B.S.) My future goals are to get some work experience in for a short time before continuing on to grad school to get a professional degree in clinical or school psychology; I'm still working on the particulars. I hope to work with students in the future to help them grow and figure life out. I have a special interest in children, adolescents, and young adults, particularly those with disabilities. I attended high school at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. Since I was young, I knew I wanted to enter a profession where I could help others in some capacity – doctor, teacher, but psychology was what clicked for me. I want to help young people find that sense of drive and purpose in themselves.

Access and inclusion have always been a factor in my life. I was born visually impaired, so from an early age I've had to learn certain skills that were different than my peers. As they learned to read print, I learned Braille with print literacy as a secondary concern. As they learned computers, I learned that, to access the same devices, I would need a program, called a screen reader, which translates on-screen items into audible speech. Fortunately, as time has passed, accessibility has become more mainstream, requiring less specialty programs and devices. However, a gap still exists between the ease of access for those with, and those without, disabilities.

Growing up, I never considered that I should not be included, or that I was incapable of certain things. I was, fortunately, raised in an inclusive environment with the belief that the stars are the limit, not the sky. (I grew up with a strong interest in Earth and space science). That in mind, maintaining that inclusion is extremely important to me. Inclusion and accessibility tend to go hand in hand, in my experience. If a movie does not have descriptive audio, for instance, I miss out on some of the important visual cues. If a PowerPoint slide is not described, I might miss out on some key lecture information.

This year, I started working with the Office of Disability Services in their Accessible Media office. The key job in ACME is to make sure that materials are accessible, not only for blind students but also for those who are deaf/hard of hearing, have learning disabilities, etc. This year, I have learned a lot about a wide range of needs and JMU's processes for ensuring those needs are met. We've also worked on making certain aspects of JMU more accessible for all. For some people, myself included, accessibility goes beyond good pathways and lighting, ramps and elevators. We have looked at digital accessibility on the JMU's website, helping various departments understand what makes an accessible web page. When we make these web pages accessible for some, they become easier for everybody to use. When we make things accessible, everybody wins.

With my major, I have taken courses to broaden my understanding of different groups of people. I have taken a class about diversity in psychology and am currently taking Community Psychology and Child Development Across Cultures. I think classes like these are important for all students to gain a better understanding of the world around us and how to respect and interact with others. As much as I have learned, I am always learning more. To me, that's one of the most beautiful, wondrous facts of life.

^*Braille translation: Meet Tashia Schmelling, Class of 2019

Recognizing Outstanding Contributions

Compass Awards

Congratulations to the winners of the Compass Awards.  Presented by the Office of the President, the Compass Award recognizes an individual or groups’ demonstrated outstanding contributions to diversity and inclusion at JMU.

The Future is Female workshop series for Visionary –forward thinking, innovative, creates new programming or progressive initiatives

B.J. Bryson for Leader –mentoring, guiding, facilitating, influencing

Cecily Thomas for Advocate –providing a voice for an underrepresented person or group

Karina Kline-Gabel for Catalyst –causing transformative activity or understanding between two or more persons, precipitating change

Woman of Distinction Awards

Grace Wheeles – Student Award Winner

Colleen G. S. Tennyson – A&P Faculty Winner

Mary Thompson – Instructional Faculty Winner

IDEA Grant Winners

Community Engagement with Paralympic Skill Lab: A Harrisonburg High School and JMU Partnership: Cathy McKay

Addressing the Fear: Training Teachers to Engage Tough Discussions: Ashley Taylor Jaffee and Kristofer Wiley

Sister Speak: DIY Intersectional Feminist Zine Workshop: Mary Thompson

Celebrating Academic Bravery- Filling the Bowl with Hope & Understanding: Francesca Tripodi and Oris Griffin

Over the Mountain and Through the Woods: Enhancing Student Understanding and Cultural Humility through Rural Community Engagement: Yvonne Frazier

Department of Psychology Summer Research Experience for Underserved Undergraduates (SREUU): Krisztina Jakobsen, Robyn Konrad, Dan Holt, Sri Upadhyay, David Szwedo, and Michael Hall

Provost Faculty Diversity Curriculum Grant Winners 2019

Daniel Castenada, Engineering, for “Critical Consciousness in Engineering Curriculum.”  Course revision (Engr 200).

Kyle Gipson, Engineering, for “Culturally Responsive STEM Content workshop for Faculty.”  Research for future curriculum development.

Besi Muhonja and Mollie Godfrey, English, for “Black Studies and Black Spaces: Black Critical Frameworks and Communities at JMU and Beyond, 1968-to the Present.” New course.

Danielle Price, English, for “Multiethnic Children’s Literature.”  New course. 

Christine Robinson, Justice Studies, for “Educating for Diversity and Engagement: Sexual Orientation and Social Policy.”  Course revision; create permanent course.

Ben Selznik, Strategic Leadership Studies, for “Making Space for Diversity Through JMU X-Labs Courses.”  Research for improving courses. 

Mary Thompson, English, for “ Sister Speak: Intersectional Feminist Zine.”  New course. 

Mary Thompson and Becca Howes-Mischel, for “WGSS 305: Methods and Theories.” New course. 

Highlights from our Community in Action

President Alger's Statement on Diversity & Inclusion

- Feb. 11, 2019

Interactive Accessibility Map

Check out the new Interactive Accessibility Map created by the GIS team in Facilities Management. This map provides search and zoom features, building accessibility info, and parking lot accessible space info.

Job Search Advice for Sprcific Student Communities

Did you know that Career & Academic Planning provides tailored career and job search advice for specific student communities, including LGBTQ+, multicultural students, grad students, veterans, and students with disabilities? If you would like to suggest a resource to add to the website, please contact the liaison for the corresponding student group, or email cap@jmu.edu

White Fragility

This groundbreaking book explores the counterproductive reactions white people have when discussing racism that serve to protect their positions and maintain racial inequality.

The Provost’s Faculty Diversity Committee read White Fragility and invited others to join us for discussions in January and February.  While we are proceeding with further discussion about unconscious bias, this book will continue to inform our conversation, and we highly recommend it for all JMU faculty and staff.

... and engaging views since the last revolution of The Beacon

Above: MLK march and formal program, Furious Flower presents jessica Care moore, Rocket Age, Future is Female, and Justice John Charles Thomas

Broadening the scope of your Diversity IQ

A glimpse of significant dates coming up:

March 20-1(sundown to sundown): Holi, a Hindu and Sikh spring religious festival observed in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka. People celebrate Holi by throwing colored powder and water at each other.

March 31: International Transgender Day of Visibility, celebrated to bring awareness to transgender people and their identities as well as recognize those who helped fight for rights for transgender people.

April is Celebrate Diversity Month, started in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding us all.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month which is a campaign to raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.

April is Autism Awareness Month, established to raise awareness about the developmental disorder that affects children’s normal development of social and communication skills.

April 19-27: Passover, an eight-day Jewish holiday and festival in commemoration of the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

April 21: Easter, a holiday celebrated by Christians to recognize Jesus’ return from death after the Crucifixion.

April 22: Earth Day promotes world peace and sustainability of the planet.

May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869

May is Older Americans Month, established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and to support them as they enter their next stage of life.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture.

This newsletter has been created by the Office of Access & Inclusion to share the good work of academic and administrative departments, students, affinity groups and more in supporting diversity and inclusion at JMU. If you have any corrections or have an article or upcoming event that should be considered for the next newsletter please send us an email: diversity@jmu.edu