November 18, 2004

UCSD Cross-Cultural Center To Celebrate 10th Anniversary
With Many Activities Built Around Cultivating Community

By Jan Jennings

Cultivating community is the general theme for numerous activities planned through May, 2005, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Cross-Cultural Center (CCC) at the University of California, San Diego. All events are open to the public.

The Cross-Cultural Center opened its doors on May 26, 1995 and on May 26, 2005 it will celebrate a milestone of 10 years of service. Its mission is to aid in the academic, professional and personal development of students, staff, and faculty members of historically underrepresented groups and to help build a culturally conscious university where all members of the campus and the San Diego community can come together, learn from one another, and foster receptivity and mutual respect.

“Articulating the essence of the UCSD Cross-Cultural Center is an intense process for people like ourselves, deeply connected to this space, a place we call ‘home,’” says Edwina Welch, CCC director.

Welch has been center director from its beginning. Upcoming activities include a Feb. 10 program, Where Global Connections and Local Action Meet, the May 26 Cultivating Community anniversary gala, and a May 27 All People’s Party.

Where Global Connections and Local Action Meet will address the impact of globalization and social injustice on lives around the world. UCSD alumni and members of San Diego activist organizations will discuss such themes as War and People of Color, Environmental Racism, Indigenous People’s Rights and Border Issues, Teaching the Next Generation, and Media Activism. The event will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 10 in Great Hall, Roosevelt College, co-hosted by the UCSD Women’s Center and International House.

Cultivating Community, on the anniversary date, May 26, will honor the past, present and future with the UCSD and San Diego communities. Guests will include UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox, alumni, and featured entertainment. The event will be from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Price Center Ballroom. For reservations and ticket prices, contact the CCC at (858) 534-9689.

The All People’s Party will feature DJs, MCs, performers, an open microphone, UCSD students, alumni, and community members celebrating art activism in all its forms over the past 10 years. The event will be from 7 to 10 p.m. May 27 at Porter’s Pub.

Other activities scheduled in honor of the CCC 10th anniversary include:

• Feb. 17, 5 to 7 p.m., The Other King, The Other America, a documentary film of Dr. Martin Luther King’s April 4, 1967 speech at Stanford University, his first documented statement against the Vietnam war. It was given a year to the day before he was assassinated in Memphis. Discussion will follow screening at the CCC. Marc Chery from the Malcolm X Branch Library, San Diego Public Library, is co-host.
• April – Cultural Unity Month of Awareness. The Associated Students’ Diversity Office, along with campus and student organizations, hosts the 2005 annual celebration of cultural unity, diversity, and awareness at UCSD. Activities throughout the month will focus on building cultural understanding, competency, and community at UCSD. For specific events, contact the CCC.
• April 21, 5 to 7 p.m., Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman, a human rights film that has brought international attention to the kidnapping, rape, and murder of more than 370 women in Juarez, Mexico. Juarez boasts an international mystique and high profile job market, yet a murky history of violence against women persists there. Discussion will follow the screening at the CCC.

Collaborating with members of the campus community centers, campus groups, faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, and community members, the CCC continues to aim for meaningful dialogue and context across all cultures. Supportive and educational resources are offered through art, programs, workshops, and outreach.

For further information on the CCC’s 10th anniversary activities, contact Charlene Martinez, assistant director, at (858) 534-9689.

Media Contact: Pat JaCoby (858) 534-7404