On behalf of UBC, Alden Habacon had the honour of laying a wreath at the Japanese Canadian War Memorial in Stanley Park on Remembrance day. The ceremony was well-attended by people from all walks of life.
CBC News Coverage of the War Memorial:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/first-world-war-japanese-canadians-honoured-with-refurbished-stanley-park-monument-1.2732214
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s2a-HWFJ08
On November 5, the Liu Institute for Global Issues and our office organized a difficult conversation about racism on campus, and how it ties into mental well-being.
To listen to the audio version of the event, please visit our Soundcloud upload: https://soundcloud.com/equityandinclusionubc/active-witnessing-audio
Our official story is live on the Equity and Inclusion website: http://equity.ubc.ca/2014/11/17/thrive-week-2014-2/
On Wednesday, October 29 – the Equity & Inclusion office worked with students to pilot the first ever “Apples for Profs” event at UBC. The inspiration for this event came from consultation work with faculty, many of whom reported feeling increasingly unappreciated in their roles as instructors, because some have been struggling to connect with their students in the classroom. UBC is comprised of a diverse student population, some of which come from cultures where gift-giving [for instructors] is commonplace, whereas others are of backgrounds where this practice is discouraged. The symbolism of the quintessential “apple” is familiar for many North American instructors and students. Historically speaking, this symbol comes from the 17th or 18th century, where poorer farmers in Northern Europe and the United States would pay their children’s teachers with food, such as apples and potatoes. With the help of Land and Food Systems Undergraduate Society members (LFS|US) and Agora Cafe volunteers, we handed out 480 apples locally sourced from the UBC Botanical Garden (Apple Festival 2014) to students, who were encouraged to write notes of appreciation to accompany their apples.
Alden Habacon, Director of Intercultural Understanding at UBC, is making a fresh apple delivery on his bike.
Taken from Instagram. #apples4ubcprofs
Joanna and Krystal of the Equity & Inclusion Office handing out apples.
The event was well-received by students – most of them were happy to see a “no strings attached” event happen on campus.
This is the official Equity & Inclusion Office article about the event: http://equity.ubc.ca/2014/10/30/starting-a-new-tradition-apples-for-ubc-profs/
And for photos, please visit our Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/EquityUBCV
We are looking to improve this tradition for the future, so if you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comment box below.
Halloween is easily one of my favourite holidays of the year. However cultural appropriation is no fun, and should be taken very seriously.
On the theme of Halloween outfits – here is a good piece by Hannah Barath, a student assistant from UBC Access & Diversity:
Hip vs Horrible Halloween Outfits
And if you’re unsure whether or not if your costume is racist, here’s a piece by Kat Lazo of Everyday Feminism.
The UBC Equity & Inclusion Office can connect you to more resources on how to be respectful of other people’s cultures, especially during this time of year.
My name is Joanna Yang and I am delighted to join the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office team. I started my position as Alden Habacon’s Admin Assistant on October 15, and will be the main administrator for this blog.
Feel free to contact me directly via e-mail (joanna.yang@ubc.ca) or phone (604-827-5914) if you would like to meet with Alden, or get involved with the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office.
With thanks,
Joanna Yang 杨达娜
Assistant to Alden E. Habacon, Director, Intercultural Understanding Strategy Development