Multicultural Affairs

The Millsaps Office of MultiCultural Affairs was created to help achieve and sustain a greater diversity among Millsaps students, faculty, and staff. MCA's efforts include assisting and supporting students in their development regarding social understanding and interaction between diverse groups within the community. Serious consideration, dialogue, and efforts are not limited to differences of race and ethnicity, but include religion, sexual orientation, gender, and physical ability as well. This means working with all areas of the campus; students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the community at large, for the people of Millsaps ought to be and are our best resources. MCA pulls from a pool of key individuals who provide ideas, motivation, and help to enrich program initiatives. By applying an umbrella approach toward effectuating program goals, every MCA program and activity is interwoven and related to that commitment . . . the appreciation of diversity.

The MCA Diversity Group
The MCA Diversity Group meets each week to discuss diversity issues that concern individuals personally, the campus community, and the society at large. Meetings are conducted in a relaxed, non-confrontational manner, and are are designed to challenge individuals to look inward regarding their own attitudes in order to help make a significant difference and positive impact on how they operate in the world. The MCA Diversity group has a student leadership group that very effectively serves to identify the concerns and sentiments of students on campus, and topics for these open meetings have included such issues as homosexuality and homophobia, local events where racism was prominent, racism on campus, stereotyping political correctness, the Rebel flag, group self-segregation, non-traditional religions, arranged marriages, divisions regarding students who are Greek and those who are not, interracial marriages, etc.

Passages, Poetry & Pastries
Another diversity program that focuses its efforts on Multicultural issues, but in a subtle and sometimes subliminal manner, is Passages, Poetry, & Pastries. Students, staff, faculty, and sometimes special guests from the community are invited to share some of their favorite writings, earmarked to evoke a thoughtful contemplation of one's own voice and the voice of others. This monthly theme-based program focuses on the work of select renowned writers, amateur writers, and also the work of current students. Delicious pastries are available during intermission, and participants are encouraged to meet and get to know others in attendance.

Multicultural Festival
Our annual Multicultural Festival aims at enhancing cultural awareness. 1999 marked the 7th annual Multicultural Festival with the theme "Diversity: The Tapestry of Life." Though the theme of the Festival is different each year, the Festivals really are about the basic theme of celebrating and appreciating diversity. Each festival is planned for a week long tribute to diversity and includes a variety of events: cultural exhibits, live music inspired by countless cultures, martial arts demonstrations, cultural dance lessons, and delicious ethnic food.

MCA Best Start
As a component to freshman orientation, MCA provides a program entitled "Our Best Start," created to provide a place to discuss college life with concerned student leaders, staff, and faculty members in a smaller arena. This program offers a comfortable environment where minority first year students in particular, in addition to other anxious though eager freshmen, can meet and interact in a more defined and relaxed manner with these key people. The expected program result is that these freshmen, because of this more personal interaction, will feel more relaxed, having met plenty of friendly people even before classes begin.

For more information about Millsaps Multicultural Affairs, contact Sherryl Wilburn at (601) 974-1208.