First-Year Students Pursue a More Just and Caring World at Community, Love, Justice and Social Action Day

(from left) Zahra Sharieff, Anna Matuszewski, Netanya Catimbang

On December 6, 2018, students and visitors to the Ruth S. Harley University Center and Swirbul Library had the opportunity to share laughter and joy, contemplate the importance of connecting with nature, vow to love more and hate less, raise awareness of mental health issues, racial and transgender equality, share their cultures, languages, hopes, dreams and insecurities, and raise money for girls in Cambodia.

It was all part of the University’s second Community, Love, Justice and Social Action Day, when students from Adelphi’s First-Year Seminars shared what they learned at 18 booths that encouraged visitors to reflect upon their responsibilities to one another and the community.

Melanie Bush, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, commended the “collaboration of nine classes seeking in different ways to build community and be active learners and actors. Students opened spaces for reflecting on what it means to be human through artwork, dialogue, interaction, creative expression, encouragement and nourishment. In this process our collective energies are consolidated in being the change and making a difference in real time through supporting one another in the pursuit of a more just and caring world.”

For TJ Rountree, a student in Dr. Bush’s Becoming Human class, the event offered the opportunity for individuals to share experiences with racism at a booth called “I face uncomfortable histories: Stories from a South African Childhood.” Rountree said he was inspired by Trevor Noah’s memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

Students from Dr. Bush’s First-Year Seminars joined those from classes taught by Diane Caracciolo, M.A. ’80, Ed.D., associate professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction; Clara Bauler, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Bilingual/TESOL program, Ann Holt, adjunct professor of art and art history; Lauren Rosenblum, General Studies lecturer; Cindy Maguire, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the BFA program in art and design education and the Levermore Global Scholars Program; and Cristina Zaccarini, Ph.D., associate professor of history.

Dr. Bauler teaches Multilingualism in Schools and Society, which encourages students to appreciate being bilingual or multilingual and make our campus and community more open and accepting of linguistic diversity. One of her first-year students, Daniell Dorsainvil, said, “Multilingualism goes beyond language. It’s social and cultural awareness. People say, ‘You’re in America; you should speak English,’ but we learn from being around people who are different from ourselves, from different backgrounds, cultures and languages. We should respect each other.”

“I was very impressed by the wonderful collaborative work accomplished by students from different first-year seminars,” said Dr. Bauler. “The depth of topics and the willingness to share with the Adelphi community make this event so powerful!”

Students also raised more than $800 for the Girls Be Ambitious campaign, which provides schooling for impoverished girls at risk of human trafficking in rural Cambodia, said Dr. Caracciolo, whose students taking her Becoming Human class have supported the cause since 2012.

“The money we raise goes directly to the girls’ families to free them to send their daughters to school,” said Dr. Caracciolo. “It was wonderful to share our fundraising event for Girls Be Ambitious with other First-Year Seminar professors for the first time this year. I am grateful to all who contributed to making this a festive, interactive day of awareness and shared humanity for the Adelphi community. Most of all, I am grateful for our amazing first years for their inventive and heartfelt efforts!”