Hispanic Heritage Month to celebrate comunidad
Beginning today, Hispanic Heritage Month will be celebrated on UNC’s campus for the first time.
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Beginning today, Hispanic Heritage Month will be celebrated on UNC’s campus for the first time.
Helen Dascomb is used to weekly visits from family and friends to her home at Wynwood assisted living home.But when Hatfield, a furry Newfoundland and Chow mix, entered her room on Wednesday, her face lit up with excitement.“You’re a sweetheart,” Dascomb said to the dog. “It’s so nice of you to come see me.”Dascomb was the first of many who will receive visits from different dogs as part of the new Heeling Hounds program, intended to improve the well-being of patients in local assisted living homes through pet therapy. The program was created this semester by second-year medical students Jenna Beckham, Olivia Linthavong and Rachel Little as part of requirements for an advanced leadership class. Each of the three students own at least one dog and plan to visit patients on a weekly basis. One of the goals of Heeling Hounds is to establish relationships between the patients and the dogs, as well as between the patients and the student visitors. Some dementia patients have difficulties communicating with humans. The dogs, however, can get the patients’ attention, which serves as a benefit.Beckham previously participated in a dog therapy program at WakeMed Hospitals. She wanted to create a similar program, but with greater continuity and personal connections.The communities participating in the program include Wynwood, Clare Bridge, Carolina Meadows, Carol Woods Retirement Community and Carolina House.On Wednesday, each of the volunteers visited a facility with her dog and spent time with patients, including Jeanne Berg, a 93-year-old resident of Wynwood. Berg, whose father was a dog breeder and grew up around animals, used to have a dalmatian named Domino but had to give it up when she had to go job hunting after the death of her husband.Berg said she enjoyed being in the company of the dog, feeding Hatfield cheese before his departure and promising more for future visits.Although Heeling Hounds was created by the medical students for their class, they hope other students will lead the project in the future.“I hope the program will expand outside of medical school,” Beckham said. Anyone can volunteer with the program, but they will need to have their pet screened by a veterinarian before they can participate.Dascomb said she had been excited for the dog’s visit, and was thrilled by her experience with the program.“I’ve been looking forward to the dog coming,” she said. “This is my big event of the day.”She fed Hatfield three treats and promised more for next time. And before the dog left, she took his paws in her hands and said, “I love you.”Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
This isn’t your grandfather’s war.But that doesn’t mean the military should change its relationship with the public.That was the focus of a panel discussion that originated in London and made its way to UNC on Thursday.The discussion, “War and Military Operations in the 21st Century: Civil-Military Implications,” drew both uniformed and non-uniformed students as well as community members from UNC, Duke and N.C. State.It was part of a two-day conference sponsored by the UNC’s curriculum in peace, war and defense and the department of war studies at King’s College London, in partnership with the Triangle Institute for Security Studies.The talk focused on the changing characteristics of warfare, which have brought about an idea known as “new wars.”“Key features of these new wars can be placed in two broad categories: low-technology and high-technology,” said James Gow, professor of international peace and security and director of the International Peace and Security Program at King’s College.Electronic and rapid communication now define warfare for industrialized countries, but panelists said the nature of war is unchanged.“It cannot change,” said Gen. James Mattis, commander of the U.S. Joint Forces Command. “It is what it is. We’re going to have to deal with it. The character of war, however, is changing.”Mattis said modern opponents are shifting to irregular warfare, taking advantage of western countries’ weaknesses.Since the 1990s, military researchers have focused on the changing nature of warfare, said Hew Strachan, professor of the history of war at Oxford University.“We, as a democratic state, should see new forms of communication and other changes as good news,” he said, instead of seeing them as a threat.It’s about how to manage change, since we already know change will happen, Strachan explained.“It was interesting how keeping the state involved with military is so important,” said Elias Ballew, who is a student in the Navy ROTC program at N.C. State.Students said they thought Mattis — who brought hands-on experience to the discussion — was the biggest attraction.“I belong to the American people,” Mattis said. “I’m accountable to the American people.”Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
By nature, a discussion on immigration looks not only within but also beyond a country’s borders.At a panel discussion Thursday at the FedEx Global Education Center, four immigration experts focused on the assimilation of immigrants and explored what it means to be “American.”“It’s not who we should let in, but rather, what we should do with those who are already here,” said panelist Noah Pickus, director of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.“The problem is that assimilation and integration are linked. While in tension, they’re linked.”The public discussion, titled “Immigration and National Identity,” was organized by the UNC Parr Center for Ethics as an opportunity to discuss immigration, assimilation and national identity.Pickus said immigrants are the glue for American communities that are becoming increasingly individualistic because of technology and other societal forces.“You can run a store in New York, you can run a store in the Dominican Republic, and you can do it all by cell phone,” he said. “The sense of community is increasingly fractured, and that’s where immigrants come in.”Pickus said Americans used to do activities together, such as bowling or going to PTA meetings, but now do things alone, such as watching television.Sociology professor Margarita Mooney said Americans are both nostalgic and troubled by the topic of immigration.“Most Americans are willing to accept that we are a nation of immigrants,” she said. “But Americans are troubled about immigration because they feel a social and economic change due to immigration, which leads to a hard time knowing who we are.”UNC African and Afro-American Studies professor Timothy McMillan said the 2008 election of President Barack Obama has not ushered in a new era of racial attitudes that could affect American views on immigration.“Many people think the election of Obama marked the post-racial period, but I think we have entered one of the most racial periods in American history,” he said.Niklaus Steiner, director of the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, offered his personal experience of emigrating from Switzerland at the age of 5. He said the naturalization test he had to take involved questions on the Constitution and U.S. history — subjects he said he finds unnecessary to become a U.S. citizen.“We, as citizens, want others to function well in our society, so they need to know what an ATM is, what an iPod is,” he said.Lance Westerlund, an organizer of the event, said he predicted the health insurance reform bill would have passed sooner and would have made immigration a more widely discussed issue than it is today.He added that people’s personal experiences shape discussions on immigration policy.“There is an undercurrent of how we define ourselves as Americans,” Westerlund said.Graduate student Matthew Green shared his observations from his days teaching international students.“They have allegiances in multiple places,” he said.Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
As flowers bloom with the rising temperatures, students will add even more color to campus today when they pelt each other with paint to greet spring’s arrival.
As students filtered into Greenlaw Hall for a discussion about segregation, they unknowingly demonstrated one of the issues that was addressed: self-segregation.Anne Hastings, a sociology professor, opened the discussion Thursday evening by asking students to look at where they were seated. For the most part, students sat near those who were of the same race.The event, “Tarheel Segregation: Separate but Equal,” was an open discussion held to make a conscious effort to bring to light self-segregation on campus.The event was hosted by the Alpha Iota Chapter of La Unidad Latina, the Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus, the Carolina Latino Collaborative and the American Indian Center.Steven Quintero, president of Lambda Upsilon Lambda, said he thinks the campus is diverse and that there is intermingling, but there needs to be more.“Black people hang out in certain areas; white people hang out in certain areas. The Asians and Latinos also have their areas,” Quintero said. “People are drawn to people that look like themselves.”Hastings mentioned that many people avoid racism and do not talk about it, but she said it is prevalent in media, songs and the classroom.John Ribo, a teacher and graduate student at the University, said that while students are willing to work with each other in the classroom, self-segregation often occurs after class is finished. Ronald Rojas, a member of Lambda Upsilon Lambda from New York, said he felt culture shock when he came to North Carolina.“I don’t feel welcome,” he said. “I’ve gotten looks worth more than a million words. It’s all in the look.”Many students said the college atmosphere contributes in part to racial self-segregation.“Segregation just happens when you are in a new place,” Quintero said. Freshman Jonathon Beckles said he feels the University is failing at talking about race and integration. “The University is very spirited,” he said. “If people don’t feel comfortable stepping out of their comfort zones, the University has to create programs.” While some said programs are needed because intermingling is not naturally going to happen, others were still waiting for it to become part of daily life. Rojas said he was pleased with the discussion, as were the students who attended.“Discussions raised were good, productive,” he said. Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
Combining dancing, colorful costumes and free food, the third annual “Fashion Show Your Love” transformed the Hooker Atrium of the Gillings School of Global Public Health into a cultural melting pot. Hosted by the Student Global Health Committee, the event featured outfits from more than five countries to help one — Haiti.Donning outfits from countries such as Vietnam, China and South Africa, models walked down a red carpet runway to raise funds for the relief effort. While the event and various ethnic foods were free to the public, the show featured a silent auction and voluntary donations to honor the one-month anniversary of the earthquake.The event began with an a cappella performance courtesy of The Achordants.The fashion show followed, with about a dozen models showcasing international attire as an emcee provided commentary.Bhangra Elite, a dance group specializing in Punjabi-style dance, and an African-style dance group, Zankiliwa, performed.Josh Davis, a graduate student, said he enjoyed nearly every aspect of the event.“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “There were good costumes, good food and at a good cost — free.” Catered by Mediterranean Deli and the Curry Blossom Cafe, the spread was just as culturally diverse as the outfits.A silent auction offered gift certificates, handmade crafts, Cat’s Cradle tickets and other coupons to the highest bidders.Fauzia Tariq, one of the models and a second-year graduate student, said she enjoyed the international theme.“It was a good display of culture, whether in the food, or the clothes, or the auction items.”Daniel Cothran, co-chairman of the Student Global Health Committee and a model last year, said he was pleased with the turnout.But he said the event did not raise as much money as he had hoped. Cothran said the organizers hoped to double the $2,000 they raised for Bolivia last year.He said about $1,100 was raised through Thursday’s event. Nataliya Vanchosovych, a Ukrainian graduate student and model at the show, said the outfits were very authentic.“We were engaged in outfits similar to these,” Vanchosovych said, standing with her husband and fellow participant, Myroslav Sypa. “They are very traditional.”