2

Convo Speakers 3

Kente Summit 4

OIIL Block Party 5

Featured Org: 6Indigenous People'sAlliance

International 7Student Orientation

Meet Our Staff 8

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. Weare the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

-President Barack Obama

CARLETON COLLEGEOFFICE OFINTERCULTURAL & The SpectrumINTERNATIONAL LIFE

The last activity of theretreat allowed us to shareour life stories in a shortblurb, and it was during thattime when I took a stepback and realized that I wassurrounded by so manyunique individuals. Behindour scholarly personas,there are differentlanguages, different foods,and different environmentsthat make us who we are,and I felt more connected toeveryone after hearing theirlife experiences.Undoubtedly, the OIIL staffonce again successfullygathered a group of Carls inone room to build newrelationships and encourageself-reflection.

FALL ISSUE — 2015 DECEMBER

The annual OIIL retreat isalways something that Ilook back on and havefond memories of. Justlast year, I was also atCamp Friendship attendingmy first OIIL retreat. Thistime around, however, Iwas attending the retreatwith a different perspectiveas an OIIL Peer Leader.As an OIIL Peer Leader,we are trained to fosterintercultural andinternational life atCarleton and build strongrelationships with menteeson campus.Even with thisnewfound role, the retreatstill brought newperspectives on thedifferent identities presentat Carleton just as muchas it did last year.

The “Step Forward StepBack” activity hit on hardertopics about privilege. Evenwith the privilege ofattending a higherinstitution like Carleton, itwas humbling tounderstand other importantidentities of fellowclassmates that would notnormally be recognized oncampus. Regardless, theOIIL retreat provided a safespace to express opinionsand talk about tough topicsthat would otherwise beignored.Being away fromcampus, I thought that theretreat was a perfectopportunity to foster aunifying community forPeople of Color at Carletonto share our stories andhave open conversationsabout diversity.

The Spectrum is designed to be a space wherestudents of color, international students, and their

Reflection on the Women & Men of Color Retreat

By: Cynthia Chang

INSIDE THISISSUE:

Featured Event:

allies can find space to verbalize and expressconcerns, excitement, and their college

experiences. It is meant to motivate and inspire.

Día de Los Muertos

P A G E 2 Featured Event

away. When people ofother cultures first hearabout a celebration calledDay of the Dead, theyoften mistake the holidayas dark, creepy, orgloomy. However, Day ofthe Dead is a beautifulholiday in which familieshappily and lovinglyremember relatives thathave died, similar to theact of leaving flowers on atomb of a relative. AtCarleton, we do our bestto celebrate the holiday ina way that honorstradition, yet is open forthe participation of all ofour community members.

The event this yearstarted off with a shortpresentation anddescription of the holidaymade by two of LASO'smembers, Jess Ibri andNick Gross. We thenwatched a local group ofAztec dancers perform atraditional dance for theholiday. Then we heard ashort story by GastonLopez and his experiencewith Día de los Muertos inthe Philippines , aSpanish song sung bySusie Pérez, and, a poemby Issac Martinezdedicated to hisgrandmother. Afterwards,we watched some of

Northfield's youngercommunity members dancefolklorico dances fromvarious regions ofMexico, beginning from theyoungest girls andcontinuing with the olderdancers. Then we stoppedfor a moment to offer aWitness to the Dead, whereeveryone had a chance tolight a candle to place onthe altar and share amemory of a loved one whohas passed over themicrophone if they wished.This is one of my favoriteparts because this is whereyou really feel theconnection to thecommunity since we can allcome together andremember our loved ones.Finally, everyone enjoyed adinner of tamales, pandulce, and champurado. Ifyou were not able to join usthis year, we hope you canstop by next year andpartake in the celebration!

Every year on the firstSunday of November, theGreat Hall is filled with thesmell of delicious tamales,the vibrant colors of folkloricodresses, and the roaringrattles of aztec cascabeles.This year was not unlike anyother. Thanks to the LatinAmerican StudentOrganization (LASO) and theChapel, students, staff, andcommunity members joinedyet again to celebrate thisLatin American Holiday. Asone of LASO's most popularevents, we enjoyed thepresence of a large crowd of160, with people standingalong the back of the GreatHall and outside in thehallway eager to catch aglimpse of the festivities. Assecretary for LASO, I wasparticularly pleased to see somany people come out tocelebrate this beautifulholiday with us.

For those of you whoaren't familiar with theholiday, Día de los Muertos,or Day of the Dead, is aholiday celebrated in Méxicoand other Latin Americancountries that takesplace October31st through November 2nd.During the holiday, family andfriends gather to celebrateand remember the lives ofloved ones who have passed

Día de los MuertosBy: Susie Perez

"Day of theDead is abeautifulholiday inwhich familieshappily andlovinglyrememberrelatives thathave died"

T H E S P E C T R U M

Winter TermSpring Term

Spring Tjlj;ljl;erm

Fall TermAnabel Hernández:Investigativejournalist Anabel Hernández

FALL ISSUE — 2015 P A G E 3

Fall Term Convo Speaker: Tadd Johnson

By: Takuya Amagai

Convocation by Professor Tadd Johnson on November 6th, 2015 was oneof the best convocations I attended at Carleton College. The Professor TaddJohnson’s convocation was about the clash between religious freedom of theNative Americans against the regulations set by the institutions of the UnitedStates. The particular example he used to describe this topic was the clash betweenthe Native American beliefs against the autopsy, and the State of Minnesota, whichat the time did not legally allow religious exemptions for autopsies. The fightstarted with a standoff between the deceased’s family members and the medicalexaminer over the custody of the body and culminated in legislation that allowedreligious exemption of autopsies, which was signed by the Governor of MinnesotaMark Dayton.

This one example of a fight to legalize religious exemption from autopsiesillustrate that there is still a need for minorities to fight against the institutionalizedmainstream culture. Media coverage of racial incidents has been weighted towardscovering cases between Caucasians, African Americans, and Hispanics. Whattends to be forgotten is that the Native Americans are also suffering frominstitutionalized racial discrimination as well. One example of this discriminationis seen where Native Americans are placed in reservations, that are often in remoteareas with lack of access to economical markets, health facilities, and educationalinstitutions. This dislocation has taken a new dimension with the spread of theInternet, as the Native Americans have received minimal access to InternetService.The lack of internet access creates a barrier in furtheringeconomic/educational/and health development of the Native Americans.

Prof.Tadd Johnson’s talk was a grim reminder of how even in 2015, NativeAmericans still have to fight lengthily legal and political battles for thefederal/state government to accommodate their religious beliefs into their policies.We must understand that the battle for reclaiming equality for the NativeAmericans is still far from over and that the process would not be an easy one.

2015-2016 OIIL Sponsored Convo Speakers

warns that remaining silent killsfreedom and justice.

Tadd Johnson:Producer of thePBS program “Native Report,”an entertaining and informativeseries that celebrates NativeAmerican culture and heritage

FALL ISSUE — 2015 PAGE 4

Reflection on the Kente SummitBy: Jeffrey Bissoy-Mattis

Similar to prior years, I wasexcited when the first weekof November came around,because that meant thatKente Summit Conferencefor Collegiate Black Men wasjust around the corner. It wasmy third and final year yearattending the conference, soI was prepared to soak in asmuch knowledge fromspeakers, and connect withas many brothers as I could.The theme of this year’ssummit was “Living,Learning, and Leading withAuthenticity.” On the firstday, as it has becometradition, we had awelcoming dinner atMacalester and laterattended a talk by Dr. PenielE. Joseph, a professor ofHistory at Tufts University,an award-winning author,and a frequent nationalcommentator on issues ofrace, democracy, and civilrights.Dr. Joseph’s speechwas incredibly powerful, ashe eloquently preached thedeep history of AfricanAmericans in the UnitedStates, describing theirhardships and fight forequality; a battle that rageson today.

Following his speech, brothersCarleton got their bookssigned and took a picture withDr. Joseph. On the second dayof the summit, studentsattended two workshopsessions at the University ofSt. Thomas, led by AfricanAmerican professors andyoung professionals from theTwin Cities area. I attended asession titled, “Getting to theNext Level: Developing aVision and a Blueprint for aCareer and Graduate School”and “Black Scholars: BeingBlack and Being a GraduateStudent.” The first, was led byKeith Mayes, an AfricanAmerican Studies professor atthe University of Minnesota,who asked us about ourexperiences as black studentsat private institutions. Hetalked to us about theimportance of a collegeeducation and later challengedus on our understanding of thejob market. He asked usquestions such as, “How muchis a bachelors’ degree worth?”and “Is Graduate schoolmandatory, if you want awell-paying job?” Theworkshop helped me to thinkmore critically about what I amactively doing to preparemyself for life after Carleton.The second workshop was“Black Scholars: Being Blackand Being a GraduateStudent,” where undergradstudents asked questions to apanel of black men who arecurrently attending gradschool. The panel discussedhow to build relationships in anauthentic way and how tomake a decision on the type ofprogram to apply for.

To conclude the summit,there were small groupdiscussions held. In oursmall groups we reflectedon what we were taughtabout masculinity, and howthose teachings influencedhow we manifested ourmaleness. At the end of thesummit, many exchangednumbers, Facebook namesand email contacts. It wasa hard good-bye for me atthe Summit, because itwas my last one; however,I’ll admit that was the firsttime that I felt as if I hadmade multiple connectionswith my other KenteBrothers. Although, I willnot have anotheropportunity to return as aparticipant, I hope that Menof Carleton, a student orgon campus, continues toparticipate in the event.The Kente Summitconference has alwaysbeen a fresh of breath airfrom the daily occurrenceson campus; I pray that Ihave learned enough fromtheir teachings as Icommence my journeyoutside the confines ofNorthfield, MN.

Dr. Joseph’sspeechwas incrediblypowerful, ashe eloquentlypreached thedeep history ofAfricanAmericans in theUnitedStates,describing theirhardships andfight forequality; a battlethat rageson today.

FALL ISSUE — 2015 PAGE 5

OIIL Block PartyBy: Jack Hardwick

Carleton students are always in for a great party, and September's OIIL block party was noexception. Delicious foods from around the world adorned tables at the side of the street, a karaokemachine in front of Stimson House blasted out hits from the past, accompanied by singers of variouscompetency levels, from mediocre to absolutely tuneless. Needless to say, I was nearer the tunelessend of that scale.

The sun was shining on a beautiful late summer day, and students involved in all facets of the OIILoffice were there sharing in good company and good food. I partook in a couple of rounds of thekaraoke, once with a large group and once with the one and only Bonny Lee. We received someapplause, some of which was sarcastic and some simply courteous.

The block party was a prime example of the community spirit of OIIL events. A great time was had byall, students of all class years, both international and domestic. It was a great start to my Carletonexperience and an experience that I will be very willing to repeat next year.

Featured Organization:Indigenous People's Alliance

By: Malia Molina

Though many peopledon’t know it,Minneapolis, Minnesotahas been at the heart ofmany Native Americanrevolutions. Eventhough Carleton is only45 minutes outside ofthe city, native cultureson Carleton’s campushave beenunderrepresented untilrecently. DespiteCarleton’s involvementwith programs thatpromote native-diversityon college campuseslike College Horizons,the number of studentsenrolled who identify asNative American,Native Hawaiian, NativeAlaskan or any otherindigenous culture hasbeen low. Thus, therewas need for anindigenous group andin January 2015, theIndigenous PeoplesAlliance was formed.Spearheading thisgroup was AlexPortnow, Malia Molina,and RaelynneBenjamin, all three ofwhom identify with anindigenous culture.

The IndigenousPeoples Alliance,

colloquially known asIPA, provides acommunity on Carleton’scampus for students whoidentify with anindigenous culture orthose who want to learnmore about saidcultures. The clubcurrently representsNative American, NativeHawaiian, and NativeAlaskan cultures but isinclusive of any and allindigenous peoples.Early in its formation, thisyear will be its first as anofficial club on campus.The club hosts weeklymeetings whereindigenous topics arediscussed and eventswith the purpose ofeducating the campusabout indigenous news.This past October, IPAheld its first event forIndigenous Peoples Day— formerly known asColumbus Day — onOctober 12, 2015. Thosewho attended enjoyedNavajo tacos (frybread, aNative American staple,with taco toppings) whileviewing videos aboutdifferent nativeperspectives on the fightfor changing theholiday’s name and

meaning. The group alsodiscussed the historybehind holidays likeColumbus Day andFounder’s Day (inHawai’i) and how themiseducation of thesehistories can bedetrimental for progressof native peoples intomodern society.

As IPA continues to grow,the group hopes to hostindigenous speakers toeducate Carleton’scommunity about dealingwith racism, views onsexuality, culturalappropriation, and thestruggle to balancetraditional cultures withina modern society. If youhave any questions,please feel free contactAlex Portnow(portnowa@carleton.edu)or Malia Molina(molinam2@carleton.edu).

“Carleton Pride,Native Pride!”

FALL ISSUE—2015 PAGE 6

FALL ISSUE—2015 PAGE 7

International Student Orientation

‘Home’ for me is 7,232 mi awayfrom Northfield. I place invertedcommas here because all of ushave a different definition forhome. For some, it’s the placethey’ve lived their entire livesand for others it’s where familyis. Arriving on campus on the 4thof September, 2015 marked thebeginning of a new home for 63international students of theClass of 2019.

My ISO experience began thenight before the actual arrivalday. Having done absolutelynothing productive the entiresummer the night before arrivalday, on the 3rd, I finally decidedto get my necessities and roomrequirements from Target.Whileleaving, my father and I got intoa cab with some students, one ofwhom was wearing a bright blueT-Shirt. Being the awkward,confused freshman that I was(rather still am), I introducemyself to the other students in

the car only to figure out (twosilent minutes later) that one of thepassengers was (and still is) mymentor. This was the moment Ifigured I had nothing to worryabout. Carleton was instantlyaccepting of strangers!

After a hectic arrival day, ISOmoved into its busiest day: day 1.We went for a scavenger hunt,opened our bank accounts, wentto MOA, went to Target and hadan extremely memorable bonfireat the Hill of 3 Oaks. Basically, wewere dead by the end of all of this.My highlight for the eed ayw asforthe day was as getting absolutelyoverwhelmed by the she sitingabsolutely getting absolutelyoverwhelmed by the sheerize ofMall of America. I feel like thesecond you see rollercoasters ina mall yo should just stopquestioning things and just rollwith it.Although my group spendthe entire time in a restaurant, noteating by the way simply waiting

for the order, I could see that themall had way too much to offer. Amajority of days 2, 3 and 4 werespent in Olin 149. Our discussionsranged from cultural adjustment toacademic adjustment. The best partabout these seminars and lectureswas that they were tailored for ISO.As ISO kids, I feel we were lucky toget so much attention of things thatweren't even mentioned duringNSW. This helped us so muchduring our first few weeks atCarleton.ISO has definitely been ahighlight for my Freshman Fall term.It’s been a long term for myclassmates and I but our OIIL PeerLeaders have gotten us through it.One can’t emphasize enough theimportance of their job. Joy, Martin,Michael and Brisa are equallyresponsible for making Carleton aneasier transition for all of us. TheISO Program, being theoverwhelming time that it is, bringsus international students closer toeach other and makes us all OIILfamily.

By: Ritvik Kar

Office of Intercultural & International Life

Inclusion, Empathy, and Cultural Engagement

Mission Statement

For over 25 years, the Office of Intercultural & International Life

has been an integral part of Carleton’s initiatives to enhance

diversity and cultivate a fully inclusive community, enriched by

persons of different ethnicities, nationalities, genders, economic

backgrounds, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, and spiritual

values. The primary mission of the ffice of Intercultural &

International Life is to provide programming that fosters

intercultural dialogue in the service of greater cross-cultural

awareness, empathy, mutual respect, tolerance, and

recognition.

Meet Our Staff!

Joy KluttzDirector

jkluttz@carleton.edu(507) 222-4013

Martin OlagueAssistant Director

molague@carleton.edu

(507) 222-4505

Brisa ZubiaAssistant Directorbzubia@carleton.edu

(507) 222-7488

Mike Hodges Program Assistant

mhodges@carleton.edu

(507) 222-4014Want to submit an article?

If you are interested in writing an article for the Spectrum, please contact MartinOlague or Mike Hodges by email (molague@carleton.edu,mhodges@carleton.edu) with the subject title “Spectrum Article Submission”.

Responding to the SpectrumSee anything you have a question, response, or comment on? Shoot us anemail with the subject title “Spectrum Response”. If we like your idea, we’ll put itinto our next submission.

This Spectrum was coordinated and designedby: Jojo Kuria