On Jan. 15, St. John Fisher University’s second annual Spirit of Identity Week began, but this year they added a twist, making it a campus-wide opportunity for everyone to host their own events reflecting their various identities.
Starting with the Black Excellence Gala hosted by the Black Student Union on Jan. 15, students and staff celebrated the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King. The event consisted of a warm greeting from President Gerard J. Rooney, a dinner, Guest Speaker Ebony Stubbs and a presentation of awards.
On Jan. 16, there were a variety of activities for students to participate in, from events like an international market in Campus Center, to the Global Footprints: Dance Festival in Cleary Auditorium. Fisher had eight total events throughout the day from 11 am to 7 pm that anyone could enjoy.
The following day a similar schedule followed, with events like the Identity and Wellness table for Wellness Wednesday and a keynote speech from Dr. Eboo Patel. Patel is an American Ismaili of Gujarati Indian Heritage and one of the members of President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Advisory on Faith. He founded and serves as president of Interfaith America.
On Jan. 18, Fisher’s campus clubs took over the week by hosting events like Everybody Deserves to Be Loved hosted by the Fisher Student Respect Alliance and Inclusion Lives Here hosted by Best Buddies.
Cultural Kaleidoscope was hosted on Jan. 19 by the Latiné Student Union, along with a field trip to the Seneca Art and Cultural Center.
The Spirit of Identity Week came to a close with the Festival of Nations where students modeled their cultural clothes and the e-boards of the affinity groups provided awards.
Kessan VanGronigen, the student lead for the committee that organized Spirit of Identity was named “Servidor a la Cultura,” an award given by Latiné Student Union. “Working on Spirit of Identity week was different. I never interacted with people of different cultures outside my family and own culture, working in Spirit of Identity Week I got to work with staff, faculty and student groups of different backgrounds.”
The culmination of these events provided a valuable insight into the cultures present on campus and set a good start for the semester.
