Hello, my fellow global citizens,
I hope you are having an amazing day and enjoying your summer so far.
I know this is summer time but we feel like some recent events warrant an update to our members. Apart from that, we also need a little help from your side so please make sure to read this email to the very end.
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In case you haven't heard yet, the University of Rochester has invited Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as one of the guest speakers for this year's Meliora Weekend.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a global feminist icon & author from Nigeria and has gained further prominence for her works like Americanah.
This invitation was initially met with excitement by many members of our international student body as this will be one of the very first times a successful African figure is being highlighted and receiving recognization & representation at the University of Rochester.
However, her invitation has also prompted backlash regarding her past comments against the transgender community.
As we are international students, for us, there are a lot of nuances that exist and differ from border to border when it comes to acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community across the globe. But what is something non-nuance-able is human rights.
The International Students' Association (ISA) does not condone or tolerate transphobia or any form of discrimination against any individual based on their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, or creed.
We would highly recommend you thoroughly research the matter, educate yourself, and discuss it with your friends and people around you so that we can continue to build an inclusive community for everyone, regardless of our differences.
ISA is closely monitoring any developments regarding her invitation from the university's administration to weigh our options and response as a student organization. If you'd like to keep yourself more involved and updated regarding this matter, we would highly recommend following Students for a Democratic Society here.
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For the incoming students’ Welcome Week, The Office of Orientation and First-Year Programs is planning an “Around the World” fair, which will have cultural foods and activities from all over the world, and they need a little help and your input!
Their theme for Welcome Week is “The Meliora Games,” which was inspired by the Olympics. This “Around the World” fair is modelled on the Olympic Opening Ceremony, and they want to carry that same feeling of unity and celebration. At this event, they will have a giant paper wall where incoming students can write about their own homes and cultures and read about others.
They want to make sure that they are representing all cultures authentically and respectfully, which wouldn't be quite possible without your feedback.
It is very crucial that you provide us with your responses to represent your culture as we all know that the university does not have a very good track record of cultural representation by their own side.
You can provide your responses by filling up this short form. None of the questions is required so you can just fill in a few if you do not know the answer for all of them. Please try to fill out the form by July 15th so that they can get working on making this event happen.
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That's all for now but we will soon start to reach out to you regarding our exciting (and new) events in the upcoming year so stay tuned for that.
In the meantime, if you need any help or you have any concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to us.
And if you haven't already, don't forget to follow us on Instagram.
Thanks!
Yours faithfully,
Adarsh Kumar (he/him/his)
University of Rochester 2024/25
B. Sc. Computer Science | Minor in Business & Digital Media Studies
Co-founder & President – International Students’ Association
Resident Advisor – Hoeing 3 Long (First Year Quad)
Flying Officer – Indian Air Force
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