MWCC's weekly e-newsletter

Friday, Feb. 24, 2006

TIM WISE CHALLENGES AUDIENCE TO COMBAT RACISM

By Kimberly B. Caisse

	Tim Wise

Tim Wise, the college’s first 2006 What’s Next Speaker Series guest, challenged the more than 650 people gathered in the auditorium Friday, Feb. 17 to get together “in community” to figure out how to combat racism.

After about 45 minutes of describing under-reported statistics and results of studies on racism, the history of racism in the United States and the inequities caused by white privilege, Wise asked: “Where does this leave us?”

“I would suggest to you that it is not my job to tell you what to do with this information,” he said. “It is not my job to tell you in what direction to go, because the history of anti-racist movements, social justice movements, is a history of people figuring that out amongst themselves in community—sitting down and sweating it out, thinking it over for hours, and not turning to experts for the answers.”

Ella Baker, who is considered an unsung hero of the Civil Rights Movement for her work behind the scenes encouraging young people and poor people to participate in the struggle, believed in this model, Wise said.

“Those young people changed this country, perhaps more so than the people whose names we hear about, as important as they are—Dr. King, Rosa Parks,” he said.

“So I trust that you will get together and you will sweat it out and try to figure out, in light of the things I’ve said and others have said, what does one do about racism in the schools? What does one do about racial profiling by police? What does one do about discrimination in the job market? There are no easy answers. But we must ask the right questions,” Wise said.

“The biggest problem that keeps us from doing this work, the biggest problem that keeps us from taking up this challenge in the society in which we live, is the belief that…it’s really not our job to fix it. After all, we didn’t create it and we can’t be the ones to fix it. It’s not our fault. It’s not our responsibility,” he said. “I want to tell you how I know that’s not a legitimate attitude.”

Wise told a story of a roommate who cooked a pot of gumbo and, after he and his roommates ate some, left it to rot on the stove—for over 36 hours. “It was like he made the gumbo as a practical joke and left town,” Wise said.

Completely disgusted by the stench, Wise finally gave in and cleaned up the gumbo. “It was at that moment I realized something: It really didn’t matter whether I had made the mess in that kitchen, it really didn’t matter that I hadn’t made the gumbo,” Wise said. “The only thing that mattered was that I was tired of living in the funk. I decided, ‘I’m just going to clean it.’

“And the same is true with human societies,” he continued. “When we get tired of living in the funk, in the residue of someone else’s idea of a fair and legitimate system, then we will clean it up. Not because we are to blame for its creation, but because we are responsible for its eradication.”

“And if we do not take that responsibility seriously, then this society upon which we depend is not going to survive significantly longer,” Wise warned. “It’s certainly not going to survive as an equitable and peaceful and legitimate society that you’d want your children and grandchildren to live in. So I hope that you will take it seriously. I hope that you will see it as your responsibility. I hope that you will fight racism and other forms of injustice as if your life depended on it, because their lives probably do.”

Members of the audience included students from Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Murdock, Narragansett Regional and Oakmont Regional high schools and from Berkshire, Cape Cod, Holyoke, Mass Bay, Massasoit, Mount Wachusett, North Shore, Quinsigamond and Springfield Technical community colleges.

Several MWCC faculty incorporated the book into their spring 2006 class syllabus, while others plan to do so next year. For instance, Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems Tina Wilson designed a web page development project around Wise’s anti-racism message, with attending the lecture being a key requirement.

DVDs of Wise’s lecture, including a half-hour question-and-answer period, are available from the Media Services Office. Contact media@mwcc.mass.edu or ext. 188 for more information. Wise’s appearance was sponsored by the college’s Center for Democracy and Humanity and the Multicultural Awareness Committee.

The What’s Next Speaker Series continues Friday, March 31 at 10 a.m. when Teri Mills and Alisa Schneider speak about their effort to create an U.S. Office of the National Nurse. For more information on the speaker series, contact Kimberly B. Caisse at (978) 630-9547 or whatsnext@mwcc.mass.edu.

Other MWCC News :

	Huck Finn, played by Sam Simahk, and Jim, played by Gary Martin, sail down the mighty Mississippi River searching for freedom and discovering the value of true friendship in Theatre at the Mount’s production of “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”

• Theatre at the Mount kicks off its 2006 season with “Big River, the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” tonight (Friday, Feb. 24), Saturday, Feb. 25, Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 at 8 p.m. and Sundays Feb. 26 and March 5 at 2 p.m. Season tickets for all five shows are only $65 and are on sale now. To purchase season tickets or request a season brochure, call the Theatre at the Mount box office at (978) 632-2403. Tickets for individual shows are $18 or $15 for matinees. Tickets may also be purchased online at http://theatre.mwcc.edu.

• MWCC will hold “Idol at the Mount” auditions Saturday, Feb. 25 at noon sharp in room 182 at the college’s Gardner campus. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., but contestants are strongly encouraged to arrive early. Due to time constraints, the number of contestants may be limited. The “Idol at the Mount” competition will be held to determine the best vocal soloist in Central Massachusetts and to raise money for the many programs supported by United Way of North Central Massachusetts. Contestants must be 18 years of age or older and must prepare a 16- to 32-bar vocal selection from any musical genre, including pop, rock, show tunes, standards, country, classical, folk and jazz. Due to time constraints, the number of contestants may be limited. Contestants are urged to arrive early. Judges will select 12 finalists to compete for cash prizes and for the title “Idol at the Mount” Friday, April 7 at 8 p.m. on the Theatre of the Mount stage. Sponsored in part by MWCC, Aubuchon Hardware, Colonial Hotel and the United Way of North Central Massachusetts, additional information is available at www.uwncm.org, www.mwcc.edu or http://theatre.mwcc.edu, or by contacting “Idol at the Mount” coordinator Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162.

• Through Sunday, March 12, an exhibit of works by painter Kathleen Lovenbury of Royalston will be on display in the East Wing Gallery of the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center at MWCC’s Gardner campus. An artist’s reception will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the gallery. As a part of the Artist Lecture Series, Lovenbury will discuss her occupation as an art therapist on Tuesday, March 7, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the gallery. For more information, contact Professor John Pacheco at (978) 630-9184.

• Associate Professor of Nursing Raeann LeBlanc will give a “brown-bag lunch” presentation Monday, Feb. 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on her experience as a volunteer for the U.S. Public Health Commission in response to the emergency health care needs in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. For more information, contact the Department of Human Resources and Affirmative Action at (978) 630-9168.

• The First Connections Mothers Group’s weekly meetings are held Fridays in the Children’s Room at Levi Heywood Memorial Library from 10:30 a.m. to noon. All mothers and their babies are invited. At the gatherings, attendees discuss topics such as feeding, sibling rivalry, temper tantrums, appropriate toys, traveling with children and how to choose a daycare provider. For more information, contact MWCC Professor Nancy Duphily, the meeting facilitator, at nduphily@mwcc.mass.edu or (978) 630-9233. Duphily will be assisted by MWCC nursing students as part of their service-learning project.

• Golf lessons, directed by Mike Eagan, a PGA professional, will begin the week of Feb. 27 at the Fitness & Wellness Center. Participants need to bring their own clubs. The Fitness Center also has clubs available. Beginner, intermediate and advanced sessions will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:15 or 8:15 p.m. The cost is only $85 per session. Fitness & Wellness Center members are eligible for 10 percent discount. To register, call the Fitness Center at (978) 630-9212.

• MWCC will host a visit by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) Tuesday, Feb. 28, Wednesday, March 1 and Thursday, March 2 as part of the application process for continued accreditation of the college’s popular Nursing Program. The public is invited to comment on the MWCC associate’s degree Nursing Program and attend a meeting with the NLNAC visiting team members on Wednesday, March 1 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Murphy Conference Room at the Gardner campus. For more information, contact Anna Ruuska at aruuska@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC’s Business Department and Alpha Beta Gamma, in cooperation with Academic Career Counseling, will host a Marketing Career Panel for students on Wednesday, March 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the north cafeteria. Students will have an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of the panelists representing various areas of marketing: media (The Gardner News), manufacturing (SimplexGrinnell), hospitality (Four Points by Sheraton), retail (Aubuchon Hardware), broadcasting and more. For more information, contact Associate Professor and Business Department Chair Michael Greenwood at (978) 630-9553 or mgreenwood@mwcc.mass.edu.

• Theatre at the Mount and MWCC’s Humanities Division will host a free discussion and short performance entitled “Behind the Scenes: Big River” on Wednesday, March 1 at 11:40 a.m. in the MWCC auditorium. Director Rob Houle and cast members will discuss their perspectives on “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and will answer questions from the audience. Members of the cast also will perform a sneak preview of songs and scenes from the show. The lecture is free and open to students, staff, faculty and the general public. For more information on the lecture, contact Professor Gail Steele at (978) 630-9162 or by email at gsteele@mwcc.mass.edu.

• MWCC’s Entrepreneurial Resource Center and the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center will present a free seminar “What Is a Business Plan?” on Thursday, March 2, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in room 127 at the Gardner campus, 444 Green St. This free seminar will assist small business owners and those planning to start a small business with information critical for starting, growing and financing their business. Lisa Derby Oden, director of MWCC’s Entrepreneurial Resource Center, will conduct the seminar. To pre-register, contact MWCC Enrollment Services at (978) 630-9123. For more information, contact Denise Whitney at (978) 630-9124. In case of bad weather, the seminar will be held Thursday, March 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

• Register now for softball clinics for girls ages seven to 12 offered by the Fitness & Wellness Center. Directed by Galaxy U14 and U12 coaches, the sessions will cover fundamentals of hitting, fielding and pitching in the game of women’s softball. Clinics will be held on Sundays March 5, 12, 19, 26 and April 2. The cost is only $60. Call the Fitness Center at (978) 630-9212 to register.

• The new SAT Reasoning Test will be administered for those in the class of 2006 and beyond. It will contain new content and new types of questions in writing, math and critical reasoning. On the Saturdays of March 11, 18 and 25 from 8 a.m. to noon, MWCC will offer preparatory classes covering math and English for the April 1 SAT exam. The cost of $120 includes the required book. For a registration form or more information, contact MWCC’s Division of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development at (978) 630-9124 or lll@mwcc.mass.edu.

• Register now for the next four-week session of Preschool Yoga, which begins Monday, March 13 from 1 to 1:30 p.m., at the Fitness & Wellness Center at MWCC. Preschool children, ages 3 to 6, learn the power of movement and breath through music, games and simple yoga positions. Yoga games can help children balance and manage their emotions and to understand the emotions of others. The cost is only $20 with a family membership or $28 for non-members. Space is limited. Call (978) 630-9212 for more information.

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