Expressions of Diversity Conference
Monday, April 28
Hollywood Nights - Movie: Promises
Presenter: Wendy DiMatteo
8 - 10 p.m. Gleason, A055
Summary:
In a place such as the Middle-East, where conflict often turns to hatred, the concept of peace typically becomes little more than that; a concept. The documentary Promises, by Justine Shapiro and B.Z. Goldberg offers a glimmer of hope to the possibility of reconciliation in these extreme situations, as we see the changes that take place in the lives of the young Palestinian and Israeli children that he interviews, who have lived their formative years in the throes of such a toxic environment.
Bio:
Wendy has been an employee of RIT since 1988, working as Information Delivery Services and Serials Technician at Wallace Library from 1988 – 1998, and Staff Specialist for SAISD (Substance and Alcohol Intervention Services for the Deaf) since 1998.
Tuesday, April 29
The Avatars of American Sign Language, The Postbeat Poets, and the Museum of American Poetics: A Discussion on Poetry, Diversity, and the Digital Age
Presenter: James Cohn
4 - 5:30 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
Although many conventions have changed during the digital revolution, the one that has changed least is the production of bad art. The best poets are avatars of culture, bearers of specific enlightened ways of thinking, feeling, living and being in the world. This informal conversation with poet, scholar, and disability specialist Jim Cohn will present the history of his identification with ASL poetry, how that identification informed his ideas of a Postbeat poetics, and what changes in technology suggest about those that make, analyze and appreciate the people’s poetry.
Bio:
The author of five collections of poetry, Jim Cohn received his M.S. Ed. in English and Deaf Education from the University of Rochester and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. In 1987, he coordinated the first, historic National Deaf Poetry Conference. During the summer of 1997, he founded the on-line Museum of American Poetics (MAP) at http://www.poetspath.com. He is also the author of two books of prose: Sign Mind: Studies in American Sign Language Poetics and Golden Body: Meditations on the Essence of Disability. In January of 2008, he published an article entitled "Postbeat Poets" for Wikipedia.
Comic Art Super Heroes: Drawn to Diversity
Presenters: Dan Napolitano & Students from Alfred University
7 - 9 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
Comic Art Super Heroes Drawn to Diversity features a cast of "super art heroes" who use comic books, advertising, and other popular mediums to explore diversity. The program travels through history with tales of equality and art while getting the audience involved through art projects, contests, and give-a-ways. The program is insightful and entertaining for educators, parents, and college students. Comic Art Super Heroes Drawn to Diversity creatively "teaches history, inspires artists, cultivates dialogue, and fights ignorance" and recently partnered with Wegman's Food Markets to bring educational posters into the supermarket aisles.
Bios:
Dan Napolitano has served as Alfred University’s Director of Student Activities and Multicultural Affairs for the past 14 years. His background in art education brings a unique approach to teaching important lessons about diversity and equality. Napolitano has presented to the Syracuse City School Districts faculty regarding the history of Hip Hop music as well as numerous presentations dealing with diversity in pop culture. Napolitano currently is teaching a course on the history of diversity in advertising.
Jessica Cabrera (from the Bronx): Senior Communications Studies major is pursuing a career in student affairs and is applying to graduate programs. Jessica founded The Taste Buds to use food to explore culture.
Callie Rimmel (from Pittsburgh): Senior Art education major is the founder of Alfred University’s art therapy club and is actively seeking a related graduate program once she completes her student teaching in the fall.
Gustavo Galvan (from Dallas): Sophomore Art major is the future of Drawn to Diversity taking the lead from Jessica Cabrera and organizing future topics.
Craig Arno (Hornell, NY): Senior Spanish major is seeking a graduate program in linguistics. Craig is president of Poder Latino, a Latino-support group at Alfred.
Zachary “Mookie” Smith (Elmira, NY): Sophomore Business major plays football and is a Resident Assistant. He is currently researching Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis’ roles as advertising pitchmen.
Wednesday, April 30
Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty/Staff Pluralism Award Recognition Ceremony
Noon - 1 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
Named after the Commission for Promoting Pluralism's first Chairperson, Isaac L. Jordan, Sr., this ceremony recognizes the accomplishments of several RIT faculty and staff who have contributed in unique ways to diversity and pluralism. The Isaac L. Jordan Faculty/Staff Pluralism Award will be presented to an outstanding champion of diversity, recognizing a history of service and commitment toward diversity, inclusion and pluralism. In addition, nominees of this award will be honored for their achievements.
Stereotypes of Native Americans in Movies
Presenters: Peter Jemison and Jason T. Younker
3 - 4:30 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
This presentation will allow for participants to view Hollywood’s version of how Native Americans have been portrayed in movies. At the conclusion of the movie segment, participants will dialogue with Minett Professor, Peter Jemison, member of the Huron Clan and Jason Younker, member of the Coquille Indian Tribe, about the negative and dangerous impact misrepresentation can have on a culture.
Bios:
Peter Jemison is the 2008-2008 Minett Professor. Mr. Jemison joins a long line of distinguished community members serving RIT as adjunct faculty in the College of Liberal Arts, and advocates for the diversity initiatives in place, and growing, at the university. Mr. Jemison is a member of the Heron Clan and an enrolled member of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Throughout his life he has served as an art educator, museum and gallery curator, historian and currently is the Historic Site Manager for the Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, N.Y. and recognized for his artworks. Jemison’s work has been featured in several books about Native American Art and he has exhibited widely in the United States and abroad. In the last several years, besides managing the Ganondagan Historic Site, he taught in the American Studies Department at SUNY Buffalo. He currently serves on President George W. Bush’s Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, representing Native Americans and Hawaiians.
Jason T. Younker (Ph.D. 2003, Cultural Anthropology, University of Oregon) is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts and Assistant to the Provost for Native American Affairs at RIT. He is a member of the Coquille Indian Tribe of North Bend, Oregon and serves on the Coquille Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.
Hollywood Nights – Movie: Remember the Titans
Presenter: Donna Rubin
8 – 10 p.m. Gleason, A055
Summary:
It's 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia and successful high school football coach Bill Yoast (Will Patton) has just been deprived of the head coaching job at the new integrated T.C. Williams High School to make way for equally successful black coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington). Yoast debates pursuing opportunities elsewhere, but when most of his white players vow to sit out the season unless he coaches, he changes his mind and stays on as Boone's assistant. Throughout training camp and the season, Boone and Yoast's black and white players learn to accept each other, to work together, and that football knows no race. As they learn from each other, Boone and Yoast also learn from them and in turn, the whole town learns from the team, the Titans. Thus, they are prepared to pursue the State Championship and to deal with an unthinkable tragedy that threatens to sink their perfect season. Ryan Hurst, Wood Harris, Donald Faison, Ryan Gosling, Hayden Panettiere, and Kate Bosworth co-star.
Bio:
Donna began her career at RIT as a mental health counselor in NTID’s Psychological Services Department. She was the Clinical Director of the RIT Counseling Center for ten years and has been the Director of the Women’s Center for 3 years.
Thursday, May 1
Presentation Title: Left Brain / Right Brain: Arts vs. Sciences
Presenters: Michael Peres and David Cok
Noon - 1:30 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
People recognize objects, other people, and general characteristics in images and sounds quite readily and rapidly. Can this right-brain-like capability be emulated by left-brain-like computers?
At RIT, science and art merge; creativity collides with cutting edge technology. Do these diverse worlds work together or are they opposites? This panel discussion will focus on the seemingly divergent goals of traditional right brain/left brain thinking where both work together toward a desired end. Questions like these will be discussed with the presenters below.
Bios:
Professor Michael Peres, Chair, BioMedical Photographic Communications/College of Imaging Arts and Sciences. Peres’ specialty is bio-medical photography as well as photomicrography. He teaches a week-long course "Imaging through the Light Microscope" in conjunction with the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. In the spring of 2003, Peres was awarded the prestigious Eisenhart Award for outstanding teaching and in the summer of 2007 received the Schmidt medal for outstanding contributions to the field of biocommunications.
Dr. David Cok is an expert in image processing, computational science, and their applications in photography and digital imaging. He is currently a Research Fellow within the Kodak Research Laboratories. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard University and has worked in digital imaging at Kodak since the early days of digital photography, as well as in atomic and molecular spectroscopy and software formal methods. His research applications in digital imaging include CCD image reconstruction, uses of birefringent filters, and many inventions and applications of image processing. He has also led internal and product development programs, such as the Premier Image Enhancement System, the Cineon image compositing system, and the research that led to the Kodak Perfect Touch technology. He is a Kodak Distinguished Inventor and twice the recipient of the Kodak Team Achievement award.
Partnerships in Pluralism Reunion
3 - 4 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
Have you ever wondered about a new neighbor, co-worker, or classmate from a different culture and tried to approach them to learn more about who they were, yet backed away unsure of what to say? What if there was a way to do this in a structured environment, among friends and peers? At RIT, there is such a way.
A premier program facilitating communications across cultures is the RIT Partnerships in Pluralism Program. Taking diverse faculty and staff, pairing them together and structuring activities over a year, the program has opened the door to meaningful communication and rich friendships. Partnerships in Pluralism is now 4 years old and boasts more than 100 campus pairs.
Join us to celebrate current and previous Partners, and to encourage new participants, as we celebrate the 1st Partnerships in Pluralism Reunion is taking place and the campus community is invited to attend the Reunion, to learn more about the Partnerships in Pluralism Program and to join the group for next year’s session.
Hollywood Nights – Movie: Audism
Presenter: Joan Naturale
8 - 10 p.m. Gleason, A055
Summary:
What is Audism? It is an attitude based on pathological thinking which results in a negative stigma toward anyone who does not hear; like racism or sexisim, audism judges, labels and limits individuals on the basis of whether a person hears and speaks” Humphrey & Alcorn, 1995 (p. 85). The film featured deaf and hard of hearing people relating history and experiences from attempts to cure deafness to communication breakdowns between deaf people and their hearing families and problems like job discrimination. Ignorance is the root of audism and ongoing discussion--including campus workshops on these topics--can help people become aware of their patterns of behavior and take steps to change them.
Bios:
Joan is the NTID Reference Librarian at RIT Libraries (9 years). She has been in the field of Deaf Education for 25 years and has worked at Alabama School for the Deaf, Northwestern Connecticut Community College and Austine School for the Deaf.
Joseph Kolash, will be the student facilitator.
Friday, May 2
Higher Education Panel: How Diversity Drives Innovation on Neighboring Campuses
Presenters: Inter-Collegiate Diversity Agora
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. SAU, Fireside Lounge
Summary:
A variety of area colleges and universities come together to share their approaches and strategies for fostering a campus atmosphere that allows for intellectual growth, respectfulness and greater inclusion of diversity. The question of how diversity drives innovation will be the theme of a forum focused on educational institutions' responsibility to foster an environment where students, faculty and staff can incorporate multiple perspectives, divergent ideas, and work together toward creating more welcoming and pluralistic campus community.