2013-11-01

              Creativity for Change, a cam­pus group that focuses on raising awareness of global issues, will be hosting a cabaret on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 in Hansen Student Center to raise money for End7.
“End7 is a group that seeks to end the world’s seven deadli­est tropical diseases, which can be done with a 50-cent pack of pills,” said Jenn Oswald, one of the founders of Creativity for Change. “So literally, 50 cents saves a life. With that, we are going to have a 50-cent suggest­ed donation entrance fee.”
When the group came across the End7 charity, they knew that it would be a great opportunity to not only help out but also to raise awareness among the mem­bers of the IWU community.
“It’s astounding to me that this problem is so easily solv­able and yet so neglected,” said Annie Kehler, another founder of Creativity for Change.
End7 has made it their goal to see the end to the Seven Neglect­ed Tropical Diseases by the year 2020. These diseases, including hookworm, Ascariasis and tra­choma, affect one in six people globally, which includes over a half billion children, specifically in places with poor sanitation and lack of access to medical care.
The victims of these diseases often lose their ability to go to school or work, which prevents them from achieving a better economic standing.
Without treatment, these dis­eases often cause lifelong dis­abilities and suffering. One 50-cent pack prevents the diseases for a full 12 months.
“Hopefully, with increased awareness and donations, people will begin to get the treatment that they desperately need,” Os­wald said. “And gradually, the diseases will start to become ob­solete once the source is dimin­ished.”
IWU’s Creativity for Change began in the fall of 2012 when Kehler and Oswald decided they wanted to make a difference in the world with seemingly un­solvable global issues – even from Bloomington, Ill.
Last year, the group hosted TOMS Week, which included One Day Without Shoes and Style Your Sole. They worked with the TOMS shoe company to make this event a success.
For One Day Without Shoes, IWU students walked around barefoot for the entire day to bring awareness both to partici­pants and observers. Creativity for Change worked with TOMS for Style Your Sole to purchase shoes at a lower price, and after they came in, there was an event for students to paint and design their own shoes.
“We were really encouraged by the turnout and response at our TOMS event last semester,” said junior Sarah Menke, a mem­ber of Creativity for Change. “It was inspiring to see the impact we could make, even if it was just on our campus.”
Creativity for Change will be continuing their relationship with the company by showing their movie “Start Something That Matters” on Dec. 7.
“The goal of our organiza­tion is to use all of this creative energy that we have to make a tangible difference with the re­sources that we have within our reach,” Oswald said. “This is our first large-scale event, and we are hoping for a good turnout. As we grow, we are hoping to start having regularly scheduled events and finding new proj­ects to unite the arts and world awareness.”
At the End7 event, junior Nick Castellanos will MC and will do some standup comedy. There will also be individual musical performances from juniors Jor­dan Lipes and Brittany Ambler, first-year Conor Finnerty and ju­nior Halimah Nurullah as well as group performances from Touch of Class and Red Scarves.
This event is highly anticipat­ed by the group, and they hope for an excellent turn out to raise funds. “We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Cre­ativity for Change,” Menke said.
On Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hansen Student Cen­ter, Dr. Maura Cullen will speak on micro-aggressions as part of the YWCA Racial Summit, which will be held the next day.
After receiving her doctorate in social justice and diversity education from the University of Massachusetts, Dr. Cullen began sharing her expertise as a trainer and keynote speaker across the country.
Over 25 years later, she is considered one of the leading authorities on issues of diversity and has worked with hundreds of organizations to present her dy­namic seminars concerning op­pression and micro-aggression.
“Dr. Cullen has been referred to as being the best there is at simplifying the complex issues of diversity in an entertaining and educational manner,” As­sociate Dean of Student Affairs Darcy Greder said. “By utilizing her wonderful sense of humor and real life stories, she reso­nates with her audience without being aggressive or domineer­ing.”
Micro-aggressions, the center of Dr. Cullen’s talk on Thursday, are defined as brief and com­monplace verbal, behavioral or environmental interactions that communicate negative, deroga­tory, even hostile feelings to­wards someone of a different race, gender, culture, etc.
Often, these micro-aggres­sions are not consciously acted out, and even well-intentioned people can unwillingly commit these errors without realizing that their actions are motivated by bias.
“Let’s look at the example of a Latina being overly compliment­ed on her verbal skills. Eventu­ally, the recipient is filled with questions such as, ‘What is a Latina supposed to sound like?’ or, ‘Am I any less of a Latina because I do not sound a certain way?’” senior peer educator Josi Bañales said. “The everyday slight allows for prejudiced atti­tudes and stereotypical beliefs to go masked because they may ap­pear as sincere, even flattering, comments or behaviors.”
While individuals may not always be aware of these micro-aggressions, many faculty and students believe it is our respon­sibility as a campus to become educated about why micro-ag­gressions occur, how they func­tion and how people contribute to their persistence on campus.
“Understanding micro-ag­gressions allows all of us to understand oppression,” Dean of Students Karla Carney-Hall said. “Knowing how to respond to micro-aggressions empowers all of us to create inclusive com­munities by reducing ignorance and intolerance.”
Assistant Dean of Students Matthew Damschroeder said, “Creating a safe space for stu­dents to authentically be them­selves is necessarily about re­moving obstacles to success academically, socially and de­velopmentally.
“If we have the ability to make a person’s stay easier, I would say we also have an obli­gation to do so. Avoiding micro-aggressions and creating a safe space accomplishes this,” Dam­schroeder said.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF UTA.EDU
Volume 120 | Issue 8 blogs.iwu.edu/argus/ November 1, 2013
Men’s cross coun­try show off their manliness as they prepare for confer­ence
FEATURES, p. 7
Seek wholeness rather than happiness
OPINIONS, p. 8
Titans thunder past nationally-ranked Wheaton College
SPORTS, BACK PAGE
Creativity for Change plans End7 event
REBEKAH SMITH
NEWS EDITOR
Argus
the
Illinois Wesleyan University
Dr. Maura Cullen visits Illinois Wesleyan
TIA SPRENGEL
STAFF WRITER
Dr. Cullen has been a speaker across the country for over 25 years. She is a recognized expert in micro-aggressions and social justice.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JENN OSWALD