INSID E THIS

ISSUE:

CHC Keynote Speaker

NASA

NAHM Keynote

Speaker

ALANA Breakfast

ACE Workshops

Loyola Lingo

Gratias

Important Dates

Let’s Talk: Stress & Relaxation

It is very hard to believe that November is here already. This year’s national events have presented us with the opportunity to reexamine what justice and being ‘men and women for and with others’ means to each of us. I urge you to take the time this holiday season to reflect on the blessings you and those around have and consider how you might strive for excellence when it comes to being a servant leader in a diverse and changing world. Academically, I encourage you to proceed confidently, cautiously and courageously.

The ALANA Services office has been very busy with successful programming such as the 33rd Annual International Fest and Caribbean Heritage Celebration. We are also very excited about our celebration in honor of Native American Heritage Month. Please join us for our keynote luncheon on Tuesday, November 14th.

In light of celebrations, the holiday season is also fast approaching, and I hope that we will allow the spirit of each of those distinct holidays to serve as an opportunity to give to others.

Happy Holidays, Rodney L. Parker

Director’s Corner

Anthem N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

ALANA

STAFF:

Rodney Parker

Director

Raven Williams

Associate Director

Julie Rivera

Assistant Director

Joseleen Gomez

Administrative Assistant

Aliyah Johnson

Graduate Assistant

Taylor Butts

Graduate Assistant

James Willey

Graduate Assistant

Caribbean Heritage Celebration

November marks the commencement of Caribbean

Heritage Celebration (CHC). America and the

Caribbean nations share a common history of oppression

and liberation. As we celebrate Caribbean heritage, it is

important to recognize the plethora of contributions they

have made to better the American society. They

represented this country as athletes, political officials,

educators, military servicemen and servicewomen,

community leaders, and innovative students. For more

information, please be aware of upcoming events of

celebration and education from our Caribbean Students

Union!

Native American Heritage Month

During November, it is important to celebrate and

recognize Native American Heritage Month. We

often overlook the travesties that have been done to

the people who are indigenous to this land.

Indigenous people are an often overlooked

population in the United States and it is important to

continually educate ourselves not only about the

history of Native Americans, but also how they are

systematically oppressed today. To learn more,

please attend the events ALANA Services has planned for Native American Heritage Month.

ALANA Celebrates Caribbean & Native American Heritage

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Hurricane Maria

Although there has been a humanitarian effort to support and rebuild Puerto Rico, it is important to re-

member there is still much work to be done. Most of the island is still struggling to get power and there is

still a strong need to get supplies to Puerto Rico. And remember that while some are able to go home

this holiday season, others are not as fortunate to do so. When you are home for the holidays, have you

and your relatives make a small donations to the many charities trying to get supplies for the island, such

as the Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Fund, the Food Bank (Banco de Alimentos) of Puerto Rico, or

UNICEF. While it may take a long time to rebuild, we must keep lending our support. ALANA Services

and Loyola are here to support our students who have been affected by Hurricane Maria.

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ELIZABETH ACEVEDO was born and raised

in New York City and her poetry is infused

with Dominican bolero and her beloved city’s

tough grit.

She holds a BA in Performing Arts from The

George Washington University and an MFA

in Creative Writing from the University of

Maryland. With over twelve years of perfor-

mance experience, Acevedo has been a fea-

tured performer on BET as well as delivered

several TED Talks.

She has graced stages nationally and interna-

tionally including renowned venues such as

The Lincoln Center, Madison Square Garden,

the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts,

and South Africa’s State Theatre; she is also

well known for poetry videos, which have

been picked up by PBS, Latina Maga-

zine, Cosmopolitan, and Upworthy. Acevedo is a National Slam Champion, Belt-

way Grand Slam Champion, and the 2016

Women of the World Poetry Slam repre-

sentative for Washington, D.C, where she

lives and works.

Her poems have been published or are forth-

coming in Puerto Del Sol, Callaloo, Poet

Lore, and others. Acevedo is a Cave Canem

Fellow, Cantomundo Fellow, and participant

of the Callaloo Writer's Workshop. She is

the author of the chapbook, Beastgirl & Oth-

er Origin Myths and the forthcoming nov-

el, The Poet X!

Caribbean Heritage Celebration: Keynote Speaker

P A G E 2 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

http://www.acevedopoetry.com/aboutliz/

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The fall semester is almost over! Wow—time flies. Getting back into the swing of things after a Summer break leaves us all

flowing between a range of emotions as the commotion of a new school year begins. There old and new friends, new learning opportunities and old habits, so much to do and so little time. It is so very easy to take on too much and quickly become overwhelmed. As we grow, we tend to take on new responsibilities that help develop us as scholars, servant leaders, and helpers. While these opportunities can bring out the best in us, they can be stressful to manage.

This semester in particular, we have all seen tragedy after tragedy and are forced to cope and move forward. Lately the buzzword self-care is tossed around but what does that really mean? What are you doing to make sure you’re functioning at your best? Do me a favor: Breathe in….now breathe out. Stay grounded and centered this season by choosing rest or moving in slow motion. In the midst of all your doing and getting, make time to connect with nature, your loved ones, and yourself. Consider what things recharge you, and actually do those things while you have down time.

Take some time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t this semester. Use this as fuel to propel you into the next semester and make it even better! If your semester did not go as planned, stay encouraged. This time of year commemorates moments in history that symbolize rebirth and restoration after terrible losses. You could take your shortcomings at face value, or you can reconsider them as a revealing of your growing edges. Remain diligent as you enter the new year knowing that more learning opportunities await you. Make your next year your best year.

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and a New Year full of Peace and Joy!

Rest, Rebirth, & Restoration

Native American Heritage

Month Luncheon

Ashley Minner is a community based visual artist, folklorist and storyteller from

Baltimore, Maryland. A member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina, she has

been active in the Baltimore Lumbee community for many years, and regularly visits

communities throughout the U.S South and Latin America as well. Ashley works as a

folklorist for the Maryland Traditions Program of the Maryland State Arts Council

and is a part-time lecturer in the Department of American Studies at UMBC. She

also coordinates Artists U Baltimore, a grassroots planning and professional

development program run by and for artists. Ashley holds a BFA in General Fine

Art, an MA and an MFA in Community Art, which she earned at Maryland Institute

College of Art. She is currently a PhD student in the Department of American

Studies at University of Maryland College Park, where she is studying relationships

between the Baltimore Lumbee community and the neighborhood where they first

settled. Ashley was a 2016 Innovative Cultural Advocacy Fellow with the Caribbean

Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) in NY, NY. She is most

Inspired by the beauty of everyday people.

Please join us for our Keynote Luncheon on Tuesday, November 14th from 12pm

to 1:30pm in McGuire Hall. RSVP to jcrivera@loyola.edu if you are interested.

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ALANA Breakfast featured a wonderful keynote

address from Dr. Paola Pascual-Ferra, Department of

Communications, highlighting the importance of your

life’s journey and the different paths you may take

along the way. Thank you to all of the families and

students that attended the Breakfast.

Alexandria Best, a Junior, noted: I truly enjoyed

the ALANA breakfast. Dr. Pascual-Ferra’s speech

was genuine and showed us all that we do night have

to always have everything figured out right away.”

A huge THANK YOU goes out to Event Services and

Evergreen Catering for making this event possible.

The ALANA Breakfast took

place this year on October 7th in

McGuire Hall. The event warmly

welcomed families back to Loyola

for Family Weekend. Families came

from far and wide to fellowship

over good food, performances and

a keynote address. This year, clubs

showcased their talents, ranging

from spoken word pieces to

musical selections.

Many students were eager to

either introduce or reacquaint their

families with the ALANA staff. The

The 24th Annual ALANA Breakfast

LOYOLA LINGO: Service

As we get closer to the holiday season, it is important to not

only find joy in celebrating the holidays and getting time off

from school, but also to reflect on how to make the holidays

better for those who are less fortunate.

One of the core values in the Jesuit tradition is Service.

The Jesuits believe that it is important to be of service be-

cause you must be fully engaged with the world around you.

They believe that while it is okay to celebrate your world

when it is great, that may not be the world that everyone

lives in.

This year, challenge yourself to not only commit yourself to

service not only when you are spending time at Loyola or to

the Baltimore area, but carry that philosophy to wherever

home is for you and to always live by that principle.

Source: www.loyola.edu; Loyola University Maryland

P A G E 4 N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7

(pictured above: Chosen Generation

Gospel Choir)

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On October 7th, Loyola celebrated the 25th annual Gratias ceremony to recognize those who have shown

exemplary dedication to the Loyola community, Jesuit values and ideals, and various leadership organizations on

campus.

The Award for Diversity is one that is bestowed upon members of the Loyola community who consistently give of

not only their time and intellect but their passion and talents to promote and recognize the value of diversity and the

need for justice in our community and in our world.

These “bridge-builders” are prime examples of students whom we are preparing in the Jesuit tradition to “lead, learn

and serve in a diverse and changing world.”

Congratulations to Gratias Recipients

Award recipients at the 25th annual Gratias ceremony (from left to right): Joy Holland and Alicia

Espinal-Mesa

Omicron Delta Kappa

Leadership Honors Society

Emily Mansour

Casie Morgan

Juliana Mae Neves

Maria Anne Louis-Charles

Justin Montague

Stephon Smith

Udval Yun

Jordan Zolliecoffer

The Green and Grey Society

Eric Baker

Clarissa Gonzalez

Andrew Hahm

Joy Holland

Deborah Kim

Angela Monfiletto

Joey Patron

Yamilex Pena

Jonathan Rodriguez

The Community Service Award

Joseph Aguilera

Shardaye Makle

Diane Geppi-Aikens

Service to Loyola Award

Alicia Espinal-Mesa

Joy Holland

Diversity Award

MOSAIC, a Women of Color Initiative

Cura Personalis Award

Angela Monfiletto

Yamilex Pena

Joseph Aguilera

Christopher Roque Mateo

Mickey (Abel) Watson

Michelle Tiffany Boca

Charles Lewin-Smith

Magis Scholar-Leader Award

Julie Alejo

Deborah Kim

Casie Morgan

Juliana Mae Neves

Mariana Rojas

Rodlyn-Mae Banting

Zalen King

Justin Montague

Christopher Roque Mateo

Udval Yun

Alexandria Agee

Adelina Harvey

Michelle Reilly

Cierra Lynn Thurmond

Hector Trujillo

Please join ALANA Services

in congratulating these

and other students who

received awards at Gratias!

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November 2017 Native American Heritage Month

December 2017

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N O V E M B E R

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 BSA Fashion Show

Table

(11am-2pm, Boulder

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3 4

5

CSU GBM

(7-8pm; CMC)

6 BSA GBM

(7-8pm, Reading

Room)

ACA GBM

(6-7pm, CMC)

7 Sister to Sister

(5-6:30pm, CMC)

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10 11

Last Day of Classes

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Study Day

ACE Destress Break

(11am-4pm; CMC)

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Exams

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Exams

15

Exams

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Exams

17

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Exams

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Exams

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Exams

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Exams

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University Closed for

Winter Break

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 ACE Workshop

(12-1pm, CMC)

ALAS GBM

(6-7pm, CMC)

2 3

International Festi-

val

(3-5pm; McGuire)

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5 6

7 Hora de Café con Leche

(3-4pm, CMC)

MAN2MAN

(5-6:30pm; Cohn 133)

CSU Keynote

(7-9pm; 4th FL Programming

Room))

ASA GBM

(7-8pm, CMC)

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CSU Bake Sale

(12-2pm; Boulder)

ACA GBM

(6-7pm; CMC)

BSA GBM

(7-8pm; CMC)

9

Sister to Sister

(5-6:30PM; CMC)

10

BSA Fashion Show

Table

(11am-2pm, Boulder)

Carribean Midnight

Breakfast

(12-2am, Boulder)

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Caribana

(6-8pm, McGuire)

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14 NAHM Keynote and

Luncheon

(12-1:30 pm; 4th Floor

PR)

CSU GBM

(7-8pm, CMC)

15

ACE Workshop

(12-1pm; CMC)

ALAS GBM

(6-7pm, CMC)

16

ACA Roll your

own Sushi

(7-9pm, 4th FL

Program Room)

17

BSA Fashion Show

Table

(11am-2pm, Boulder)

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19 20 21

22

23

24

25

26 27

Classes Resume

28 ASA GBM

(6-7pm; CMC)

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ACE Workshop

(12-1pm; CMC)

ALAS GBM

(6-7pm, Reading

Room)

30 Sister to Sister

(5-6:30PM; CMC)

BSA/WLOY Poetry

Slam

(8-10pm, Starbucks)

2017-2018

ALANA Organization Presidents

African Student Association Adefunke Atitebi & Abena Baffoe-

Bonnie

Asian Cultural Alliance Jenica Rosales

Association of Latin American & Spanish Students

Paula Matsunaga & Kamilia Arroyo

Black Student Association Taraja Arnold

Caribbean Student Union Alicia Espinal-Mesa & Joe Aguilera

ALANA Services’ Mission Statement

ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, and Native American) Ser-

vices is committed to providing support, services, and pro-

grams that facilitate the success of all ALANA students at

Loyola University Maryland.

Through intentional programming and a spectrum of ser-

vices, we foster the academic, cultural, personal, spiritual

and

leadership development of ALANA students. Furthermore,

we seek to create and maintain an environment of respect

and awareness, while advocating for ALANA students and

responding to their needs.

Phone: 410-617-2310

Web: http://www.loyola.edu/

alana

Loyola University Maryland

4501 North Charles Street

Andrew White Student Center E313

Let’s Talk: Stress and Relaxation

Toward a More Positive Body Image

Concerns about one’s appearance and being liked are normal, but can sometimes become destructive as one tries to fit in at college. Expectations about body size, ability, health, gender expression, complexion, style, etc. are shaped by endless media images exalting certain narrow standards, while normal diversity is mostly ignored. At Loyola, the Counseling Center helps students, through our public health initiatives, to look critically at such messages, while encour-aging them to appreciate the beauty in every body. Simply finding ways to look more positively and realistically at one’s body, along with developing a healthier lifestyle, can often move one toward a more positive body image. This approach includes recommendations like:

Take time every day to appreciate all that your body can do, from walking to breathing, laughing to digesting—even the ability to sit upright can be seen as a miracle.

Keep a list of things you like about yourself—things that are not related to your appearance. Read your list often, and add to it as you become aware of more things you like about your-self.

Surround yourself with positive people. It is easier to feel good about yourself and your body when you are around others who are supportive and like you just as you naturally are.

Do something to help others. Reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can make a positive change in our world.

These and many other helpful suggestions and resources are availa-ble through the Loyola Counseling Center’s website, at www.loyola.edu/counselingcenter. Some students, though, will need additional help to feel better about themselves. Every year, hundreds of students make use of Loyola’s Counseling Center to work toward such goals. The Coun-seling Center is staffed by highly trained professionals who enjoy working with students. Counseling might include individual and/or group treatment, and can be very effective. Counselors help stu-dents feel more in control of their lives and better able to cope with whatever difficulties might arise as they move through college, and beyond. To make an appointment at the Counseling Center, students can call 410-617-CARE, or simply stop by the Center. We’re convenient-ly located in Humanities 150—directly across from Starbucks—and we’re open every weekday, 8:30 to 5:00.

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