The ICE ChestThe Monthly Newsletter of the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center 

EXPRESS YOURSELF... May 2012 

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you."

--Barbara Sher

First, I would like to say thank you to all our graduating Roadrunners for allowing the ICE Center to be a part of your life for the last four…maybe five years. We hope you will still visit us occasionally and share your future accomplishments. We know you will have many. Second, I would like to introduce myself; I am the newest addition to the ICE Center. My name is Yvonne Peña, I’m the new Assistant Dean of Students. If my name sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve been at UTSA for a little over two years now. My new responsibilities in the ICE Center will include strategic planning, assessment, and University outreach. I look forward to working with the ICE staff. I know that Ann Margaret Trujillo and Jennifer Rames have tremendous strengths that will continue to be utilized as we work to build upon the foundation already in place. I am also looking forward to working with our graduate students. They have energy, ideas and genuine passion for learning and improving their professional growth. I know I will learn a great deal from them. What should you expect to see in 2012-2013 from the ICE Center? For starters, Jennifer Rames will be in a new role. She was recently promoted to Associate Director for Service Learning. She is charged with designing and coordinating a comprehensive service-learning program across the university. Next, Ann Margaret Trujillo will be rolling out a new Peer Facilitator program called RAICES. Peer Facilitators will develop and facilitate out-of-classroom educational experiences to increase understanding of issues relating to culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, volunteerism, and politics. We are also in the process of job posting for the Program Coordinator for Volunteer Services. Lots of change in the ICE Office and we are excited about it! Finally, we are a team and with that, you will start to hear more from our key team players through this newsletter. We are changing the format, so that it’s more inclusive, because we all have knowledge worth sharing. The Director’s Message will now be titled ICE Cubes of Knowledge.

Go Runners! Yvonne Peña Assistant Dean of Students/ Director of ICE & SLD

ICE Cubes of Knowledge

United to Serve 2012 United to Serve is a UTSA tradition and system-wide volunteer initiative involving UT System students and student organizations in an effort to engage and mobilize volunteers in their community. On April 14, 2012 UTSA held its 8th annual United to Serve with 17 different service projects being done in the San Antonio community, 6 of which were organized by student organizations. 25 student organizations provided over 400 student volunteers for projects such as Any Baby Can at the 8th Annual Walk for Autism, landscaping with Boysville, Inc., improving Head Start Centers, painting at Catholic Charities, supporting For the Kids, and volunteering at the Food Bank, Girl Scouts of SW Texas, and Habitat for Humanity, just to name a few.

Rene Amaya from Catholic Charities had this to say about the VOICES and Sigma Lambda Beta volunteers that helped paint the Immigration Services building: “We had a great experience with the volunteers and they made our building look beautiful.” Stephanie Jerger of Any Baby Can also had great things to say about the VOICES and Zeta Tau Alpha volunteers that helped at the 8th Annual Walk for Autism: “Without our volunteers it is nearly impossible to make the Walk for Autism such a great success. We had a great turn out this year and we couldn’t have asked for a better group of volunteers.”

Diversity is… Working with different types of people! Accept everyone! We are all beautiful! Loving in spite of differences My friends are of all colors! Taking something from all cultures Diversity is Variety Diversity is accepting the differences of others People coming together regardless of race. Different races, genders, people, cultures coming together! Accepting all shapes and sizes Accepting others as they are Not separating people based on essentialized parts of their identities. Recognizing people as people. Everyone is beautiful being themselves Differences make people unique Being knowledgeable not ignorant then laughing at your ignorance! Showing respect for everyone’s different religions, backgrounds and cultures.

The Inclusion and Community Engagement Center has been asking

you to express yourself at our monthly First Friday programs. The UTSA

Community was asked to share what diversity, service, celebration, and

responsibility meant to them.

Celebration is.. Enjoying great times with those you love, even in bad times. Celebration is joy Groovy Joy Love your neighbor with peace Sports, family friends, getting an “A” on a test! Being with the ones you love in times of joy Rejoicing with the people most important to you and appreciating what’s been given to you in your life. Awesome! Thanks! UTSA Rocks! Celebration is celebrating Love and happiness!

How do you Crush discrimination? Love all, spread a smile. Be nice to all, don’t be mean. Accept others for who they are. Respect. By fighting ignorance. By calling it out and calling it ignorance. Broaden my diversity across the world. Not being afraid to be yourself. Be open minded. Standing up for others and speaking up. Be nice to everyone. By being accepting of others and learning. Stand up for my culture. No judgment on anyone. Focus on the good of everyone. Thinking of everyone as equals and not judging By contributing to the community. By treating people like people. By speaking up, don’t be afraid to take stance against the confiner and make change. Respect and openness. By providing an equal opportunity to all. To stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. Being kind-hearted. Educate yourself.. erase prejudice. Calling discrimination into consciousness is the best strategy to counteract it; unnamed, it cannot be challenged. By respecting everyone.

Service is… What brings a community closer together Caring for more than yourself Kindness, caring, compassion, and community Giving a helping hand to those in need Is indiscernible A non profit way to spread your love and care for humanity despite its faults It gets better, don’t give up Sacrifice for others as they would for you Showing compassion to those who cannot fend for themselves Giving oneself selflessly Being selfless and giving your time Showing compassion and making someone else feel a sense of purpose and hope Creating a greater community with every helping hand Helping any and everybody The ability to learn from everyone Helping save the world Providing what others don’t have Doing the right thing when no one is looking Doing more for others than yourself An academic community supporting diversity Helping out the less fortunate Making a difference

Responsibility is... Getting real Taking care of business Doing what you believe in Doing your stuff on time Being smart with the things you do Being accountable for your actions Supporting the people you love Honesty Commitment Taking a cab home Doing the right thing when no one else is looking Doing the right thing not always the fun things Holding yourself accountable Be yourself every day Keeping your promises Taking care of what needs to be done Make the right choice when no one is looking!

Thank you to the 2011-2012 VOICES Officers

Eliana Briceno

President Tanita Wiley

VP of Programs Steven Ordaz

VP of Membership Torrie Jackson

VP of Alternative Spring Break Janet Oyeteju

Special Projects Coordinator Karina Barger

Fundraising Coordinator Nico Cousby

Social Coordinator Owanari Bobmanuel

Public Relations Coordinator Sabrina Macal

Administrative Correspondent Adaeze Okoro

Historian Nathan McDuell

Webmaster

Congratulations to the 2012-2013 VOICES Officers

Tanita Wiley

President Nathan McDuell VP of Programs Torrie Jackson

VP of Membership Janet Oyeteju

VP of Alternative Spring Break Nicci Campbell

Special Projects Coordinator Nico Cousby

Fundraising Coordinator Christopher Brown Social Coordinator

Christina Adebowale Public Relations Coordinator

Jantel Fontenot Administrative Correspondent

Whitney Hopkins Historian

Courtney Hunter Webmaster

The Black Student Leadership Council and the Inclusion and Community Engagement Center held the 4th Annual UJIMA (oo-JEE-mah) Black Graduation and Achievement Ceremony on Monday, April 30, 2012. UJIMA celebrates and honors UTSA's Black and African-American graduating students each year and celebrates the achievements of Black and African-American community members who have held leadership positions on campus and in the San Antonio community. “The UJIMA principle teaches each family member to recognize that their own well-being is derived from their family and community’s well-being and that they must be concerned with the overall health of their family and community; and that the lives of each family member and that of the community are bound together,” said Victoria Garrett, President of the Black Student Leadership Council. “We believe this describes the family and community here at UTSA that each of you has become a part of during your journey towards graduation. It is that community of faculty, administrators, family members, and your fellow Roadrunners that has bonded together towards the common goal of student success. We want to take this time to recognize and celebrate the graduates that have contributed to the collective success of our community during their time at UTSA.” The Black Student Leadership Council presented three awards during the ceremony: The Ujima Leadership Award, The The Ujima Community Involvement Award, and The Ujima Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award. The Ujima Leadership Award was presented to DeMarcus Lewis for consistently encouraging students to get actively involved in their campus, especially in leadership opportunities. “DeMarcus is a role model and example to his fellow Roadrunners through showing how to balance academics, a leadership role in one of the largest student organizations on campus, and an on

campus job as a resident assistant,” Garrett said. “He has a heart for college students and want students to receive the same great experience he has had at UTSA.” The Ujima Leadership Award was presented Dezranique Stansberry for her leadership, professionalism, and personable attitude. “Dezranique is very involved on campus,” Garrett said. “As part of VOICES, in the past year she has dedicated 150 hours to community service projects. Some of these projects include: working with the homeless population at Haven for Hope and St. Vinny’s Bistro, as well as Habitat for Humanity, Alternative Spring Break, SAMM Ministries, the San Antonio Food Bank, and the list keeps growing.” The first Ujima Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award was presented to Dr. Marcheta Evans, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Development and President of the Black Faculty and Staff Association. “We wanted to recognize an outstanding member of this community who has been supportive of the efforts our African American/ Black community, we wanted to recognize a leader amongst our community, someone who has motivated us not only in the classroom but outside as well, a pioneer who has paved the way for many of us in this room,” Garrett said. Dr. Evans also served as the keynote speaker of the event. “Participating in graduation ceremonies is the most favorite part of my job as a faculty member and an administrator in higher education,” Evans said. Yvonne Peña, Assistant Dean of Students, concluded the ceremony, “Whereever life may take you – you will always be a part of this family, this community; we are part of your success and you are part of ours.”

Ujima

Inclusion and Community Engagement (ICE) Center Staff

Yvone Peña Ann Margaret Trujillo Jennifer Rames Assistant Dean of Students Associate Director Associate Director Cristina Dominguez Corey Benson Vanessa Vela Eraldo Elizondo Graduate Assistant Graduate Assistant Graduate Assistant Senior Student Assistant Charles Miles Ajai Muwwakkil Student Assistant Student Assistant UC 2.01.04 210-458-4770 www.utsa.edu/ice

Follow Us @UTSAvolunteers &

@UTSA_ICE

Like Us Facebook.com/ICEatUTSA

Congratulations, Cristina!

The Inclusion and Community Engagement

Center extends a heart-felt congratulations and thank

you to Cristina Dominguez, who has served as the Graduate Assistant for

Volunteer Services for the past year and graduates this

semester with a master’s degree in higher education

administration.