Worcester State University “opens doors to the American dream.” This was the Unity Day message brought to campus by keynote speaker Jose Luis Santos, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education’s Senior Deputy Commissioner.
“We often refer to colleges or universities that are doing it right as engines of opportunity, engines of equality, and that’s what Worcester State is,” he said at the Unity Day flag raising on Sept 24.
On Worcester State’s third annual Unity Day, the university had many milestones to celebrate. “This year is our 150th anniversary as an institution,” said President Barry M. Maloney. “Ever since 1874, we have been committed to making sure that we provide opportunity for all people and all backgrounds in this community.”
In addition, the Latino Education Institute is celebrating its 25th anniversary, the MLK Youth Breakfast is celebrating its 30th, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs recently celebrated its 50th. “These celebrations outline a proud history of this institution in terms of providing opportunity and celebrating inclusion and equity across the campus,” Maloney said.
More than 150 students, staff, and faculty had gathered on the Common Ground outside the Student Center to celebrate unity and growing diversity with speeches and the raising of the HACU flag.
With a 19 percent Latine student population, Worcester State has met the criteria to be an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution and is on its way to becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), a designation used by the US Department of Education for colleges and universities where at least 25% of the full time undergraduate student population is Hispanic. HSIs play a crucial role in educating Hispanic and Latine students.
This academic year, Worcester State welcomed the most diverse incoming first-year class in its history. Now, 38 percent of the university’s students are people of color. “These are significant achievements as our campus continues to change and to look more like the community it serves,” said Executive Director for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging Edgar Moros. “Worcester State is committed to serve all students so that they feel they belong.”
Manuel Ramirez, a first-generation Latino student who graduated from Worcester State in May and is now in the M.S. in Management program, shared his American dream. “Being the first in my family to attend college is both an honor and a responsibility,” he said. “Their dream has always been for me to achieve my fullest potential and build on the foundation that they worked so hard to create.”
At Worcester State, he said, he not only found his path to achieving that dream but also the support and togetherness exemplified by Unity Day. “Unity day brings people together to show solidarity and the strength found in diversity,” he said. “It’s a reminder that we are stronger when we support one another.”
Another first-generation student, Milena Menendez, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice and minoring in forensic science, said, “I’m here today because I believe in unifying the heart, mind, and souls of each and every one of us. Knowing there are people here to help me has motivated me. It motivates me to reach out and help others.” Unity Day, she hoped, would inspire people to reach out and offer a helping hand to those who are struggling.
“I really appreciate that you’ve come together on this day, to celebrate our differences, but at the same time, celebrate that which unites us,” Santos said. “Today, we celebrate the beautiful tapestry of identities that each of you represents. And each of you, with your own kind of colors and patterns, myself included, you’re coming together to form this incredible masterpiece.”
Unity Day grew out of a Unity Walk that was developed, designed, and implemented by students in fall 2021. One of the students instrumental in that event was student trustee Anna Johnson ’22. Johnson, who now works at the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, a youth-led organization that trains and mobilizes college students to help fight for immigrant justice, delivered remarks at the event.
The Unity Walk was developed while the country was dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial injustice. “Oftentimes, we talk about equity, but we’re not loud enough about it,” Johnson said. “The university was very actively supporting a safe space,” she said, but “there were a lot of students that wanted to feel like they belong, but they wanted to hear the university say that they belong. So Unity Day was a way for the university to be very loud about justice, about equity, about welcoming, and about a safe space.”
“Unity is important. There is so much division in the world right now,” she said. “We need unity for stability in our community. Unity helps us stand up for what we believe in, fight for change together, and advocate for equitable communities together.” Sustaining unity, she said, is important both for the growth of college students and the development of a nation we aspire to be in.
Celebrations continued throughout the day with additional events including a Discourse on Campus Spirituality; In Our Shoes, a panel on disability and accessibility on campus; Uplifting LGBTQIA+ Voices; and a presentation of the university’s Inclusive Excellence and Belonging Strategic Plan.
Beyond the Classroom
University will host Manhattan Short Film Festival starting September 30
Worcester State will screen the 10 finalists of the Manhattan Short Film Festival from Monday, September 30 to Friday, October 4 in Eager Auditorium. The films, which range from five to 22 minutes in . . .