By Nora Lubin
Opinion Editor
In the age of internet, and easy accessibility, the first place Harold Washington College students might search to find information about college cultural events is online, in the only place there is to find them: CCC.edu. The events for HWC, or any other City College, are compiled in a searchable list, taking place at all the various colleges within the consortium.
This school year, there is a glaring deficiency in multicultural events for Harold Washington College–or so the events calendar says.
Digging deeper, I found listings of this sort for practically every other city college–especially Malcolm X.
There was not one cultural event hosted by Harold Washington for all of 2017. Zero. Malcolm X had over two dozen.
Coming from a college that often celebrates its unique diversity, this is not only ironic; it is unacceptable.
This is not to say that HWC does not host events that celebrate diversity and culture. I have heard professors and students speak of them from time to time. According to one professor, there is a Wellness Center event on the topic of victims of abuse–The “Clothesline Project”–coming up early this May. I have heard fellow students talk about a film festival that may be happening here.
There may be an explanation–albeit, a feeble one. One professor told me that the committees in charge of various cultural events had not been updated in a long time, perhaps evidential of a disorganized system–one that has essentially dropped the ball on celebrating student diversity and inclusion.
Though I find this to be in remiss, the most critical scrutiny is that there has not been sufficient communication from those who still do organize these events. Why is it that The Herald staff could not cover a Black History Month event this February? No one could find one. To our knowledge, there was not one to speak of.
By contrast, Malcolm X has a full calendar of events relevant to culture, and most of the other colleges have their fair share.
During Black History Month, Wilbur Wright College had an entire week dedicated to celebrating the arts, music, and entertainment aspects of black culture.
Malcolm X seems to have LGBTQIA events biweekly. Remarkably, they also have listings for free HIV testing, their own “Clothesline Project” event, stress management activities, and even multiple events unequivocally titled, “Multicultural Students.”
If you scroll through the calendar to spot HWC’s participation, it will be the most boring game of “Where’s Waldo? The Great CCC Calendar Hunt” you have ever played; there is nothing to find.
It is not enough to host these events from time to time. Students must be given prior notice and proper information. Students must also be given a chance to participate and promote their own events. The best place to kickstart this reform is online, where students often go to find all of their information.
Other city colleges have gotten the memo and made the extra effort, so why does Harold Washington College seem so apathetic?
nlubinhwc@gmail.com