Qué Pasa, OSU?

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Brave New World Adjusting and Thriving as a Minority is Key to your Success By Miguel Guavara Frustration has been the one feeling at the forefront of my Ohio State experience. As I started my journey here during the autumn of 2008, I quickly became frustrated with the lack of Latino culture, the silence of my language, the inability to find acceptable Latino food, and the mere fact that I was no longer in my comfort zone of Houston, Texas. The first year at Ohio State was quite rough for me as I battled to seek out my culture on and off campus, find places where I could fit in, and just find a way to hold onto my culture and identity. Every quarter I considered transferring to a college closer to home. Yet I knew that leaving an institution as great as Ohio State would be the biggest mistake I could make. So, I stayed here through the cold and snowy winters knowing that I would have to make sure I stayed involved enough to forget about home and enjoy my stay. Soon enough I came to find that being involved did not offer me the fulfillment I sought. From orientation and on, the one phrase that all students hear the most is, “Get Involved.” After that first quarter, I quickly realized I was no longer in the Latino rich city of Houston. I felt the absence of my culture and displaced within an environment drastically different from the one I knew. When you are the only Latino in all of your classes you begin to feel differently about who you are—you become more cognizant of your differences, and you begin to feel isolated. Spending Thanksgiving alone for the first time made things even worse. By then I made a real effort to “Get Involved” on campus, and to me the best way to stay connected to my Latino culture was to start Lambda Theta Phi, the first and largest Latino fraternity. I pledged during winter quarter and by spring quarter I was president. I thought, not only was I a founding brother but now I am the president as well! How much more involved could one get as a freshman? Needless to say I felt more at home during the second part of the year. Yet there was still a void; I just did not feel as if I was doing enough to preserve my identity and culture. As I headed home for the summer, I still felt the need to be more involved in order to stay connected to my culture. I began autumn quarter 2009 with an even more active attempt at being involved in order to finally make Ohio State feel like home. I was lucky that I had great people around me that pushed me to become involved, told me about what organizations I could get involved in, and talked to me as if I were familia. They all had my best interests at heart. My realization, with their help, 20
was that I needed to stop complaining about the Latino situation at Ohio State and do something about it myself. I needed to become engaged and fully invested in the organizations that I was already a part of and the ones I would potentially join. I was no longer trying everything from the vast list of 900 plus organizations to “Get Involved” with. I was seeking groups that would help me achieve my vision of Latino unity, visibility, and integration across the different institutional levels. Even with a small number of groups to choose from, I knew I could find something worthwhile by choosing an organization I could be passionate about and to which I would be willing to give, rather than sacrifice, my time. I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out what groups I could join in order for the Latino voice to be heard. I also began to think about what initiatives I could push that would help Latinos begin integrating into the different areas of Ohio State rather than just being included. Since this is my vision for Ohio State, I needed to make sure it is heard. I needed to inform others of what I felt the university was lacking and allow those who possess the same passion and dedication to assist me with their talents. In short, I needed to stop complaining and become engaged. That being said, in my sophomore year I found myself interviewing for as many positions as I could to ensure that there would be at least one Latino in the various areas of need within the university. My first step toward that was becoming a Diversity Ambassador for Undergraduate Admissions and First Year Experience (UAFYE). When I visited Ohio State in high school, the only other Latinos I saw were my dad and another student from Texas. Ohio State is a great university that should be in consideration when Latino students think about college. One way to make Ohio State accessible or even a real possibility for Latino high school students is to provide them with a Latino student representative. This same sentiment was my driving desire to join the Office of Minority Affairs Undergraduate Recruitment Society (OURS), an organization which gave the opportunity to go to Ohio high schools and speak about college. I made sure that I would have enough opportunities to see students who are considering Ohio State. Whether they had the means to visit or if I had to go out and speak to high school students, a Latino was sure to be present. I knew I could relate to the students and their families, answer their specific questions, and understand their concerns because I share their culture, identify with them, and most of all, want for them to know that Ohio State and its Latino community are ready to embrace them as familia. I knew I still needed to do more because the recruitment of Latino students is just one concern among many. I also needed to stay engaged in the Latino student community so that I could truly understand the concerns of our community and provide my own insight. I actively sought out opportunities that would place me in contact with fellow students and university employees so that the two entities could interact cohesively towards the same goals. The University-wide Council of Hispanic Organizations (UCHO) is an umbrella organization for all the Latino student groups on campus. UCHO is the tool for Latino student organizations to unite, collaborate, and support each other as well as another means of funding for these organizations. UCHO can be the forum for organized Latino initiatives and recognizing that fact, I no longer was satisfied in just representing my fraternity. I wanted to help drive constructive discussion towards the ideals and goals that I have and that I know many other students share. Another area I saw a need for Latino input was in the institutionalized area of Undergraduate Student Government (USG). This forum is the area where students can be heard because USG’s main purpose is to address undergraduate student issues. Clearly one Latino voice would do wonders for the community. There are several positions that any student can take within USG; the title of my position Associate Director of Hispanic Outreach. In this position, I present policies, initiatives, concerns, and practically anything that the Latino student population feels the need to be expressed. This position is important because it had not been filled since at least 2006, and quite frankly, an entire four years of absence is absurd and intolerable. There is one initiative that I truly feel will change the landscape for Latino students at Ohio State. This initiative is the creation of a Latino Learning Community, which is truly unique compared to the other Learning Communities on campus. This will go beyond just the Spanish language; it will celebrate the richness of Latino culture. Music, food, language and academics shall all intertwine as students share with others who have the same passion, fascination, and appreciation for the Latino culture. One great aspect of this Learning Community is the academic minor, Latino/a Studies, which requires 25 hours to complete. This will ensure that students can still seek their majors in any field of study, whether it is engineering, biology, the arts, social sciences, etc. This initiative will require that the Ohio State stay committed to the idea of integration and progress. Latino students will have the connection to Latino faculty and staff through the academic commitment of Latino/a Studies and L.A.S.E.R. (Latino and Latin American studies Space for Enrichment and Research). So far many of the minor pieces have fallen into place, the need now is for more students to step up and help this Learning Community become a reality. Make no mistake; The Ohio State University is dedicated to their Latino students, faculty and staff. This university has several departments, funding, and personnel dedicated to this cause. In short, the university has done a great job in including the Latino population, but progress is what I, and many others, seek and demand. Therefore, I feel that the university must move forward and integrate the Latino population rather than continuing their lackluster policies of simple inclusion. As a student, the opportunity is out there to serve your community. Do not be satisfied with being just another member of an organization. Fully invest yourself in the cause of your choosing because there is no greater feeling than knowing you left even the smallest mark on such a large and meaningful university as Ohio State. The need for willing Latino students to be the champions of their community is shared throughout all of the different entities at Ohio State. It is up to you to better yourself and your community as this university progresses. Su Opinión www.quepasa.osu.edu Autumn Quarter 2010 21
Page 1 and 2: Volume XVIII Number 1 Autumn 2010 A
Page 3 and 4: 6 7 8 9 2 4 5 16 18 Volume XVIII Nu
Page 5 and 6: ‘Actually Being There is Life-cha
Page 7 and 8: Choosing a Major Advice for Making
Page 9 and 10: One University, Several Campus Choi
Page 11 and 12: to the university administration. T
Page 13 and 14: 2010 Hispanic Heritage Month Events
Page 15 and 16: Welcome Our New Students Featuring
Page 17 and 18: asic industries” wrote the staff,
Page 19: Pues si antes, ambicioso de gosarte
Page 23 and 24: How about twenty-five and you throw
Page 25 and 26: “I was recently selected to the 2
Page 27 and 28: Cantina Laredo Fine Tex Mex Availab

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