Thank you to all who participated in the “One Thing” Diversity and Inclusion Initiative.  We had the drawing for the $50.00 gift card on Monday, April 30, a Riverpoint Library staff member won it.  We want to encourage you to keep doing “One Thing” to foster and support diversity and inclusion and report back on this blog. 

The One Thing activities took place from January 1, 2012 to April 29, 2012.  Below are a few suggestions of the One Thing you can do:

READ

• Read a book (fiction/nonfiction/poetry) about another culture; discuss it with a colleague/fellow student (book club?)
• Read a biography of a person from another culture; discuss it with a colleague (book club?)

WATCH

• See a movie or documentary about another culture; discuss it with a colleague/work department/fellow student (the WSU/EWU libraries have a large number of documentaries that you can check out or check out your local PBS or History stations)

LEARN

• Start to learn a foreign or indigenous language
• Learn to cook a meal from another culture (bring samples for your colleagues or fellow students)
• Learn a dance from another culture

TASTE

• Go to lunch/dinner at an “ethnic” restaurant, one in which you have not eaten the specific “cultural/ethnic” food before (a great office/school activity)
• Take a colleague/fellow student to lunch from another culture; learn more about the colleague/fellow student and their culture

ATTEND AN EVENT (and bring along a colleague or fellow student)

• Attend a diversity/inclusion or employee resources group committee meeting
• Attend the Riverpoint Diversity/Cultural Events/Activities Subcommittee meeting (1^st Thursday of every month at 1:00 p.m. in SAC 401A)
• Attend diversity/inclusion training at WSU/EWU or in the community
• Attend a cultural, diversity & inclusion or social justice meeting in the community
• Attend a diversity/cultural event at Riverpoint or in the community
• Attend the WSUS student Diversity Club meeting/activity
• Attend a cultural/ethnic music event or poetry slam
• Attend a religious service of another religion that you are not affiliated with
• Attend a cultural/ethnic dance event
• Attend a cultural/ethnic play in the community
• Visit a cultural exhibit at a museum (i.e. the MAC has an exhibit called Lasting Heritage regarding both ancient and modern tribal people and the land)
• Visit an art museum or art gallery showing the work of an artist from a different culture.

VOLUNTEER

• Volunteer to help with a diversity event at Riverpoint or in the community
• Mentor (formally/informally) a colleague or student from another cultural/ethnic group
• Volunteer at an organization that serves low-income persons/families (community centers, schools, etc.)
• Volunteer at the Veterans Hospital or similar organization that serves veterans
• Volunteer at an organization that serves persons with disabilities
• Volunteer at an organization that serves women, children, or women and children
• Volunteer at an organization that serves the LGBT-Q community
• Volunteer at an organization that serves the homeless
• Volunteer at an organization that serves the elderly

Note: volunteering for this initiative is a short term commitment.

To find out about various cultural events that are taking place at Riverpoint and in Spokane, visit the WSUS Diversity Calendar at http://spokane.wsu.edu/services/HR/diversity/calendar.html.

If you have questions about this initiative, please email or call Yvonne Montoya Zamora at montoyazamora@wsu.edu or 509.358.7554.  Thank you.