Welcome to our newsletter for Madison College Student-Athletes and Coaches. Our hope is that you can learn and be inspired and encouraged to carry out Madison College’s commitment to diversity, equity, community engagement, and inclusion. We believe that understanding and respecting all cultural perspectives, experiences, beliefs and values within our athletic department and college, is paramount for creating an environment where we can individually and collectively thrive. We are devoted to inspiring change, educating our community, and advocating for all people.

The Student Senate and Student Activities Board will ask students through a referendum November 13th-19th whether they support restructuring the Student Activity Fee. The amount of revenue generated by the Student Activity Fee is no longer enough to support clubs, organizations, athletic teams, and events funded by this fee since 1976. The cost of food, travel, supplies, and competitive wages has gone up significantly in recent years, which is affecting all the student groups and activities. The question you will be asked is whether you support everyone paying the same flat fee instead of a percentage of tuition (which is different for different types of classes). If everyone paid the same flat rate, there would be enough funding to support these groups and services, making it fair for all students.

This year we continue our ONEPACK Critical Conversations events for student-athletes centered around allyship, diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, gender empowerment, multiculturalism, and mental health. We have had speakers and facilitated interactive workshops about these topics to educate, inspire, and motivate our student-athletes and give them the guidance and tools they need to carry out Madison College's mission well beyond their time at Madison College.

Last month, guest speaker Dr. Dawn Crim, the current Vice Chancellor for Advancement, Community Engagement, and Inclusivity at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, engaged our student-athletes with a conversation about the Value of Taking Risks When Building Your Career.

The next Critical Conversations event for all student-athletes will take place on Monday, December 4th from 4:00-5:30pm in Rooms C2402 and C2408. The topic will be Social and Personal Idendities.

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. This November and every month, we celebrate the culture and heritage of these remarkable Americans who deeply enrich the quality and character of our Nation. We celebrate Indian Country with its remarkable diversity of American Indian and Alaska Native cultures and peoples while remembering and honoring our veterans who have sacrificed so much to defend our Nation.

Hmong New Year Celebration at Madison College

Welcome the Hmong community of Wisconsin and learn what it means to be Hmong through their passions on Saturday December 2nd from 12-4pm. Let’s amplify the impact of the Hmong community experience together!

• Spoken word, music and dance from Hmong performers
• Enjoy cultural foods and art made by the Hmong artists
• Meet and chat with Wisconsin’s dedicated Hmong community

November is Transgender Awareness Month, a chance to celebrate, honor, and stand with our transgender and gender-diverse communities.

The month is devoted to spreading awareness and educating individuals on transgender communities and important issues the transgender community face. Below are some key dates to keep in mind this month:

Transgender Awareness Week: Nov. 13-19 

This week spotlights the contributions trans people have brought to society, as well as addressing the struggles facing the transgender community. During this week, transgender people and their allies take action to educate the community including sharing stories, experiences and promoting advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community. 

Transgender Day of Remembrance: Nov. 20

To honor the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence, transgender writer and advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith started Transgender Day of Remembrance to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered in 1998. This first vigil honored all the transgender people who were lost to violence that year and has now become an annual memorial event. 

Spread Awareness

Here are a few ways you can help spread awareness at Madison College:

• Turn Madison College pink/blue/white on Tuesdays in November by sharing a pink/blue/white selfie on social media, using #MadisonCollege. Post a photo of yourself wearing pink/blue/white ribbons, t-shirts, nails, hair, makeup, jewelry, ties, and other accessories.
• Change your social media profile picture or e-mail signature to the Transgender Awareness ribbon icon.
• Use the Transgender Awareness Month background in Teams for virtual meetings during the month of November. 
• Encourage your friends to do the same! 

On Saturday, October 28, Coach Jamal Palmer and Coach Angel Whetstone joined Dr. Daniels and other Madison College staff and students at the Annual NAACP Dane Count Freedom Fund Dinner where Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul was the Keynote Speaker.

First Hmong Art Exhibit Comes To The Gallery At Truax

Los Tsev: Cia Siab is a community-based art exhibit that helps people grapple with the ongoing historical trauma of war and healing. By drawing on HMoob mundane everyday life in Wisconsin, this exhibit draws audience members to contemplate the ways war shows up at home (in the US and in the private space) and how a displaced community continues to live through revitalization by changing the landscapes around them.

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