Tag Archives: UMOJA

Kwanzaa 2009

Posted on January 14, 2010 by thinkvisionary

By Adriane Mc Cray

On the evening of December 3, 2009, students, faculty and alumni of the University of Pennsylvania gathered to celebrate a rich Black cultural tradition that holds great historical importance to the black community on campus: Kwanzaa. The annual Kwanzaa Karamu dinner is a routine part of UMOJA week, a week-long series of events hosted by UMOJA along with various Black student groups under its umbrella.

The Penn community filed into Houston Hall’s Bodek Lounge, occasionally chiming in on Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas”, the Jackson 5’s rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, and other soulful Christmas tunes. Everyone mingled and took their seats at the tables, decorated in black, white, and green African motif. The dinner opened up with a greeting by Makuu’s office coordinator, Constance Gordon, in the form of Kwanzaa’s Kukaribisha, or welcoming.
Read the rest of this entry →

UMOJA Networking Etiqutte Workshop

Posted on January 14, 2010 by thinkvisionary

By Malcolm Evans

Networking is an amorphous, yet highly important pillar of all societal interactions. Webster’s online dictionary defines networking as “the exchange of information or services among individuals, groups, or institutions; specifically: the cultivation of productive relationships for employment or business.” On the evening of December 7th, 2009, UMOJA, as a part of this year’s UMOJA Week, held a Networking Etiquette Workshop to help provide clarity around the concept of networking, while also sharing invaluable advice about appropriate networking behaviors. The workshop was hosted in Claudia-Cohen Hall’s Terrance room from 7:00-9:00pm.

The evening began with a presentation on attire and brand management lead by Whitney Dublin, college senior and president of ONYX Senior Honor Society. Whitney’s presentation covered topics such as examples of appropriate business attire for men and women as well the importance of maintaining a wholesome look in all professional settings. In addition to these topics, Ryan Jobson, a junior in the college and Correspondent for the UMOJA executive board, brought up the issue of African American hair in Corporate America. While there were various opinions surrounding acceptable corporate standards, the general consensus was that one’s hairstyle should be fairly “clean-cut” while also complimenting one’s personal appearance.
Read the rest of this entry →

UA Election Reform: A “Black” Issue?

Posted on November 20, 2009 by thinkvisionary

By Ryan Jobson, Guest Writer

On Sunday, the Undergraduate Assembly passed legislation to radically alter the Executive Board election process, notably recommending the direct election of future UA Presidents by the Penn student body. The bill, co-authored by current UA Chair Alec Webley and SAC Chair Natalie Vernon, must now be approved by a school-wide referendum, expected later this semester.

If you are unfamiliar with the current structure, scope, or procedure of the UA, you are not alone. In short, the UA Executive Board—consisting of the UA Chair, Vice Chair, Vice Chair of External Affairs, Treasurer, and Secretary—is currently internally appointed by UA representatives following elections each spring. The consequences of such a system are dire. Effectively, 10,000 undergraduates are rendered subservient to 33 elected members of the UA in selecting a representative of Penn students at-large. Penn remains the only Ivy League University that does not directly elect a student body President, accentuating its unfortunate inability to keep up with the curve.
Read the rest of this entry →

The Vision

Tag Archives: UMOJA

Kwanzaa 2009

UMOJA Networking Etiqutte Workshop

UA Election Reform: A “Black” Issue?

Search

Links

Follow “The Vision”