NOVEMBER 2023
The IDC is located at 2100 Student Center. Information: ua_idc@ua.edu or 205-348-9029.
Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead)
ALTAR: Wednesday, Nov. 1–Wednesday, Nov. 8
PANEL AND FOOD SAMPLING: Tuesday, Nov. 7 | 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
The Latinx Faculty and Staff Association, the Hispanic-Latino Association, the UA Department of Modern Languages and Classics with the support of Sigma Delta Pi Honor Society, will host a Day of the Dead commemoration. This event will feature an altar, an interactive activity with the community, a panel with local organizations, and a traditional food and beverage sampling. Students of different foreign languages classes will collaborate in the creation of literary calaveras, which will be displayed as part of the decorations and will be hung next to the altar in the Student Center. For more information, contact the Dr. Yunuen Gómez-Ocampo at gomezocampo@ua.edu.
Native American Heritage Month Sports and Games Exhibit
Nov. 1-30 | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
The Intercultural Diversity Center, in partnership with Moundville Archaeological Park and vested stakeholders who are primarily citizens of southeastern Native American groups, will present Sports and Games. This year’s theme examines long-held traditional games and the importance of sports and games in contemporary Native American cultures including stick ball, the seed game, and the Choctaw hat game among others. The Sports and Games exhibit includes a multimedia component consisting of videos of people playing these sports and games, educational panels, and game items from Native American tribes. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Pop-Up Shop: Native American Heritage Month
Wednesday, Nov. 1 | noon-2 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center, 2100 Student Center
(Cultural Exploration)
Open to UA students, faculty & staff, UA System employees
In partnership with the Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, known as BISON, the Intercultural Diversity Center continues its Pop-Up Shop series focusing on Native American Heritage Month. Observed annually in November, Native American Heritage Month calls attention to the culture, traditions and achievements of the nation’s original inhabitants and their descendants. Participants will have the opportunity learn about the history and culture of Native Americans and indigenous tribes, and their contributions to society through visual presentations, basket-weaving demonstrations, food and educational resources. Lunch will be provided. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Cultural Exhibition
Thursday, Nov. 2 | 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. | the Quad
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the second annual Cultural Exhibition will feature dancers from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, as well as social dancing and native drumming from the Southern Pine Drum Group. This event, presented by the Bama Indigenous Student Organization Network, known as BISON, was formed to encourage cultural education and attendees are asked to observe with the performances with respect. Co-sponsors of the event at the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s Intercultural Diversity Center and the Division of Student Life’s Women and Gender Resource Center.
Multicultural Coffee Hour
Friday, Nov. 3 – Focus: India
Friday, Nov. 10 – Focus: Colombia
Friday, Nov. 17 – Focus: International Education Week
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, UA System employees
International Student and Scholar Services and the Intercultural Diversity Center host weekly coffee hours for students, faculty and staff to enjoy free coffee, tea, snacks and conversation with others from around the world. For more information, contact International Student and Scholar Services’ Sonya Harwood-Johnson at sonya.harwood@ua.edu.
Cultural Connections & Self-Care: Navigating the End of the Semester and Holiday Season
Monday, Nov. 6 | 5:15 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
Open to students, faculty and staff
As the semester draws to a close and the holiday season approaches, it is crucial to find balance between academic demands and personal well-being. The UA Counseling Center and the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association will host this event that focuses on self-care strategies tailored for diverse communities and explores the art of cultural communication during the festive season. Dr. Nahree Doh, associate director of clinical and outreach services at UA Counseling Center, will share her expertise in mental health, and Irasema Quezada, a graphic designer at the Alabama Water Institute, will provide a unique perspective on mental health and discuss the role of art as a coping mechanism in her journey.
Goals and objectives:
- Exploring self-care within diverse communities and how to establish personal boundaries and engage with family members
- Addressing family dynamics and communication in the context of cultural values and traditions
- Creating a self-care plan for stress management and tips for balancing academic responsibilities and holiday festivities
- Interactive session
- Networking opportunities with peers and expert
TEDTalk Tuesday: The intergenerational wisdom woven into Indigenous stories
Tuesday, Nov. 7 | noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Cultural Exploration)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff, and UA System employees
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the Intercultural Diversity Center continues the TEDTalk Tuesday series by featuring community organizer and activist Tai Simpson. She discusses how the way we behave politically, socially, economically and ecologically is not working by sharing the creation myth of her Nez Perce tribe. Participants will learn how she advocates for a return to the “old ways” guided by Indigenous wisdom that emphasizes balance, community and the importance of intergenerational storytelling in order to protect what is sacred. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Study Abroad Pop-Up Advising
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 14, 28 and Dec. 5 | 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. | IDC
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students
Education Abroad and the Intercultural Diversity Center host weekly pop-up advising sessions on studying abroad. The sessions are first-come, first-served walk-ins where students have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with an Education Abroad adviser. For more information, contact the Study Abroad office at studyabroad@ua.edu.
Veterans Day Presentation
Thursday, Nov. 9 | noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Educational Engagement)
Open to UA students, faculty and staff, and UA System employees
The Intercultural Diversity Center will provide a PowerPoint presentation in observance of Veterans Day. Focusing on this year’s theme “Service,” the presentation will highlight the distinct honor in serving to protect our way of life and the Constitution of the United States of America. The presentation also will offer educational resources and ways that support veterans. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Diversity, Coffee and Conversations
Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Cultural Exploration/Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff and UA System employees
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, Dr. Ted C. Nelson, director of Moundville Archaeological Park, will share information about the History of Native American Heritage Month, the role of Moundville Archaeological Park, and the Native American Heritage month exhibit Sports and Games. Dr. Nelson graduated from UA in 2020 with a PhD in Anthropology. He has been involved with research at Moundville since 2012. His most recent project was excavations along the riverbank prior to a project by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to stop erosion of the park caused by climate change and industrial river traffic. Prior to becoming director, he worked for the Office of Archaeological Research, which is also part of UA Museums and is housed in Moundville Archaeological Park. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
TEDTalk Tuesday: Why lakes and rivers should have the same rights as humans
Tuesday, Nov. 14 | noon-1 p.m. | Intercultural Diversity Center
(Cultural Exploration)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff and UA System employees
In recognition of Native American Heritage Month, the Intercultural Diversity Center continues the TEDTalk Tuesday series with legal scholar Kelsey Leonard. In this talk, Leonard shows why granting lakes and rivers legal “personhood”—giving them the same legal rights as humans—is the first step to protecting our bodies of water and fundamentally transforming how we value this vital resource. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.
Coffee & Mental Health
Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | IDC
(Educational Engagement/Social Enrichment)
Open to UA students, faculty, staff, and UA System employees
The Intercultural Diversity Center and the UA Counseling Center will present Coffee & Mental Health where participants have an opportunity to speak with therapists in a one-on-one setting. The program provides an environment for participants to ask questions, get to know a UA therapist and learn about counseling as a student resource. In addition, the program will offer a space for guests to learn about the many mental wellbeing resources the counseling center has and ways they can connect with the counseling center. Coffee & Mental Health occurs every third Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Intercultural Diversity Center. For more information, contact the Intercultural Diversity Center at ua_idc@ua.edu.