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In This Issue:
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Barry Celebrates Achievements in Community Engagement by Students, Faculty, and Community Partners
Barry University recently celebrated the achievements made by students, faculty, and community partners in the area of community engagement.
The occasion was the Fifth Annual Community Engagement Awards hosted by the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Three students, three faculty members, and three community partners received awards. The award reserved for engaged departments of the university went to the Orlando-based Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law.
Recipients of the Community Partnership Award were the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, MCCJ, and the Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative. Dr. Karen Callaghan, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and chair of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Implementation Committee, presented plaques to the three community partners.
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Student Poster Competition Prizes Presented at Community Engagement Symposium
A Student Poster Competition was a feature of this year’s Community Engagement Symposium. The competition was aimed at showcasing and recognizing students’ course-based and co-curricular work focused on social responsibility in the context of Barry University’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).
Dominique McMillan, a history major and Barry Service Corps Fellow, won the first prize of a JBL Bluetooth speaker for her poster titled “Recovering Surplus Food to Address Food Waste and Insecurity in Miami-Dade County.”
Pa Sheikhn Tijan Ngom, a business management major and BSC Fellow, took home the second prize of an Amazon Firestick (for streaming media content) for his poster, “Challenging Barriers of Inclusion within the Disabled Community.”
Chemistry students Aurora Burkus-Matesevac, Alberto Liriano, and Sidney Vest were the joint winners of the third prize, a Fitbit Flex 2 (wearable computing device). Their poster was titled “Soil Analysis for Lead Toxicity and pH in Liberty City Community Gardens Managed by Urban GreenWorks.”
Nadinne Cruz, former director of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University and a nationally recognized service-learning pioneer, handed out the prizes during the closing session of the event on March 28. Cruz was the lead presenter at the symposium.
Three members of Barry’s Community Advisory Committee – Saliha Nelson (chair), Heather Burdick, and Linsey Harris Smith – as well as Fabio Naranjo, a social work faculty member, served as judges. They used such criteria as content, relevance, and visual appeal to assess the entries in the competition.
Barry’s QEP is titled “Fostering Personal and Social Responsibility through Experiential Learning.” QEP Project Assistant Daniqua Williams was the poster session coordinator.
The Fifth Annual Community Engagement Symposium was held on March 28 with the theme, “Demonstrating Social Responsibility through Experiential Learning.”
The symposium consisted of six sessions, including a workshop, lunch-time seminar, and poster session. Seventeen posters by students and faculty members were on display.
Provost Dr. John Murray delivered the opening address and Dr. Karen Callaghan, chair of the QEP Implementation Committee, the closing address.
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Barry Trio Travels to
Three Barry undergraduates went to New York last month to participate in a demonstration in support of farmworkers. The demonstrators targeted the chairman of The Wendy’s Company.
Paris Razor, Paola Lopez-Hernandez, and Isaly Ortiz traveled by bus to New York City for the demonstration, which drew about 2,000 students, people of faith, consumers, and community activists.
Called the “Time’s Up Wendy’s March,” the demonstration marked the culmination of a five-day fast by nearly 100 members and supporters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a worker-based human rights organization that is recognized internationally for its work to promote social responsibility and to combat human trafficking and gender-based workplace violence.
The “Freedom Fast” was staged outside the Park Avenue office building that houses Trian Partners, whose CEO and founding partner Nelson Peltz is chairman of The Wendy’s Company. The CIW leaders and supporters went without food to protest the refusal of the holding company for the fast-food chain to support the Fair Food Program.
Organized by the CIW, the Fair Food Program is described as “a partnership among farmers, farmworkers, and retail food companies that ensures humane wages and working conditions for the workers who pick fruits and vegetables on participating farms.”
Razor, a Barry Service Corps (BSC) Fellow, is in her second year as a national steering committee member of the Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA), which is allied with the CIW. Through her leadership role in the SFA, Razor assisted in organizing a caravan from Miami to New York.
CIW leaders, human rights activists, and other supporters spoke during the protest action.
The CIW leaders pointed out that Wendy’s has not only refused to join the Fair Food Program but has also shifted its tomato purchases from Florida to Mexico, where forced labor and sexual assault are reportedly common, and workers are intimidated into silence by a culture of violence, fear, and corruption.
The leaders said Wendy’s was structured in such a way that the chairman was the single most important decision maker in the company. They also noted that Trian Partners was the company’s largest shareholder.
Students representing colleges throughout the United States made their presence felt and voices heard during the march, which began at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, a block away from the United Nations headquarters. The Barry trio found the experience “transformative,” Razor reported.
Lopez-Hernandez, a sophomore and also a BSC Fellow, said of her experience: “Going to New York to support the (cause) of farmworkers has been a life-changing experience. … We have a duty to be civically engaged and do our part as consumers to make sure the produce we’re buying does not harm others.”
While in New York City, Razor played an active role in the SFA Steering Committee’s Face2Face, a weekend of strategic planning for the intensification of the Wendy’s boycott.
Razor recently launched a Barry University SFA chapter. The student organization will meet regularly on campus to promote the Fair Food Program and other CIW initiatives.
Students who would like to join the Barry SFA chapter should contact Razor at paris.razor@mymail.barry.edu.
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Students Contributing to Community Impact: Mateo Gomez Assists Miami-Dade Organization in Promoting Community Empowerment
Mateo Gomez is known for his connections with local leaders in politics, law enforcement, and education. What may be less known is his passion for community service and his contributions to the work of an organization known as PACT.
The 19-year-old double major in broadcasting and political science has supported the work of PACT (People Acting for Community Together) mainly through a service-learning course.
PACT is a “direct action” organization that, according to its mission, “unites, organizes and trains leaders from diverse congregations, schools and community groups to build a powerful community voice.”
Gomez is drawn to PACT’s lobbying role, and he appreciates the Miami-Dade organization’s efforts to empower members of the community to address social issues.
One of PACT’s most recent priorities has been to influence the discussion of gun control in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Gun violence in Miami-Dade neighborhoods has been a longstanding concern for PACT.
Gomez’s contribution to PACT has come primarily in the form of translating documents from English to Spanish so they will be accessible to a larger population. He has also participated in events as part of the organization’s annual process and has offered ideas for addressing specific issues.
Lizbeth James, the experiential learning coordinator based in the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI), has given Gomez high praise for his involvement with PACT.
“Mateo was very helpful in his role last semester as a service-learning student,” James said. “He played a leadership role in his group assignment of putting together a social advocacy campaign with PACT.”
The social advocacy project is a requirement in COM 201 (Introduction to Communication), a designated service-learning course in the Department of Communication.
Gomez’s passion and leadership saw him raise awareness about local social justice issues like gun violence, affordable housing, and immigration among Barry students.
“He was able to talk with locally elected and appointed officials about these issues and share this via social media,” James notes.
Mateo Gomez’s strong interest in community service started while he was in middle school. It was there that he began serving in courthouses, which he continued to do in high school.
For community service to mean anything at all, he says, “it has to come from the heart.”
As president of the Academy of Law at Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Senior High School, Gomez formed a student court where students would address real issues in a quasi-courtroom setting. Three years after his graduation from the school, the student court program remains in full effect.
The student court’s longevity is a reflection of Gomez’s personal philosophy for how to approach community service. “There’s no point in community service if when you leave the community what was started is left undone,” he says.
Gomez says he wants other high school students to learn the same lessons and have the same experience that he found so beneficial. He developed a sense of responsibility, which he regards as an essential characteristic for anyone looking to provide meaningful community service.
“If you start working toward a goal,” he says, “then you need to accomplish that goal, because there are people depending on your service.”
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Antonio Rodriguez Named President-Elect of
Antonio "Toni" Rodriguez, president of the Barry U College Democrats, has been named president-elect of the Florida College Democrats. He will serve as president for the 2018–2019 term.
“It is a huge honor and responsibility,” said Rodriguez, “and I am so ready for this next part of my journey.”
Florida College Democrats is the official student caucus of the Florida Democratic Party with more than 26 chartered chapters on college campuses across the state. The FDC spring convention was held earlier this month.
Rodriguez is a sophomore studying political science. He serves on Barry’s Campus Democracy Project (CDP) Committee. The CDP is a nonpartisan initiative that promotes civic learning and democratic engagement through get-out-the-vote activities, including voter registration, education, and mobilization.
Currently the treasurer of Barry’s Student Government Association, he also is a Barry Service Corps Fellow serving on the civic health team.
“As a member of the civic health team, I work closely with an organization called PACT,” Rodriguez said. “PACT is an inter-faith coalition that mobilizes the community to identify needs, discover solutions to these community needs through policy solutions, and pressure elected officials to implement these policy solutions.”
Rodriguez said the coalition was working on immigration reform and on finding ways to help “the undocumented population in Miami-Dade County.”
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Campus Election Engagement Fellows Boost Student Voter Registration
The Campus Election Engagement Fellows at Barry University, Florida International University, and Miami-Dade College (Hialeah and Homestead campuses) have assisted more than 100 students in registering to vote.
Maurice Morrison, a sophomore majoring in political science, is Barry’s Campus Election Engagement Fellow. He is one of four Florida students from the three higher education institutions selected by the organizers of the Campus Election Engagement Project (CEEP) mainly to assist their peers in participating in this year’s midterm elections.
CEEP is a national non-partisan project that assists U.S. colleges and universities to get as many of their 20 million students as possible to register to vote as well as to volunteer in election campaigns, educate themselves, and turn out at the polls.
The assistance provided by the Campus Election Engagement Fellows was their contribution to the National Celebration of Voter Registration on April 10, according to a CEEP report.
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CCSI Accepting Applications for Barry Service Corps Fellows Program
The Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI) is now accepting applications for the 2018–2019 Barry Service Corps Fellows cohort. The application deadline is Monday, April 30.
The BSC Fellows Program is a civic learning and leadership initiative of the CCSI. Designed to develop civic-mindedness in undergraduates, the program has four major components: (1) Training and development sessions; (2) collaboration with community partners; (3) support of CCSI programs and events; and (4) design, implementation, and assessment of focused projects.
“Program alumni have gone on to become community organizers, professionals in nonprofit organizations, AmeriCorps volunteers, political campaigns organizers, and social entrepreneurs,” noted Courtney Berrien, CCSI associate director.
Candidates for the program must be in good academic standing with the university, graduate no earlier than May 2019, participate in a weeklong orientation (August 20–24), and attend meetings on Friday afternoons throughout the academic year. The time commitment for this program is approximately 7 hours a week.
Interested students may pick up an application form in the CCSI offices – Adrian 208 – or contact Berrien at cberrien@barry.edu or 305-899-4017.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to contact the CCSI associate director with their recommendations of potential BSC Fellows.
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Two graduate students represented Barry University at Chapman Partnership’s Annual Volunteer Luncheon in Miami on April 11.
Barbara Destine, a graduate assistant in the Center for Community Service Initiatives, and Daniqua Williams, the project assistant for the Quality Enhancement Plan, took part in the meet-and-greet segment with Chapman board members and supporters. They also heard an inspiring success story told by a former Chapman client and joined in applauding winners of awards.
Chapman Partnership is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “provide comprehensive services to empower homeless residents to become self-sufficient.”
As the private sector partner of the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust, Chapman Partnership operates two homeless assistance centers in downtown Miami and Homestead, serving approximately 5,000 people each year. The organization provides a comprehensive support program that includes emergency housing and meals; health, dental, and psychiatric care; day care; job training and placement; and assistance with securing stable housing.
Over the years, Barry students have served with the organization through club activities, service-learning courses, and Federal Work-Study Community Service.
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Organizers Urge Continued Support for Box Tops for
The organizers of Barry’s Box Tops for Education Drive are urging continued support from staff, faculty, and students. The goal is to collect 1,500 Box Tops “clips” (or cuttings with the Box Tops logo) this academic year.
Proceeds of the project benefit two South Florida elementary schools – North Miami in Miami-Dade County and Sheridan Hills in Broward. The schools earn 10 cents for each Box Tops clip.
The Minority Association of Pre-health Students (MAPS) organizes the Barry’s Box Tops for Education Drive with support from the Center for Community Service Initiatives (CCSI).
Dr. Stephanie Bingham, the MAPS advisor, is reminding potential contributors that participation is easy: “Simply identify the Box Tops logo on household products you already purchase, including many grocery items, and cut the logo from the packaging.”
Box Tops clips may be dropped in the labeled boxes found in the CCSI office (Adrian 208), the Monsignor William Barry Memorial Library, and Thompson Hall. Alternatively, donations may be sent directly to Bingham in the Department of Biology (Siena 309).
Cereals, household-cleaning supplies, paper products, and school supplies are on the list of eligible products found at the following site: <http://www.boxtops4education.com/earn/participating-products>.
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Community Engagement News
Posted On : April 23, 2018
