Celebrating 15 Crystallic Years
By LaTesha F. Smith
Join the MCC in celebrating 15 Crystallic years starting Wednesday, November 3rd 2004 and ending Saturday, November 6th 2004. Over this period of 4 days, we will uncover the meanings of what multiculturalism means to staff, faculty, current students, and alumni through our theme, The Meanings of Multiculturalism: 15 Years Later… From poster presentations to the anniversary booklet, one can view these different expressions. Our celebration will be filled with such events as the Rathskellar, a stellar open mic nite, lunch forums, a talk with former Democratic Presidential Candidate Carol Moseley Braun, an Anniversary Dinner, and a concluding Anniversary Concert with the renowned DBR, Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Moreover, this celebratory spirit that will presumably hover in the atmosphere of these events for the MCC’s span of 15 years is reminiscent of a time when students celebrated the successful acquisition of Jenness House, the present day- administrative home of the MCC. Since this takeover in 1988 and the later 1989 establishment and answer to 1 of 15 demands, the MCC has taken on the cause of every minority and minority group on campus for better social, spiritual, and academic living at Williams. As such, now 15 years later, we are now starting to see some real changes. There are about 16 practicing MinCo (Minority Coalition) groups, heritage month celebrations, academic programs in African-American and Latino/a studies, an increased number of minority admitted students, and an administrative commitment and strive for diversity amongst faculty. It is important to remember of these changes that they did not come without hunger strikes, student protests, community support and opposition. So as Langston Hughes wrote in his poem Mother to Son, “Life for [the MCC] aint been no crystal stair.” And rightly so, as the traditional gift for 15 years is crystal.
Click below to see PDF's of materials from the 2004 celebration
Program of Events
Anniversary Pamphlet