By Julissa James
Editor in Chief
Students, staff, faculty and administrators were invited to the 2016 University Convocation Sept. 22 in Ballroom C of the LSU, where the college president spoke on fighting intolerance, encouraging inclusiveness and Black Lives Matter.
Starting at 10 a.m., the convocation attracted a large crowd of mainly staff and faculty members, along with a smattering of students who took interest in the free event.
The ballroom was filled to capacity with those ready to be officially welcomed to the semester, as well as hear the convocation address by CSUDH President Willie J. Hagan.
Along with highlighting what he called the magic of this campus, and making a point to acknowledge the new students, staff and faculty, Hagan thought it crucial to speak on a challenge he believes CSUDH would face this semester.
“As an educational institution, we teach that one has to be willing to explore, to be open to new and different ideas, to respectfully and constructively engage with individuals with viewpoints that may be radically different than our own,” Hagan said. “Inheriting this are the basic principles of inclusiveness and respect for diversity, people, opinions, cultures, ways of life and respect for our First Amendment right to free speech. Our challenge is to hold fast on this broad perspective of education, in the face of what I feel is growing intolerance.”
The audience listened intently as Hagan gave his opinions on what is feeding the intolerance we see today, and offered his perspective on the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Of course all lives matter, but ‘all lives matter’ is an aspiration,” Hagan stated, quoting Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter. “If you’re a minority, a female, handicapped, LGBTQ, or poor white, there have been times when this country has demonstrated, through the behavior of its institutions, that your life did not quite matter as much as others.”
Hagan ended his speech by encouraging CSUDH to not only practice, but to preach inclusiveness, and urged the campus community to listen to each other with a filter of empathy, not judgment.
“I have no doubt this is not only a challenge that Dominguez Hills will embrace, but successfully achieve,” Hagan said.
Prior to Hill’s address, ASI President Jordan Sylvestre gave a reflective speech about his time at CSUDH.
“I would like to remind everyone in this room that we all will always and forever be students, as well as teachers,” Sylvestre said. “We all have something to offer each other at this university, students, staff, faculty and administrators.”
Sylvestre expressed his hopes for the university, asking those in attendance to continue valuing the Dominguez Hills name.
Earlier in the program, James Hill, Academic Senate chairman, introduced three professionally produced videos that depicted student success.
One video showed biology majors engaged in hands-on research. Students explained how their undergraduate experience will benefit them in graduate school and in their future careers.
In another video, members of the Male Success Alliance (MSA) described their culture of “brotherhood” and their commitment to community service.
The last video spotlighted CSUDH’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program, in which students help make prosthetic limbs for veterans and other patients.
The event was followed by a complimentary “welcome back lunch” on the North Lawn, marking the start of a new school year.
