THE RECORD Online

Summer/Fall 2003 Features

Seeing God in Different Faces

Programs like Urban Plunge, Lighthouse Ministries and GC in Africa are part of Greenville College’s ongoing efforts in giving students opportunities to learn about and appreciate other cultures, but Jessica Estevez believes GC can do more.

“There are ways we can help the institution become more intentional about multicultural programs,” she said.
The increased intent has come with the development of a new general education curriculum three years ago, where the faculty unanimously agreed to place more emphasis on multicultural classes and programs. To answer that need, Greenville College hired Estevez to serve as director of cross-cultural and multicultural programs. She came from Lawrence, Mass. with extensive experience and involvement in youth development, particularly in urban settings, and is a certified Prudential Youth Leadership Trainer.

One of Estevez’ goals is to increase awareness among students, faculty and staff by providing opportunities for interaction with people of diverse backgrounds.

“For students who haven’t ever left the Midwest, it will stretch them beyond their comfort zone,” she said. “Building these kinds of relationships will help them grow.”

In addition to Estevez’ efforts, several groups have decided to take some new and creative steps toward racial education at Greenville College. The Multicultural Office and the Multicultural Club sponsored the third annual Multicultural Festival this spring held in the Crum Recreation Center.

Event organizer Corine Kidicho-Woel worked hard to ensure the authenticity of the special performances by doing research through the International Institute to find performers in the St. Louis area to bring to campus. She also enlisted help from GC students and classes.

Freshman Emma Hulford danced the Flamenco. Hulford studied the dance in Bolivia where she grew up as the daughter of a missionary. Born in England to an English father and a South African mother, she grew up in a multicultural household.

When she first left Bolivia to attend Greenville College, Hulford had problems expressing her views.

“There are some things you can only say in Spanish,” she said.

'Sometimes there is no English word for what I want to say. I feel like God put good people in my life to help me adjust.”

Professor Huston’s geography class presented displays representing fifteen countries, from Mozambique to Iceland. In each booth, smiling faces demonstrated an eagerness to share their stories. Each individual had a personal connection to the country they represented. Some had simply visited the country they represented while others had friends or family that had served as missionaries there. The displays also had food samples to share, ranging from Irish chocolate butter to Japanese sushi.

The last performance of the afternoon was a troupe of Bulgarian Folk dancers. All of the dancers came from Bulgaria within the last two years and live in a Bulgarian community in St. Louis. Their smiles beamed as they danced and occasionally one would whistle loudly.

“We like to keep the whistling,” one of the girls of the troupe said, “because that is the way they did it in the old times.” They invited their audience to form a large circle and learn Bulgarian and Bosnian folk dances.

“Some students told me they came to this festival for class credit, but now they are glad they came,” Kidicho-Woel said. “I hope this event and more like it will cause students and faculty to realize the importance of these events and gain their support.”

Promoting diversity isn’t enough. Estevez and a team from GC traveled to Jackson, Mississippi to attend the Faculty Development Institute on Race and Reconciliation, co-sponsored by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the John M. Perkins Foundation.

The workshop exposed teams of faculty and administrators from Christian colleges and seminaries throughout the country to issues of race and reconciliation. Through scholarly and experiential means, participants gained first hand insights into these issues, as well as profited from their colleagues’ perspective. The goal was to have the teams go back and lead their colleges and communities in developing a Christian perspective toward these issues. The team learned about a specific cultural group, African Americans in the South.

Assistant Director of Communication Cary Holman believes he gained more perspective.

“I have learned much about the historical and sociological background of why black and white Americans have had the conflicts they have had,” he said. The training will also include specifics on how Christian higher education can address issues of racism.

Those attending the workshop chose to do so for a variety of reasons. “As the director of cross-cultural and multicultural programs, my goal is to design programs and help create courses that will enrich our entire community; faculty, staff and student body specifically,” reasons Estevez. “This training will provide some practical tools to help in that endeavor from a Christian perspective, which has been difficult to find.”

Holman adds, “Part of the privilege of working in an academic environment is the opportunity to stretch ourselves academically and in other ways. I grew up in a racially sheltered small Midwestern town. When presented with the opportunity to attend the Perkins Institute it felt like a fit for me. I believe it stretched me in a way that was healthy for me, and my relationships with students, colleagues, and neighbors of different races.”

In January, 2004, Estevez will lead a course taking students to the Perkins Institute to discuss these issues from a student perspective.
Respecting diversity isn’t a new concept at Greenville College. When Dr. Sandra Salguero-Schmidt came to GC in 1987 from Puerto Rico to teach English, her primary responsibility was to advise international minority students. At the time, the only cultural group on campus was Rapport, started in the ‘70s by African-Americans.

“The organization was interesting because it changed as the needs changed,” said Salguero-Schmidt, regarding the group’s evolution from a single ethnic focus to a multi-faceted one.

Though there was little funding, Salguero-Schmidt helped organize cultural events. A HECA grant (Higher Education Cooperative Act) brought the ability to do more. Artistic acts included a Chinese violinist, guitarists from Puerto Rico and Russia, and a Bolivian dance group.

She also taught ESL classes to foreign students. “It not only focused on English speaking skills, it offered a lot of cultural information so students could adapt easier.”

Salguero-Schmidt offered praise for Estevez’ energy and enthusiasm, as well as for other steps taken by the college.

“Things have changed. You do have a larger number of (minority) faculty; that’s very positive (because) students will be able to have people to mentor them, explain the obstacles. Other students can help in that regard, too.”
Senior class president Vanilda Reyes, a Latina from the Cleveland suburbs, concurs and notes that having people like Estevez and Salguero-Schmidt help.

“Seeing people who look like you is nice; it’s comfortable,” she said. Reyes applauds GC for taking the initiative. “I couldn’t be happier with how it’s (GC) performing.”

From multicultural festivals for students to anti-racism training for faculty and staff, more and more members of the campus community are gaining insight into the differences between the many ethnic groups that make up Greenville College.

“In order to know God, we need to look into all His different faces,” said Estevez.

Last updated: September 24, 2003