Mariachi Huenachi is comprised of high school students from the advanced mariachi music class at Wenatchee High School. The group has earned a reputation as being one of the best high school mariachi in the state of Washington.

A reception will be held at the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center from 1-2 p.m., followed by the performance at the Ethnic Cultural Theatre at 2:30 p.m. Space is limited, so guests are encouraged to arrive early. Doors will open at 2 p.m.

Mariachi Huenachi has performed at multiple events and festivals including Seattle Seahawks, Mariners, and Chivas de Guadalajara games. They have also performed at Folklife Festival and for Washington state governors Christine Gregoire and Jay Inslee. In the summer of 2009, Mariachi Huenachi shared the stage with the renowned group, Los Tigres Del Norte.

In 2012, the group won the KCTS Golden Apple Award that honors educators, programs and schools who are making a positive difference in Washington state education. According to music teacher Ramon Rivera, Mariachi Huenachi provides students with educational opportunities and broadens their horizons which leads to improved self-esteem and an increased enthusiasm for learning.

Prior to the concert, Mariachi Huenachi will tour the UW campus and meet with UW Student Ambassadors for an admissions presentation. The students will also have an opportunity to engage with members of the UW School of Medicine community.

For more information, contact Rudy Mondragón at rodolfom@uw.edu.

Purple & Gold was an opportunity for newly admitted students and their families to become familiar with the UW. Over 200 students attended a series of four events designed by ethnicity (African American, Latino, Pacific Islander and Southeast Asian and American Indian).

Events included lectures, panels and campus tours. Student clubs and programs participated in a resource fairs to provide information and awareness of their organizations. Purple & Gold was one last chance for OMA&D to showcase all the UW has to offer.

“This is our final opportunity for them to see why they need to come to the University of Washington,” said Candice Garza, UW’s Latino recruiter.

Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity, gave welcome remarks at each event.  Gene Kim, associate director for OMA&D’s McNair and Early Identification programs; Gabriel Gallardo, OMA&D associate vice president; and Alexes Harris, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, gave lectures to the students to give a taste of what college lectures are like. All Purple & Gold events received strong support from student ambassadors and OMA&D staff.

Many of the students accepted to the university had a few lingering questions before they committed to UW.

“I had a few concerns before I could send in my letter of intent,” said Gregory Smith from Tacoma.  “After this event those concerns were fixed and I am excited for the fall.”

OMA&D Recruitment and Outreach is prepping for its next event, the annual Young Gifted & Black (YGB) Conference on May 18.  For more information, contact Merissa Tatum at tatumm@uw.edu.

Story by Evan Silvers, UW Senior
Photos by Bre Jones, UW Senior

The complete schedule is as follows:

• Filipino Graduation: Thursday, May 30
  Time: Doors open at 6 p.m.; program starts at 6:30 p.m.
  Location: Husky Union Building (HUB) Lyceum
  Contact: Maryross Olanday (maryrollolanday@gmail.com)

• 9^th Annual Oceana Graduation: Tuesday, June 11
  Time: 6 p.m.
  Location: Husky Union Building (HUB) Lyceum
  Contact: Chasmon Tarimal (asuwpisc@uw.edu)

• 12^th Annual Lavender Graduation: Tuesday, June 11
  Time: 6 – 8 p.m.
  Location: UW Tower
  Contact: Jennifer Self (qcenter@uw.edu)

• Raven’s Feast Graduation: Friday, June 14
  Time: 6 p.m.
  Location: Daybreak Star Cultural Center
  Contact: Ross Braine (dabraine@uw.edu)

• 13^th Annual La Raza Graduation Celebration: Friday, June 14
  Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m.
  Location: UW Tower (4^th Floor Mezzanine)
  Contact: asuwraza@uw.edu or mikese@uw.edu

• 17^th Annual Black Graduation Celebration: Friday, June 14
  Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
  Location: University Christian Church
  Contact: Joshua Griggs (jgriggs@uw.edu)

More information is available by emailing the contacts listed above.

UW students Evan Silvers and Douglas Ta’a (pictured) are among a group of 22 undergraduates from across the country to receive the 2013 LAGRANT Foundation Scholarship awarded to ethnic minority students pursuing degrees in advertising, marketing or public relations fields.

Both students, who received $5,000, will be honored at the 15^th Anniversary LAGRANT Scholarship Recognition Reception and Awards Program in Seattle on May 30. The special event will include a dinner, career development workshop and the opportunity to meet with industry professionals.

Also a recipient of the 2013 OMA&D Mus Scholarship Award, Ta’a is majoring in business with an emphasis on information systems and marketing. He interned the last two summers at Boeing where he gained experience in the Business Test and Evaluation for Flight Test Operations department, as well as the Scheduling and Commitments department.

Ta’a is an active member of UW student organizations and is passionate about giving back to the community. He is a treasurer for the Polynesian Student Alliance and volunteers with Polynesian Outreach Programs. Through the UW’s Foster School of Business he is a mentor for the Young Executives of Color program and is a student ambassador for the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity’s Recruitment and Outreach team.

After graduation, Ta’a plans to pursue a career in consulting and hopes to one day own his own business or work for non-profit organizations that will allow him the “creativity, freedom and space to travel the world and make a difference in people’s lives.”

Silvers is a senior majoring in communications and sociology, with a minor in diversity. Like Ta’a, he is a student ambassador for the OMA&D Recruitment and Outreach team. Silvers is also a public relations intern for Recruitment and Outreach, helping with communications projects. He was a public relations intern with Viamount Records in Seattle, as well.

Silvers is active in student organizations including UW Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSSA), HollywoodUW and the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He finds time to give back by serving as a mentor to students through the Achiever’s Scholar Program.

Since its inauguration in 1998, The LAGRANT Foundation has awarded more than $1.56 million in scholarships to students who continue to share its mission of increasing ethnic diversity in the advertising, marketing and public relations industries. The non-profit organization was established by UW and EOP alumnus Kim L. Hunter, ’82.

Students will present year-long collaborative research in social science, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and humanities fields, and engage with other students, faculty and staff. For the third consecutive year, the conference will be held in conjunction with the UW’s annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.

The event will feature the work of 26 UW students affiliated with the McNair Scholars Program, Presidential Scholars Program, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation and Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD).

They will be joined by McNair scholars from Arkansas State, Heritage University, Minnesota State, Montana State, University of Northern Iowa, Portland State, Rochester Institute of Technology, Washington State and Westminster College.

Activities will include a welcome social in the Husky Union Building on Thurs., May 16; poster and oral presentations in Mary Gates Hall on Fri., May 17; and a faculty panel discussion at the Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) on Sat., May 19. A Graduate Recruitment Fair will also be held on Friday (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.) at the Kelly ECC. Information on graduate programs from the UW and various universities across the country will be showcased.

The Ronald E. McNair Program is a federally funded TRiO program that offers graduate preparation services to low-income, first generation and underrepresented students. The conference is Co-sponsored by the Early Identification Program (EIP) for Graduate Studies and the Graduate School’s Graduate Opportunities & Minority Achievement Program (GO–MAP). Additional sponsors include IMSD, OMA&D Outreach and Recruitment, Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center and Sigma Xi.

More information, including a detailed schedule, is available on the conference web site. Specific questions can be directed to uwmcnair@uw.edu.

Dr. Swarr’s lecture titled “Racing the Boundaries of Gender and Sexuality: Rethinking Apartheid and Transitional South Africa,” examined the intersections of gender, sexuality and race. The topic was an extension from her 2012 book, “Sex in Transition: Remaking Gender and Race in South Africa.”

As associate professor in the UW Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies, Dr. Swarr drew on 15 years of research in South Africa for the topic. She examined why some South Africans who define themselves as transsexual, gay and lesbian have been subjected to forced and botched sex reassignment procedures, legalized discrimination and community ostracism, while others have received state-funded medical treatment and legal support.

Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity, offered opening remarks, along with Judith Howard, divisional dean of social sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to the lecture in Alder Hall, attendees enjoyed a reception with Dr. Swarr at the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center.

Inaugurated in 2005, this annual lecture is named in honor of the late Dr. Samuel E. Kelly, the first vice president for the UW Office of Minority Affairs. The series is dedicated to acknowledging the work of distinguished faculty research focusing on diversity and social justice.

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