Responses to MEChA
Compiled y Jennifer Wendel Op-Ed Editor
“I applaud MECHA on taking such a bold step in standing up for their beliefs. Some may say that it was radical, and while it does have some radical components, I see it as an expression of feelings that have been stifled in some way on this campus. I hope that they continue to work together in getting their demands met, and while they may not all be achieved during their time at K, students in the future will benefit from their hard work. I also hope that their bold nature will inspire other minority groups to speak up, as we all need to let our voices be heard.”
-Sashae Mitchell, President of the Caribbean Society
“It was wonderful to see Guillermo Gómez-Peña’s inspiring effect on the students he met with while on our campus. I can think of no better tribute to his work than for Latino students to feel empowered as they did to make demands of our community. Our task is now to work to recreate our political imaginaries, and to participate as Latinos and as scholars with a strong voice in the public life of the university, in this city, and in the world.”
- Adriana Garriga-López, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
“I think the events of the past two weeks electrified the connectivity between theory and action here at K. As Guillermo Gomez-Pena prompted us to consider the workings of our larger society in terms of insider/outsider, colonial/post-colonial, immigrant/citizen, white/of color experiences and inequitable structures of opportunity – this prompted an examination of our own community and how these constructs are playing out right here, among us. I was very moved by the MEChA action, and hope it moves all of us to consider what is present in our community and what is missing, how our scholarly offerings are structured and who benefits, and to probe deeply the question of what we are creating together as an educational institution.”
-Jaime M. Grant, Executive Director, Arcus Center
“It was wonderful to see the the connections that Guillermo forged with the K student body. Both he and Michele gave of themselves so generously, be that in the lunch with students, where he provided them a forum to discuss their experiences freely, or the classroom visits that allowed students to envision and to reconsider their relationships to one another. The mentoring and guidance he and Michele offered to these students, in addition to the platform they extended to M.E.Ch.A. after the performance, illustrates their level of commitment to education and social justice, which, in turn, encouraged students to consider what these ideas mean within the K campus community and beyond.”
Dr. Shanna Salinas, Visiting Assistant Professor of English
