A DJS Journey

Rosario Jesús Treviño Yoson is a 2nd year majoring in Economics. They identify as a mixed queer transmasculine person using he/they pronouns. He plans to use their degree to address food insecurity. You can find him in the Diversity Center, the library, or the student radio station in the Neeb building. Dear DJS Student Leaders,      It has been an honor to organize your stories this year. When I started, I was a little lost. I hadn’t attempted something like this before. What I uncovered became larger than the website. In conversations I had with each of the writers, I sought to go deeper into their motivations, why they are committed to the work they do towards anti-racism; outside of school and sometimes unpaid. It is the right thing to do, but these students stepped farther, they took initiative and leadership in their own communities, rather than waiting for direction.       I was encouraged after hearing from a few writers “this conversation help...

  My name is Andre Jones II (He/Him) and I am a Global Studies Major. I am involved on campus and in the community in several roles. I am mostly recognized as an ASPLU senator class of ‘22. I am a part of GREAN club and SSC. However, I took the time allotted as a senator to focus a lot on issues regarding social justice. I look at social justice work as everyday trying to express oneself and using your voice towards developing your truest self, what you believe in and align with, all while implementing standards better than the past.   I found this year the intersectionality of Environmentalism, black and indigenous organizations within Sunrise Tacoma and coalitions alike to be so refreshing. I saw firsthand the importance of integration and collaboration between diversity, justice, and sustainability. Those values should be more ingrained with each other, and they may not be as independent as I thought. My ideology is that your next move should be your best and to take life o...

  Shalom Wundimu (she/her) is a third year student majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in Chemistry. On campus, Shalom currently serves as a Residential Assistant and Admissions Ambassador.       During my time at Pacific Lutheran University, one of the most valuable lessons I have learned is what it means to learn, unlearn, and relearn everything I have found to be “true.” However, recently I have accepted that these three concepts must work in unison with one another, as they serve as puzzle pieces. My intellectual curiosity has led me to discover that my identity is beyond my physical attributes or temporary interests but rather my ability to be a lifelong learner.       When this realization became apparent in my life, I started to think of the first houseplant I ever owned. At first, my plant displayed nothing short of perfection. From the pigment of the leaves to the stem of the plant, every inch radiated pure beauty. Through...

        My name is Alissa Ouanesisouk (she/her), double majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in management and Sociology. I’m currently on campus, as the RAAD of Ordal Hall and an Admission Ambassador.      How I stay well, doing anti-racist work is by learning to say “No” and enjoying my own alone time. Being a first-gen student we are constantly working, always needing to plan ahead and know what the future entails. We hold onto building that generational wealth we want for our family and community back at home and the only way we know how to do it is by working hard. Learning to take a step back and say “No” is still something I am constantly trying to achieve. This doesn’t have to be done through saying a complete “No”, but learning to say “I think I’m going to work on this on my own time”, or just not replying to a text sometimes!      Working in a place where I am living can take away my time and energy wit...

  Rebeca Salinas is a second year social work student. She uses she/her pronouns and identifies as a gay Chicana. As a result of her love for talking and socializing, the roles she plays on campus include Ordal RA & Latinx Unidos Ambassador.  Growth Means Acknowledging Your Mistakes Out Loud Everyone has things they have to apologize for. However, being put in a position where you have to willingly accept responsibility for something negative can be discouraging and even embarrassing. As a prideful person myself, I tend to try and do everything right the first time in order to avoid making a mistake I would have to apologize for later. I soon came to find out this mindset ended up being a barrier, preventing my growth in my DJS journey.  There are many things I have had to learn in order to deepen my understanding of the role systematic racism plays in our society today. I am privileged to have had resources and opportunities made accessible to me in order to be able ...

      My name is Marae Tidwell (she/they) I am a Sociology Major with a minor in Communications. I hold many titles at PLU, my leading ones being Black Student Union President, the Access, Leadership, and Inclusion Student Engage Ambassador, and ASPLU ‘21 Senator. The obstacles I’d experienced at PLU compelled me to take on leadership positions but the struggles did not stop there. My story explains where I am now in my DJS -and leadership journey. Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability Through My Eyes      Diversity - the opposite of homogeneity or sameness. To represent a variety of identities, experiences, opinions, and perspectives      Justice - the balance and practice of equity and equality       Sustainability -  meeting the needs of the present in an equitable, efficient, fair, and lasting fashion       We have this idea that DJS work is all positive but it can be hard, it can be ...

       My name is Hunter Hobbs (I picked it out myself and I love it) and I use he/him pronouns. I’m a senior and an English Literature and Classics double major.  I’m a trans man that predominantly works for RHA as Sustainability Director. I work with Sunrise Tacoma as well. On campus, you can either find me in my room, working at the library, or hanging out with my friends socially distanced.  Dear Past Me,            The world has changed and is much bigger than the school in which you were raised. You’ve moved past the school that had a museum of culture blocked on the internet. You moved past the place where if you were different then you had to endure the judging looks of the adults.                           There are more types of people than the ones who look and think like you. You moved into a state where it is safe and accepted to b...

     Rosario Jesús Treviño Yoson is a 2nd year majoring in Economics. They identify as a mixed queer transmasculine person using he/they pronouns. He plans to use their degree to address food insecurity. As a Diversity Center Advocate, you can find him in several virtual dCenter spaces, including Thursday evening Study Hall, the Latinx Student Union on Wednesday evenings, and Talk Story on Friday afternoons.  Lavender Rights Project, and the WA Black Trans Task Force      I believe organizations serving others should be primarily led by members of the respective communities. As a trans person, I see constant media stories, films, or articles written and created by non-trans people. Despite sometimes the best intentions, these outside representations come off as clumsy. At worst, they grossly misrepresent the transgender experience, with no input from trans creators- and serve as fuel for the ongoing violence and discrimination against us. How does...

  I’m Syd and I use they/them pronouns! A handful of y’all know me as one of the dCenter advocates but I have a few points of connections throughout the PLU community such as ASPLU and Womxn’s Ultimate Frisbee. As a dAdvocate I have the opportunity to show many sides of myself and through this piece, I hope to share a more intimate piece of myself as I layout elements of my DJS journey.  7 Lessons 2020 Drilled Into My Head As a preface to any BIPOC that might come across this, a lot of what I process in this piece relates to my growth as a white person, so if you stop reading now that’s totally fine. As for the white students and staff that might be viewing this I invite specifically white students and staff to reflect on my 7 takeaways from this year in the context of their own whiteness.  This year has been R.O.U.G.H. On a level of shared experience, we are all tired. Tired from the earth hurting more now than ever from the climate crisis. Tired from the continued blata...

Hi Everyone! My name is Vanessa (she/hers) and I’m a senior this year working on a major in Computer Science and a minor in Mathematics. I’m from Vancouver, Washington where I was born and raised. In my free time I like to hike or golf with friends and family!   My Decision I once stood sound Eyes open wide My feet firm on the ground  I was hopeful for the future With my mind wide open But no sooner that I set foot out my door  Were my dreams slowly broken It started in middle school where I was easily influenced I was made to believed microaggressions were only words They were never heard coming from me  But the people I called “friends” would say them so freely “Asian”, “Hong-Kong”, “Bangkok”, to name a few  These were the only names I was ever called in school  My name didn’t matter once the new names came around  I was made to laugh and told not to make a sound For if I said anything or voiced my discomfort “Dude, it’s just a joke don’t get so butt...

  My name is Cassie Duren (They/Them), and I’m a second year student majoring in music and Gender, Sexuality, and Race Studies. I work as a CAVE Community Advocate and something I’m really passionate about is looking at the way queer identity interacts and transforms - and is transformed by - other identities such as race and disability. Where I Come From I spent most of my life, and all of my life as  I can remember it, living in the same small town before I came to PLU. I went to a small elementary school named Evaline, where I was the fifth generation in my family to go there, and was part of a graduating class of seven. My family lived on five acres of land purchased from other family members for a family discount, in the house of  great-grandparents I never met. My extended family owned the forty acres of woods around us, which I spent hours exploring as a kid before much of it had to be logged; learning that many of the trees around us had a disease that was killing...