Ashley Karlosky (pictured on right) and Sadie Fox have their booth set up to represent the Rainbow Jaspers and educate students on resources within the organization.
LAILI SHAHRESTANI / THE QUADRANGLE
Laili Shahrestani, Features Editor
Manhattan University held a resource fair on Feb. 11, featuring booths from various clubs and organizations from both on and off campus, all aimed toward providing resources and opportunities for underrepresented communities. Some of the booths present were run by groups such as the Black Student Union (BSU), the Mexican Student Association (MEXSA), It’s On Us, the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC), Rainbow Jaspers, Friendly Fridge Bx and many others.
Not only was the event an opportunity for students to gain more knowledge about what resources are available to them, but it also served as an educational platform, raising awareness about the challenges that minority communities face. Representatives from various organizations shared informative messages about what initiatives they are taking to help bring everyone together and foster inclusivity within the campus.
Faramoluwa Davis, a senior and the president of BSU spoke about why events such as the resource fair are essential for students to know and understand their rights and freedoms. She also mentioned how the resource fair is a place to become more knowledgeable on what clubs are around campus and how they can provide extra help and opportunities.
“We have so many clubs on campus that students don’t know about,” Davis said. “Even I wasn’t aware of some, so I was so glad that we held this event. Also, the resource fair is very helpful because I feel like students have to know their rights, and so we have organizations here to tell them about that.”
Among the many organizations present, MEXSA played a key role in educating attendees about the rights of immigrants currently affected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Their primary focus was to act as a support system for Mexican students as well as ensure that those who come from impacted communities have full knowledge regarding what resources are accessible to them.
Danae Cecena, a junior and the vice president of MEXSA spoke about how she hopes the club can help provide students or anybody currently impacted by ICE with proper education about their rights, especially in a state such as New York.
“We want to bring our community together on campus,” Cecena said. “And, for today, we want to give people knowledge about their rights as immigrants, or to even spread information to people so that they know how to support people that are immigrants. We have a lot of different resources. We have pamphlets about what New York City’s laws are toward helping immigrants and giving them sanctuary in the city, as well as information about their rights.”
In addition to learning about one’s rights, the resource fair was full of clubs that were promoting upcoming events that could serve as informational opportunities. With that said, the Rainbow Jaspers announced that they are hosting a free self-defense class that can benefit individuals by teaching them how to protect themselves against violence during a time where hate crimes are on the rise.
Ashley Karlosky, the president of the Pride Center and a member of the Rainbow Jaspers spoke about how she is looking forward to the self-defense event, as it will serve as an important resource for individuals who may want to learn how to protect themselves efficiently.
“We want to cultivate a space for students, specifically LGBTQ+ students and allies to have a space on campus where they feel safe, included and like their identity is heard but also empowered and embraced,” Karlosky said. “With that said, we have a self-defense course with one of our alumni that is coming down and teaching everybody how to protect themselves, especially in our current climate.”
The resource fair was also an event that provided students with the opportunity to find new internship positions. Representatives from the WGRC mentioned how they are always on the lookout for individuals who are interested in advocating for women’s rights and take on an internship program through their organization.
Elliot Babilonia is a sophomore and a current intern for WGRC. He is currently specializing in the intersectionality between women and gender within the internship program. Babilonia spoke about how his role as a part of the organization gives him the space to educate others on important issues that he has dealt with on a personal level.
“As an intern, I specifically talk about the intersectionality between being a person of color and also being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, with me being Hispanic and also me being a transgender man. I am going to hold an event on March 31 in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility.”
The resource fair was able to unify a number of different communities, ultimately creating a space of diversity and inclusion for all students around campus. Representatives at the event spoke about the importance of coming together and providing a space of opportunity for all Jaspers.
Gabrielle Blair, a senior and the secretary for BSU shared her thoughts regarding the resource fair, and how it adds to the overall campus culture.
“I think by having groups here that actually represent underrepresented communities makes a really great start toward inclusivity on campus,” Blair said. “And it gets people to care about issues that they not might not recognize or might not know about.