You may notice on April 17th some of your fellow stu-dents will not be speaking. We may have tape over our mouths or wear a badge acknowledging that we are observing the National Day of Silence. The National Day of Silence was founded in 1996 and is the largest student-led action to-wards creating safety in schools for everybody, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expres-sion. The National Day of Silence started out as the Day of Silence and was founded at the University of Virginia. It has grown to include over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country. The Na-tional Day of Silence is meant to bring attention to anti-GLBT name-calling, violence, bullying, and harassment in schools and in the community. Students are coming together to address the problem of discrimination and violence against the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning members of the community. This year the Grays Harbor Gay Straight Alliance (GHC GSA) will be observing the National Day of Silence. For more information on the GHC GSA please visit: www.myspace.com/ghcgsa or email us at ghcgsa@chokermail.ghc.edu. For more information on the National Day of Silence please visit: www.dayofsilence.org.

National Day of Silence By Beth Lavallee

April 2009 Volume 1, Issue 5

The Diversifieds

APRIL Awareness Dates:

Malvinas Day (Argentina) 2 

Ramanavami (Hindu) 3 

National Day (Senegal)  4 

Tomb Sweeping Day (China)  4 

Palm Sunday  (Christian)  5 

Founder’s  Day (Vietnam)  5 

Tartan Day (United States)  6 

Chakri Day (Thailand  6 

The Annunciation(E.Christian)  7 

Mahavir Jayanti (Jain)  7 

Passover (Jewish)  8‐16 

Buddha’s  Birth  (Buddhist)  8 

Maundy Thursday (Christian)  9 

Martyrs’ Day (Tunisia)  9 

Valor Day (Philippines)  9 

Good  Friday (Christian)  10 

Holy Saturday (Christian)  11 

Easter (Christian)  12 

Palm Sunday  (E.O. Christian)  12 

Easter Monday (Christian)  13 

Vaisakhi (Hindu)  13 

New Year (Cambodia, Laos)  13 

Vaisakhi (Sikh)  14 

Holy Thursday (C.O. Christian)  16 

Independence Day (Zimbabwe)  18 

Festival of Ridvan (Baha’I)  21 

The Diversifieds are a publication of the EDRC of Grays Harbor College. The mission of the EDRC is to promote awareness, respect, & equi-table treatment of the diverse individuals and groups that exist within our campus and sur-rounding communities. The EDRC is open to all! Please come visit us in the 200 building.

A publication of the EDRC at Grays Harbor College

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a vic-tim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself.

~Harvey Fierstein

At sunset on April 30th, a festival of fire begins. Beltane her-alds the mid-point be-tween spring equinox and summer solstice. Here in Grays Harbor, we’re still trying to find that elusive spring, but in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, Beltane tells of the first day of sum-mer. Beltane dates back as far as the 10th century. Celtic beliefs were that bon-fires symbolized purifi-cation and transition, and Beltane in par-ticular was a time to hope for a plentiful harvest and protec-

tion of the village‘s people. Fires would be built with only a path-way between them, and people would walk between them in hopes of gaining the protection of the festi-val. In modern times, while the holiday itself takes place on the first of May, celebrations begin when the sun sets the night before. Every year since 1988, Beltane has experi-enced a revival across several cultures, with a large celebration tak-ing place on Scotland’s Calton Hill. It has evolved over the years from a purification rit-

ual to a celebration of the changing sea-sons, but Beltane has remained an im-portant date. In Wicca, Beltane is a sabbat day, though the festivities cele-brated by Wiccans are more closely re-lated to May Day with a focus on fertil-ity and rebirth as the year nears the mid-point. Why not join the tens of thou-sands who celebrate Beltane and hope for a little summer our-selves? I’m sure we can use all the help we can get.

Beltane By: Katrina Harding

Tomb Sweeping Day By Tyler krenz

ming Festival will fall on the 4th of April. On this day the family of the de-ceased will tend to weeds and brush, sweep the dirt from the graves and bring sacrifices of food and spirit money to be of-fered. The Qingming Fes-tival is more than just remembering the de-parted, a large part of the day is to be used for fam-ily outings, planting and when young couples are

to begin courting. These other activities, like other spring holi-days, embrace the new growth and rejuvena-tion of nature. With the blessings of their an-cestors, the Qingming Festival points toward a brighter future.

The Qingming Festival, the popular English translation being Tomb Sweeping Day or Clear Brightness Festival, is a festival where tradi-tional Chinese families tend to the grave sites of their departed. The Qingming Festival also celebrates the rebirth of nature and marks the time for outdoor activi-ties and planting sea-son. In 2009, the Qing-Page 2

The Diversifieds

At bottom every man knows well enough that

he is a unique being, only

once on this earth; and by no extraordinary

chance will such a mar-velously picturesque piece of diversity in

unity as he is, ever be put together a second

time.

~Friedrich Nietzsche

I feel my heart break to see a nation ripped apart

by it’s greatest strength— it’s diversity.

~Melissa Etheridge 

April’s Trivia

1. What's the only fish that produces real caviar, according to the FDA?

2. What sticky sweetener was traditionally used as an antiseptic ointment for cuts and burns?

3. What scale of zero to 14 is used to measure acidity or alkalinity?

4. What founding father was knocked unconscious while attempting to electrocute a turkey?

5. What was the first country to recognize Mexico's independence, in 1836?

Stop by the EDRC to see if you have the correct answers to this month’s trivia and your name will be put in the EDRC’s monthly drawing.

Page 3

Volume 1, Issue 5 Holocaust Memorial Day By: Stephanie Smith

viduals all over the world. Beginning in the early 1960’s a siren blows at sundown and again at 11AM throughout the State of Israel. The siren stops traffic and pedestrians for two minutes of si-lence. The television and radio programs in Israel on Yom Hashoah are related to the Jewish history dur-ing World War II, in-cluding stories and in-terviews with survi-vors. All of the public entertainment in Israel such as: theaters, mov-ies, bars, and other public venues are

closed. North Ameri-can Jews observe this day in the synagogue. Services sometimes include speeches or stories of Holocaust survivors, appropriate songs, readings, or viewing of Holocaust themed films. Some Jewish communities chose to commemo-rate this day by read-ing the names of the six million people who lost their lives. Remembering the vic-tims of the Holocaust will help to insure that a tragedy of this mag-nitude never happens again.

Holocaust Memorial Day, also known as: Yom Hashoah is on the 21st of April. It is meant to commemo-rate the victims of the Holocaust. The full name is,” Yom Hashoah Ve-Hagevurah”, which means, day of (remembrance of) the Holocaust and the heroism. It marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto upris-ing. The date was es-tablished by the Is-raeli government and is now commemo-rated by Jewish com-munities and indi-

What does diversity mean to you? GHC Student Survey

Acceptance and having a full spectrum of different kinds of people in any given setting. ~Tracy Burns

Maximum amount of view points and perspectives you can have around you. ~Adrian Hays

Realizing not everybody is the same, but they should be treated equally. People shouldn’t be judged by what they wear, who they are, or their preferences. ~Sam Sindelar

It’s a good thing, if everyone was the same it would be a boring place to be. ~Bridgette Franks

Diversity is people coming together as equals regardless of their dif-ferences such as: religion, culture, social status, sexual orientation, or color of skin. ~Beth Lavallee

Equality and unity ~Stephanie Smith

 

Committee Chair: Brian Shook

The Diversifieds Staff:

Beth Lavallee Echo Hahn Erin Frasier

DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

Equity & Diversity Resource Center 360-538-4247

Room 219 1620 Edward P. Smith Drive

Aberdeen, WA 98520 edrc@ghc.edu

http://www.ghc.edu/edrc/brochure.pdf

Other Awareness Dates: 21– National Holocaust Memorial Day (Jewish) 22– EARTH DAY 23-25 Gathering of Nations Pow-wow (American Indian) 23– St.George’s Day (England) First Day of Summer (Iceland) Sovereignty Day (Turkey) 24– Genocide Memorial Day (Armenia) 25– Anzac Day (Australia) Liberation Day (Italy)

Calling All Writers! The Diversifieds are an extension of the GHC campus and our surrounding community. We would like to welcome and encourage students and staff to submit articles for publica-tion in The Diversifieds. This is a monthly publication. Please contact Erin Frasier at efrasier@ghc.edu for next month’s topics and to submit articles, poems or artwork.

Grays Harbor College and the Mediation and Settlement Center are working to-gether to bring conflict resolution to the students on campus. We are hopeful to have a peer mediation center operating by the upcoming fall quarter.

“What is mediation?” you may ask.

Mediation is a process that involves two people in conflict and usually two media-tors coming together to work through a conflict. Mediators are not there to pick sides or determine who is right and who is wrong. We are there to listen and help both parties work together to come to an agreement that will be satisfactory to everyone.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about mediation and the ser-vices we will be offering please call: Beth Lavallee at 360-538-4247 Monday-Friday after 1PM

Conflict? Let us help.

Campus Happenings  

Final Registration Day 

‐Friday, April 3  

Secretary of State Sam Reed 

‐Wednesday, April 15, 10‐11AM in the HUB 

Grays Harbor County Commissioner Terry Willis 

‐Wednesday, April 15, 11AM‐12PM in the HUB 

NASA Meeting  (Native American Student Assoc.)  

‐Monday, April 6, 3:00‐4:00PM  

‐contact Gail Morehouse, NASA Sec. 

Diversity Club Showing of: “Milk” 

‐Friday,  April 17,  6:30‐8:35PM Room 2250 

‐Open to the public  

Student Success Conference 

‐Wednesday, April 22,  9:00AM‐2:00PM  

The Adventures of Change  

‐Thursday, April 23, 6:30‐8:30PM 

‐Bishop Center for Performing Arts 

BAM Percussion 

‐Friday, April 23, 7:30‐9:30 

‐Bishop Center for Performing Arts 

Congratulations !!!! Beth Lavallee has been chosen as a finalist in for the Pride Foundation/Black Hills Scholarship. She will be traveling to Olympia in May for an interview. Way to go, Beth!

In addition to this interview, she may also be selected as a finalist for other Pride Foundation scholarship funds. If selected she will travel to Seattle for those interviews.

Beth has been a GHC student since Spring 2009 and has taken on many roles in our Equity and Diversity Resource Center and with The Diversifieds. We truly appreciate her time and talents and wish her the best in her upcoming interview.