Presentation Very Informative, Yet Unsettling
Dr. Rebecca Wanzo talked to a packed house about the lives of slaves and medical experimentations by surgeon J. Marion Sims.
Arriving with a highly interesting presentation that was sometimes hard to listen to due to its graphic content, Dr. Rebecca Wanzo, OSU assistant professor of African-American and African Studies and Women’s Studies, navigated through the life of Anarcha, one of the slaves upon whom surgeon J. Marion Sims conducted gynecological medical experiments in the 1840s. Sims’ work eventually led to the development of the speculum, but at the expense of the poor and enslaved women he utilized for his work.
Dr. Wanzo’s amazing talk was part of this year’s Black History Month activities, which continue to expand annually through the dedicated work of a campus and community committee.
Other activities during Black History Month featured a concert by Moving Blues Schoolhouse, a hip hop dance, a soul food dinner, Jim Lucas as Martin Luther King, and a choral concert featuring works by Black composers.
Campus Regularly Reaches Out to Minority Community
OSU-M Trustee John Jordan speaks to the group.
The External Relations Committee of the OSU Mansfield Board of Trustees continues to hold luncheon meetings with representatives of the minority community.
In April, about 40 community members, board members and college staff and faculty joined together for a periodic update. The group learned the recent Ohio Board of Regents report indicates the college’s African American student population reflects 7% of the enrollment, comparing favorably with OSU Columbus. The figure places the OSU-M campus in second position among the four OSU regional campuses.
Student housing identifies 17.6% of the residents as students of color. With a diverse mix of residents from surrounding communities and northern Ohio, over 17% of residents are from Cuyahoga County, with many from the Cleveland and Youngstown areas.
Staff member Shari Petersen (center) talks with Reverend Thomas Hunt (standing).
Ketwana Schoos, the new multicultural coordinator, discussed our partnership with the Culliver Reading Center and the results of a volunteer event involving about 30 faculty, staff and students to help Habitat for Humanity.
Cheryl Canada announced the second FaReal Camp to be held during summer. This year’s program has been expanded to 50 slots for students in grades 5-8 to study math/meteorology and theatre/physical education.
A discussion then ensued regarding The Algebra Project. Dr. Heather Tanner, associate professor of history, told the group about the program on math literacy originally developed by Robert Moses. The Algebra Project is considered the key to college and jobs.
Tanner informed the group that the project would involve 20-25 students from the bottom of their classes who would work on math at least 90 minutes a day for four years. The campus has applied for a National Science Foundation grant to fund the project.
OSU Mansfield Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The Ohio State Mansfield campus will celebrate 50 years in Mansfield during the 2008-2009 academic year. OSU classes first started in Mansfield in 1958 and were held at the old Mansfield Senior High School.
A number of activities and events will be held during the year in celebration of the anniversary. Upcoming autumn quarter events are:
- October 2008 – Art exhibition in Epperson Atrium of Riedl Hall featuring campus artists of the past 50 years, free.
- October 12, 2008 – Tony Pasquarello Piano Concert, “Fifty Years of Fabulous Favorites,” 2:30 p.m., Conard Performance Hall, free.
- November 3, 2008 – Distinguished Diversity Speaker Robert Moses with an emphasis on civil rights from voter registration to math literacy. Time and location to be announced.
OSU-M to Offer Course on the Black Woman
A new course, The Black Woman: Her Role in the Liberation Struggle, will be offered at OSU Mansfield during Autumn Quarter 2008.
The course will introduce students to fundamental social, political, economic and ideological factors and conditions that have had an impact on African American women in the United States. It will further explore cultural images and perceptions of African American women and identify those who have participated in the liberation struggle.
For more information, contact Ketwana Schoos at 419-755-3910.