This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePauw chapter.
Sarah, the current president of L.A.C.E., tells us all about why she loves the organization in this week’s celebrity interview!
Her Campus: Hey Sarah! Thanks for taking your time to do this interview. Firstly, give me a little bio about yourself.
Campus Celebrity: I am a Political Science and Africana Studies double major. I’m incredibly goal-oriented and task-driven, and I won’t put 100% into work or a project that doesn’t make sense to me. I’m passionate about educating others so that we’re all culturally competent because then we can get closer to true equity, which would then get us to equality. Also as a side note, I love cows and will stop on the road, get out of my car, and try to touch them.
HC: Oh my gosh that’s great! So, what are you involved in on campus?
CC: I’m involved in way too much according to everyone in my life. I’m a Bonner Scholar that teaches ESL at the elementary school. That’s really interesting because I teach five Japanese students from 3rd – 5th grade English, and there’s a language barrier. It’s tough, but I see the progress, especially in one girl I started with last year—she’s helping teach the others now. I’m the DePauw Community Service Coordinator for TZ Student Friend, which means I make sure elementary kids have a college mentor that’s going to help them during the academic year. I’m an Intercultural Community Conversation Facilitator, so I teach first-years about adjusting to school and how important it is to be culturally aware and be an ally. I sit on the committee for the second day of DePauw Dialogue, which is great. I sat on it last year and I’m optimistic that it will go significantly better in April. And, finally, I am the president of Ladies and Allies for Cross-Cultural Education (L.A.C.E.)
HC: Wow, that is a lot! As the President of L.A.C.E. can you tell me about the organization and what you do in your role?
CC: Ladies and Allies for Cross-Cultural Education started from a theme-house in 2002 when ten women chose to live in the Multicultural Women’s house. Each month the group held events that brought awareness to issues of women and different cultures. On DePauw’s campus, we seek to bridge the gaps between existing communities while continuing and promoting multicultural awareness, education, and respect. What we really strive for is creating lasting ally-ships between all groups and trying to educate without preaching or privilege shaming so that we can have productive conversations. We host a variety of events, but we do have staples such as our Breast Cancer Awareness Banquet and our Natural Hair Show. As president, my main role is just to make sure what we need to get done is getting done and to keep a happy executive board. I’m far too organized, and I think that helps me be president because I plan for the unexpected but then plan so much that the unexpected hardly happens.
HC: So, how did you get involved in L.A.C.E.?
CC: AAAS has a Big Sib event where freshmen find an upperclassman and you make your own little family. My sib was Bre Moore, she was a senior, and I saw that she was a part of L.A.C.E. I would watch her go to meetings, and I remember how much time and love she put into it, and I wanted to be like Bre. I joined my sophomore year, became treasurer, and by the end of April I was president.
HC: Awesome, that’s a great way to get involved. What is your favorite part about L.A.C.E.?
CC: My favorite part about L.A.C.E. is that I’m surrounded by people who genuinely want to see campus be better. Everyone in the organization is involved in various communities which helps us plan programming and meet new people. We have students from the school of music, members of NPHC, IFC, and Panhellenic, as well as athletes, dancers, and people from other great groups on campus. That’s how we bridge the cultural gap. That’s where we start the conversation, and that’s what I love most about being in L.A.C.E.
HC: Cool! We definitely admire that! So what are some L.A.C.E. events coming up?
CC: Our last event of the semester was our I Am Beautiful Photo Campaign. It’s a positive photo shoot where everyone is encouraged to come and express what makes him or her feel beautiful. It’s a way to rewrite the standards of beauty. Second semester we have many great events planned like our Bi-Annual Natural Hair Show in March which includes workshops on all aspects of hair followed by a hair fashion show of sorts. One thing that I’m excited about next semester is our Classic Man Brunch Series. It’s an opportunity for men on campus to come and listen to men from various parts of campus like Community Service or the Multicultural Office talk about how to become more involved on campus. We’re missing men from a lot of conversations and programming across campus, and with this series we’re hoping to see a rise in men in civic engagement, multicultural affairs, and campus life.
HC: Sounds fun! Last question: what you would like DePauw students to know about L.A.C.E.?
CC: I want people to know that although you see “Ladies” in the title, that doesn’t mean men can’t join. I think people see “Ladies” and they go, “Well, that’s obviously not for me,” and then they miss out. If you get past the first part, you see the word “Allies,” and allies is inclusive. Sure, okay, you don’t identify as a woman, but hopefully we’ll see you.