Stories

In the wake of COVID-19, many changes were made across the Ann Arbor campus. Many programs scrambled to find a way to adapt as more and more precautions were being created in order to keep the university and its staff and students safe. The Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) is one of many units that were faced with the task of determining how they could adapt their schedule of events to the new remote conditions brought about by the pandemic. 

Ever since the return from spring break, life has not been the same for University of Michigan students. My name is Smitty (they/them), a first-year RC-LSA student, and the Writer/Photographer Student Lead for IGR, MESA, and the Spectrum Center. As I work on finishing my first year, the new lifestyle brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has been a difficult one for me to navigate, along with focusing on my studies and managing my mental health. When news of the university switching to virtual classes was sent out, every day after that for the next couple weeks had been a whirlpool of information and anxiety as every department started planning next steps for the uncertain future ahead...

As a Pakistani-American woman, it has been an honor and privilege to work with the South Asian Awareness Network (SAAN) alongside Javier Solorzano Parada, Program Manager in preparation for their 18th Annual Conference: Electrify. SAAN serves to create spaces to engage and educate the University of Michigan community with the intent to promote social justice issues through a South Asian lens...

When the Black History Month Leadership Committee at the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA) considers what it means to be Black at the University of Michigan, Black members of our community note that they examine themselves through many different lenses. Yes, Black people are a part of the campus community, the Michigan community, and the United States, but Black people are also a part of a larger diaspora of people, places, conversations, and histories.

Cindy Lin (she/her/hers) is a senior studying Political Science and Asian Studies. In her first year working for MESA, she became part of the pilot program for the Anti-Racism and Coalition Building Teach-Ins. Since then, her team has developed into the Peer Inclusive Educators (PIE) Team.

Julianna Collado, Undergraduate Coordinator for Latinx Heritage Month, reflects on this year's events and the importance of education and support for the Latinx community on campus.