Last weekend, 10 UW-Superior students and staff attended the 26th annual American Multicultural Student Leadership Conference hosted by UW-Platteville.  The conference, which has been happening at various UW System schools each year since 1983.  Sponsored by the UW System Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the conference serves as an opportunity to "empower our UW-System students of color by providing them opportunities to present their research, creative writing and visual art in a scholarly atmosphere, to discuss issues that concern diversity, equity and inclusion on our campuses, and to network with their peers at other universities" shares Ivy Vainio of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  

This year, three UW-Superior students presented various work to the 250+ conference attendees from across the UW-System schools.  Kang Her presented a creative writing poem entitled "Lying Down on the Green Lawn" which she wrote for her course with Barton Sutter.  Keighly Hudak presented an incredible birch bark visual art piece as well.  Xeng Yang presented both a poster and oral presentation on leadership direction.   

Led by Office of Multicultural staff Ivy Vainio, Chip Beal, and Acacia Nikoi, the students boarded a bus and traveled to and from Superior to Platteville together.  Lots of friendships and connections were made on the long trip.  UW-Superior students haven't always had to travel across the state; in 1999 UW-Superior hosted the AMSLC conference coordinated by our own Ivy Vainio!  Ivy shares that she "personally enjoy[s] going to this conference every year because it makes me so proud to see what our UW college students of color are doing in the areas of research, campus and community involvement, and to hear their concerns, outlooks, and goals for bettering our communities as a whole."      

Students enjoyed various speakers, both professional and student.  Kang Her shares that "my highlight of AMSLC was listening to Pakou Her, a motivational speaker about diversity and inclusiveness".  Meals, entertainment, workshops, and visual art pieces were available the entire weekend for students to enjoy.   

Next year, the conference is "closer to home" hosted by UW-Stout in April 2012.  While the conference is primarily geared towards American students of color, anyone is welcome to attend.  Freshmen and transfer students are free to attend (registration covered by OMA) while older students should submit a piece or presentation to have their registration covered.   Congratulations to the students and OMA staff for their achievements!

Check out the Campus Life Spotlight each Tuesday online and in the Staff Digest.