A Check-In with the OMCD

By ALISON BLAKE ‘22

In light of the recent changes to the Transitions Program, the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development (OMCD) has reached out to The Paper to begin a weekly check-in series. Hoping to improve its communication with the student body, the OMCD views this series as an opportunity to involve students in its programming. For the first edition of the series, I met with Mr. Rodriguez, Director of Student Multicultural Programming, to learn about a new agenda the office is excited to announce: the Milton Academy Cultural Council.

The mission statement of the Milton Academy Cultural Council (MACC) is, “to support and advocate for multicultural programming that challenges cultural misconceptions and biases; to drive initiatives that foster a greater understanding of social justice, diversity, inclusion, and belonging; and to encourage the student body to appreciate and celebrate our differences through programming, policies, and special events.” The council will meet biweekly, and each session will focus upon an issue concerning cross-cultural dialogue at Milton. In our interview, Mr. Rodriguez emphasized that he hopes this council will “bridge the gap dividing the student body and the OMCD,” since he sees a need for student engagement within the office’s upcoming programs.

Last year, the OMCD ran a pilot program, the “working group,” that explored ways to talk to students about different issues and build community communication. This year, Mr. Rodriguez and the OMCD are taking a step further with the Cultural Council. In addition to what’s outlined in its mission statement, Mr. Rodriguez told me that “the Milton Academy Cultural Council aims to celebrate the diversity found in our community, foster an environment in which clubs and individuals can contribute to making Milton Academy a safer space for students of all backgrounds, encourage students to practice allyship, and promote positive, meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.” To accomplish its goals, the council will strategize with dorm heads and a wide variety of campus leaders on how best to communicate with the student body and Milton community about issues of diversity and multiculturalism.

Though the council will be supervised by three faculty advisors (Mr. Rodriguez, Dr. Cohen, and Ms. Solomon), Mr. Rodriguez emphasized that the MACC will prioritize student leadership. With the hope of providing more students—specifically freshmen and sophomores—with leadership opportunities and roles in discussing such important issues, the OMCD decided that the council should consist of one non-co-head representative from each culture club. Additionally, the OMCD plans to change council members annually, though Mr. Rodriguez acknowledges that the possibility of this rotation is dependent upon interest. Most of all, the OMCD hopes to include “enthusiastic, open-minded students who are excited to talk about these important issues.”

Mr. Rodriguez mentioned that students have to communicate with the faculty advisor of their cultural club if interested in applying to become a council member. From there, Mr. Rodriguez, Dr. Cohen, Ms. Solomon, and the other culture club advisors will select students for the council.

Throughout the interview, Mr. Rodriguez reiterated that the MAAC presents a fantastic opportunity not only for students to discuss pressing issues facing our community, but also them to create solutions to the problems they see. Although he knows not to be over-confident with interest levels, Mr. Rodriguez remains hopeful that enthusiasm will grow over time. After all, in his words, “Milton students love to engage with these vital issues, and the council is a great way to do just that.”